Plug-In-Playable Wireless Communication System

Abstract

A method and apparatus for communicating between devices is described. In one embodiment, the method comprises: detecting, at a switch, a notification signal from the previously undetected repeater, configuring the previously undetected repeater to operate with the switch; and receiving, at the switch, a periodic communication signal from the previously undetected repeater that establishes a communication connection between the previously undetected repeater and the switch to form a new wireless coverage cell.

1 . A method for automatically establishing a new wireless coverage cell using a previously undetected repeater, comprising:
 (a) detecting, at a switch, a notification signal from the previously undetected repeater;   (b) configuring the previously undetected repeater to operate with the switch; and   (c) receiving, at the switch, a periodic communication signal from the previously undetected repeater that establishes a communication connection between the previously undetected repeater and the switch to form the new wireless coverage cell.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (d) receiving, by the switch, a physical connection from the previously undetected repeater; and   (e) providing power through the physical connection from a switch port of the switch to power up the previously undetected repeater.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein step (e) comprises:
 (e)(i) providing the power through an Ethernet connection via a power-over-Ethernet (PoE) port to power up the previously undetected repeater.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises:
 (b)(i) transmitting software from the switch to the previously undetected repeater;   (b)(ii) causing the previously undetected repeater to execute the software to configure the previously undetected repeater to operate with the switch.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein step (b)(ii) comprises:
 (b)(ii)(A) causing the previously undetected repeater to execute the software to configure the previously undetected repeater to operate using a tunneling protocol.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (c) comprises:
 (c)(i) receiving, at the switch, a heart beat signal to maintain the communication connection between the previously undetected repeater and the switch.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 (d) configuring, by the switch, the previously undetected repeater to communicate with one or more mobile stations in response to receiving the periodic communication signal.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein step (d) comprises:
 (d)(i) configuring, by the switch, the previously undetected repeater to wirelessly communicate with the one or more mobile stations in response to receiving the periodic communication signal.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein step (d) comprises:
 (d)(i) configuring, by the switch, the previously undetected repeater to communicate with the one or more mobile stations in response to receiving the periodic communication signal without using information resulting from a site survey of the location.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein step (d) comprises:
 (d)(i) associating, by the switch, at least one of the one or more mobile stations with the previously undetected repeater without knowledge of a user of the at least one of the one or more mobile stations.   
   
   
       11 . A method for automatically establishing a new wireless coverage cell using a previously undetected repeater, comprising:
 (a) sending, at the previously undetected repeater, a notification signal to a switch;   (b) configuring the previously undetected repeater to operate with the switch; and   (c) transmitting a periodic communication signal from the previously undetected repeater to the switch that establishes a communication connection between the previously undetected repeater and the switch to form the new wireless coverage cell.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 (d) establishing a physical connection between in the previously undetected repeater and a switch port of the switch; and   (e) drawing power from the switch port to power the previously undetected repeater.   
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein step (e) comprises:
 (e)(i) drawing the power from the switch port via an Ethernet connection using power-over-Ethernet (PoE).   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 (d) loading a boot image embedded within the previously undetected repeater; and   (e) executing the boot image to initialize the previously undetected repeater.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein step (b) comprises:
 (b)(i) receiving software from the switch at the previously undetected repeater;   (b)(ii) executing the software to configure the previously undetected repeater to operate with the switch.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein step (b)(ii) comprises:
 (b)(ii)(A) executing the software from the switch to configure the previously undetected repeater to operate using a tunneling protocol.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein step (c) comprises:
 (c)(i) transmitting a heart beat signal from the previously undetected repeater to maintain the communication connection between the previously undetected repeater and the switch.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 (d) receiving, at the previously undetected repeater, configuration instructions to communicate with one or more mobile stations after sending the periodic communication signal.   
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein step (d) comprises:
 (d)(i) receiving, at the previously undetected repeater, configuration instructions to wirelessly communicate with the one or more mobile stations after sending the periodic communication signal.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 (e) communicating with at least one of the one or more mobile stations without using information resulting from a site survey of the location.   
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein step (e) comprises:
 (e)(i) associating with the at least one of the one or more mobile station without knowledge of a user of the at least one of the one or more mobile station.