US 12,136,948 B2
Associationless wireless communications using an overhead mesh
Pascal Thubert, Roquefort les Pins (FR); Domenico Ficara, Essertines-sur-Yverdon (CH); Patrick Wetterwald, Mouans Sartoux (FR); Alessandro Erta, Licciana Nardi (IT); and Amine Choukir, Lausanne (CH)
Assigned to Cisco Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed by Cisco Technology, Inc., San Jose, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 21, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/581,163.
Prior Publication US 2023/0268996 A1, Aug. 24, 2023
Int. Cl. H04B 10/114 (2013.01); H04W 72/27 (2023.01); H04W 76/15 (2018.01)
CPC H04B 10/1149 (2013.01) [H04B 10/114 (2013.01); H04W 72/27 (2023.01); H04W 76/15 (2018.02)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
10. An apparatus, comprising:
one or more network interfaces;
a processor coupled to the one or more network interfaces and configured to execute one or more processes; and
a memory configured to store a process that is executable by the processor, the process when executed configured to:
register with a controller for a mesh of overhead access points, wherein registration includes coordinating movement of the apparatus;
receive, from the controller, a communication schedule that assigns the apparatus to a subset of access points in the mesh of overhead access points to which one or more particular access points belong, wherein the communication schedule is based on the movement of the apparatus;
generate a message to be sent to the mesh of overhead access points; and
transmit, according to the communication schedule, the message as a beam cone directed substantially upward relative to the apparatus towards the mesh of overhead access points, wherein the message is received and relayed by the one or more particular access points in the mesh without the apparatus previously performing a wireless association exchange with the one or more particular access points.