US 9717037

Here's a concise summary of US Patent 9717037:

US Patent 9717037: Method for scanning for access point in wireless LAN system

• Title: Method for scanning for access point in wireless LAN system
• Current Assignee: Golden Eye Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: KT Corp
• Inventors: Byung Wan Yoon, Su Hwan Rim
• Filing Date: June 27, 2013
• Issue Date: July 25, 2017
• Abstract: The patent discloses a method for scanning for an access point in a wireless LAN system. This active scan method involves a terminal generating and transmitting a probe request frame that includes information on the terminal's signal strength to an access point, thereby aiming to prevent wasted time and radio resources.

Plain-language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Station-side Active Scan with Signal Strength and Max Probe Response Time): This claim describes a method performed by a wireless station (like a laptop or smartphone). The station generates a "probe request frame" that includes its own signal strength information (e.g., transmission power). It sends this request to various access points (APs). Upon receiving a "probe response frame" from one of these APs, the station decides to connect to that AP. This decision to access the AP is made based on the received probe response frame and a "maximum probe response time," which is a pre-set period the station usually waits for responses from all APs. The invention allows the station to potentially connect sooner, rather than waiting for the entire maximum probe response time to elapse.

• Claim 10 (Station-side Active Scan with Downlink Quality and Max Probe Response Time): This claim also describes a method performed by a station. The station transmits a probe request frame to access points and receives a probe response frame from a specific AP. It then determines the "downlink quality" (e.g., how good the signal is from the AP to the station) based on the signal strength of the received probe response frame. The station will then connect to that specific AP if this downlink quality meets a predefined standard, and this access is also considered in relation to the maximum probe response time. Similar to Claim 1, this implies a potential for faster connection if the quality is good.

• Claim 13 (Access Point-side Active Scan with Uplink Quality and Max Probe Response Time): This claim describes a method performed by an access point. The AP receives a probe request frame from a station, which includes the station's signal strength information. The AP then assesses the "uplink quality" (how good the signal is from the station to the AP) using this information. The AP only transmits a probe response frame back to the station if this uplink quality meets a predetermined standard. Subsequently, the AP grants access to the station, again considering the maximum probe response time that the station is expected to wait. This aims to prevent the AP from responding to stations with poor uplink quality, saving AP resources.

Legal Status and Litigation (as of April 26, 2026):

The patent US9717037B2 is currently Active and is projected to expire on July 21, 2033.

There are ongoing litigation matters related to this patent family:

• A US case was filed in the Texas Eastern District Court (case number 2:25-cv-00898).
• A PTAB (Patent Trial and Appeal Board) case, IPR2026-00187, was filed and is currently pending.

No results for US patent 9717037 were found in the CAFC 2026 dockets via direct search.