Apparatus, system and method of communicating in a multicast group

• US 10,069,883 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2015
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Das, Dibakar, Huang, Po-Kai, Oren, Elad, Qi, Emily H., Park, Minyoung
• Primary Examiner(s): Nowlin, Eric
• Application Number:
  US14/998,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20160374107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 983 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 for groups of terminals or users

Abstract

Some demonstrative embodiments include apparatuses, systems and/or methods of communicating in a multicast group. For example, an apparatus may include logic and circuitry configured to cause a Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN) device to process reception of a message including a scheduling attribute from a coordinator of a multicast group, the scheduling attribute comprising a service identifier (ID) corresponding to a service, scheduling information to indicate one or more timeblocks, a list of NAN devices belonging to the multicast group, and a scheduling rank of the coordinator; and based on the scheduling attribute, to connect with one or more NAN devices of the multicast group during at least one of the timeblocks to communicate traffic of the service.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a memory and a processor, the processor configured to cause a Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN) device to:

process reception of a scheduling message comprising a scheduling attribute from a coordinator of a multicast group, the scheduling attribute comprising a service identifier (ID) corresponding to a service, scheduling information to indicate one or more timeblocks, a list of NAN devices belonging to the multicast group, and a scheduling rank of the coordinator;

based on the scheduling attribute, connect with a first NAN device of the multicast group during at least one of the timeblocks to communicate traffic of the service; and

transmit to the coordinator a cant connect message comprising a cant-connect attribute indicating a second NAN device of the multicast group based on a failure to connect to the second NAN device;

wherein the first NAN device determines the failure to connect based on failing to receive a refresh message from the second NAN device of the multicast group for a predefined duration, and wherein the predefined duration is defined as a multiple of a refresh interval specified in the scheduling message.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the first NAN device to determine the scheduling rank of the first NAN device based on one or more first messages from one or more other ones of the NAN devices of the multicast group, and to transmit one or more second messages comprising the scheduling rank of the first NAN device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the first NAN device to transmit a refresh message at least every refresh interval to indicate the first NAN device is active.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the first NAN device to transmit an election attribute to indicate the first NAN device is to become the coordinator, the election attribute comprising a scheduling rank of the first NAN device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the election attribute comprises a cant-connect attribute indicating one or more other ones of the NAN devices of the multicast group, from which a refresh message is not received for a predefined duration.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to cause the first NAN device to transmit a multicast group attribute indicating a tentative multicast group comprising one or more other ones of the NAN devices, from which one or more refresh messages were received within a predefined duration.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to cause the first NAN device to become a coordinator of the tentative multicast group, and to transmit a second scheduling message comprising another scheduling attribute comprising a list of the one or more other ones of the NAN devices of the tentative multicast group.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the first NAN device to receive a first message comprising a first election attribute indicating a third NAN device of the multicast group is to become the coordinator of the multicast group, the election attribute comprising a first scheduling rank of the third NAN device, and, based on a comparison between the first scheduling rank of the third NAN device and a second scheduling rank of the first NAN device, to select to become the coordinator of the multicast group and to transmit a second message comprising a second election attribute to indicate the first NAN device is to become the coordinator of the multicast group.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cause the first NAN device to transmit a leave message to indicate that the first NAN device is to leave the multicast group.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the scheduling message comprising the scheduling attribute comprises a Service Discovery Frame (SDF) or a dedicated Publish Action Frame.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multicast group comprises a many-to-many group.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising one or more antennas.

13. A product comprising one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising computer-executable instructions operable to, when executed by at least one computer processor, enable the at least one computer processor to implement one or more operations at a Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN) device, the one or more operations comprising:

processing reception of a scheduling message comprising a scheduling attribute from a coordinator of a multicast group, the scheduling attribute comprising a service identifier (ID) corresponding to a service, scheduling information to indicate one or more timeblocks, a list of NAN devices belonging to the multicast group, and a scheduling rank of the coordinator;

based on the scheduling attribute, connecting with a first NAN device of the multicast group during at least one of the timeblocks to communicate traffic of the service;

transmitting to the coordinator a cant connect message comprising a cant-connect attribute indicating a second NAN device of the multicast group based on a failure to connect to the second NAN device; and

transmitting to the coordinator the cant connect message if a refresh message is not received from the second NAN device of the multicast group for a predefined duration, wherein the predefined duration is defined as a multiple of a refresh interval specified in the scheduling message.

14. The product of claim 13, wherein the one or more operations comprise transmitting an election attribute to indicate which one of the NAN devices is to become the coordinator, the election attribute comprising a scheduling rank of the NAN devices.

15. An apparatus comprising a memory and a processor, the processor configured to cause a first Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN) device to:

generate a scheduling attribute comprising a service identifier (ID) corresponding to a service, scheduling information to indicate one or more timeblocks, a list of NAN devices belonging to a multicast group coordinated by the first NAN device, and a scheduling rank of the first NAN device;

transmit a first message comprising the scheduling attribute; and

receive, from the first NAN device, a second message comprising a cant-connect attribute indicating a failure to connect to a second NAN device of the multicast group;

wherein the failure to connect to the second NAN device is determined based on the first NAN device failing to receive a refresh message for a predefined duration, and wherein the predefined duration is defined as a multiple of a refresh interval specified in the scheduling message.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to cause the first NAN device to determine the scheduling rank of the first NAN device based on one or more third messages from one or more NAN devices of the multicast group, and to transmit one or more fourth messages comprising the scheduling rank of the first NAN device.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to cause the first NAN device to transmit a refresh message at least every refresh interval to indicate the first NAN device is active.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to cause the first NAN device to receive a third message comprising a first election attribute indicating a third NAN device of the multicast group is to become a coordinator of the multicast group, the election attribute comprising a first scheduling rank of the third NAN device, and, based on a comparison between the first scheduling rank of the third NAN device and a second scheduling rank of the first NAN device, to select whether or not to transmit a fourth message comprising a second election attribute to indicate the first NAN device is to remain the coordinator of the multicast group.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 comprising one or more antennas.

20. A product comprising one or more tangible computer-readable non-transitory storage media comprising computer-executable instructions operable to, when executed by at least one computer processor, enable the at least one computer processor to implement one or more operations at a first Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN) device, the one or more operations comprising:

generating a scheduling attribute comprising a service identifier (ID) corresponding to a service, scheduling information to indicate one or more timeblocks, a list of NAN devices belonging to a multicast group coordinated by the first NAN device, and a scheduling rank of the first NAN device;

transmitting a first message comprising the scheduling attribute; and

receiving, from a second one of the NAN devices in the multicast group, a second message comprising a cant-connect attribute indicating a failure to connect to the second NAN device of the multicast group;

wherein the failure to connect to the second NAN device is determined based on the first NAN device failing to receive a refresh message for a predefined duration, and wherein the predefined duration is defined as a multiple of a refresh interval specified in the scheduling message.

21. The product of claim 20, wherein the one or more operations comprise determining the scheduling rank of the first NAN device based on one or more third messages from the one or more NAN devices of the multicast group, and transmitting one or more fourth messages comprising the scheduling rank of the first NAN device.

22. The product of claim 20, wherein the one or more operations comprise:

receiving a third message comprising a first election attribute indicating a third NAN device of the multicast group is to become a coordinator of the multicast group, the election attribute comprising a first scheduling rank of the third NAN device; and

based on a comparison between the first scheduling rank of the third NAN device and a second scheduling rank of the first NAN device, selecting whether or not to transmit a fourth message comprising a second election attribute to indicate the first NAN device is to remain the coordinator of the multicast group.