Methods and apparatus for transmitting service information in a neighborhood of peer-to-peer communication groups

• US 10,165,047 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Dwight R., Halasz, David E., Salkintzis, Apostolis K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazaro, David R
• Application Number:
  US14/141,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20140280585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,824 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1068 Discovery involving direct consultation or announcement among potential requesting and potential source peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1093 Some peer nodes performing special functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for transmitting service information in a neighborhood of peer-to-peer communication groups are disclosed. A peer-to-peer client device connects to a peer-to-peer communication group via a peer-to-peer group owner. The peer-to-peer client generates a service notification including a category and a sub-category and transmits the service notification to the first peer-to-peer group owner. The first peer-to-peer group owner then forwards the service notification (a) to a first group member that is associated with the category and the sub-category, and (b) to a second group member that is identified as a first bridge and is associated with the category.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting service information in a neighborhood of peer-to-peer communication groups, wherein the neighborhood includes at least a first peer-to-peer communication group of electronic devices and a second peer-to-peer communication group of electronic devices, the method comprising:

at a peer-to-peer group owner electronic device of the first peer-to-peer communication group, wherein the first peer-to-peer communication group further includes a first member electronic device, and the second peer-to-peer communication group includes a second member electronic device;

communicatively coupling a first peer-to-peer client electronic device to the first peer-to-peer communication group;

receiving a service notification including a category and a sub-category related to a requested service from the first peer-to-peer client electronic device, wherein the service notification is configured to solicit a response from client electronic devices, in the neighborhood, that satisfy the category and the sub-category;

propagating the service notification throughout at least part of the neighborhood, including;

in accordance with a determination that the first member electronic device is in the first peer-to-peer communication group and a determination that the first member electronic device is associated with both the category and the sub-category, transmitting the service notification to the first member electronic device in the first peer-to-peer communication group; and

in accordance with a determination that the second member electronic device is a first bridge to the second peer-to-peer communication group and a determination that the second member electronic device is associated with at least the category, transmitting the service notification to the second member electronic device in the second peer-to-peer communication group; and

in response to the service notification;

receiving a response message from the second member electronic device, wherein the response message comprises addressing information indicating an address return path to the first peer-to-peer client electronic device; and

transmitting the response message to the first peer-to-peer client electronic device based at least in part on the address return path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second member electronic device is configured to add the addressing information to the service notification and to forward the service notification to a neighboring group owner electronic device that is associated with the category in the service notification.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the neighboring group owner electronic device is configured to remove duplicate service notifications.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the neighboring group owner electronic device is configured to forward the service notification to the second member electronic device that is associated with the category and the sub-category in the service notification.

5. The method of claim 2, comprising forwarding the service notification from the neighboring group owner electronic device to a third member electronic device of a third group of electronic devices that is identified as a second bridge and is associated with the category in the service notification.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a second peer-to-peer client electronic device is configured to receive the service notification including the addressing information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the service notification includes an action associated with at least one of the category and the subcategory.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the service notification includes a group identifier and a device identifier.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein connecting to the first peer-to-peer communication group of electronic devices comprises connecting to a Wi-Fi peer-to-peer communication group.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first bridge comprises a Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) Routing Bridge (RBridge) interface.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second member electronic device is associated with the category when at least one member of the second peer-to-peer communication group of electronic devices is interested in or can provide the requested service in the category.

12. An apparatus for transmitting service information in a neighborhood of peer-to-peer communication groups, wherein the neighborhood includes at least a first peer-to-peer communication group of electronic devices and a second peer-to-peer communication group of electronic devices, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of radio frequency transceivers; and

at least one controller, operatively coupled to the plurality of radio frequency transceivers, the at least one controller being structured to;

at a peer-to-peer group owner electronic device of the first peer-to-peer communication group, wherein the first peer-to-peer communication group further includes a first member electronic device, and the second peer-to-peer communication group includes a second member electronic device;

communicatively couple a first peer-to-peer client electronic device to the first peer-to-peer communication group;

receive a service notification including a category and a sub-category related to a requested service from the first peer-to-peer client electronic device, wherein the service notification is configured to solicit a response from client electronic devices, in the neighborhood, that satisfy the category and the sub-category;

propagate the service notification throughout at least part of the neighborhood, including;

in accordance with a determination that the first member electronic device is in the first peer-to-peer communication group and a determination that the first member electronic device is associated with both the category and the sub-category, transmitting the service notification to the first member electronic device in the first peer-to-peer communication group; and

in accordance with a determination that the second member electronic device is a first bridge to the second peer-to-peer communication group and a determination that the second member electronic device is associated with at least the category, transmitting the service notification to the second member electronic device in the second peer-to-peer communication group; and

in response to the service notification;

receive a response message from the second member electronic device, wherein the response message comprises addressing information indicating an address return path to the first peer-to-peer client electronic device; and

transmit the response message to the first peer-to-peer client electronic device based at least in part on the address return path.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second member electronic device is configured to add the addressing information to the service notification and to forward the service notification to a neighboring group owner electronic device that is associated with the category in the service notification.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the neighboring group owner electronic device is configured to remove duplicate service notifications.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the neighboring group owner electronic device is configured to forward the service notification to the second member electronic device that is associated with the category and the sub-category in the service notification.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the neighboring group owner electronic device is configured to forward the service notification to a third member electronic device of third group of electronic devices that is identified as a second bridge and is associated with the category in the service notification.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein a second peer-to-peer electronic device is configured to receive the service notification including the addressing information.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the service notification includes an action associated with at least one of the category and the sub-category.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the service notification includes a group identifier and a device identifier.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one controller is configured to connect to the first peer-to-peer communication group of electronic devices by connecting to a Wi-Fi peer-to-peer communication group owner electronic device.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one controller is configured to instantiate the first bridge by instantiating a Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) Routing Bridge (RBridge) interface.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the category comprises an identifier of an executable application, and wherein the subcategory comprises a title of the executable application.