Device detection and service discovery system and method for a mobile ad hoc communications network

• US 20050185660A1
• Filed: 04/11/2005
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nordic Interactive Technologies LLC (Tanit Ventures Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Jaakko Lipasti, Jan-Erik Ekberg, Pekka Lahtinen
• Inventors: Ekberg, Jan-Erik, Lahtinen, Pekka, Lipasti, Jaakko
• Granted Patent: US 7,492,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information

Abstract

A system and method of performing device detection and service discovery in a mobile ad hoc communications network, each network node storing a local application directory. One of the network nodes is selected to be a directory server node that stores a combined application directory. The directory server node sends an inquiry message to a listening node when the listening node enters the coverage area of the directory server node. The listening node sends a notification message to the directory server node that includes the local application directory stored in the listening node. The directory server node compares the received local application directory to the combined application directory and updates the combined application directory accordingly. The directory server node sends an update message to each network node by sending an update portion of the combined application directory. Each network node updates the local application directories accordingly.

Claims

1-30. -30. (canceled)

31. Apparatus for performing device detection and service discovery in a mobile ad hoc communications network including at least one network node, each network node configured to communicate within a coverage area and store a local application directory, the apparatus comprising:

a storage means for storing a combined application directory including local application directory information of each network node communicating with the mobile ad hoc communications network;

a wireless transmitter for sending an inquiry message to a listening node that enters the coverage area;

a wireless receiver for receiving a notification message from the listening node, the notification message comprising the local application directory stored in the listening node;

means for storing, in the storage means, an update to the combined application directory based on a comparison of the local application directory included with the notification message and the combined application directory; and

means for sending an update message to each network node communicating with the mobile ad hoc communications network, the update message comprising an update portion of the combined application directory for updating the local application directories of each of the nodes within the mobile ad hoc communications network.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the combined application directory stores a reference to each application program stored in said at least one network node, and wherein the local application directory stores a reference to each application program stored in the network node associated with the local application directory.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the reference stored in the combined application directory, and the reference stored in the local application directory, include an application identifier, a network node identifier, and an application role.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the inquiry message is a general inquiry access code message.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the notification message is an arrival notification and the listening node sends the arrival notification to initiate the listening node entering the mobile ad hoc communications network.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising comparison means identifying at least one entry in the local application directory that does not appear in the combined application directory.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the means for storing in the storage means the update to the combined application directory is further configured to:

(i) add an entry to the combined application directory for each entry in the local application directory associated with the listening node that does not appear in the combined application directory.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the means for sending the update message is further configured to:

(i) identify at least one counterpart application pair,

wherein an update message portion sent to each network node comprises an update portion of the combined application directory that is a counterpart application to an application program resident in the network node.

39. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the notification message is a departure notification and the listening node sends the departure notification to initiate the listening node leaving the mobile ad hoc communication network.

40. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the comparison means identifies at least one entry in the local application directory that appears in the combined application directory.

41. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the means for storing in the storage means the update to the combined application directory is further configured to:

(i) delete from the combined application directory each entry in the local application directory associated with the listening node that appears in the combined application directory.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein the means for sending the update message is further configured to:

(i) identify at least one counterpart application pair,

wherein an update message portion sent to each network node comprises an update portion of the combined application directory that is a counterpart application to an application program resident in the network node.

43. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said at least one network node communicates via the mobile communication network by a direct radio connection.

45. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the mobile ad hoc communication network is a Bluetooth piconet, the storage means is a master device in the Bluetooth piconet, and each remaining network node in said at least one network node is a slave device in the Bluetooth piconet.

46. Apparatus for performing device detection and service discovery in a mobile ad hoc communications network including at least one network node, each network node configured to store a local application directory and select a directory server node from said at least one network node, the directory server node having a coverage area and storing a combined application directory, the apparatus comprising:

a storage means for storing the local application directory;

a wireless receiver for receiving an inquiry message from the directory server node when entering the coverage area of the directory server;

a wireless transmitter for sending a notification message to the directory server node, the notification message comprising the local application directory stored in the storage, and

means for receiving an update message from the directory server node, the update message comprising an update portion for updating the stored local application directory;

wherein the received update message is based on a comparison of the local application directory included with the sent notification message and the combined application directory.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the combined application directory stores a reference to each application program stored in said at least one network node, and wherein the local application directory stores a reference to each application program stored in the network node associated with the local application directory.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the reference stored in the combined application directory, and the reference stored in the local application directory, include an application identifier, a network node identifier, and an application role.

49. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the inquiry message is a general inquiry access code message.

50. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the notification message is an arrival notification and the listening node sends the arrival notification to initiate the listening node entering the mobile ad hoc communications network.

51. The apparatus of claim 50, further comprising comparison means which identifies at least one entry in the local application directory that does not appear in the combined application directory.

52. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein the directory server node in storing the update to the combined application directory is configured to:

(i) add an entry to the combined application directory for each entry in the local application directory associated with the listening node that does not appear in the combined application directory.

53. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein an update message portion sent to each network node comprises an update portion of the combined application directory that is a counterpart application to an application program resident in the network node.

54. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the notification message is a departure notification and the listening node sends the departure notification to initiate the listening node leaving the mobile ad hoc communication network.

55. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein the comparison means identifies at least one entry in the local application directory that appears in the combined application directory.

56. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the directory server node in storing of the update to the combined application directory is configured to:

(i) delete from the combined application directory each entry in the local application directory associated with the listening node that appears in the combined application directory.

57. The apparatus of claim 56, wherein an update message portion sent to each network node comprises an update portion of the combined application directory that is a counterpart application to an application program resident in the network node.

58. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein said at least one network node communicates via the mobile communication network by a direct radio connection.

59. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein the direct radio connection only exists between the directory server node and each remaining network node in said at least one network node.

60. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the mobile ad hoc communication network is a Bluetooth piconet, the directory server node is a master device in the Bluetooth piconet, and each remaining network node in said at least one network node is a slave device in the Bluetooth piconet.

61. A medium, executable in a computer, for performing device detection and service discovery in a mobile ad hoc communications network including at least one network node, each network node configured to communicate within a coverage area and store a local application directory, the medium comprising:

program code for storing in a storage means a combined application directory including local application directory information of each network node communicating with the mobile ad hoc communications network;

program code for sending via a wireless transmitter an inquiry message to a listening node that enters the coverage area;

program code for receiving in a wireless receiver a notification message from the listening node, the notification message comprising the local application directory stored in the listening node;

program code for storing, in the storage means, an update to the combined application directory based on a comparison of the local application directory included with the notification message and the combined application directory; and

program code for sending via the wireless transmitter an update message to each network node communicating with the mobile ad hoc communications network, the update message comprising an update portion of the combined application directory for updating the local application directories of each of the nodes within the mobile ad hoc communications network.

62. The medium of claim 61, wherein the combined application directory stores a reference to each application program stored in said at least one network node, and wherein the local application directory stores a reference to each application program stored in the network node associated with the local application directory.

63. The medium of claim 62, wherein the reference stored in the combined application directory, and the reference stored in the local application directory, include an application identifier, a network node identifier, and an application role.

64. The medium of claim 61, wherein the inquiry message is a general inquiry access code message.

65. The medium of claim 61, wherein the notification message is an arrival notification and the listening node sends the arrival notification to initiate the listening node entering the mobile ad hoc communications network.

66. The medium of claim 65 further comprising program code for comparison in identifying at least one entry in the local application directory that does not appear in the combined application directory.

67. The program code of claim 66, wherein storing the update to the combined application directory further comprises:

(i) program code for adding an entry to the combined application directory for each entry in the local application directory associated with the listening node that does not appear in the combined application directory.

68. The medium of claim 67 wherein sending the update message further comprises

(i) program code for identifying at least one counterpart application pair, wherein a portion sent to each network node comprises an update portion of the combined application directory that is a counterpart application to an application program resident in the network node.

69. The medium of claim 61, wherein the notification message is a departure notification and the listening node sends the departure notification to initiate the listening node leaving the mobile ad hoc communication network.

70. The medium of claim 69 further comprises program code for comparison in identifying at least one entry in the local application directory that appears in the combined application directory.

71. The medium of claim 70 wherein the storing of the update message to the combined application directory further comprises:

(i) program code for deleting from the combined application directory each entry in the local application directory associated with the listening node that appears in the combined application directory.

72. The medium of claim 71, wherein the sending the update message further comprises:

(i) program code for identifying at least one counterpart application pair,

wherein a portion sent to each network node comprises an update portion of the combined application directory that is a counterpart application to an application program resident in the network node.

73. The medium of claim 71, wherein said at least one network node communicates via the mobile communication network by a direct radio connection.

74. The medium of claim 73, wherein the direct radio connection only exists between the storage and each remaining network node in said at least one network node.

75. The medium of claim 61, wherein the mobile ad hoc communication network is a Bluetooth piconet, the storage means is a master device in the Bluetooth piconet, and each remaining network node in said at least one network node is a slave device in the Bluetooth piconet.

76. A medium, executable in a computer for performing device detection and service discovery in a mobile ad hoc communications network including at least one network node, each network node configured to store a local application directory and select a directory server node from said at least one network node, the directory server node having a coverage area and storing a combined application directory, the medium comprising:

program code for storing in a storage means the local application directory;

program code for receiving in a wireless receiver an inquiry message from the directory server node when entering the coverage area of the directory server;

program code for sending a notification message in a wireless transmitter to the directory server node, the notification message comprising the local application directory stored in the storage, and

program code for receiving an update message in the wireless receiver from the directory server node, the update message comprising an update portion for updating the stored local application directory;

wherein the received update message is based on a comparison of the local application directory included with the sent notification message and the combined application directory.

77. The medium of claim 76, wherein the combined application directory stores a reference to each application program stored in said at least one network node, and wherein the local application directory stores a reference to each application program stored in the network node associated with the local application directory.

78. The medium of claim 77, wherein the reference stored in the combined application directory, and the reference stored in the local application directory, include an application identifier, a network node identifier, and an application role.

79. The medium of claim 76, wherein the inquiry message is a general inquiry access code message.

80. The medium of claim 76, wherein the notification message is an arrival notification and the listening node sends the arrival notification to initiate the listening node entering the mobile ad hoc communications network.

81. The medium of claim 80, wherein program code for comparison identifies at least one entry in the local application directory that does not appear in the combined application directory.

82. The medium of claim 81, wherein the storing of the update to the combined application directory further comprises:

(i) program code for adding an entry to the combined application directory for each entry in the local application directory associated with the listening node that does not appear in the combined application directory.

83. The medium of claim 82, wherein an update message portion sent to each network node comprises an update portion of the combined application directory that is a counterpart application to an application program resident in the network node.

84. The medium of claim 76, wherein the notification message is a departure notification and the listening node sends the departure notification to initiate the listening node leaving the mobile ad hoc communication network.

85. The medium of claim 84, further comprises program code for comparison in identifying at least one entry in the local application directory that appears in the combined application directory.

86. The medium of claim 85, wherein the storing of the update to the combined application directory further comprises:

(i) program code for deleting from the combined application directory each entry in the local application directory associated with the listening node that appears in the combined application directory.

87. The medium of claim 86, wherein an update message portion sent to each network node comprises an update portion of the combined application directory that is a counterpart application to an application program resident in the network node.

88. The medium of claim 76, wherein said at least one network node communicates via the mobile communication network by a direct radio connection.

89. The medium of claim 88, wherein the direct radio connection only exists between the directory server node and each remaining network node in said at least one network node.

90. The medium of claim 76, wherein the mobile ad hoc communication network is a Bluetooth piconet, the directory server node is a master device in the Bluetooth piconet, and each remaining network node in said at least one network node is a slave device in the Bluetooth piconet.