Automated Service Discovery and Wireless Network Set-Up

• US 20070177554A1
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Tan, Kun, Yang, Fan, Zhang, Qian, Zhou, Junfeng
• Granted Patent: US 7,333,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

The present technique for automating service discovery and the set-up of a wireless network improves a user'"'"'s experience when setting-up the wireless network and using one or more services. The technique includes automatic neighbor/service discovery using special beacons transmitted from wireless devices. Each special beacon identifies the wireless device (i.e., host) that transmitted the beacon along with the services provided by the device. For each special beacon that is received, a corresponding host name and the service provided by it are displayed in a graphical user interface. A user may select one or more of the host names and initiate a transmission of a network set-up and service request. The network set-up and service request identifies the selected host names and invites each selected host name to become a member of a wireless network. After the network has been set up, the service may be invoked automatically.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automating service discovery and set-up of a wireless network, the method comprising:

performing neighbor and service discovery based on a special beacon transmitted from at least one computing device;

performing member selection to select at least one of the computing devices; and

transmitting a network set-up and service request that identifies the at least one selected computing devices, the network set-up and service request inviting each selected computing device to become a member of a wireless network and asking each invited computing device to invoke a service as specified in the request after the network has been set-up.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving another special beacon from at least one of the selected computing devices indicating a grant of the network set-up and service request.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the network set-up and service request and the special beacon have a same format.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the format conforms to an IEEE 802.11 standard.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising performing security configuration with the selected member that granted the request.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising performing network configuration with the selected member that granted the request.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein performing member selection is via a graphical user interface which displays each computing device along with available services associated with the computing device that were discovered during neighbor/service discovery.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the network set-up and service request specifies a type of service that is requested.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the network set-up and service request specifies a mode that is compatible for communicating with the selected computing devices.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the mode is determined using a negotiation policy that factors in a spectrum and a data rate capability for each of the selected computing devices and for an initiating device that sends the network set-up and service request.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the network set-up and service request is transmitted in a selected spectrum determined by the negotiation policy.

12. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a data structure, the data structure being converted from a wireless transmission signal transmitted between two computing devices, the data structure comprising:

a host name field wherein a host name for a host computing device is stored, the host name identifying the computing device that transmitted the wireless transmission signal;

an invitation list wherein an identifier for each computing device requested to become a member of a wireless network is stored; and

a service flag field wherein service bits are stored for specifying a type of service desired for the wireless network.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the identifier within the invitation list comprises a hash of the host name for the computing device.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the hash is computed using a Bloom Filter.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the data structure conforms to an IEEE 802.11 standard.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the type of service includes at least one from a set comprising file transfers, peer-to-peer gaming, ad hoc meeting, and network set-up.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein when the service bits are set in a pre-determined manner, the data structure declares the host computing device'"'"'s presence and the services provided by the computing device to the host computing device.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising a version field wherein a timestamp is stored.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising a checksum field wherein a checksum is stored for validating the data structure.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising an index field for storing a value that indicates a Bloom Filter index that resulted in the invitation list having no false positives.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, further comprising a mode field for indicating a communication capability.

22. A computing device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory into which a plurality of instructions are loaded, the plurality of instructions performing a method when executed by the processor, the method comprising;

displaying a hostname for each host computing device from which a beacon (300) is received, wherein displaying is via a graphical user interface;

providing a selection means on the graphical user interface for selecting at least one of the host computing devices; and

providing a create network means on the graphical user interface that when activated results in a transmission of a network set-up request, the network set-up request identifying each of the selected host computing devices and inviting each of the selected host computing devices to become a member of a wireless network.

23. The computing device of claim 22, wherein the network set-up request further identifies a type of service among the members of the wireless network.

24. The computing device of claim 22, wherein the graphical user interface further includes a status area for displaying information about the wireless network.

25. The computing device of claim 22, wherein the selection means comprises a selectable text block for highlighting each of the host computing devices to be selected.

26. The computing device of claim 22, wherein the create network means comprises a button.