Method and Apparatus to Create Multicast Groups Based on Proximity

• US 20080219227A1
• Filed: 02/21/2008
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Michaelis, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 8,687,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06

Abstract

Devices and methods use close range communication links, such as near field communication (NFC) protocol links, to enable users to authenticate mobile devices to one another to create or expand secure multicast groups. Once the two or more devices establish a close range communication peer-to-peer link the devices exchange multicast group communication data sufficient to permit the devices to receive or send multicast messages. Long range wireless or wired network communication links are then used for multicast message communications. Proximity limits of the close range communication P2P link enables mutual trust to be presumed among devices, reducing the need for security and authentication signaling. The limited range of close range communication P2P links renders multicast groups established in this manner less vulnerable to eavesdropping and intrusion. Embodiments enable users to initiate secure multicast group participation merely by bringing two or more devices into close proximity.

Claims

1. A method for joining a first communications device to a multicast group, comprising:

establishing a close range communications link between the first communications device and a second communications device which is already a member of the multicast group;

sending a multicast services advertisement pertaining to the multicast group from the second communications device to the first communications device using the close range communications link; and

joining the first communications device to the multicast group based on the multicast services advertisement.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein joining the first communications device to the multicast group based on the multicast services advertisement comprises:

sending signaling data pertaining to a communications capability of the first communications device to another member of the multicast group.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein joining the first communications device to the multicast group based on the multicast services advertisement comprises:

sending signaling data pertaining to a communications capability of the first communications device from the first communications device to the second communications device; and

sending the signaling data from the second communications device to another member of the multicast group.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the signaling data is sent from the first signaling device to the second communications device over the close range communications link.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a request for a multicast services advertisement from the first communications device to the second communications device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the close range communication link is a near-field communication (NFC) protocol communication link.

25. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the second transceiver is a near-field communication (NFC) protocol transceiver.

7. A method for creating a multicast group, comprising:

establishing a close range communications link between a first communications device and a second communications device with multicast capabilities;

sending a multicast services advertisement pertaining to creating a multicast group from the second communications device to the first communications device using the close range communications link; and

establishing a multicast group comprising the first communications device and the second communications device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

sending signaling data pertaining to a communications capability of the first communications device from the first communications device to the second communications device.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

sending a request for a multicast services advertisement from the first communications device to the second communications device.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising

establishing a close range communications link between a third communications device and the second communications device;

sending a multicast services advertisement pertaining to the multicast group from the second communications device to the third communications device using the close range communications link; and

joining the third communications device to the multicast group based on the multicast services advertisement.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the close range communication link is a near-field communication (NFC) protocol communication link.

12. A method for removing a first communications device from a multicast group, comprising:

establishing a close range communications link between the first communications device which is a member of a multicast group and a second communications device which is also a member of the multicast group;

sending a disconnect message from the first communications device to the second communications device; and

removing the first communications device from the multicast group.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending the disconnect message from the second communication device to other members of the multicast group.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the close range communication link is a near-field communication (NFC) protocol communication link.

15. A mobile device, comprising:

a processor;

a first transceiver coupled to the processor;

a second transceiver coupled to the processor, the second transceiver being a close range communication transceiver; and

a memory coupled to the processor,

wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to perform steps comprising;

establishing a close range communications link between the mobile device and a communications device via the second transceiver; and

joining a multicast group based on information communicated over the close range communications link, wherein multicast group communications are sent and received via the first transceiver.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to perform steps further comprising:

receiving, over the close range communications link, a multicast services advertisement pertaining to the multicast group from the communications device which is already a member of the multicast group,

wherein joining the multicast group comprises joining the mobile device to the multicast group based on the received multicast services advertisement.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to perform steps further comprising:

sending signaling data pertaining to a communications capability of the mobile device to another member of the multicast group.

18. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to perform steps further comprising:

sending signaling data pertaining to a communications capability of the mobile device to the communications device over the close range communications link.

19. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to perform steps further comprising:

sending a request for a multicast services advertisement to the communications device over the close range communications link.

20. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to perform steps further comprising:

sending, over the close range communications link, a multicast services advertisement pertaining to creating a multicast group from the communications device,

wherein joining the multicast group comprises establishing the multicast group including the mobile device and the communications device based on the multicast services advertisement.

21. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to perform steps further comprising:

receiving from the communications device over the close range communications link signaling data pertaining to a communications capability of the communications device.

22. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to perform steps further comprising:

sending to the communications device over the close range communications link a multicast services advertisement pertaining to an established multicast group of which the mobile device is a member,

wherein joining the multicast group comprises joining the communication device to the multicast group including the mobile device based on the multicast services advertisement.

23. The mobile device of claim 22, wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to perform steps further comprising:

receiving a request for a multicast services advertisement from the communications device over the close range communications link.

24. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to perform steps further comprising:

sending a disconnect message to the communications device via the close range communication link.

26. A tangible storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform steps comprising:

establishing a close range communications link between the mobile device and a communications device; and

joining a multicast group based on information communicated over the close range communications link.

27. The tangible storage medium of claim 26, wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising:

receiving, over the close range communications link, a multicast services advertisement pertaining to the multicast group from the communications device which is already a member of the multicast group,

wherein joining the multicast group comprises joining the mobile device to the multicast group based on the received multicast services advertisement.

28. The tangible storage medium of claim 27, wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising:

sending signaling data pertaining to a communications capability of the mobile device to another member of the multicast group.

29. The tangible storage medium of claim 27, wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising:

sending signaling data pertaining to a communications capability available to the processor to the communications device over the close range communications link.

30. The tangible storage medium of claim 27, wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising:

sending a request for a multicast services advertisement to the communications device over the close range communications link.

31. The tangible storage medium of claim 26, wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising:

sending, over the close range communications link, a multicast services advertisement pertaining to creating a multicast group from the communications device,

wherein joining the multicast group comprises establishing the multicast group including the mobile device and the communications device based on the multicast services advertisement.

32. The tangible storage medium of claim 31, wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising:

receiving from the communications device over the close range communications link signaling data pertaining to a communications capability of the communications device.

33. The tangible storage medium of claim 26, wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising:

sending to the communications device over the close range communications link a multicast services advertisement pertaining to an established multicast group of which the mobile device is a member,

wherein joining the multicast group comprises joining the communication device to the multicast group including the mobile device based on the multicast services advertisement.

34. The tangible storage medium of claim 33, wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising:

receiving a request for a multicast services advertisement from the communications device over the close range communications link.

35. The tangible storage medium of claim 27, wherein the tangible storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further steps comprising:

sending a disconnect message to the communications device via the close range communication link.

36. A mobile device, comprising:

means for establishing a close range communications link between the mobile device and a communications device; and

means for joining a multicast group based on based on information communicated over the close range communications link.

37. The mobile device of claim 36, further comprising:

means for receiving, over the close range communications link, a multicast services advertisement pertaining to the multicast group from the communications device which is already a member of the multicast group,

means for wherein joining the multicast group comprises joining the mobile device to the multicast group based on the received multicast services advertisement.

38. The mobile device of claim 37, further comprising:

means for sending signaling data pertaining to a communications capability of the mobile device to another member of the multicast group.

39. The mobile device of claim 37, further comprising:

means for sending signaling data pertaining to a communications capability of the mobile device to the communications device.

40. The mobile device of claim 37, further comprising:

means for sending a request for a multicast services advertisement to the communications device over the close range communications link.

41. The mobile device of claim 36, further comprising:

means for sending, over the close range communications link, a multicast services advertisement pertaining to creating a multicast group from the communications device,

wherein the means for joining the multicast group comprises means for establishing the multicast group including the mobile device and the communications device based on the multicast services advertisement.

42. The mobile device of claim 41, further comprising:

means for receiving, over the close range communications link, signaling data pertaining to a communications capability of the communications device.

43. The mobile device of claim 36, further comprising:

means for sending to the communications device over the close range communications link a multicast services advertisement pertaining to an established multicast group of which the mobile device is a member,

wherein the means for joining the multicast group comprises means for joining the communication device to the multicast group including the mobile device based on the multicast services advertisement.

44. The mobile device of claim 42, further comprising:

means for receiving a request for a multicast services advertisement from the communications device over the close range communications link.

45. The mobile device of claim 37, further comprising:

means for sending a disconnect message to the communications device via the close range communication link.

46. The mobile device of claim 36, wherein the means for establishing a close range communications link between the mobile device and a communications device comprises means for establishing a near-field communication (NFC) protocol communications link.

47. A system, comprising:

a network;

a first communication device including a first transceiver and a second transceiver, wherein the first transceiver is configured to communicate via the network, and the second transceiver being a close range communication transceiver; and

a second communication device including a third transceiver and a fourth transceiver, wherein the third transceiver is configured to communicate via the network, and the fourth transceiver being a close range communication transceiver,

wherein the first and second communication devices are configured to

establish a close range communications link between the mobile via the second and fourth transceivers; and

establish multicast group communications between the first and third transceivers based on information communicated over the close range communications link.