METHODS AND APPARATUS RELATED TO PEER DISCOVERY AND/OR PAGING IN PEER TO PEER WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20090013081A1
• Filed: 07/06/2007
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jovicic, Aleksandar, Richardson, Thomas, Laroia, Rajiv, Wu, Xinzhou, Li, Junyi
• Granted Patent: US 8,601,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0032 Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/005 of common pilots, i.e. pilots destined for multiple users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Methods and apparatus related to peer to peer communication networks are described. A peer to peer timing structure is implemented which includes recurring peer discovery intervals and traffic intervals. During a peer discovery interval, a wireless communications device, supporting peer to peer communications, monitors for and receives a broadcast signal from another peer wireless communications device, recovers an identifier from the received broadcast signal, and stores the received identifier in memory. The identifier is one of a device identifier and a user identifier. The wireless communications device maintains a list of discovered identifiers in its vicinity. In some embodiments, paging intervals are also included in the recurring peer to peer timing structure. In various embodiments, a wireless communications device receives or sends a page to a peer node prior to sending or receiving user data in a traffic interval. Various features are directed to peer paging protocol implementations.

Claims

1. A method of operating a first wireless communications device, comprising:

accessing stored timing structure information used to determine recurring peer discovery intervals and traffic intervals;

during a peer discovery time interval, receiving a broadcast signal from a second wireless communications device;

recovering an identifier from the received broadcast signal, said identifier being one of a device identifier and a user identifier; and

storing said recovered identifier in memory.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deleting said received identifier from said memory in response to determining that a signal from said second wireless communications device has not been detected within a period of time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said period of time is a predetermined period of time.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said predetermined period of time is a lifetime associated with said received identifier, the method further comprising:

updating a timer used to determine when said lifetime has expired when a signal is received from said second wireless communications device, said lifetime being a predetermined amount of time.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, during one of the traffic intervals:

communicating user data between the first and the second wireless communications devices via a wireless communications link.

6. The method of claim 5,

wherein said wireless communications link between the first and second wireless communications devices is a direct wireless communications link between said first and second wireless communications devices;

wherein said communicating includes at least one of receiving and sending user data; and

wherein said user data includes one of text data, image data, voice data, and application data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said accessed stored timing structure information further includes information used to determine recurring paging intervals.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

detecting an event used to trigger sending of a paging message to said second wireless communication device; and

prior to communicating user data between said first and second wireless communications devices, transmitting a paging message to said second wireless communications device during the occurrence of one of said determined paging intervals.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

prior to transmitting said paging message, determining the one of said determined paging intervals to be used for transmitting said paging message as a function of said stored identifier. [note devices may listen to a subset of paging intervals which correspond to their ID but not others]

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

detecting an event used to trigger sending of a paging message to said second wireless communications device; and

selecting between sending a peer to peer page to said second wireless communications device and sending a page through another device.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

detecting an event used to trigger sending of a paging message to said second wireless communications device; and

determining if the second wireless communications device is pageable by a peer to peer page; and

if said second wireless communications device is pageable by a peer to peer page transmitting a direct page to the second wireless communications device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein if it is determined that said second wireless communications device in not pageable by a peer to peer page, transmitting a wide area page to another node to initiate a page to said second wireless communications device.

13. The method of claim 11,

wherein determining if said second communications device is reachable by a peer to peer page includes checking a list of stored identifiers associated with devices, said list being stored in said memory.

14. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

prior to communicating user data;

i) paging the second wireless communications device during a paging interval; and

ii) communicating peer to peer session establishment information between said first and second wireless communications devices.

15. The method of claim 14,

wherein communicating peer to peer session establishment information includes at least one of sending session establishment information and receiving session establishment information;

and

wherein said peer to peer session establishment information includes at least one of a session identifier, session quality of service (QOS) information and an indicator of the type of traffic to be communicated during said session.

16. The method of claim 5, wherein said accessed stored timing structure information further includes information used to determine recurring paging intervals.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

prior to said communicating user data, monitoring during at least some of said paging intervals for pages directed to said first wireless communications device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising, in response to receiving a page directed to said first wireless communications device while performing said monitoring:

transmitting a page response signal.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

if no page directed to said first wireless communications device is detected during a paging interval, not monitoring for traffic data during at least one traffic interval occurring following said paging interval in which no page was detected directed to the first wireless communications device and prior to occurrence of another paging interval.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein none of the traffic intervals which occur between a monitored paging interval and the next paging interval are monitored by said first wireless communications device when a page directed to said first wireless communications device is not detected during the monitored paging interval.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

monitoring for additional paging signals during paging intervals occurring between traffic intervals in which user data is communicated as part of an ongoing session between the first and second wireless communications devices.

22. first wireless communications device, comprising:

stored timing structure information used to determine recurring peer discovery intervals and traffic intervals;

an interval determination module for accessing stored timing structure information and determining a type of interval corresponding to a point in time;

a wireless receiver module for receiving a broadcast signal from a second wireless communications device during a peer discovery time interval; and

a peer identifier recovery module for recovering an identifier from the received broadcast signal, said identifier being one of a device identifier and a user identifier and for storing said recovered identifier in memory.

23. The first wireless communications device of claim 22, further comprising:

a peer identifier deletion module for deleting said received identifier from said memory in response to determining that a signal from said second wireless communications device has not been detected within a period of time.

24. The first wireless communications device of claim 23, wherein said period of time is a predetermined period of time.

25. The first wireless communications device of claim 24 wherein said predetermined period of time is a lifetime associated with said received identifier, the first wireless communications device further comprising:

a timer reset module for updating a timer module used to determine when said lifetime has expired when a signal is received from said second wireless communications device, said lifetime being a predetermined amount of time.

26. The first wireless communications device of claim 22, further comprising:

a traffic module for controlling communication of user data between the first and the second wireless communications devices via a wireless communications link during at least one traffic interval.

27. The first wireless communications device of claim 26,

wherein said wireless communications link between the first and second wireless communications devices is a direct wireless communications link between said first and second wireless communications devices;

wherein said communication of user data includes at least one of receiving and sending user data; and

wherein said user data includes one of text data, image data, voice data, and application data, the traffic module comprising at least one of;

a transmission control module for controlling the sending of user data during a peer to peer traffic interval; and

a reception control module for controlling the receiving of user data during a peer to peer traffic interval.

28. The first wireless communications device of claim 27, wherein said stored timing structure information further includes information used to determine recurring paging intervals.

29. The first wireless communications device of claim 28, further comprising:

a wireless transmitter module for transmitting signals including peer to peer page signals;

a page event detection module for detecting an event used to trigger sending of a paging message to said second wireless communication device; and

a paging module for generating a paging message directed to said second wireless communications device and for controlling the wireless terminal transmitter to transmit the generated paging message to said second wireless communications device during the occurrence of one of said determined paging intervals, said transmission being prior to communicating user data between said first and second wireless communications devices.

30. The first wireless communications device of claim 29, further comprising:

a paging interval determination module for determining the one of said determined paging intervals to be used for transmitting said paging message as a function of said stored identifier prior to transmitting said paging message.

31. The first wireless communications device of claim 27, further comprising:

a page event detection module for detecting an event used to trigger sending of a paging message to said second wireless communications device; and

a paging type selection module for selecting between sending a peer to peer page to said second wireless communications device and sending a page through another device.

32. The first wireless communications device of claim 27, further comprising:

a page event detection module for detecting an event used to trigger sending of a paging message to said second wireless communications device; and

a peer to peer paging viability module for determining if the second wireless communications device is pageable by a peer to peer page; and

a peer to peer paging module for generating a direct page and controlling transmission of said direct page to the second wireless communications device if said second wireless communications device is pageable by a peer to peer page.

33. The first wireless communications device of claim 32, further comprising:

a wide area paging module for generating a wide area page and for controlling transmission of said wide area page to another node to initiate a page to said second wireless communications device if it is determined that said second wireless communications device in not pageable by a peer to peer page.

34. The first wireless communications device of claim 32 wherein said peer to peer paging viability module includes:

an identifier list checking module for determining if said second communications device is reachable by a peer to peer page by checking a list of stored identifiers associated with devices, said list being stored in said memory.

35. The first wireless communications device of claim 26, further comprising:

a paging module for paging the second wireless communications device during a paging interval prior to communicating user data; and

a peer to peer session establishment module for communicating peer to peer session establishment information between said first and second wireless communications devices prior to communicating user data.

36. The first wireless communications device of claim 35,

wherein communicating peer to peer session establishment information includes at least one of sending session establishment information and receiving session establishment information;

and

wherein said peer to peer session establishment information includes at least one of a session identifier, session quality of service (QOS) information and an indicator of the type of traffic to be communicated during said session.

37. The first wireless communications device of claim 26, wherein said stored timing structure information further includes information used to determine recurring paging intervals.

38. The first wireless communications device of claim 37, further comprising:

a page monitoring module for monitoring during at least some of said paging intervals for pages directed to said first wireless communications device.

39. The first wireless communications device of claim 38, further comprising:

a page response signaling module for generating a page response signal in response to receiving a page directed to said first wireless communications device while performing said monitoring and for controlling the transmission of said generated page response signal.

40. The first wireless communications device of claim 38, wherein said traffic module includes a reception control module, and wherein if no page directed to said first wireless communications device is detected during a paging interval, the reception control module of the traffic module does not monitor for traffic data during at least one traffic interval occurring following said paging interval in which no page was detected directed to the first wireless communications device and prior to occurrence of another paging interval.

41. The first wireless communications device of claim 38, wherein said traffic module includes a reception control module, and wherein if no page directed to said first wireless communications device is detected during a monitored paging interval, none of the traffic intervals which occur between the monitored paging interval and a next monitored paging interval are monitored by the reception control module of the traffic module.

42. The first wireless communications device of claim 38, wherein said page monitoring module monitors for additional paging signals during paging intervals occurring between traffic intervals in which user data is communicated as part of an ongoing session between the first and second wireless communications devices.

43. A first wireless communications device, comprising:

stored timing structure information means for determining recurring peer discovery intervals and traffic intervals;

means for accessing stored timing structure information and determining a type of interval corresponding to a point in time;

means for receiving a broadcast signal from a second wireless communications device during a peer discovery time interval; and

means for recovering an identifier from the received broadcast signal, said identifier being one of a device identifier and a user identifier and for storing said recovered identifier in memory.

44. The first wireless communications device of claim 43, further comprising:

means for controlling communication of user data between the first and the second wireless communications devices via a wireless communications link during at least one traffic interval.

45. The first wireless communications device of claim 44,

wherein said wireless communications link between the first and second wireless communications devices is a direct wireless communications link between said first and second wireless communications devices;

wherein said communication of user data includes at least one of receiving and sending user data; and

wherein said user data includes one of text data, image data, voice data, and application data, the means for controlling communication comprising at least one of;

means for controlling the sending of user data during a peer to peer traffic interval; and

means for controlling the receiving of user data during a peer to peer traffic interval.

46. The first wireless communications device of claim 45, further comprising:

page event detection means for detecting an event used to trigger sending of a paging message to said second wireless communications device; and

means for selecting between sending a peer to peer page to said second wireless communications device and sending a page through another device.

47. The first wireless communications device of claim 44, further comprising:

paging means for paging the second wireless communications device during a paging interval prior to communicating user data; and

means for communicating peer to peer session establishment information between said first and second wireless communications devices prior to communicating user data.

48. The first wireless communications device of claim 44, wherein said stored timing structure information further includes information used to determine recurring paging intervals.

49. A computer readable medium embodying machine executable instructions for operating a first wireless communications device, the method comprising:

accessing stored timing structure information used to determine recurring peer discovery intervals and traffic intervals;

during a peer discovery time interval, receiving a broadcast signal from a second wireless communications device;

recovering an identifier from the received broadcast signal, said identifier being one of a device identifier and a user identifier; and

storing said recovered identifier in memory.

50. The computer readable medium of claim 49, further embodying machine executable instructions for, during one of the traffic intervals:

communicating user data between the first and the second wireless communications devices via a wireless communications link.

51. The computer readable medium of claim 50,

wherein said wireless communications link between the first and second wireless communications devices is a direct wireless communications link between said first and second wireless communications devices;

wherein said communicating includes at least one of receiving and sending user data; and

wherein said user data includes one of text data, image data, voice data, and application data.

52. The computer readable medium of claim 51, further embodying machine executable instructions for:

detecting an event used to trigger sending of a paging message to said second wireless communications device; and

selecting between sending a peer to peer page to said second wireless communications device and sending a page through another device.

53. The computer readable medium of claim 50, further embodying machine executable instructions for:

prior to communicating user data;

i) paging the second wireless communications device during a paging interval; and

ii) communicating peer to peer session establishment information between said first and second wireless communications devices.

54. The computer readable medium of claim 53,

wherein communicating peer to peer session establishment information includes at least one of sending session establishment information and receiving session establishment information;

and

wherein said peer to peer session establishment information includes at least one of a session identifier, session quality of service (QOS) information and an indicator of the type of traffic to be communicated during said session.

55. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

access stored timing structure information used to determine recurring peer discovery intervals and traffic intervals;

during a peer discovery time interval, receive a broadcast signal from a second wireless communications device;

recover an identifier from the received broadcast signal, said identifier being one of a device identifier and a user identifier; and

store said recovered identifier in memory.

56. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein said processor is further configured to, during one of the traffic intervals:

communicate user data between the first and the second wireless communications devices via a wireless communications link.

57. The apparatus of claim 56,

wherein said wireless communications link between the first and second wireless communications devices is a direct wireless communications link between said first and second wireless communications devices;

wherein said communicate user data includes at least one of receiving and sending user data; and

wherein said user data includes one of text data, image data, voice data, and application data.

58. The apparatus of claim 57, wherein said processor is further configured to:

detect an event used to trigger sending of a paging message to said second wireless communications device; and

select between sending a peer to peer page to said second wireless communications device and sending a page through another device.

59. The apparatus of claim 56, wherein said processor is further configured to, prior to communicating user data:

i) page the second wireless communications device during a paging interval; and

ii) communicate peer to peer session establishment information between said first and second wireless communications devices.

60. The apparatus of claim 59,

wherein said communicate peer to peer session establishment information includes at least one of sending session establishment information and receiving session establishment information;

and

wherein said peer to peer session establishment information includes at least one of a session identifier, session quality of service (QOS) information and an indicator of the type of traffic to be communicated during said session.