INFRASTRUCTURE ASSISTED DISCOVERY IN A WIRELESS PEER-TO-PEER NETWORK

• US 20090285119A1
• Filed: 05/19/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sampath, Ashwin, Horn, Gavin Bernard
• Granted Patent: US 9,198,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/02 Hierarchically pre-organised networks, e.g. paging networks, cellular networks, WLAN [Wireless Local Area Network] or WLL [Wireless Local Loop]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Apparatuses and methods are disclosed for infrastructure assisted discovery in wireless peer-to-peer networks. Various discovery procedures may be implemented where a first node supports discovery of other nodes for a second node.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

a processing system configured to support discovery for a remote node.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further configured to support the discovery by broadcasting a discovery signal for the remote node.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the discovery signal comprises information indicating that the discovery signal is being broadcast for the remote node.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further configured to support the discovery by listening for a discovery signal from another node.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the processing system is further configured to notifying the remote node in response to receiving the discovery signal from said another node so that the remote node can establish a connection to said another node.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further configured to communicate to the remote node that the processing system is capable of supporting discovery for the remote node.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further configured to receive a communication from the remote node comprising one or more attributes related to the discovery for the remote node.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the processing system is further configured to support the discovery by listening for a discovery signal from another node having at least one of the one or more attributes.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processing system is further configured to continue to support the discovery for the remote node in response to a keep-alive signal from the remote node.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the processing system comprises a timer, and wherein the processing system is further configured to stop supporting the discovery for the remote node if the timer expires before the keep-alive signal is received from the remote node.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the keep-alive signal comprises a broadcast of a discovery signal from the remote node.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the keep-alive signal comprises a transmission directed to the apparatus.

13. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

a processing system configured to use a remote node for discovery.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the processing system is further configured to use the remote node for discovery by enabling the remote node to broadcast a discovery signal for the apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the processing system is further configured to send a keep-alive signal to enable the remote node to continue to broadcast the discovery signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the processing system is further configured to sleep during at least a portion of the time if the processing system is not sending the keep-alive signal to the remote node.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the processor system is further configured to broadcast a second discovery signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the second discovery signal comprises the keep-alive signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the keep-alive signal comprises a transmission directed to the remote node.

20. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the processing system is further configured to listen for a discovery signal from another node.

21. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the processing system is further configured to use the remote node for discovery by enabling the remote node to listen for a discovery signal from another node.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the processing system is further configured to listen for the discovery signal from said another node.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the processing system is further configured to broadcast a discovery signal.

24. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the processing system is further configured to receive a communication from the remote node indicating that the remote node is capable of supporting discovery for the apparatus.

25. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the processing system is further configured to communicate to the remote node one or more attributes related to the discovery to enable the remote node to discover another node having at least one of the one or more attributes.

26. A method for wireless communications from an apparatus, comprising:

supporting discovery for a remote node.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the discovery for the remote node is supported by broadcasting a discovery signal for the remote node.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the discovery signal comprises information indicating that the discovery signal is being broadcast for the remote node.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein the discovery for the remote node is supported by listening for a discovery signal from another node.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising notifying the remote node in response to receiving the discovery signal from said another node so that the remote node can establish a connection to said another node.

31. The method of claim 26 further comprising communicating to the remote node that the apparatus is capable of supporting discovery for the remote node.

32. The method of claim 26 further comprising receiving a communication from the remote node comprising one or more attributes related to the discovery for the remote node.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the discovery for the remote node is supported by listening for a discovery signal from another node having at least one of the one or more attributes.

34. The method of claim 26 wherein the support of the discovery for the remote node is continued in response to a keep-alive signal from the remote node.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the support of the discovery for the remote node is stopped in response to a timer expiring before the keep-alive signal is received from the remote node.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the keep-alive signal comprises a broadcast of a discovery signal from the remote node.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein the keep-alive signal comprises a transmission directed to the apparatus.

38. A method for wireless communications, comprising:

a processing system configured to use a remote node for discovery.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the remote node is used for discovery by enabling the remote node to broadcast a discovery signal for the apparatus.

40. The method of claim 39 further comprising sending a keep-alive signal to enable the remote node to continue to broadcast the discovery signal.

41. The method of claim 40 further comprising sleeping during at least a portion of the time if not sending the keep-alive signal to the remote node.

42. The method of claim 40 further comprising broadcasting a second discovery signal.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein the second discovery signal comprises the keep-alive signal.

44. The method of claim 40 wherein the keep-alive signal comprises a transmission directed to the remote node.

45. The method of claim 39 further comprising listening for a discovery signal from another node.

46. The method of claim 38 wherein the remote node is used for discovery by enabling the remote node to listen for a discovery signal from another node.

47. The method of claim 46 further comprising listening for the discovery signal from said another node.

48. The method of claim 46 further comprising broadcasting a discovery signal.

49. The method of claim 38 further comprising receiving a communication from the remote node indicating that the remote node is capable of supporting discovery for the apparatus.

50. The method of claim 38 further comprising communicating to the remote node one or more attributes related to the discovery to enable the remote node to discover another node having at least one of the one or more attributes.

51. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

means for connecting to a remote node; and

means for supporting discovery for the remote node.

52. The apparatus of claim 51 wherein the means for supporting discovery comprises means for broadcasting a discovery signal for the remote node.

53. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein the discovery signal comprises information indicating that the discovery signal is being broadcast for the remote node.

54. The apparatus of claim 51 wherein the means for supporting discovery comprises means for listening for a discovery signal from another node.

55. The apparatus of claim 54 further comprising means for notifying the remote node in response to receiving the discovery signal from said another node so that the remote node can establish a connection to said another node.

56. The apparatus of claim 51 further comprising means for communicating to the remote node that the apparatus is capable of supporting discovery for the remote node.

57. The apparatus of claim 51 wherein the means for connecting to a remote node comprises means for receiving a communication from the remote node comprising one or more attributes related to the discovery for the remote node.

58. The apparatus of claim 57 wherein the means for supporting discovery comprises means for listening for a discovery signal from another node having at least one of the one or more attributes.

59. The apparatus of claim 51 wherein the means for supporting discovery comprises means for continuing to support the discovery in response to a keep-alive signal from the remote node.

60. The apparatus of claim 59 further comprising a timer, and wherein the means for supporting discovery is configured to stop supporting the discovery for the remote node in response to the timer expiring before the keep-alive signal is received from the remote node.

61. The apparatus of claim 59 wherein the keep-alive signal comprises a broadcast of a discovery signal from the remote node.

62. The apparatus of claim 59 wherein the keep-alive signal comprises a transmission directed to the apparatus.

63. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

means for connecting to a remote node; and

means for using the remote node for discovery.

64. The apparatus of claim 63 wherein means for using the remote node comprises means for enabling the remote node to broadcast a discovery signal for the apparatus.

65. The apparatus of claim 64 further comprising means for sending a keep-alive signal to enable the remote node to continue to broadcast the discovery signal.

66. The apparatus of claim 65 further comprising means for sleeping during at least a portion of the time if not sending the keep-alive signal to the remote node.

67. The apparatus of claim 65 further comprising means for broadcasting a second discovery signal.

68. The apparatus of claim 67 wherein the second discovery signal comprises the keep-alive signal.

69. The apparatus of claim 65 wherein the keep-alive signal comprises a transmission directed to the remote node.

70. The apparatus of claim 64 further comprising means for listening for a discovery signal from another node.

71. The apparatus of claim 63 wherein the means for using the remote node comprises means for enabling the remote node to listen for a discovery signal from another node.

72. The apparatus of claim 71 further comprising means listening for the discovery signal from said another node.

73. The apparatus of claim 71 further comprising means for broadcasting a discovery signal.

74. The apparatus of claim 63 further comprising means for receiving a communication from the remote node indicating that the remote node is capable of supporting discovery for the apparatus.

75. The apparatus of claim 63 further comprising means for communicating to the remote node one or more attributes related to the discovery to enable the remote node to discover another node having at least one of the one or more attributes.

76. An access point, comprising:

a wireless interface configured to support a backhaul connection for an access terminal; and

a processing system configured to support the wireless interface, the processing system being further configured to support discovery for the access terminal.

77. An access terminal, comprising:

a processing system configured to use an access point for discovery; and

a user interface supported by the processing system.

78. A computer-program product for communication, comprising:

a machine-readable medium comprising instructions executable by a processing system to support discovery for a remote node.

79. A computer-program product for communication, comprising:

a machine-readable medium comprising instructions executable by a processing system to use a remote node for discovery.