METHOD OF TARGETED DISCOVERY OF DEVICES IN A NETWORK

• US 20100164693A1
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Peterka, Petr, Zhang, Jiang
• Granted Patent: US 9,538,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A targeted discovery between a first device and a second device in a network, in particular, a WHDI network, provides discovery for an identified device or a group of identified devices. The targeted discovery determines an identifier for a second device or a group of devices that the second device belongs to, and sends a device discovery message to the second device using the identifier for the second device when the second device is configured to respond to the device discovery message if the device discovery message includes the identifier for the second device. The first device receives a response to the device discovery message from the second device and can start further communication with the second device.

Claims

1. A method of targeted discovery in a network, the method comprising:

determining an identifier for a second device at a first device;

sending a device discovery message to the second device using the identifier for the second device, wherein the second device is configured to respond to the device discovery message if the device discovery message includes the identifier for the second device; and

receiving a response to the device discovery message from the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device is configured not to respond to any device discovery message for the network that does not include the identifier for the second device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device includes multiple device discovery response modes including an always-response mode, a limited-response mode, and a no-response mode.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

selecting the second device to operate in one of the multiple device discovery response modes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the device discovery message further comprises:

unicasting the device discovery message to the second device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the device discovery message further comprises:

multicasting the device discovery message to a group of devices, wherein the second device is in the group of devices.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is a Wireless Home Digital Interface (WHDI) network including end user devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device is identified by the identifier.

9. A computer readable storage medium storing at least one computer program that when executed performs a method of targeted discovery in a network, the method comprising:

determining an identifier for a second device at a first device;

sending a device discovery message to the second device using the identifier for the second device, wherein the second device is configured to respond to the device discovery message if the device discovery message includes the identifier for the second device; and

receiving a response to the device discovery message from the second device.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the second device is configured not to respond to any discovery message for the network that does not include the identifier for the second device.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the second device includes multiple device discovery response modes including an always-response mode, a limited-response mode, and a no-response mode.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

selecting the second device to operate in one of the multiple device discovery response modes.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method of sending the device discovery message further comprises:

unicasting the device discovery message to the second device.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method of sending the device discovery message further comprises:

multicasting the device discovery message to a group of devices, wherein the second device is in the group of devices.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the network is a Wireless Home Digital Interface (WHDI) network including end user devices.

16. A device configured to communicate with a second device in a wireless network, the device comprising:

a processor configured to determine an identifier for the second device and to send a device discovery message to the second device using the identifier for the second device, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a response to the device discovery message from the second device;

a data storage storing the identifier; and

a network interface configured to send the discovery message to the second device via a network.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the network is a Wireless Home Digital Interface (WHDI) network.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the identifier is unique to the second device or a group of devices that the second device belongs to.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the device includes multiple device discovery response modes including an always-response mode, a limited-response mode, and a no-response mode.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to wirelessly set the second device to be one of multiple device discovery response modes.