AD HOC NETWORK INITIATION

• US 20100165875A1
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: KNECKT, Jarkko, KASSLIN, Mika, MARIN, Janne
• Granted Patent: US 8,462,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Method, apparatus, and computer program product embodiments are disclosed to improve network performance for ad hoc network initiation. Example embodiments include a new operational sequence for wireless devices initiating the use of an ad hoc network. The example embodiments require appropriately enabled wireless devices to only respond to probe request frames from other similarly appropriately enabled wireless devices. In this manner, two devices may avoid the time consuming effort of combining two different ad hoc networks into a single ad hoc network so that the two devices can communicate.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving at a wireless device that is in an operation mode for setting up an ad hoc network, a wireless message from another device;

determining from the received message if the other device is actively setting up an ad hoc network;

ignoring the message if the other device is not actively setting up an ad hoc network; and

responding to the message if the other device is actively setting up an ad hoc network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

indicating in the response that it is from a responding wireless device that is in an operation mode for setting up an ad hoc network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the indicating includes adding a predefined value as an ad hoc network identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing, at the wireless device, information of the received message and comparing it to information regarding the wireless device; and

determining whether the other device or the wireless device will start a new network for initiating ad hoc network communication between the devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the received wireless message is a probe request message and the response is a probe response message.

6. A method, comprising:

transmitting by a first wireless device, a wireless message indicating the transmitting device is actively setting up an ad hoc network;

receiving a wireless response from a responding device; and

ignoring the response if it indicates that the responding device is not a wireless device that is in an operation mode for setting up an ad hoc network.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

analyzing information in the response and comparing it to information regarding the first wireless device if the response includes an indication that the responding device is a wireless device that is in an operation mode for setting up an ad hoc network; and

determining whether the first device or the responding device will start a new network for communication between the first and responding devices.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the indication includes adding a predefined value as ad hoc network identifier.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the transmitted wireless message is a probe request message and the response is a probe response message.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a transceiver in the apparatus that is in an operation mode for setting up an ad hoc network, configured to receive a wireless message from another device;

a processor in the apparatus, configured to determine from the message if the other device is actively setting up an ad hoc network;

said processor further configured to ignore the message if the other device is not actively setting up an ad hoc network; and

said transceiver further configured to respond to the message if the other device is actively setting up an ad hoc network.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

said transceiver further configured to transmit a wireless response to the other device; and

said processor further configured to indicate in the response that it is from a responding wireless device that is in an operation mode for setting up an ad hoc network.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the indicating includes adding a predefined value as an ad hoc network identifier.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

said processor further configured to analyze information of the received message and compare it to information regarding the apparatus; and

said processor further configured to determine whether the other device or the apparatus will start a new network for initiating ad hoc network communication between the other device and the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the received wireless message is a probe request message and the response is a probe response message.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit a wireless message indicating the apparatus is actively setting up an ad hoc network;

said transceiver further configured to receive a wireless response from a responding device; and

a processor in the apparatus, configured to ignore the response if it indicates that the responding device is not a wireless device that is in an operation mode for setting up an ad hoc network.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

said processor further configured to analyze information in the response and comparing it to information regarding the apparatus if the response includes an indication that the responding device is a wireless device that is in an operation mode for setting up an ad hoc network; and

said processor further configured to determine whether the apparatus or the responding device will start a new network for communication between the apparatus and the responding device.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the indication includes adding a predefined value as ad hoc network identifier.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the transmitted wireless message is a probe request message and the response is a probe response message.

19. A computer readable medium, comprising:

a computer readable medium configured to store program instructions, which when executed by a computer processor, perform the steps of;

receiving at a wireless device that is in an operation mode for setting up an ad hoc network, a wireless message from another device;

determining from the received message if the other device is actively setting up an ad hoc network;

ignoring the message if the other device is not actively setting up an ad hoc network; and

responding to the message if the other device is actively setting up an ad hoc network.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising program instructions, which when executed by a computer processor, perform the step of:

indicating in the response that it is from a responding wireless device that is in an operation mode for setting up an ad hoc network.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the indicating includes adding a predefined value as an ad hoc network identifier.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising program instructions, which when executed by a computer processor, perform the steps of:

analyzing, at the wireless device, information of the received message and comparing it to information regarding the wireless device; and

determining whether the other device or the wireless device will start a new network for initiating ad hoc network communication between the devices.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the received wireless message is a probe request message and the response is a probe response message.

24. A computer readable medium, comprising:

a computer readable medium configured to store program instructions, which when executed by a computer processor, perform the steps of;

transmitting by a first wireless device, a wireless message indicating the transmitting device is actively setting up an ad hoc network;

receiving a wireless response from a responding device; and

ignoring the response if it indicates that the responding device is not a wireless device that is in an operation mode for setting up an ad hoc network.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 24, further comprising program instructions, which when executed by a computer processor, perform the steps of:

analyzing information in the response and comparing it to information regarding the first wireless device if the response includes an indication that the responding device is a wireless device that is in an operation mode for setting up an ad hoc network; and

determining whether the first device or the responding device will start a new network for communication between the first and responding devices.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the indication includes adding a predefined value as ad hoc network identifier.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the transmitted wireless message is a probe request message and the response is a probe response message.