EFFICIENT SERVICE DISCOVERY FOR PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKING DEVICES

• US 20100235525A1
• Filed: 01/14/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: McGuire, Rory L. P., Milligan, Michael Van, Tucker, Brian, Prats, Augustin, Graessley, Joshua, Conn, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 8,285,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/30 Types of network names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/50 Network service management, e.g. ensuring proper service fulfilment according to agreements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1065 Discovery involving distributed pre-established resource-based relationships among peers, e.g. based on distributed hash tables [DHT] pre-configuration of logical or physical connections H04L67/1053
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

Techniques for discovering and/or advertising services are described herein. A first bitmask is received from a remote device over a wireless network, the first bitmask having one or more bits that have a predetermined logical value. Each bit represents a particular service provided by the remote device. A logical operation is performed between the first bitmask and a second bitmask locally generated within a local device, where the second bitmask represents a service being searched by the local device. It is determined whether the remote device is potentially capable of providing the service being searched by the local device based on a result of the logical operation.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method for discovering a service in a wireless environment, the method comprising:

receiving a first bitmask from a remote device over a wireless network, the first bitmask having one or more bits that have a predetermined logical value, each representing a particular service provided by the remote device;

performing a logical operation between the first bitmask and a second bitmask locally generated within a local device, the second bitmask representing a service being searched by the local device; and

determining whether the remote device is potentially capable of providing the service being searched by the local device based on a result of the logical operation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising broadcasting an inquiry message in the wireless network for discovering services potentially provided by one or more remote devices coupled to the wireless network, wherein the first bitmask is received from the remote device in response to the inquiry message and wherein the wireless environment provides communication between devices which are compatible with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second bitmask has a single bit having the predetermined logical value, wherein the logical operation is a logical AND operation, and wherein any bit remained in the result of the logical operation that has the predetermined logical value indicates that the remote device is potentially capable of providing the service being searched.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a session connection with the remote device over the wireless network, if it is determined that the remote device is potentially capable of providing the service being searched; and

receiving one or more key/value pairs from the remote device over the session connection, each key/value pair corresponding to a bit of the first bitmask having the predetermined logical value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a value of a particular key/value pair includes further detailed information associated with a service that is identified by a key of the particular key/value pair.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising examining each key/value pair received to determine whether the remote device is actually capable of providing the service being searched.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

identifying a first key/value pair having a first key related to the second bitmask; and

examining a first value of the first key/value pair to determine whether the remote device is actually capable of providing the service being searched.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating a second key based on an identifier of the service being searched; and

performing a hash operation on the second key to generate the second bitmask, wherein the first key/value pair is identified when the first and second keys are matched.

9. A machine-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method for discovering services in a wireless environment, the method comprising:

receiving a first bitmask from a remote device over a wireless network, the first bitmask having one or more bits that have a predetermined logical value, each representing a particular service provided by the remote device;

performing a logical operation between the first bitmask and a second bitmask locally generated within a local device, the second bitmask representing a service being searched by the local device; and

determining whether the remote device is potentially capable of providing the service being searched by the local device based on a result of the logical operation.

10. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises broadcasting an inquiry message in the wireless network for discovering services potentially provided by one or more remote devices coupled to the wireless network, wherein the first bitmask is received from the remote device in response to the inquiry message and wherein the wireless environment provides communication between devices which are compatible with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

11. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the second bitmask has a single bit having the predetermined logical value, wherein the logical operation is a logical AND operation, and wherein any bit remained in the result of the logical operation that has the predetermined logical value indicates that the remote device is potentially capable of providing the service being searched.

12. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

establishing a session connection with the remote device over the wireless network, if it is determined that the remote device is potentially capable of providing the service being searched; and

receiving one or more key/value pairs from the remote device over the session connection, each key/value pair corresponding to a bit of the first bitmask having the predetermined logical value.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein a value of a particular key/value pair includes further detailed information associated with a service that is identified by a key of the particular key/value pair.

14. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises examining each key/value pair received to determine whether the remote device is actually capable of providing the service being searched.

15. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying a first key/value pair having a first key related to the second bitmask; and

examining a first value of the first key/value pair to determine whether the remote device is actually capable of providing the service being searched.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

generating a second key based on an identifier of the service being searched; and

performing a hash operation on the second key to generate the second bitmask, wherein the first key/value pair is identified when the first and second keys are matched.

17. An apparatus for searching a service in a wireless environment, the apparatus comprising:

a wireless communications interface to receive a first bitmask from a remote device over a wireless network, the first bitmask having one or more bits that have a predetermined logical value, each representing a particular service provided by the remote device; and

a wireless processing unit coupled to the wireless communications interface to perform a logical operation between the first bitmask and a second bitmask locally generated within a local device, the second bitmask representing a service being searched by the local device, wherein the wireless processing unit is configured to determine whether the remote device is potentially capable of providing the service being searched by the local device based on a result of the logical operation.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

an application programming interface (API) to receive a request for searching the service from an application, the request including an identifier identifying the service being searched; and

a service discovery unit coupled to the API to generate the second bitmask based on identifier identifying the service being searched and to pass the second bitmask to the wireless processing unit and wherein the wireless environment provides communication between devices which are compatible with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the wireless processing unit is further configured to:

establish a session connection with the remote device over the wireless network, if it is determined that the remote device is potentially capable of providing the service being searched, and

receive one or more key/value pairs from the remote device over the session connection, each key/value pair corresponding to a bit of the first bitmask having the predetermined logical value.

20. A machine-implemented method for advertising a service in a wireless environment, the method comprising:

generating a key/value pair based on an identifier of a service to be advertised by a local device;

performing a hash operation on a key of the key/value pair to generate a bitmask, the bitmask including a bit having a predetermined logical value; and

in response to an inquiry message from a remote device over a wireless network for searching for a service, transmitting the bitmask to the remote device over the wireless network to allow the remote device to determine whether the local device is potentially capable of providing a service being searched based on the bitmask.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

establishing a session connection with the remote device over the wireless network in response to request from the remote device, wherein the session connection is established if the remote device determines that the local device is potentially capable of providing the service being searched based on the bitmask; and

transmitting the key/value pair to the remote device over the wireless network to allow the remote device to determine whether the local device is actually capable of providing the service being searched based on the key/value pair and wherein the wireless environment provides communication between devices which are compatible with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the key/value pair is generated based on domain name system (DNS) information associated with the service being advertised.

25. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the key/value pair is generated based on domain name system (DNS) information associated with the service being advertised.

23. A machine-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method for advertising a service in a wireless environment, the method comprising:

generating a key/value pair based on an identifier of a service to be advertised by a local device;

performing a hash operation on a key of the key/value pair to generate a bitmask, the bitmask including a bit having a predetermined logical value; and

in response to an inquiry message from a remote device over a wireless network for searching for a service, transmitting the bitmask to the remote device over the wireless network to allow the remote device to determine whether the local device is potentially capable of providing a service being searched based on the bitmask.

24. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises:

establishing a session connection with the remote device over the wireless network in response to request from the remote device, wherein the session connection is established if the remote device determines that the local device is potentially capable of providing the service being searched based on the bitmask; and

transmitting the key/value pair to the remote device over the wireless network to allow the remote device to determine whether the local device is actually capable of providing the service being searched based on the key/value pair and wherein the wireless environment provides communication between devices which are compatible with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

26. An apparatus for advertising a service in a wireless environment, the apparatus comprising:

a service discovery unit to generate a key/value pair based on an identifier of a service to be advertised by a local device; and

a wireless processing unit coupled to the service discovery unit to perform a hash operation on a key of the key/value pair to generate a bitmask, the bitmask including a bit having a predetermined logical value,

wherein in response to an inquiry message from a remote device over a wireless network for searching for a service, the wireless processing unit is configured to transmit the bitmask to the remote device over the wireless network to allow the remote device to determine whether the local device is potentially capable of providing a service being searched based on the bitmask.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the wireless processing unit is further configured to:

establish a session connection with the remote device over the wireless network in response to request from the remote device, wherein the session connection is established if the remote device determines that the local device is potentially capable of providing the service being searched based on the bitmask, and

transmit the key/value pair to the remote device over the wireless network to allow the remote device to determine whether the local device is actually capable of providing the service being searched based on the key/value pair and wherein the wireless environment provides communication between devices which are compatible with an IEEE 802.11 standard.

28. A machine-implemented method for discovering and/or advertising a service in a wireless environment, the method comprising:

receiving DNS information identifying a service available for access in a network;

creating a DNS packet based on the received DNS information, the DNS packet including one or more domain names having pointers referenced to character strings that previously appear in the DNS packet without reciting the entire character strings; and

generating a key or key/value pair from the DNS packet, wherein the key or key/value pairs is used to represent the service to be available for access in the network.