SETTING UP A DIRECT LINK IN A PEER TO PEER WIRELESS NETWORK

• US 20110034127A1
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jones, Vincent Knowles IV, Wentink, Maarten Menzo
• Granted Patent: US 8,965,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

A method for setting up a direct link between a first client station and a second client station is described. The method is performed by the first client station. The first client station communicates with a group owner (GO) via a first peer to peer (P2P) wireless link. Whether to set up a tunneled direct link setup (TDLS) direct link between the first client station and the second client station is determined. The TDLS direct link between the first client station and the second client station is set up. The first client station then communicates directly with the second client station via the TDLS direct link.

Claims

1. A method for setting up a direct link between a first client station and a second client station, wherein the method is performed by the first client station, the method comprising:

communicating with a group owner (GO) via a first peer to peer (P2P) wireless link;

determining whether to set up a tunneled direct link setup (TDLS) direct link between the first client station and the second client station;

setting up the TDLS direct link between the first client station and the second client station; and

communicating directly with the second client station via the TDLS direct link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless link is a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) link.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein setting up the TDLS direct link comprises:

sending a TDLS setup request to the GO;

receiving a TDLS setup response from the GO; and

sending a TDLS setup confirmation to the GO.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to set up a TDLS direct link comprises generating a TDLS setup request based on network conditions.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the network conditions comprise a received signal strength from the GO, a received signal strength from the second client station, a current data rate via the GO, or a potential data rate via the TDLS direct link.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the network conditions comprise channel availability.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the network conditions comprise a forwarding latency for communications with the second client station via the GO.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to set up a TDLS direct link comprises receiving a TDLS setup request from the GO.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein setting up the TDLS direct link comprises:

receiving a TDLS setup request from the GO;

sending a TDLS setup response to the GO; and

receiving a TDLS setup confirmation from the GO.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the TDLS setup request and the TDLS setup confirmation are generated by the second client station.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the TDLS setup request and the TDLS setup confirmation are generated by the GO.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the TDLS setup request comprises the intended recipient and information about the TDLS direct link.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein the TDLS setup confirmation comprises a channel for the TDLS direct link, a frequency for the TDLS direct link, or timing structures for the TDLS direct link.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a TDLS teardown frame from the GO, wherein the TDLS teardown frame ends communication via the TDLS direct link.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the second client station communicates with the GO via a second P2P Wi-Fi link.

16. The method of claim 3, wherein the TDLS setup response indicates that TDLS direct links are not allowed and a TDLS direct link is not set up.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a TDLS teardown frame from the GO, wherein the TDLS teardown frame dissolves the TDLS direct link.

18. A method for controlling the setup of direct links by a group owner, the method comprising:

communicating with a first client station via a first peer to peer (P2P) wireless link;

communicating with a second client station via a second P2P wireless link;

sending a first TDLS setup request to the first client station;

receiving a first TDLS setup response from the first client station; and

sending a first TDLS setup confirmation to the first client station.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first P2P wireless link is a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) link, and wherein the second P2P wireless link is a Wi-Fi link.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first TDLS setup request was received from the second client station, wherein the first TDLS setup confirmation was received from the second client station and further comprising sending the first TDLS setup response to the second client station.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

sending a first TDLS teardown frame to the first client station; and

sending a second TDLS teardown frame to the second client station.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the first TDLS setup request was generated by the GO, wherein the first TDLS setup confirmation was generated by the GO, and further comprising:

sending a second TDLS setup request to the second client station;

receiving a second TDLS setup response from the second client station; and

sending a second TDLS setup confirmation to the second client station.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first client station is the intended recipient of the second TDLS response, and wherein the GO does not forward the second TDLS response to the first client station.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the second TDLS setup response was generated by the second client station.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the second client station is the intended recipient of the first TDLS response, and wherein the GO does not forward the first TDLS response to the second client station.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the first TDLS setup response was generated by the first client station.

27. A wireless device configured for setting up a direct link, comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor;

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to;

communicate with a group owner (GO) via a first peer to peer (P2P) wireless link;

determine whether to set up a tunneled direct link setup (TDLS) direct link between a first client station and a second client station;

set up the TDLS direct link between the first client station and the second client station; and

communicate directly with the second client station via the TDLS direct link.

28. The wireless device of claim 27, wherein the first P2P wireless link is a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) link.

29. The wireless device of claim 27, wherein setting up the TDLS direct link comprises:

sending a TDLS setup request to the GO;

receiving a TDLS setup response from the GO; and

sending a TDLS setup confirmation to the GO.

30. The wireless device of claim 27, wherein determining whether to set up a TDLS direct link comprises generating a TDLS setup request based on network conditions.

31. The wireless device of claim 30, wherein the network conditions comprise a received signal strength from the GO, a received signal strength from the second client station, a current data rate via the GO, or a potential data rate via the TDLS direct link.

32. The wireless device of claim 30, wherein the network conditions comprise channel availability.

33. The wireless device of claim 30, wherein the network conditions comprise a forwarding latency for communications with the second client station via the GO.

34. The wireless device of claim 27, wherein determining whether to set up a TDLS direct link comprises receiving a TDLS setup request from the GO.

35. The wireless device of claim 34, wherein setting up the TDLS direct link comprises:

receiving a TDLS setup request from the GO;

sending a TDLS setup response to the GO; and

receiving a TDLS setup confirmation from the GO.

36. The wireless device of claim 35, wherein the TDLS setup request and the TDLS setup confirmation are generated by the second client station.

37. The wireless device of claim 35, wherein the TDLS setup request and the TDLS setup confirmation are generated by the GO.

38. The wireless device of claim 29, wherein the TDLS setup request comprises the intended recipient and information about the TDLS direct link.

39. The wireless device of claim 29, wherein the TDLS setup confirmation comprises a channel for the TDLS direct link, a frequency for the TDLS direct link, or timing structures for the TDLS direct link.

40. The wireless device of claim 27, wherein the instructions are further executable to receive a TDLS teardown frame from the GO, wherein the TDLS teardown frame ends communication via the TDLS direct link.

41. The wireless device of claim 28, wherein the second client station communicates with the GO via a second P2P Wi-Fi link.

42. The wireless device of claim 29, wherein the TDLS setup response indicates that TDLS direct links are not allowed and a TDLS direct link is not set up.

43. The wireless device of claim 27, wherein the instructions are further executable to receive a TDLS teardown frame from the GO, wherein the TDLS teardown frame dissolves the TDLS direct link.

44. The wireless device of claim 27, wherein the wireless device is the first client station.

45. A wireless device configured for setting up a direct link, comprising:

means for communicating with a group owner (GO) via a first peer to peer (P2P) wireless link;

means for determining whether to set up a tunneled direct link setup (TDLS) direct link between a first client station and a second client station;

means for setting up the TDLS direct link between the first client station and the second client station; and

means for communicating directly with the second client station via the TDLS direct link.

46. A computer-program product for a wireless device configured for setting up a direct link, the computer-program product comprising a computer-readable medium having instructions thereon, the instructions comprising:

code for communicating with a group owner (GO) via a first peer to peer (P2P) wireless link;

code for determining whether to set up a tunneled direct link setup (TDLS) direct link between a first client station and a second client station;

code for setting up the TDLS direct link between the first client station and the second client station; and

code for communicating directly with the second client station via the TDLS direct link.