FAST JOIN OF PEER TO PEER GROUP WITH POWER SAVING MODE

• US 20120158981A1
• Filed: 12/16/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: DESAI, MITESH K., Hassan, Amer A., Sankaranarayan, Mukund, Filgueiras, Henrique
• Granted Patent: US 9,294,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1051 Group master selection mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1093 Some peer nodes performing special functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/12 Setup of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A wireless peer-to-peer protocol that supports fast and low power joining to an existing group. The protocol may be an extension of a peer-to-peer protocol that supports a sleep state for a device controlling the group. When a device is seeking to join a group at a time when the controlling device is in a sleep state, another device that has information about the controlling device may provide information to the joining device that may then be used by the joining device to more quickly, and using less power, synchronize with the controlling device. The information may include information about a channel used by the controlling device or about timing of availability of the controlling device. The information may also reveal whether the group provides a service being sought by the joining device or may otherwise influence whether the joining device will attempt to join a group.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless device (140, 180), the method comprising:

wirelessly transmitting a first message, the first message being formatted in accordance with a peer-to-peer networking protocol (322);

receiving a response to the first message, the response being received from a second wireless device and the response providing information about a third device (330); and

using the information to establish communication with the third device (334), the communication comprising transmitting a message according to the peer-to-peer networking protocol for joining a group controlled by the third device (314).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the information comprises an indication that the third device is in a sleep state (516).

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the information comprises an indication of a channel used by the third device (517, 518).

4. The method of claim 3, wherein using the information to establish communication comprising:

configuring a radio of the wireless device to monitor the channel (334).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the peer-to-peer networking protocol is a WI-FI Direct protocol.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first message is a probe request message.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the probe request message comprises an information element requesting a reply identifying a group owner when the group owner is in an unavailable state.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first message comprises an information element requesting information about an established group of peer-to-peer devices.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the information indicates a time of availability of the third device; and

using the information to establish communication with the third device comprises determining when the indicated time is reached; and

the determining when the indicated time has been reached, comprises timing an amount of time indicated in the received response.

10. A method of operating a wireless device (122, 172), the method comprising:

storing information about a device controlling a group of devices formed in accordance with a peer-to-peer networking protocol (232B);

receiving a first message from a first device, the first message comprising an information element indicating a request for information about a group of devices formed in accordance with the peer-to-peer networking protocol (410);

based on the stored information, formatting a response to the first message including information about the device controlling the group (432); and

wirelessly transmitting the response (438).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the method further comprises exchanging messages with the device controlling the group to join the group in accordance with the peer-to-peer networking protocol (232B); and

storing information about the device controlling the group comprises storing information obtained in the exchange of messages.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the method further comprises receiving an indication from the device controlling the group that the device controlling the group is entering a sleep state (260); and

storing information about the device controlling the group comprises storing information obtained in the received indication (262).

13. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the first message comprises a probe request message.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the second message comprises a probe response message (510, 520, 530, 540) comprising an information element including a channel used by the device controlling the group (514, 524, 534, 544).

15. At least one computer read able storage medium comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed, on a wireless computing device implement a method comprising:

transmitting a probe request message, the probe request message comprising an information element indicating a request for information about a group owner of a group of devices formed in accordance with a peer-to-peer networking protocol;

receiving a probe reply message; and

when the probe reply message comprises information about a group owner, establishing communication the group owner, the establishing communication comprising sending a join request to the group owner.

16. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein:

the information about the group owner comprises a channel used by the group owner; and

establishing communication with the group owner comprises parking on the channel.

17. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein:

the information about the group owner comprises a scheduled time when the group owner will exit a sleep state; and

establishing communication with the group owner comprises deferring active scanning for the group owner until a time selected based on the scheduled time.

18. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein:

the method further comprises scanning for a group owner prior to transmitting the probe request message; and

the transmitting the probe request message comprises selectively transmitting the probe request message when the no group owner is detected during the scanning.

19. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein:

the computer executable instructions further comprise computer executable instructions for responding to a probe request message comprising an information element indicating a request for information about a group owner of a group of devices formed in accordance with the peer-to-peer networking protocol.

20. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein:

the computer executable instructions further comprise computer executable instructions for joining a peer-to-peer group comprising a group owner; and

the computer-executable instructions for responding to a probe request message comprising an information element indicating a request for information about a group owner are conditionally executed when the wireless computing device is joined in a peer-to-peer group with a group owner for which a notice of absence has been received.