PROXIMITY-BASED WIRELESS HANDSHAKING FOR CONNECTION ESTABLISHMENT

• US 20130229930A1
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm Atheros Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Richard T., Kearney, Philip F., Akay, Enis, Hsu, Meng-Ta, Hu, Yu-Chang
• Granted Patent: US 8,774,041 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A first network device can implement functionality to establish a proximity-based wireless connection with a second network device. It can be determined whether the second network device is within a threshold detection distance from the first network device based on a signal strength associated with RF signals received from the second network device or based on detecting RF saturation at the first network device. Device credentials associated with the first network device can be transmitted to the second network device at a reduced transmit power level in response to determining that the second network device is within the threshold detection distance from the first network device. A communication link can be established between the first network device and the second network device based, at least in part, on the device credentials associated with the first network device and device credentials received from the second network device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a signal strength associated with one or more RF signals received at a first wireless network device from a second wireless network device of a wireless communication network;

determining whether the second wireless network device is within a threshold detection distance from the first wireless network device based on the signal strength associated with the second wireless network device;

transmitting device credentials associated with the first wireless network device to the second wireless network device at a reduced transmit power level in response to determining that the second wireless network device is within the threshold detection distance from the first wireless network device; and

establishing a communication link between the first wireless network device and the second wireless network device based, at least in part, on the device credentials associated with the first wireless network device and device credentials associated with the second wireless network device received from the second wireless network device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining whether the second wireless network device is within the threshold detection distance from the first wireless network device comprises:

comparing the signal strength associated with the second wireless network device against a signal strength threshold to determine whether the signal strength associated with the second wireless network device is greater than the signal strength threshold; and

in response to determining that the signal strength associated with the second wireless network device is greater than the signal strength threshold, determining whether the second wireless network device is within the threshold detection distance from the first wireless network device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein in response to determining that the signal strength associated with the second wireless network device is less than the signal strength threshold, the method further comprises:

determining that the second wireless network device is not within the threshold detection distance of the first wireless network device; and

determining to not establish the communication link between the first wireless network device and the second wireless network device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, in response to determining that the second wireless network device is within the threshold detection distance from the first wireless network device, the method further comprises:

decreasing a transmit power associated with the first wireless network device to the reduced transmit power level; and

transmitting the device credentials associated with the first wireless network device to the second wireless network device at the reduced transmit power level.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to said transmitting the device credentials associated with the first wireless network device to the second wireless network device at the reduced transmit power level, the method further comprises:

increasing a transmit power associated with the first wireless network device from the reduced transmit power level to a first transmit power level that is greater than the reduced transmit power level.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first wireless network device is configured in an idle operating mode;

determining whether RF saturation is detected at the first wireless network device, in response to said determining that the first wireless network device is configured in the idle operating mode; and

in response to determining that RF saturation is detected at the first wireless network device,

switching the first wireless network device from the idle operating mode to an active device discovery mode; and

transmitting one or more control messages to at least the second wireless network device in response to said switching the first wireless network device from the idle operating mode to the active device discovery mode;

determining the signal strength associated with the one or more RF signals received at the first wireless network device from the second wireless network device to determine whether the second wireless network device is within the threshold detection distance from the first wireless network device; and

in response to determining that RF saturation is not detected at the first wireless network device, maintaining the first wireless network device in the idle operating mode.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving device credentials associated with the second wireless network device at the first wireless network device, wherein the device credentials associated with the second wireless network device are transmitted to the first network device at a low transmit power level associated with the second wireless network device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal strength associated with the one or more RF signals received at the first wireless network device from the second wireless network device comprises a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) associated with the one or more RF signals.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal strength threshold is determined based, at least in part, on the threshold detection distance.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first wireless network device and the second wireless network device comprise a wireless local area network (WLAN) device.

11. A method comprising:

determining whether RF saturation is detected at a first wireless network device based, at least in part, on one or more RF signals received from a second wireless network device of a wireless communication network;

determining that the second wireless network device is within a threshold detection distance from the first wireless network device in response to determining that RF saturation is detected at the first wireless network device;

transmitting device credentials associated with the first wireless network device to the second wireless network device at a reduced transmit power level in response to said determining that the second wireless network device is within the threshold detection distance from the first wireless network device; and

establishing a communication link between the first wireless network device and the second wireless network device based, at least in part, on the device credentials associated with the first wireless network device and device credentials associated with the second wireless network device received from the second wireless network device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said determining whether RF saturation is detected at the first wireless network device further comprises:

determining an RF saturation event count at the first wireless network device;

determining whether the RF saturation event count determined at the first wireless network device is greater than an RF saturation event count threshold;

determining that RF saturation is detected at the first wireless network device, in response to determining that the RF saturation event count determined at the first wireless network device is greater than the RF saturation event count threshold; and

determining that RF saturation is not detected at the first wireless network device, in response to determining that the RF saturation event count determined at the first wireless network device is less than the RF saturation event count threshold.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the RF saturation event count comprises at least one of:

a consecutive number of packets of the one or more RF signals that caused RF saturation at the first wireless network device;

or

a consecutive number of packets of the one or more RF signals that caused RF saturation at the first wireless network device within a predetermined time interval.

14. The method of claim 12,

wherein the RF saturation event count is determined based, at least in part, on accumulating one or more RF saturation events detected at the first wireless network device;

and

wherein the one or more RF saturation events are generated based, at least in part, on determining that RF saturation is detected at the first wireless network device in response to receiving one or more packets from the second wireless network device during a predetermined time interval.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein, in response to determining that RF saturation is detected at the first wireless network device, the method further comprises:

determining whether the first wireless network device is configured in an idle operating mode;

in response to determining that the first wireless network device is configured in the idle operating mode,

switching the first wireless network device from the idle operating mode to an active device discovery mode; and

transmitting one or more control messages to at least the second wireless network device in response to said switching the first wireless network device from the idle operating mode to the active device discovery mode.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein in response to said transmitting the device credentials associated with the first wireless network device to the second wireless network device at the reduced transmit power level, the method further comprises:

determining whether the first wireless network device is being moved away from the second wireless network device;

in response to determining that the first wireless network device is being moved away from the second wireless network device,

determining to increase the transmit power associated with the first wireless network device from the reduced transmit power level to a first transmit power level that is greater than the reduced transmit power level;

transmitting information to the second wireless network device at the first transmit power level; and

in response to determining that the first wireless network device is not being moved away from the second wireless network device,

transmitting information to the second wireless network device at the reduced transmit power level.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said determining whether the first wireless network device is being moved away from the second wireless network device comprises at least one of:

determining whether packets transmitted from the second wireless network device are being received at the first wireless network device;

determining whether the RSSI associated with one or more RF signals currently received from the second wireless network device is less than a predetermined RSSI detection threshold;

determining whether one or more performance measurements associated with the second wireless network device is less than corresponding one or more performance measurement thresholds; and

determining whether a data transmission rate associated with the first wireless network device has decreased by a predetermined number of data transmission rate levels.

18. A wireless network device comprising:

a network interface; and

a communication unit coupled with the network interface, the communication unit operable to;

determine a signal strength associated with one or more RF signals received at the wireless network device from a second wireless network device;

determine whether the second wireless network device is within a threshold detection distance from the wireless network device based on the signal strength associated with the second wireless network device;

transmit device credentials associated with the wireless network device to the second wireless network device at a reduced transmit power level in response to the communication unit determining that the second wireless network device is within the threshold detection distance from the wireless network device; and

establish a communication link between the wireless network device and the second wireless network device based, at least in part, on the device credentials associated with the wireless network device and device credentials associated with the second wireless network device received from the second wireless network device.

19. The wireless network device of claim 18, wherein the communication unit operable to determine whether the second wireless network device is within the threshold detection distance from the first wireless network device comprises the communication unit operable to:

compare the signal strength associated with the second wireless network device against a signal strength threshold to determine whether the signal strength associated with the second wireless network device is greater than the signal strength threshold; and

in response to the communication unit determining that the signal strength associated with the second wireless network device is greater than the signal strength threshold,

determine whether the second wireless network device is within the threshold detection distance from the wireless network device.

in response to the communication unit determining that the signal strength associated with the second wireless network device is less than the signal strength threshold,

determine that the second wireless network device is not within the threshold detection distance of the wireless network device; and

determine to not establish the communication link between the wireless network device and the second wireless network device.

20. The wireless network device of claim 18, wherein the communication unit is further operable to:

determine that the wireless network device is configured in an idle operating mode;

determine whether RF saturation is detected at the wireless network device, in response to the communication unit determining that the wireless network device is configured in the idle operating mode; and

in response to the communication unit determining that RF saturation is detected at the wireless network device,

switch the wireless network device from the idle operating mode to an active device discovery mode; and

transmit one or more control messages to at least the second wireless network device in response to the communication unit switching the wireless network device from the idle operating mode to the active device discovery mode;

determine the signal strength associated with the one or more RF signals received at the wireless network device from the second wireless network device to determine whether the second wireless network device is within the threshold detection distance from the wireless network device; and

in response to the communication unit determining that RF saturation is not detected at the wireless network device, maintain the wireless network device in the idle operating mode.

21. A wireless network device comprising:

a network device; and

a communication unit coupled with the network device, the communication unit operable to;

determine whether RF saturation is detected at the wireless network device based, at least in part, on one or more RF signals received from a second wireless network device;

determine that the second wireless network device is within a threshold detection distance from the wireless network device in response to the communication unit determining that RF saturation is detected at the wireless network device;

transmit device credentials associated with the wireless network device to the second wireless network device at a reduced transmit power level in response to the communication unit determining that the second wireless network device is within the threshold detection distance from the wireless network device; and

establish a communication link between the wireless network device and the second wireless network device based, at least in part, on the device credentials associated with the wireless network device and device credentials associated with the second wireless network device received from the second wireless network device.

22. The wireless network device of claim 21, wherein the communication unit operable to determine whether RF saturation is detected at the wireless network device further comprises the communication unit operable to:

determine an RF saturation event count at the wireless network device;

determine whether the RF saturation event count determined at the wireless network device is greater than an RF saturation event count threshold;

determine that RF saturation is detected at the wireless network device, in response to the communication unit determining that the RF saturation event count determined at the wireless network device is greater than the RF saturation event count threshold; and

determine that RF saturation is not detected at the wireless network device, in response to the communication unit determining that the RF saturation event count determined at the wireless network device is less than the RF saturation event count threshold.

23. The wireless network device of claim 21, wherein, in response to the communication unit determining that RF saturation is detected at the wireless network device, the communication unit is further operable to:

determine whether the wireless network device is configured in an idle operating mode;

in response to the communication unit determining that the wireless network device is configured in the idle operating mode,

switch the wireless network device from the idle operating mode to an active device discovery mode; and

transmit one or more control messages to at least the second wireless network device in response to the communication unit switching the wireless network device from the idle operating mode to the active device discovery mode.

24. One or more machine-readable storage media having instructions stored therein, which when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform operations that comprise:

determining a signal strength associated with one or more RF signals received at a first wireless network device from a second wireless network device of a wireless communication network;

determining whether the second wireless network device is within a threshold detection distance from the first wireless network device based on the signal strength associated with the second wireless network device;

transmitting device credentials associated with the first wireless network device to the second wireless network device at a reduced transmit power level in response to determining that the second wireless network device is within the threshold detection distance from the first wireless network device; and

establishing a communication link between the first wireless network device and the second wireless network device based, at least in part, on the device credentials associated with the first wireless network device and device credentials associated with the second wireless network device received from the second wireless network device.

25. The machine-readable storage media of claim 24, wherein said operation of determining whether the second wireless network device is within the threshold detection distance from the first wireless network device comprises:

comparing the signal strength associated with the second wireless network device against a signal strength threshold to determine whether the signal strength associated with the second wireless network device is greater than the signal strength threshold; and

in response to determining that the signal strength associated with the second wireless network device is greater than the signal strength threshold,

determining whether the second wireless network device is within the threshold detection distance from the first wireless network device.

in response to determining that the signal strength associated with the second wireless network device is less than the signal strength threshold,

determining that the second wireless network device is not within the threshold detection distance of the first wireless network device; and

determining to not establish the communication link between the first wireless network device and the second wireless network device.

26. The machine-readable storage media of claim 24, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the first wireless network device is configured in an idle operating mode;

determining whether RF saturation is detected at the first wireless network device, in response to said operation of determining that the first wireless network device is configured in the idle operating mode; and

in response to determining that RF saturation is detected at the first wireless network device,

switching the first wireless network device from the idle operating mode to an active device discovery mode; and

transmitting one or more control messages to at least the second wireless network device in response to said operation of switching the first wireless network device from the idle operating mode to the active device discovery mode;

determining the signal strength associated with the one or more RF signals received at the first wireless network device from the second wireless network device to determine whether the second wireless network device is within the threshold detection distance from the first wireless network device; and

in response to determining that RF saturation is not detected at the first wireless network device, maintaining the first wireless network device in the idle operating mode.