METHODS, WIRELESS COMMUNICATION STATIONS, AND SYSTEM FOR SYNCHRONIZING DEVICES AND NEIGHBOR AREA NETWORKING (NAN) CONFIGURATION

• US 20140254566A1
• Filed: 06/26/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Qi, Emily H., Park, Minyoung, Kaidar, Oren
• Granted Patent: US 9,295,015 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

Embodiments of a user station (STA) and methods for synchronizing with devices in a wireless communication network are generally described herein. In some embodiments, a STA accesses a list of social channels. The STA may transmit a scan message on a primary social channel. The primary social channel may be included in the list of social channels. The STA may determine an identity of the primary social channel by inspecting the list of social channels. The STA may synchronize with a device on the primary social channel when the STA detects transmissions on the primary social channel within a time duration subsequent to transmitting the scan message on the primary social channel. Otherwise, the STA may transmit a scan message on a secondary social channel selected from the list.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method, performed by a user station (STA), for synchronizing with devices in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

accessing a list of social channels;

transmitting a scan message on a primary social channel, the primary social channel being included in the list of social channels and an identity of the primary social channel being determined based on an inspection of the list of social channels; and

synchronizing with a device on the primary social channel when transmissions are detected on the primary social channel within a time duration subsequent to transmitting the scan message on the primary social channel, otherwise transmitting a scan message on a secondary social channel selected from the list.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein

an order of the list is defined in accordance with a standard of the Wi-Fi Affiance family of standards such that the primary social channel is previous in the order to the secondary social channel, and

the social channels are Wi-Fi Peer-to-Peer (P2P) channels.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the synchronizing comprises:

synchronizing with an access point (AP) responsive to receiving a probe response beacon on the primary social channel from the AP.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving two or more probe response beacons on the primary social channel; and

selecting the AP for synchronizing based on time stamps of the two or more probe response beacons.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the synchronizing comprises:

synchronizing with a Neighbor Awareness Network (NAN) upon failing to receive a probe response beacon on the primary social channel within the time duration and responsive to detecting, on the primary social channel, a NAN synchronization transmission.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving two or more NAN time synchronization transmissions; and

selecting the NAN for synchronizing based on time stamps of the two or more NAN time synchronization transmissions.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the scan message is a Probe Request frame configured in accordance with a standard of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family standards.

28. The method of claim 27, comprising:

determining the time duration for listening for transmissions on the primary social channel based on a predicted time for receiving responses to the Probe Request frame.

29. A wireless communication station (STA) comprising:

a medium access control (MAC) layer to configure a scan message for actively scanning a social channel; and

physical layer (PHY) circuitry to transmit the scan message on a primary social channel, the primary social channel being included in an ordered list of social channels, an order of the ordered list being defined in accordance with a standard of the Wi-Fi Affiance family of standards, the social channels being Wi-Fi Peer-to-Peer (P2P) channels; and

one or more processors to

determine an identity of the primary social channel and the secondary social channel based on an inspection of the list of social channels, and

synchronize with a device on the primary social channel when transmissions are detected on the primary social channel within a time duration subsequent to transmitting the scan message on the primary social channel, otherwise transmitting a scan message on a secondary social channel selected from the list.

30. The STA of claim 29, wherein

the scan message is a Probe Request frame configured in accordance with a standard of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family standards, and

the one or more processors are further arranged to determine the time duration for listening for transmissions on the primary social channel based on a predicted time for receiving a response to the Probe Request frame.

31. The STA of claim 29, wherein the one or more processors are further arranged to:

synchronize with an access point (AP) on the primary social channel if a probe response beacon is received, from the AP, on the primary social channel; and

synchronize with a Neighbor Awareness Network (NAN) on the primary social channel if

a probe response beacon is not received on the primary social channel within the time duration, and

a NAN synchronization transmission is received on the primary social channel.

32. The STA of claim 31, wherein the one or more processors are further arranged to:

select the AP, from a plurality of APs, with which to synchronize responsive to receiving probe response beacons from each of the plurality of APs on the primary social channel.

33. The STA of claim 32, wherein the selecting is based on time stamps of the received two or more probe response beacons.

34. A system comprising:

an antenna arranged to transmit a scan message on a primary social channel, the primary social channel being included in a list of social channels;

a memory to store the list of social channels, the social channels being Wi-Fi Peer-to-Peer (P2P) channels; and

a processor arranged to

access the memory to determine an identity of the primary social channel based on an inspection of the list of social channels,

determine whether a response to the scan message has been received on the primary social channel within a time duration of transmission of the scan message on the primary social channel, and

synchronize with a device on the primary social channel when the determining determines that a response to the scan message has been received, otherwise causing a second scan message to be transmitted on a secondary social channel selected from the list.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein

the list is defined in accordance with a standard of the Wi-Fi Affiance family of standards to have an order such that the primary social channel is previous in the list to the secondary social channel, and

the scan message is a Probe Request frame configured in accordance with a standard of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family standards.

36. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed on a user station (STA) cause the STA to:

access a list of social channels, the social channels being Wi-Fi Peer-to-Peer (P2P) channels;

transmit a scan message on a primary social channel, the primary social channel being included in the list of social channels and an identity of the primary social channel being determined based on an inspection of the list of social channels; and

synchronize with a device on the primary social channel when transmissions are detected on the primary social channel within a time duration subsequent to transmitting the scan message on the primary social channel, otherwise transmit a scan message on a secondary social channel selected from the list.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein an order of the list is defined in accordance with a standard of the Wi-Fi Affiance family of standards such that the primary social channel is previous in the order to the secondary social channel, and wherein the instructions further cause the STA to:

synchronize with an access point (AP) responsive to receiving a probe response beacon on the primary social channel from the AP.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the instructions further cause the STA to:

receive two or more probe response beacons on the primary social channel; and

select the AP for synchronizing based on time stamps of the two or more probe response beacons.

39. A method, performed by a user station (STA), for initializing a neighbor awareness network (NAN), the method comprising:

determining whether a NAN is operating on either of a primary social channel or a secondary social channel, the primary social channel and the secondary social channel being selected for the determining from a list of social channels, the list having an order defined by a standard of the Wi-Fi Affiance family of standards, the social channels being Wi-Fi Peer-to-Peer (P2P) channels; and

transmitting a NAN synchronization frame on the primary social channel when the determining determines that there is no NAN operating on either of the primary social channel and the secondary social channel.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the transmitting comprises:

transmitting the NAN synchronization frame on the primary social channel if a channel condition on the primary social channel meets a threshold channel condition.