OPERATING A CLUSTER OF PEER-TO-PEER DEVICES
First Claim
1. A device, comprising:
- a processor;
a memory configured to store;
an identity of a current master of the device; and
synchronization parameters to facilitate synchronization with one or more peer devices; and
a wireless transceiver for conducting wireless communications;
wherein the processor and the wireless transceiver are configured to;
synchronize with the one or more peer devices to form a cluster of devices;
detect one or more parameters of a foreign cluster of devices; and
inform at least one peer device of the one or more parameters of the foreign cluster.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system, apparatus, and method are provided for operating a peer-to-peer communication environment. The environment includes one or more clusters of peer devices, wherein devices in a single cluster are organized into a logical hierarchy under an anchor master (at the root of the hierarchy) and any number of synchronization masters; other devices are non-master devices. Synchronization parameters established by the anchor master and disseminated throughout the hierarchy enable the clusters'"'"' devices to rendezvous, discover peers and services, and communicate among themselves. The anchor master may adjust the synchronization parameters to avoid conflict with another hierarchy. Each device issues beacons (e.g., heartbeats, discovery beacons) that identify the number of devices synchronized with the reporting device, which allows the anchor master to calculate the total number of cluster members. Devices may also report details of a neighboring cluster (e.g., its synchronization parameters) via a beacon or some other communication.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A device, comprising:
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a processor; a memory configured to store; an identity of a current master of the device; and synchronization parameters to facilitate synchronization with one or more peer devices; and a wireless transceiver for conducting wireless communications; wherein the processor and the wireless transceiver are configured to; synchronize with the one or more peer devices to form a cluster of devices; detect one or more parameters of a foreign cluster of devices; and inform at least one peer device of the one or more parameters of the foreign cluster. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of operating a synchronized cluster of peer devices, the method comprising, at a first peer device:
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applying synchronization parameters of the cluster of devices to maintain synchronization with one or more peer devices; detecting parameters of a foreign cluster of devices; and reporting the parameters of the foreign cluster of devices to the one or more peer devices. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of operating a synchronized cluster of peer devices, the method comprising, at a first peer device:
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applying synchronization parameters of the cluster of devices to maintain synchronization with one or more peer devices; detecting parameters of a foreign cluster of devices; and reporting the parameters of the foreign cluster of devices to the one or more peer devices.
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18. A device, comprising:
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a processor; a memory configured to store synchronization parameters to facilitate synchronization with one or more peer devices; and a wireless transceiver for conducting wireless communications; wherein the processor and the wireless transceiver are configured to; synchronize the device with the one or more peer devices to form a synchronized cluster of devices; tally a number of subordinate peer devices within the cluster, if any; increment the tally to account for the device; and report the incremented tally toward; if the device has a superior peer device, the superior device;
orif the device has no superior peer device, the one or more peer devices. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of operating a synchronized cluster of peer devices, the method comprising, at a first peer device:
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synchronizing with the peer devices to form the synchronized cluster of devices; receiving, from each subordinate device synchronized with the first device, if any, a first value identifying a number of devices synchronized with the subordinate device; summing the first values received from the subordinate devices; incrementing the sum by one; and reporting the incremented sum toward the superior device with which the first peer device is synchronized, if the first peer device is synchronized with a superior device. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A network of peer communication devices, comprising:
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multiple peer communications organized into a logical hierarchy, the hierarchy comprising; an anchor master having a highest master preference value among all peer communication devices in the logical hierarchy; and for each of N strata (N≧
1), one or more sync masters having master preference values lower than the anchor master'"'"'s master preference value;discovery beacons transmitted by the anchor master and by the one or more sync masters to identify the anchor master'"'"'s master preference value and to synchronize the hierarchy; and heartbeat beacons transmitted by non-master peer communication devices. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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Specification