MANAGING TRADITIONAL WI-FI AND WI-FI DIRECT CONNECTIONS USING A WIRELESS DEVICE

• US 20150208457A1
• Filed: 01/17/2014
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company), GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors LLC (General Motors Company), GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Thanayankizil, Lakshmi, Bai, Fan, Pop, David P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,439,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections

Abstract

A method of managing short-range wireless links between a primary wireless device and a plurality of secondary wireless devices includes initiating a short-range wireless link between the primary wireless device and a secondary wireless device configured to communicate using a traditional Wi-Fi protocol; providing the short-range wireless link between the primary wireless device and the secondary wireless device using a Wi-Fi direct protocol, wherein the primary wireless device acts as a group owner and the secondary wireless device acts as a group member; detecting the presence of an additional secondary wireless device, acting as a server, using the primary wireless device; ending use of the Wi-Fi direct protocol over the short-range wireless link between the primary wireless device and the secondary wireless device; beginning use of the traditional Wi-Fi protocol over the short-range wireless link between the primary wireless device and the secondary wireless device; and providing another short-range wireless link between the primary wireless device and the additional secondary wireless device using the Wi-Fi direct protocol, wherein the primary wireless device acts as a group member to the additional secondary wireless device.

Claims

1. A method of managing short-range wireless links between a primary wireless device and a plurality of secondary wireless devices, comprising the steps of:

(a) initiating a short-range wireless link between the primary wireless device and a secondary wireless device configured to communicate using a traditional Wi-Fi protocol;

(b) providing the short-range wireless link between the primary wireless device and the secondary wireless device using a Wi-Fi direct protocol, wherein the primary wireless device acts as a group owner and the secondary wireless device acts as a group member;

(c) detecting the presence of an additional secondary wireless device, acting as a server, using the primary wireless device;

(d) ending use of the Wi-Fi direct protocol over the short-range wireless link between the primary wireless device and the secondary wireless device based on the detection in step (c);

(e) beginning use of the traditional Wi-Fi protocol over the short-range wireless link between the primary wireless device and the secondary wireless device; and

(f) providing another short-range wireless link between the primary wireless device and the additional secondary wireless device using the Wi-Fi direct protocol, wherein the primary wireless device acts as a group member to the additional secondary wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary wireless device further comprises a vehicle telematics unit or a vehicle infotainment unit.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing steps (c)-(e) at the primary wireless device.

4. A method of managing short-range wireless links between a primary wireless device and a plurality of secondary wireless devices, comprising the steps of:

(a) initiating a short-range wireless link between a vehicle telematics unit and a secondary wireless device configured to communicate using a traditional Wi-Fi protocol;

(b) providing the short-range wireless link between the vehicle telematics unit and the secondary wireless device using a Wi-Fi direct protocol, wherein the vehicle telematics unit acts as a group owner and the secondary wireless acts as a group member;

(c) detecting the presence of an additional secondary wireless device acting as a server using the vehicle telematics unit;

(d) ending use of the Wi-Fi direct protocol over the short-range wireless link between the vehicle telematics unit and the secondary wireless device based on the detection in step (c);

(e) beginning use of the traditional Wi-Fi protocol over the short-range wireless link between the vehicle telematics unit and the secondary wireless device; and

(f) providing another short-range wireless link between the vehicle telematics unit and the additional secondary wireless device using the Wi-Fi direct protocol, wherein the vehicle telematics unit acts as a group member to the additional secondary wireless device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising executing steps (c)-(e) at the vehicle telematics unit.