WIRELESS DOCKING/UNDOCKING USING FINE TIME MEASUREMENT

• US 20150296552A1
• Filed: 03/30/2015
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Huang, Xiaolong, De Vegt, Rolf, Aldana, Carlos Horacio
• Application Number:
  US14/673,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20150296552A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A wireless dockee or a wireless docking center may utilize a fine timing measurement procedure to determine propagation times for signals communicated between the devices. Based on the propagation time, the wireless dockee or the wireless docking center may calculate their proximity to each other. When the proximity supports a wireless docking session, the wireless dockee or the wireless docking center may initiate a wireless docking session. The wireless docking session may include docking the wireless dockee to the wireless docking center and/or undocking the wireless dockee to the wireless docking center.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising:

performing a fine timing measurement procedure with a wireless device to determine a propagation time for signals exchanged with the wireless device, the propagation time based at least in part on timing information exchanged during the fine timing measurement procedure;

determining a proximity to the wireless device based on the propagation time; and

performing a wireless docking session with the wireless device based at least in part on the proximity determined using the fine timing measurement procedure.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the wireless device supports the fine timing measurement procedure; and

determining that the wireless device supports the wireless docking session using the fine timing measurement procedure.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending a fine timing measurement request frame to the wireless device to initiate the fine timing measurement procedure after pre-association discovery.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a wireless docking center and the wireless device comprises a wireless dockee.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

sending a fine timing measurement request frame to the wireless dockee to initiate the fine timing measurement procedure after the wireless dockee is wirelessly docked with the wireless docking center.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

sending a fine timing measurement request frame to the wireless dockee to initiate the fine timing measurement procedure after pre-association discovery.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the method is performed by a wireless dockee and the wireless device comprises a wireless docking center.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein determining that the wireless device supports the wireless docking session using the fine timing measurement procedure comprises:

receiving an extended capabilities information element from the wireless device during pre-association discovery indicating the wireless device supports the fine timing measurement procedure; and

receiving a service information field during pre-association discovery indicating that the wireless device supports the wireless docking session.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the extended capabilities information element is received in at least a beacon, or a probe request message, or a probe response message, or an association request message, or an association response message, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein determining that the wireless device supports the wireless docking session using the fine timing measurement procedure comprises:

receiving a universal plug-n-play (UPnP) argument field during post-discovery indicating that the wireless device supports the wireless docking session using the fine timing measurement procedure.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein determining that the wireless device supports the wireless docking session using the fine timing measurement procedure comprises:

receiving a universal plug-n-play (UPnP) action response during post-discovery indicating that the wireless device supports the wireless docking session using the fine timing measurement procedure.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein determining that the wireless device supports the wireless docking session using the fine timing measurement procedure comprises:

participating in a neighborhood awareness networking (NAN) procedure to receive an indication that the wireless device supports the wireless docking session using the fine timing measurement procedure.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless docking session comprises at least docking with the wireless device or undocking with the wireless device.

14. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory coupled to the at least one processor; and

a docking manager to perform a fine timing measurement procedure with a wireless device to determine a propagation time for signals exchanged with the wireless device, the propagation time based at least in part on timing information exchanged during the fine timing measurement procedure;

the docking manager to determine a proximity to the wireless device based on the propagation time; and

the docking manager to perform a wireless docking session with the wireless device based at least in part on the proximity determined using the fine timing measurement procedure.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the docking manager determines that the wireless device supports the fine timing measurement procedure, and determine that the wireless device supports the wireless docking session using the fine timing measurement procedure.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the docking manager sends a fine timing measurement request frame to the wireless device to initiate the fine timing measurement procedure after pre-association discovery.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is a wireless dockee and the wireless device is a wireless docking center.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is a wireless docking center and the wireless device is a wireless dockee.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the docking manager sends a fine timing measurement request frame to the wireless dockee to initiate the fine timing measurement procedure after the wireless dockee is wirelessly docked with the wireless docking center.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the docking manager sends a fine timing measurement request frame to the wireless dockee to initiate the fine timing measurement procedure after pre-association discovery.

21. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein determining that the wireless device supports the wireless docking session using the fine timing measurement procedure comprises:

receiving an extended capabilities information element from the wireless device during pre-association discovery indicating the wireless device supports the fine timing measurement procedure; and

receiving a service information field during pre-association discovery indicating that the wireless device supports the wireless docking session.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the extended capabilities information element is received in at least a beacon, or a probe request message, or a probe response message, or an association request message, or an association response message, or a combination thereof.

23. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein determining that the wireless device supports the wireless docking session using the fine timing measurement procedure comprises:

receiving a universal plug-n-play (UPnP) argument field during post-discovery indicating that the wireless device supports the wireless docking session using the fine timing measurement procedure.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein determining that the wireless device supports the wireless docking session using the fine timing measurement procedure comprises:

receiving a universal plug-n-play (UPnP) action response during post-discovery indicating that the wireless device supports the wireless docking session using the fine timing measurement procedure.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein determining that the wireless device supports the wireless docking session using the fine timing measurement procedure comprises:

participating in a neighborhood awareness networking (NAN) procedure to receive an indication that the wireless device supports the wireless docking session using the fine timing measurement procedure.

26. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:

means for performing a fine timing measurement procedure with a wireless device to determine a propagation time for signals exchanged with the wireless device, the propagation time based at least in part on timing information exchanged during the fine timing measurement procedure;

means for determining a proximity to the wireless device based on the propagation time; and

means for performing a wireless docking session with the wireless device based at least in part on the proximity determined using the fine timing measurement procedure.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the means for performing the wireless docking session further comprises:

means for determine that the wireless device supports the fine timing measurement procedure, and determine that the wireless device supports the wireless docking session using the fine timing measurement procedure.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the means for performing the fine timing measurement procedure further comprises:

means for sending a fine timing measurement request frame to the wireless device to initiate the fine timing measurement procedure after pre-association discovery.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the means for performing the fine timing measurement procedure further comprises:

means for sending a fine timing measurement request frame to the wireless device to initiate the fine timing measurement procedure after the wireless device is wirelessly docked with the apparatus.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for wireless communication by a wireless communication apparatus, the code executable by a processor to cause the wireless communication apparatus to:

perform a fine timing measurement procedure with a wireless device to determine a propagation time for signals exchanged with the wireless device, the propagation time based at least in part on timing information exchanged during the fine timing measurement procedure;

determine a proximity to the wireless device based on the propagation time; and

perform a wireless docking session with the wireless device based at least in part on the proximity determined using the fine timing measurement procedure.