NAN Datapath Quality of Service Support

• US 20170094554A1
• Filed: 09/21/2016
• Published: 03/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kralian, Nathan A., Liu, Yong, Hartman, Christiaan A., Borges, Daniel R., Li, Guoqing, Kurian, Lawrie, Heerboth, Peter N., Yong, Su Khiong
• Granted Patent: US 10,165,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1042 using topology management mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0231 based on communication conditions dynamic wireless traffic scheduling definition based on channel quality criteria H04W72/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0268 using specific QoS parameters for wireless networks, e.g. QoS class identifier [QCI] or guaranteed bit rate [GBR] negotiating SLA or negotiating QoS H04W28/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

In embodiments, one or more wireless stations operate to configure direct communication with neighboring mobile stations, i.e., direct communication between the mobile stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. Embodiments of the disclosure relate to NAN datapath scheduling and NAN pre-datapath operation setup and scheduling. The NAN datapath embodiments described herein provide a mechanism through which devices can communicate and provide services. In particular, embodiments described herein provide a mechanism for NAN datapaths to support various levels of quality of service (QoS). Aspects of the datapath development include datapath scheduling, including datapath setup and scheduling attributes, as well as pre-datapath operation triggering and scheduling. Scheduling may include determination of a type of datapath, including paging and synchronized datapaths. NAN data cluster base schedules may be scheduled as equal-sets or subsets of datapath schedules. The datapath model may be implemented for unicast and multicast communication between wireless stations.

Claims

1. A wireless station, comprising:

at least one antenna;

a first wireless interface and a second wireless interface, each configured to perform wireless communications; and

at least one processor communicatively coupled to one or more radios, wherein the one or more radios are associated with the first and second wireless interfaces;

wherein the wireless station is configured to;

detect, via the first wireless interface, a neighboring wireless station that is configured to perform peer-to-peer Wi-Fi communication;

establish, via peer-to-peer negotiation, a datapath schedule for a service with the neighboring wireless station, wherein the datapath schedule is based at least in part on quality of service requirements of the service.

2. The wireless station of claim 1,

wherein the wireless station is a quality of service source.

3. The wireless station of claim 2,

wherein the wireless station is further configured to:

transmit the quality of service requirements to the neighboring wireless station.

4. The wireless station of claim 2,

wherein the wireless station implements a protocol stack, wherein the protocol stack comprises at least one lower layer and at least one upper layer, and wherein the quality of service requirements are received by the at least one lower layer from the at least one upper layer.

5. The wireless station of claim 1,

wherein the wireless station is a quality of service sink.

6. The wireless station of claim 5,

wherein the wireless station is further configured to:

receive the quality of service requirements from the neighboring wireless station.

7. The wireless station of claim 1,

wherein the quality of service requirements comprise one or more parameters, wherein the one or more parameters include at least one of:

a user priority;

a service interval;

a data rate;

a delay bound;

or

a burst size.

8. The wireless station of claim 7,

wherein the service interval includes a minimum service interval or a maximum service interval.

9. The wireless station of claim 7,

wherein the data rate includes one or more of a minimum data rate, a mean data rate, or a peak data rate.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory; and

a processing element in communication with the memory, wherein the processing element is configured to;

receive, via a wireless interface, an indication that a neighboring wireless station is configured to perform peer-to-peer Wi-Fi communications; and

negotiate, via peer-to-peer Wi-Fi communications, a datapath schedule for a service with the neighboring wireless station, wherein the datapath schedule is based at least in part on quality of service requirements of the service.

11. The apparatus of claim 10,

wherein the processing element is further configured to:

generate instructions to transmit, via peer-to-peer Wi-Fi communications, the quality of service requirements to the neighboring wireless station.

12. The apparatus of claim 10,

wherein the processing element is further configured to implement a protocol stack, wherein the protocol stack comprises at least one lower layer and at least one upper layer, and wherein the quality of service requirements are received by the at least one lower layer from the at least one upper layer.

13. The apparatus of claim 10,

wherein the processing element is further configured to:

receive, via peer-to-peer Wi-Fi communications, the quality of service requirements from the neighboring wireless station.

14. The apparatus of claim 10,

wherein the quality of service requirements comprise one or more parameters, wherein the one or more parameters include at least one of:

a user priority;

a service interval;

a data rate;

a delay bound;

or

a burst size.

15. The apparatus of claim 14,

wherein the service interval includes a minimum service interval and/or a maximum service interval.

16. The apparatus of claim 14,

wherein the data rate includes one or more of a minimum data rate, a mean data rate, or a peak data rate.

17. A non-transitory computer readable memory medium storing program instructions executable by a processor to:

receive, via peer-to-peer Wi-Fi communications, an indication that a neighboring wireless station is configured to perform peer-to-peer communications;

determine quality of service requirements for a service; and

negotiate, via peer-to-peer Wi-Fi communications, a schedule for the service with the neighboring wireless station, wherein the schedule is based at least in part on quality of service requirements of the service.

18. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 17,

wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

generate instructions to transmit, via peer-to-peer Wi-Fi communications, the quality of service requirements to the neighboring wireless station.

19. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 17,

wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement a protocol stack, wherein the protocol stack comprises at least one lower layer and at least one upper layer, and wherein the quality of service requirements are received by the at least one lower layer from the at least one upper layer.

20. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 17,

wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive, via peer-to-peer Wi-Fi communications, the quality of service requirements from the neighboring wireless station.