Automated service discovery and wireless network set-up

• US 7,333,464 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2006
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Yang, Fan, Zhou, Junfeng, Tan, Kun, Zhang, Qian
• Primary Examiner(s): Milord; Marceau
• Application Number:
  US11/275,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20070177554A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 370/338, 370/328, 370/392, 370/278, 709/226, 709/228, 709/221, 455/414.1, 455/41.2, 455/414.2
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services

Abstract

The present technique for automating service discovery and the set-up of a wireless network improves a user'"'"'s experience when setting-up the wireless network and using one or more services. The technique includes automatic neighbor/service discovery using special beacons transmitted from wireless devices. Each special beacon identifies the wireless device (i.e., host) that transmitted the beacon along with the services provided by the device. For each special beacon that is received, a corresponding host name and the service provided by it are displayed in a graphical user interface. A user may select one or more of the host names and initiate a transmission of a network set-up and service request. The network set-up and service request identifies the selected host names and invites each selected host name to become a member of a wireless network. After the network has been set up, the service may be invoked automatically.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automating service discovery and set-up of a wireless network, the method comprising:

performing, at a first computing device, neighbor and service discovery by searching for a special beacon transmitted from one or more second computing devices, the special beacon comprising at least a host name that identifies each of the one or more second computing devices from which the special beacon is broadcasted;

performing, at the first computing device, member selection to select one or more of the second computing devices from each of which the special beacon is received and identified; and

transmitting, from the first computing device, a network set-up and service request for initiating a connection with the one or more selected second computing devices to establish a wireless network, the network set-up and service request identifying and inviting each of the one or more selected second computing devices to become a member of the wireless network and asking each of the invited second computing devices to invoke a service as specified in the request after the network has been set-up, wherein the network set-up and service request and the special beacon conform to an IEEE 802.11 standard.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, at the first computing device, another special beacon from the one or more of the selected second computing devices each indicating a grant of the network set-up and service request.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the network set-up and service request and the special beacon have a same format.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising performing security configuration with each of the one or more selected second computing devices that grants the request.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising performing network configuration with each of the one or more selected second computing devices that grants the request.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein performing member selection is via a graphical user interface which displays each of the one or more second computing devices along with available services associated with the one or more second computing devices.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the network set-up and service request specifies a type of service that is requested by the first computing device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the network set-up and service request specifies a mode that is compatible for communicating with the one or more selected second computing devices.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the mode is determined using a negotiation policy that factors in a spectrum and a data rate capability for each of the one or more selected second computing devices and for the first computing device that sends the network set-up and service request.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the network set-up and service request is transmitted in a selected spectrum determined by the negotiation policy.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a data structure, the data structure being converted from a wireless transmission signal transmitted from a first computing device for initiating a connection with a second computing device to set-up a wireless network and invoke one or more desired services, the data structure comprising:

a host name field wherein a host name for a host computing device, the host name identifying the first computing device that sends a request by transmitting the wireless transmission signal;

an invitation list comprising an identifier for a second computing device requested to become a member of the wireless network; and

a service flag field wherein service bits are stored for specifying one or more services desired to be invoked after the wireless network between the first and the second computing devices is set-up,

wherein the wireless network conforms to an IEEE 802.11 standard.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the identifier within the invitation list comprises a hash of name for the invited computing device.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the hash is computed using a Bloom Filter.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more desired services include at least one from a set comprising file transfers, peer-to-peer gaming, ad hoc meeting, and network set-up.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein when the service bits are set in a pre-determined manner, the data structure declares the host computing device'"'"'s presence and the services provided by the second computing device to the host computing device.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising a version field wherein a timestamp is stored.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising a checksum field wherein a checksum is stored for validating the data structure.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising an index field for storing a value that indicates a Bloom Filter index that resulted in the invitation list having no false positives.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising a mode field for indicating a communication capability.

20. A computing device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory into which a plurality of instructions are loaded, the plurality of instructions performing a method when executed by the processor, the method comprising;

displaying at a received computing device a hostname for each of a plurality of host computing devices from which a beacon is received, wherein displaying is via a graphical user interface;

providing a selection means on the graphical user interface for selecting at least one of the host computing devices; and

providing a create network means on the graphical user interface that, when activated, results in a transmission of a network set-up request to establish a wireless network between the received computing device and the selected host computing device, the network set-up request identifying each of the selected host computing devices and inviting each of the selected host computing devices to become a member of the wireless network, wherein the wireless network conforms to an IEEE 802.11 standard.

21. The computing device of claim 20, wherein the network set-up request further identifies a type of service among the members of the wireless network.

22. The computing device of claim 20, wherein the graphical user interface further includes a status area for displaying information about each of the host computing devices.

23. The computing device of claim 20, wherein the selection means comprises a selectable text block for highlighting each of the host computing devices to be selected.

24. The computing device of claim 20, wherein the create network means comprises a button.