Methods and apparatus supporting traffic signaling in peer to peer communications

• US 7,898,983 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2007
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jovicic, Aleksandar, Richardson, Thomas, Laroia, Rajiv, Wu, Xinzhou, Li, Junyi
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh; Ayaz R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee; Andrew C
• Application Number:
  US11/773,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20090010179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 370/320, 370/324, 370/335, 370/342, 370/349, 342/387, 342/450, 342/456, 342/465, 455/438, 455/456, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/560, 455/561
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0032 Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus related to peer to peer communication networks are described. An active connection list is maintained by a wireless communications device supporting peer to peer communications. In various embodiments, the active connection identifier list being maintained is in addition to a list of discovered peers in the local vicinity. Paging signaling, e.g., peer to peer paging signaling, is used to establish active connections. Air link peer to peer traffic resources include traffic control resources and traffic data resources. A wireless communications device seeking to transmit on a traffic data resource transmits a traffic request signal on a traffic control resource. An active connection identifier is, in some embodiments, associated with a particular subset of traffic control resources. Thus, a wireless communications device monitors the portion or portions of the traffic control resource corresponding to its active connections for traffic request signals, but need not monitor other portions.

Claims

1. A method, the method comprising operating a first communications device to perform the steps of:

updating a list of active connection identifiers to include a first active connection identifier corresponding to a second communications device from which a first paging signal was received, said list of active connection identifiers listing connection identifiers of communications devices from which said first communications device has received a paging signal or sent a paging signal;

updating said list of active connection identifiers to include a second active connection identifier corresponding to a third communications device to which said first communications device transmitted a second paging signal;

monitoring a traffic control resource during a traffic interval for a traffic request signal corresponding to at least one active connection identifier included in said list of active connection identifiers; and

determining if said active connection identifier is no longer valid includes detecting expiration of a time out trigger, said time out trigger being a function of signals sent to the communications device corresponding to said active connection identifier or received from said communication device correspond to said active connection identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communications device is a mobile node.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data in a traffic data resource from a communications device having the active connection identifier corresponding to a received traffic request signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said traffic control resource includes a plurality of resource unit subsets, and wherein said monitoring a traffic control resource includes monitoring less than the full set of resource unit subsets.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

prior to performing said monitoring a traffic control resource, determining the portion of the traffic control resource to be monitored as a function of connection identifiers included in said list of active connection identifiers.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the portion of traffic control resource to be monitored is also a function of a time index of said traffic interval.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring a traffic control resource includes monitoring to detect for the presence of a predetermined waveform on said traffic control resource, said predetermined waveform being a function of at least one connection identifier included in said list.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said predetermined waveform PN sequence waveform.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said predetermined waveform is an OFDM waveform.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said first communications device is a portable personal data assistant (PDA).

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

transmitting a traffic request to said third communications device using a traffic control resource following transmission of said second paging signal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting traffic data to said third communications device using a traffic data resource following transmission of said traffic request.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that an active connection identifier is no longer valid; and

removing the active connection identifier which is determined to no longer be valid from said list of active connection identifiers.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of determining if said active connection identifier is no longer valid includes processing a connection termination signal corresponding to the communications device to which said active connection identifier also corresponds.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein an active connection identifier is a device pair identifier from which each device in the pair can be identified.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to said updating a list of active connection identifiers to include said first active connection identifier, receiving said first paging signal during a paging interval; and

wherein said updating a list of active connection identifiers to include said first active connection identifier is in response to receiving said first paging signal.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to said updating a list of active connection identifiers to include said second active connection identifier, transmitting said second paging signal during a paging interval; and

wherein said updating said list of active connection identifiers to include said second active connection identifier is in response to transmitting said second paging signal.

18. A method of operating a first communications device, the method comprising:

maintaining a list of active connection identifiers corresponding to communications devices with which said first communications device has received or sent at least one paging signal;

monitoring a traffic control resource during a traffic interval for a traffic request signal corresponding to at least one connection identifier included in said list of active connection identifiers;

during a paging interval preceding said traffic interval monitoring for paging signals; and

updating said list of active connection identifiers so that the list includes connection identifiers corresponding to communications devices from which a paging message directed to the first communications device were received;

determining that an active connection identifier is no longer valid, wherein said step of determining if said active connection identifier is no longer valid includes processing a connection termination signal corresponding to the communications device to which said active connection identifier also corresponds, and wherein said step of determining if said active connection identifier is no longer valid includes detecting expiration of a time out trigger, said time out trigger being a function of a signal sent to the communications device corresponding to said active connection identifier or a signal received from said communication device correspond to said active connection identifier; and

removing the active connection identifier which is determined to no longer be valid from said list of active connection identifiers.

19. A first communications device supporting peer to peer wireless operations, the first communications device comprising:

an incoming page based updating module for updating a list of active connection identifiers to include a first active connection identifier corresponding to a second communications device from which a first paging signal was received, said list of active connection identifiers listing connection identifiers of communications devices from which said first communications device has received a paging signal or sent a paging signal;

an outgoing page based updating module for updating said list of active connection identifiers to include a second active connection identifier corresponding to a third communications device to which said first communications device transmitted a second paging signal;

a traffic resource request monitoring module for monitoring a traffic control resource during a traffic interval for a traffic request signal corresponding to at least one active connection identifier included in said list of active connection identifiers; and

a timeout module for detecting expiration of a timeout trigger, said timeout trigger being a function of a signal sent to the communications device corresponding to said active connection identifier or a signal received from said communication device corresponding to said active connection identifier, and wherein said detected expiration of a timeout trigger is used by said connection invalidity determination module to determine connection invalidity.

20. The first communications device of claim 19, wherein the first communications device is a mobile node.

21. The first communications device of claim 19, further comprising:

a wireless receiver for receiving data in a traffic data resource from a communications device having the active connection identifier corresponding to a received traffic request signal.

22. The first communications device of claim 19, wherein said traffic control resource includes a plurality of resource unit subsets, and wherein said traffic resource request monitoring module monitoring of a traffic control resource includes monitoring less than the full set of resource unit subsets.

23. The first communications device of claim 22, further comprising:

a traffic control resource portion determination module for determining the portion of the traffic control resource to be monitored as a function of connection identifiers included in said list of active connection identifiers, prior to performing said monitoring a traffic control resource.

24. The first communications device of claim 23, wherein said traffic control resource portion determination module determines the portion of traffic control resource to be monitored as a function of a time index of said traffic interval.

25. The first communications device of claim 19, further comprising a waveform detection module for detecting for the presence of a predetermined waveform on said traffic control resource, said predetermined waveform being a function of at least one connection identifier included in said list, and wherein said traffic resource request monitoring module uses the waveform detection module.

26. The first communications device of claim 25, wherein said predetermined waveform is a PN sequence waveform.

27. The first communications device of claim 25, wherein said predetermined waveform is an OFDM waveform.

28. The first communications device of claim 19, wherein said first communications device is a portable personal data assistant (PDA).

29. The first communications device of claim 19, further comprising;

a traffic request module for controlling the generation and transmission of a traffic request to said third communications device using a traffic control resource following transmission of said second paging signal.

30. The first communications device of claim 29, further comprising:

a traffic data signaling module for generating traffic data signals and controlling the transmission of traffic data to said third communications device using a traffic data resource following transmission of said traffic request.

31. The first communications device of claim 19, further comprising:

a connection invalidity determination module for determining that an active connection identifier is no longer valid; and

a removal module for removing the active connection identifier which is determined to no longer be valid from said list of active connection identifiers.

32. The first communications device of claim 31, further comprising:

a connection termination signaling module for processing a connection termination signal corresponding to the communications device to which said active connection identifier also corresponds, said connection terminal signal being used by said connection invalidity determination module to determine connection invalidity.

33. A first communications device supporting peer to peer wireless operations, the first communications device comprising:

an active connection list maintenance module for maintaining a list of active connection identifiers corresponding to communications devices with which said first communications device has received or sent at least one paging signal;

a traffic resource request monitoring module for monitoring a traffic control resource during a traffic interval for a traffic request signal corresponding to at least one connection identifier included in said list of active connection identifiers

a page monitoring module for monitoring for paging signals during a paging interval preceding said traffic interval;

an incoming page based updating module for updating said list of active connection identifiers so that the list includes connection identifiers corresponding to communications devices from which a paging message directed to the first communications device were received;

a connection invalidity determination module for determining that an active connection identifier is no longer valid;

a removal module for removing the active connection identifier which is determined to no longer be valid from said list of active connection identifiers;

a connection termination signaling module for processing a connection termination signal corresponding to the communications device to which said active connection identifier also corresponds, said connection terminal signal being used by said connection invalidity determination module to determine connection invalidity; and

a timeout module for detecting expiration of a timeout trigger, said timeout trigger being a function of a signal sent to the communications device corresponding to said active connection identifier or a signal received from said communication device corresponding to said active connection identifier, and wherein said detected expiration of a timeout trigger is used by said connection invalidity determination module to determine connection invalidity.

34. A first communications device supporting peer to peer wireless operations, the first communications device comprising:

means for updating a list of active connection identifiers to include a first active connection identifier corresponding to a second communications device from which a first paging signal was received, said list of active connection identifiers listing connection identifiers of communications devices from which said first communications device has received a paging signal or sent a paging signal;

means for updating said list of active connection identifiers to include a second active connection identifier corresponding to a third communications device to which said first communications device transmitted a second paging signal;

means for monitoring a traffic control resource during a traffic interval for a traffic request signal corresponding to at least one active connection identifier included in said list of active connection identifiers; and

means for detecting expiration of a timeout trigger, said timeout trigger being a function of a signal sent to the communications device corresponding to said active connection identifier or a signal received from said communication device corresponding to said active connection identifier, and wherein said detected expiration of a timeout trigger is used by said connection invalidity determination module to determine connection invalidity.

35. The first communications device of claim 34, further comprising:

wireless receiver means for receiving data in a traffic data resource from a communications device having the active connection identifier corresponding to a received traffic request signal.

36. The first communications device of claim 34, further comprising:

waveform detection means for detecting for the presence of a predetermined waveform on said traffic control resource, said predetermined waveform being a function of at least one connection identifier included in said list, and wherein said means for monitoring uses the waveform detection means.

37. The first communications device of claim 34, further comprising:

page generation means for generating a page to a second communications device having a second connection identifier;

means for transmitting a page to a second communications device having a second connection identifier during a paging interval preceding said traffic interval; and

means for updating said list of active connection identifiers to include said second connection identifier.

38. The first communications device of claim 34, further comprising:

connection invalidity determination means for determining that an active connection identifier is no longer valid; and

means for removing the active connection identifier which is determined to no longer be valid from said list of active connection identifiers.

39. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying machine executable instructions to implement a method for operating a first communications device, the method comprising:

updating a list of active connection identifiers to include a first active connection identifier corresponding to a second communications device from which a first paging signal was received, said list of active connection identifiers listing connection identifiers of communications devices from which said first communications device has received a paging signal or sent a paging signal;

updating said list of active connection identifiers to include a second active connection identifier corresponding to a third communications device to which said first communications device transmitted a second paging signal; and

monitoring a traffic control resource during a traffic interval for a traffic request signal corresponding to at least one active connection identifier included in said list of active connection identifiers; and

determining if said active connection identifier is no longer valid includes detecting expiration of a time out trigger, said time out trigger being a function of signals sent to the communications device corresponding to said active connection identifier or received from said communication device correspond to said active connection identifier.

40. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 39, wherein said monitoring a traffic control resource includes monitoring to detect for the presence of a predetermined waveform on said traffic control resource, said predetermined waveform being a function of at least one connection identifier included in said list.

41. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 39, further embodying machine executable instructions for:

determining that an active connection identifier is no longer valid; and

removing the active connection identifier which is determined to no longer be valid from said list of active connection identifiers.

42. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 41, wherein said step of determining if said active connection identifier is no longer valid includes processing a connection termination signal corresponding to the communications device to which said active connection identifier also corresponds.

43. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

update a list of active connection identifiers to include a first active connection identifier corresponding to a second communications device from which a first paging signal was received, said list of active connection identifiers listing connection identifiers of communications devices from which said first communications device has received a paging signal or sent a paging signal;

update said list of active connection identifiers to include a second active connection identifier corresponding to a third communications device to which said first communications device transmitted a second paging signal;

monitor a traffic control resource during a traffic interval for a traffic request signal corresponding to at least one active connection identifier included in said list of active connection identifiers; and

determine if said active connection identifier is no longer valid includes detecting expiration of a time out trigger, said time out trigger being a function of signals sent to the communications device corresponding to said active connection identifier or received from said communication device correspond to said active connection identifier.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein said processor is further configured to:

determine that an active connection identifier is no longer valid; and

remove the active connection identifier which is determined to no longer be valid from said list of active connection identifiers.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein said processor is further configured to process a connection termination signal corresponding to the communications device to which said active connection identifier also corresponds as part of determining if said active connection identifier is no longer valid.

46. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein said processor is further configured to:

monitor to detect for the presence of a predetermined waveform on said traffic control resource as part of monitoring a traffic control resource, said predetermined waveform being a function of at least one connection identifier included in said list.