Methods and apparatus for peer discovery assist

• US 8,189,508 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Park, Vincent D., Richardson, Thomas, Li, Junyi, Shakkottai, Sanjay
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Faroul, Farah
• Application Number:
  US12/163,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20090323647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 370/311, 370/312, 370/338
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Methods and apparatus related to peer, network or service discovery in a mobile wireless system, such as an ad hoc peer-to-peer network, are described. Transmission of discovery information, such as upper layer discovery information, is divided into a number of portions to be transmitted separately over time. Transmission of the individual portions is structured to enable flexibility in the frequency of the peer discovery transmissions as well as the monitoring of such transmissions. Various embodiments facilitate rapid discovery and secure discovery, such as selective discovery by trusted peers. The structuring enables proxying of some transmissions by a third party, such as an assist node. The assist node receives discovery information portions being communicated at a first rate and retransmits the received discovery information portions at a second rate which is higher than the first rate.

Claims

1. A method of operating a first node to assist in communicating peer discovery information corresponding to a second node, the method comprising:

receiving over airlink portions of one or more sets of peer discovery information from the second node, said portions being received at a first rate; and

transmitting over the airlink at a second rate which is faster than said first rate, received portions of peer discovery information corresponding to said second node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting over the airlink at a second rate includes transmitting individual received portions of a set of peer discovery information multiple times.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting over the airlink at a second rate includes transmitting a full set of peer discovery information for each received portion of a set of peer discovery information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a set of peer discovery information includes N portions, each of said N portions being transmitted N times.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein a previously received set of peer discovery information is transmitted between two consecutively received portions of peer discovery information.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising;

storing timing structure information indicating a recurring pattern of peer discovery reception intervals and peer discovery transmission intervals.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

controlling the first node to switch between receiving and transmitting based on the stored timing structure information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving over the airlink portions of one or more sets of peer discovery information from a third node, said portions being received at the first rate; and

transmitting over the airlink at the second rate which is faster than said first rate, received portions of peer discovery information corresponding to said third node.

9. A first node to assist in communicating peer discovery information corresponding to a second node, the first node comprising:

a wireless receiver module for receiving over an airlink portions of one or more sets of peer discovery information from the second node, said portions being received at a first rate;

a peer discovery portion recovery module for recovering said received portions;

a wireless transmitter module for transmitting over the airlink at a second rate which is faster than said first rate, received recovered portions of peer discovery information corresponding to said second node.

10. The first node of claim 9, further comprising:

a storage module for storing said recovered received portions.

11. The first node of claim 9, further comprising:

an assist control module for controlling said wireless transmitter module to transmit said received recovered portions of peer discovery information corresponding to the second node at the second rate.

12. The first node of claim 9, wherein transmitting over the airlink at a second rate includes transmitting individual received portions of a set of peer discovery information multiple times.

13. The first node of claim 12, wherein transmitting over the airlink at a second rate includes transmitting a full set of peer discovery information for each received portion of a set of peer discovery information.

14. The first node of claim 13, wherein a set of peer discovery information includes N portions, each of said N portions being transmitted N times.

15. The first node of claim 13, wherein a previously received set of peer discovery information is transmitted between two consecutively received portions of peer discovery information.

16. The first node of claim 13 further comprising;

memory including stored timing structure information indicating a recurring pattern of peer discovery reception intervals and peer discovery transmission intervals.

17. The first node of claim 16, further comprising:

a mode control module for controlling the first node to switch between receiving and transmitting based on the stored timing structure information.

18. The first node of claim 9, wherein said wireless receiver module is also for receiving over the airlink portions of one or more sets of peer discovery information from a third node, said portions being received at said first rate;

wherein said peer discovery portion recovery module is also for recovering said received portions from said third node; and

wherein said wireless transmitter module is also for transmitting over the airlink at said second rate which is faster than said first rate, received recovered portions of peer discovery information corresponding to said third node.

19. The first node of claim 18, further comprising:

an assist decision module for deciding whether or not to provide discovery mode assistance to one or more devices from which low rate discovery signals have been detected.

20. A first node to assist in communicating peer discovery information corresponding to a second node, the first node comprising:

wireless receiver means for receiving over an airlink portions of one or more sets of peer discovery information from the second node, said portions being received at a first rate;

peer discovery portion recovery means for recovering said received portions; and

wireless transmitter means for transmitting over the airlink at a second rate which is faster than said first rate, received recovered portions of peer discovery information corresponding to said second node.

21. The wireless communications device of claim 20, further comprising:

storage means for storing said recovered received portions.

22. The wireless communications device of claim 20, further comprising:

assist control means for controlling said wireless transmitter means to transmit said received recovered portion of peer discovery information corresponding to the second node at the second rate.

23. The first node of claim 20, wherein transmitting over the airlink at a second rate includes transmitting individual received portions of a set of peer discovery information multiple times.

24. The first node of claim 23, wherein transmitting over the airlink at a second rate includes transmitting a full set of peer discovery information for each received portion of a set of peer discovery information.

25. The first node of claim 24, wherein a set of peer discovery information includes N portions, each of said N portions being transmitted N times.

26. The first node of claim 24, wherein a previously received set of peer discovery information is transmitted between two consecutively received portions of peer discovery information.

27. The first node of claim 24 further comprising;

memory means including stored timing structure information indicating a recurring pattern of peer discovery reception intervals and peer discovery transmission intervals.

28. The first node of claim 27, further comprising:

mode control means for controlling the first node to switch between receiving and transmitting based on the stored timing structure information.

29. A computer program product for use in a first node, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising;

code for causing a computer to receive over an airlink portions of one or more sets of peer discovery information from a second node, said portions being received at a first rate; and

code for causing a computer to transmit over the airlink at a second rate which is faster than said first rate, received portions of peer discovery information corresponding to said first node.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein said code for causing a computer to transmit over the airlink at a second rate includes code for causing a computer to transmit individual received portions of a set of peer discovery information multiple times.

31. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein said code for causing a computer to transmit over the airlink at a second rate includes code for causing a computer to transmit a full set of peer discovery information for each received portion of a set of peer discovery information.

32. An apparatus for use in a fist node, the apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive over an airlink portions of one or more sets of peer discovery information from a second node, said portions being received at a first rate; and

transmit over the airlink at a second rate which is faster than said first rate, received portions of peer discovery information corresponding to said first node.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein being configured to transmit over the airlink at a second rate includes being configured to transmit individual received portions of a set of peer discovery information multiple times.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein being configured to transmit over the airlink at a second rate includes being configured to transmit a full set of peer discovery information for each received portion of a set of peer discovery information.