Peer-to-peer frequency band negotiation

• US 8,254,296 B1
• Filed: 03/03/2010
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Lambert, Paul A., Kopikare, Milind
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Brenda H
• Application Number:
  US12/716,569
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 370/295, 370/302, 370/304, 370/343, 370/344, 370/349, 370/480, 709/227, 709/228, 709/237, 709/230
• US Class Current: 370/295
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/02 Selection of wireless resources by user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

The present specification describes techniques and apparatuses for peer-to-peer frequency band negotiation. In some embodiments, techniques are described using a bit vector that are fast and/or require low data throughput.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

discovering a first wireless peer device at a first frequency band of a predetermined set of frequency bands;

receiving a bit vector at the first frequency band from the first wireless peer device, a bit of the bit vector associated with a second frequency band of the predetermined set of frequency bands and indicating a first-device communication capability at the second frequency band;

determining, based on the bit of the bit vector and a second-device communication capability at the second frequency band for communications by a second wireless peer device, that the second frequency band is preferred over the first frequency band for communications between the first wireless peer device and the second wireless peer device; and

causing the second wireless peer device to communicate with the first wireless peer device at the second frequency band.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the bit is a first bit, the second-device communication capability at the second frequency band is represented by a second bit not of the bit vector, and the act of determining performs an add operation on the first bit and the second bit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the bit is a first bit and the bit vector comprises second, third, and fourth bits, each of the second, third, and fourth bits associated with and indicating a second, a third, and a fourth first-device communication capability or incapability, respectively, with a third, fourth, and fifth frequency band of the predetermined set of frequency bands.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the bit vector is a received bit vector; and

the method further comprises transmitting a transmitted bit vector from the second wireless peer device to the first wireless peer device, the transmitted bit vector including a first transmitted bit indicating the second-device communication capability at the second frequency band, and a second transmitted bit, a third transmitted bit, and a fourth transmitted bit, each of the second, third, and fourth transmitted bits associated with and indicating a third, fourth, and fifth second-device communication capability or incapability, respectively, with the third, fourth, and fifth frequency band of the predetermined set of frequency bands.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the act of determining performs an add operation on the received bit vector and the transmitted bit vector to provide a result, the result indicating that only the second frequency band of the second, third, fourth, and fifth frequency bands is preferred.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second frequency band is predetermined to be at a higher throughput than the first frequency band.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the bit vector comprises additional bits also associated with the bit, the additional bits indicating a protocol type and a protocol length for communications within the second frequency band.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to the act of causing communication with the first wireless peer device at the second frequency band, transmitting, to the first wireless peer device, an indication that the second frequency band will be used.

9. A method comprising:

a second wireless peer device discovering a first wireless peer device at a first frequency band of a set of predetermined frequency bands;

transmitting, from the second wireless peer device, a bit vector to the first wireless peer device at the first frequency band, a bit of the bit vector associated with a second frequency band of the set of predefined frequency bands and indicating a second-device communication capability at the second frequency band;

receiving, responsive to transmitting the bit vector, an indication that the second frequency band will be used by the first wireless peer device; and

causing the second wireless peer device to communicate with the first wireless peer device at the second frequency band.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the bit vector is a first bit vector and wherein the indication is a second bit vector.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising, prior to the act of transmitting the bit vector, determining that the second frequency band is preferred over the first frequency band by the second wireless peer device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the act of determining determines that the second wireless peer device is operating in a geographical region in which the second frequency band is subject to a government mandate requiring the second wireless peer device to passively search for radar transmissions on the second frequency band before transmitting at the frequency; and

the method further comprises passively searching for and not finding radar transmissions on the second frequency band.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the act of determining comprises scanning the second frequency band for interference.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the act of determining comprising determining that the second frequency band is not being communicated on by the second wireless peer device.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the act of determining comprises determining a geographical location of the second wireless peer device, the geographical location affecting the second-device communication capability at the second frequency band.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the bit is a first bit and the bit vector includes a second bit, the second bit associated with a third frequency band of the set of frequency bands and indicating an incapability of the second wireless peer device to communicate at the third frequency.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the first frequency band is determined, prior to the act of discovering, to have inferior potential data throughput compared to that of the second frequency band.

18. A method comprising:

receiving a bit vector at a first frequency band of a predetermined set of frequency bands from a first wireless peer device, two bits of the bit vector associated with a second frequency band of the predetermined set of frequency bands and indicating three or more levels of communication preference of the first wireless peer device at the second frequency band and another two bits of the bit vector associated with a third frequency band of the predetermined set of frequency bands and indicating three or more levels of communication preference of the first wireless peer device at the third frequency band;

determining, based on the two bits, the other two bits, and two or more levels of communication preference of a second wireless peer device at the second frequency band and two or more levels of communication preference of the second wireless peer device at the third frequency band, whether the first frequency band, the second frequency band, or the third frequency band is capable of providing a best data throughput for future communications between the first wireless peer device and the second wireless peer device; and

transmitting information with respect to the determined frequency band to the first wireless peer device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising, subsequent to the act of transmitting the information with respect to the determined frequency band to the first wireless peer device, causing the second wireless peer device to communicate with the first wireless peer device at the determined frequency band.