Methods and apparatus related to peer to peer communications timing structure

• US 8,385,316 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2007
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Laroia, Rajiv, Li, Junyi, Jovicic, Aleksandar, Richardson, Thomas, Wu, Xinzhou
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ajit
• Application Number:
  US11/774,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20090010232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• Field of Search: 370/324, 370/350, 370503-514
• US Class Current: 370/350
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/002 Mutual synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

Methods and apparatus related to peer to peer communication networks are described. A peer to peer timing structure is implemented which includes a pattern of different types of time intervals including at least a peer discovery time interval and a traffic interval. A wireless communications device, supporting peer to peer operations stores the peer to peer timing structure information, accesses the stored information, and used the accessed information to determine an operation to be performed during a current time period. The operation is, e.g., a peer discovery operation, a peer to peer timing synchronization operation, a peer paging operation, or a peer to peer traffic signaling operation. Various exemplary relationships between the different types of intervals, including relative frequencies, relative durations, and spacing information, are described. Advantageous construction of the recurring peer to peer timing structure facilitates efficient utilization of air link resources and/or higher traffic data throughput capabilities.

Claims

1. A method of operating a first wireless communications device, comprising:

accessing stored peer to peer timing structure information, said stored timing structure information defining a pattern of different types of time intervals, said different types of time intervals including at least a peer discovery interval and a traffic interval; and

using said accessed stored peer to peer timing structure information in determining an operation to be performed during a current time period,

wherein said pattern of different types of time intervals repeats over time and has a predetermined periodicity defining a period and each period includes at least one peer discovery interval, at least one traffic interval, and at least one paging interval,

wherein during each period, a total time allocated to traffic intervals is at least 10 times a total time allocated to paging intervals,

wherein each period further includes a timing synchronization interval during which the first wireless device can collect signal timing data from a signal received from a peer device, said signal timing data being for use in adjusting a symbol timing of the first wireless device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the duration of each peer discovery interval is less than 10 ms.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein during each period, the total time allocated to traffic intervals is at least 100 times a total time allocated to peer discovery intervals.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein each of a plurality of traffic intervals included in each period has a duration which is longer than the duration of any of the peer discovery intervals included in said period.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein each period includes at least 10 times as many traffic time intervals as peer discovery intervals.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the traffic and peer discovery intervals have the same duration or substantially the same duration and there are more traffic time intervals than peer discovery time intervals.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein two successive peer discovery intervals in a time period including two repetitions of said pattern are separated in time by a gap of at least 1 second.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the duration of each paging interval is less than 10 ms.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each of a plurality of traffic intervals included in each period has a duration which is longer than the duration of any of the paging intervals included in said period.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein each period includes at least 10 times as many traffic time intervals as paging intervals.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the traffic and paging intervals have the same duration or substantially the same duration and there are more traffic time intervals than paging intervals.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein two successive paging intervals in a time period including two repetitions of said pattern are separated in time by a gap of at least 100 milli-seconds.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the total amount of time for paging is at least twice a total amount of time for peer discovery.

14. A first wireless communications device, comprising:

stored peer to peer timing structure information defining a pattern of different types of time intervals, said different types of time intervals including at least a peer discovery interval and a traffic interval;

an access module for accessing said stored peer to peer timing structure information; and

an operation determination module for using said accessed stored peer to peer timing structure information in determining an operation to be performed during a current time period,

wherein said pattern of different types of time intervals repeats over time and has a predetermined periodicity defining a period and each period includes at least one peer discovery interval, at least one traffic interval, and at least one paging interval,

wherein during each period, a total time allocated to traffic intervals is at least 10 times a total time allocated to paging intervals,

wherein each period further includes a timing synchronization interval during which the first wireless device can collect signal timing data from a signal received from a peer device, said signal timing data being for use in adjusting a symbol timing of the first wireless device.

15. The first wireless communications device of claim 14, wherein the duration of each peer discovery interval is less than 10 ms.

16. The first wireless communications device of claim 14, wherein during each period, the total time allocated to traffic intervals is at least 100 times a total time allocated to peer discovery intervals.

17. The first wireless communications device of claim 16, wherein each of a plurality of traffic intervals included in each period has a duration which is longer than the duration of any of the peer discovery intervals included in said period.

18. The first wireless communications device of claim 16, wherein each period includes at least 10 times as many traffic time intervals as peer discovery intervals.

19. The first wireless communications device of claim 16, wherein the traffic and peer discovery intervals have the same duration or substantially the same duration and there are more traffic time intervals than peer discovery time intervals.

20. The first wireless communications device of claim 18, wherein two successive peer discovery intervals in a time period including two repetitions of said pattern are separated in time by a gap of at least 1 second.

21. The first wireless communications device of claim 14, wherein the duration of each paging interval is less than 10 ms.

22. The first wireless communications device of claim 21, wherein each of a plurality of traffic intervals included in each period has a duration which is longer than the duration of any of the paging intervals included in said period.

23. The first wireless communications device of claim 21, wherein each period includes at least 10 times as many traffic time intervals as paging intervals.

24. The first wireless communications device of claim 21, wherein the traffic and paging intervals have the same duration or substantially the same duration and there are there more traffic time intervals than paging intervals.

25. The first wireless communications device of claim 14, wherein two successive paging intervals in a time period including two repetitions of said pattern are separated in time by a gap of at least 100 ms.

26. The first wireless communications device of claim 14, wherein the total amount of time for paging is at least twice a total amount of time for peer discovery.

27. A first wireless communications device, comprising:

stored peer to peer timing structure information means for defining a pattern of different types of time intervals, said different types of time intervals including at least a peer discovery interval and a traffic interval;

means for accessing said stored peer to peer timing structure information; and

means for using said accessed stored peer to peer timing structure information in determining an operation to be performed during a current time period,

wherein said pattern of different types of time intervals repeats over time and has a predetermined periodicity defining a period and each period includes at least one peer discovery interval, at least one traffic interval, and at least one paging interval,

wherein during each period, a total time allocated to traffic intervals is at least 10 times a total time allocated to paging intervals,

wherein each period further includes a timing synchronization interval during which the first wireless device can collect signal timing data from a signal received from a peer device, said signal timing data being for use in adjusting a symbol timing of the first wireless device.

28. The first wireless communications device of claim 27, wherein the total amount of time for paging is at least twice a total amount of time for peer discovery.

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

accessing stored peer to peer timing structure information, said stored timing structure information defining a pattern of different types of time intervals, said different types of time intervals including at least a peer discovery interval and a traffic interval; and

using said accessed stored peer to peer timing structure information in determining an operation to be performed during a current time period,

wherein said pattern of different types of time intervals repeats over time and has a predetermined periodicity defining a period and each period includes at least one peer discovery interval, at least one traffic interval, and at least one paging interval,

wherein during each period, a total time allocated to traffic intervals is at least 10 times a total time allocated to paging intervals,

wherein each period further includes a timing synchronization interval during which the first wireless device can collect signal timing data from a signal received from a peer device, said signal timing data being for use in adjusting a symbol timing of the first wireless device.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein each period further includes a timing synchronization interval.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein two successive paging intervals in a time period including two repetitions of said pattern are separated in time by a gap of at least 100 milli-seconds.

32. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

access stored peer to peer timing structure information, said stored timing structure information defining a pattern of different types of time intervals, said different types of time intervals including at least a peer discovery interval and a traffic interval; and

use said accessed stored peer to peer timing structure information to determine an operation to be performed during a current time period,

wherein said pattern of different types of time intervals repeats over time and has a predetermined periodicity defining a period and each period includes at least one peer discovery interval, at least one traffic interval, and at least one paging interval,

wherein during each period, a total time allocated to traffic intervals is at least 10 times a total time allocated to paging intervals,

wherein each period further includes a timing synchronization interval during which the processor can be configured to collect signal timing data from a signal received from a peer device, said signal timing data being for use in adjusting a symbol timing of the apparatus.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein two successive paging intervals in a time period including two repetitions of said pattern are separated in time by a gap of at least 100 milli-seconds.