Access point assisted direct client discovery

• US 8,982,785 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2011
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pandey, Santosh, Hart, Brian D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): MALCOLM, MARIO D
• Application Number:
  US13/227,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20130064175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/328
• 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

A wireless access point device configured to serve wireless client devices in a wireless network monitors transmissions sent by direct clients capable of forming ad hoc networks with one or more other direct clients. Profile data is stored for each detected direct client. The profile data indicates device type and services of the direct client, as well as potentially other information. The wireless access point receives from a direct client a request for information concerning one or more other direct clients, and sends a response to the direct client containing information for other direct clients based on the stored profile data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a wireless access point device, the wireless access point device includes a power supply, configured to serve wireless client devices in a wireless network, monitoring transmissions sent by direct clients capable of forming ad hoc networks with one or more other direct clients;

storing profile data for each detected direct client, the profile data indicating device type, a location, and services of the direct client;

at the wireless access point, receiving from a direct client a request for information concerning one or more other direct clients that are neighbors of the direct client from which the request is received, and for a particular service desired by the direct client;

at the wireless access point, compiling a list and associated data indicating device type and services of the other direct clients based on the profile data, wherein the compiling includes selecting a subset of the other direct clients based on the locations of the direct client and the other direct clients stored in the profile data and whether the other direct clients offer the particular service desired by the direct client; and

at the wireless access point;

sending a response to the direct client containing information including the list of the subset of the other direct clients;

sending a wake-up message to one of the other direct clients that provides the particular service; and

sending a message to the direct client indicating a time when the one of the other direct clients is expected to be awake and on what channel the other direct client will be awake.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing is performed at the wireless access point device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing is performed at a controller apparatus that is configured to communicate with the wireless access point device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring messages sent by direct clients including one or more of probe request messages, probe response messages, beacon reports, and generic advertising service messages.

5. The method of claim 1, and further comprising sending from the wireless access point device to a particular direct client, the particular direct client is one of the other direct clients, a message indicating to the particular direct client that the direct client is seeking ad hoc network connectivity with the particular direct client.

6. The method of claim 1, and further comprising at the wireless access point device;

buffering a request of the direct client to connect with a particular one of the other direct clients in a sleep mode;

sending a message to the particular one of the other direct clients to awaken the particular one of the other direct clients from the sleep mode; and

sending the buffered request of the direct client to the particular one of the other direct clients when the particular one of the other direct clients has been awakened.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing comprises storing a peer-to-peer interface address and a device address for a detected direct client as the detected direct client joins different peer-to-peer groups.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving a message configured for use prior to association of the direct client with the wireless access point device, and wherein sending comprises sending the response configured for use prior to association of the direct client with the wireless access point device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving a message configured for use after association of the direct client with the wireless access point device, and wherein sending comprises sending the response configured for use after association of the direct client with the wireless access point device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the storing comprises storing for each detected client a peer-to-peer interface address that is not a media access control (MAC) address; and

the selecting a subset of the other direct clients further includes resolving any direct client identity ambiguities based on the corresponding stored peer-to-peer interface addresses that are not MAC addresses.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing further comprises storing profile data comprising device type, device name, one or more peer-to-peer addresses, services offered, peer-to-peer group information, Timing Synchronization Function offset and time last detected.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising deleting existing stored profile data for the direct client if transmission from the direct client has not been detected for a predetermined period of time.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the storing comprises storing profile data comprising device type, device name, one or more peer-to-peer addresses, services offered, peer-to-peer group information, Timing Synchronization Function offset and time last detected.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting includes selecting a subset of the other direct clients based on relative locations of the direct client and the other clients.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless transceiver unit configured to enable wireless communication with wireless client devices in a wireless network, including reception of transmissions sent by direct clients capable of forming ad hoc networks with one or more other direct clients;

a memory; and

a processor configured to;

monitor transmissions sent by direct clients;

store in the memory profile data for each detected direct client, the profile data indicating device type, a location, and services of the direct client;

receive from a direct client a request for information concerning one or more other direct clients that are neighbors of the direct client from which the request is received, and for a particular service desired by the direct client;

compile a list and associated data indicating device type and services of the other direct clients based on the profile data, wherein the processor is configured to compile by selecting a subset of the other direct clients based on the locations of the direct client and particular service desired by the direct client; and

the other direct clients stored in the profile data and whether the other direct clients offer a

generate a response message to be sent to the direct client, the response message including information including the list of the subset of the other direct clients;

cause a wake-up message to be sent to one of the other direct clients that provides the particular service; and

cause a message to be sent to the direct client indicating a time when the one of the other direct clients is expected to be awake and on what channel the other direct client will be awake.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to:

buffer a request of the direct client to connect with a particular one of the other direct clients in a sleep mode;

cause a message to be sent to the particular one of the other direct clients to awaken the particular one of the other direct clients from the sleep mode; and

cause the buffered request of the direct client to be sent to the particular one of the other direct clients when the particular one of the other direct clients has been awakened.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to store a peer-to-peer interface address and device address for a detected direct client as it joins different peer-to-peer groups.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

store for each detected client a peer-to-peer interface address that is not a media access control (MAC) address; and

perform the select a subset of the other direct clients by resolving any direct client identity ambiguities based on the corresponding stored peer-to-peer interface addresses that are not MAC addresses.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to delete existing stored profile data for the direct client if transmission from the direct client has not been detected for a predetermined period of time.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to select a subset of the other direct clients based on relative locations of the direct client and the other clients.

21. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions and when the software is executed operable to:

monitor transmissions sent by direct clients capable of forming ad hoc networks with one or more other direct clients in a wireless network;

store profile data for each detected direct client, the profile data indicating device type, a location, and services of the direct client;

receive from a direct client a request for information concerning one or more other direct clients that are neighbors of the direct client from which the request is received, and for a particular service desired by the direct client;

compile a list and associated data indicating device type and services of the other direct clients based on the profile data, wherein the instructions operable to compile include instructions operable to select a subset of the other direct clients based on the locations of the the other direct clients stored in the profile data and whether the other direct clients offer a particular service desired by the direct client;

generate, in response to a request from a direct client, information concerning one or more other direct clients that are neighbors of the direct client including the list of the subset of the other direct clients;

cause a wake-up message to be sent to one of the other direct clients that provides the particular service; and

cause a message to be sent to the direct client indicating a time when the one of the other direct clients is expected to be awake and on what channel the other direct client will be awake.

22. The computer readable storage media of claim 21 further comprising instructions operable to generate a message to be sent to a particular one of the other direct clients, the message indicating to the particular direct client that the direct client is seeking ad hoc network connectivity with the particular direct client.

23. The computer readable storage media of claim 21, wherein:

the instructions operable to store comprise instructions operable to store for each detected client a peer-to-peer interface address that is not a media access control (MAC) address; and

the instructions operable to select comprise instructions operable to resolve any direct client identity ambiguities based on the corresponding stored peer-to-peer interface addresses that are not MAC addresses.

24. The computer readable storage media of claim of claim 21, further comprising instructions operable to delete existing stored profile data for the direct client if transmission from the direct client has not been detected for a predetermined period of time.

25. The computer readable storage media of claim 24, wherein the instructions operable to store comprise instructions operable to store profile data comprising device type, device name, one or more peer-to-peer addresses, services offered, peer-to-peer group information, and time last detected.