Methods and apparatus for identifying and/or selecting channels

• US 9,055,588 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2011
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kannan, Sreeram, Sadek, Ahmed K., Shellhammer, Stephen J., Tavildar, Saurabh, Khude, Nilesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Yuwen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jia, Xin
• Application Number:
  US13/226,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20130059614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 455432-439, 455/444, 455450-453, 455/509, 455/512, 455/515, 455/41.2, 370/330, 370/350
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/563 of the wireless resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A decentralized approach to peer discovery channel selection is used in some embodiments. In some such embodiments, a mobile wireless terminal supporting a peer to peer signaling protocol, independently determines what channels to use for peer discovery without a central controller indicating the channel or channels to be used. Assuming channels are of a suitable quality, the channels having the best quality need not be identified, with channel selection being made on a predetermined channel ordering basis from those with suitable quality. Different wireless communications devices in the system use the same peer discovery channel selection process making it likely that the same channel or channels will tend to be picked to be used for peer discovery. Other embodiments are directed to implementing a centralized approach to peer discovery channel selection in which a central controller or base station selects channels to be used for peer discovery signaling.

Claims

1. A method of operating a node in a peer to peer communications system, the method comprising:

determining channel usage by a plurality of peer to peer devices, said channel usage indicating usage of one or more channels for peer discovery; and

selecting at least one channel for use as a peer discovery channel, said selecting being performed as a function of the number of peer to peer devices already using individual channels for peer discovery, wherein said selecting is biased to prefer a first channel having a higher number of peer to peer devices already using the first channel for peer discovery over a second channel having a lower number of peer to peer devices already using the second channel for peer discovery.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting at least one channel includes:

selecting a set of N channels to be used for peer discovery signaling, said set of N channels including enough channels such that each device providing channel usage information has at least one channel in the set of N channels.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

communicating to peer to peer devices the selected set of N channels to be used for peer discovery.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting at least one channel is performed for each of a plurality of different geographic areas.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting is performed on a geographic basis for each of a plurality of different geographic areas, the at least one channel that is selected for a particular geographic area being selected based on the number of devices in the geographic area which reported the channel to be available and the channel usage for the particular geographic area.

6. A node in a peer to peer communications system, the node comprising:

means for determining channel usage by a plurality of peer to peer devices, said channel usage indicating usage of one or more channels for peer discovery; and

means for selecting at least one channel for use as a peer discovery channel, said selecting being performed as a function of the number of peer to peer devices already using individual channels for peer discovery, wherein said selecting is biased to prefer a first channel having a higher number of peer to peer devices already using the first channel for peer discovery over a second channel having a lower number of peer to peer devices already using the second channel for peer discovery.

7. The node of claim 6, wherein means for selecting at least one channel includes:

means for selecting a set of N channels to be used for peer discovery signaling, said set of N channels including enough channels such that each device providing channel usage information has at least one channel in the set of N channels.

8. The node of claim 7, further comprising:

means for communicating to peer to peer devices the selected set of N channels to be used for peer discovery.

9. The node of claim 6, wherein means for selecting at least one channel performs a selection for each of a plurality of different geographic areas.

10. The node of claim 6, wherein said means for selecting at least one channel includes means for selecting on a geographic basis for each of a plurality of different geographic areas, the at least one channel that is selected for a particular geographic area being selected based on the number of devices in the geographic area which reported the channel to be available and the channel usage for the particular geographic area.

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

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising;

code for causing at least one computer to determine channel usage by a plurality of peer to peer devices, said channel usage indicating usage of one or more channels for peer discovery; and

code for causing said at least one computer to select at least one channel for use as a peer discovery channel, said selecting being performed as a function of the number of peer to peer devices already using individual channels for peer discovery, wherein said selecting is biased to prefer a first channel having a higher number of peer to peer devices already using the first channel for peer discovery over a second channel having a lower number of peer to peer devices already using the second channel for peer discovery.

12. A node comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

determine channel usage by a plurality of peer to peer devices, said channel usage indicating usage of one or more channels for peer discovery; and

select at least one channel for use as a peer discovery channel, said selecting being performed as a function of the number of peer to peer devices already using individual channels for peer discovery, wherein said selecting is biased to prefer a first channel having a higher number of peer to peer devices already using the first channel for peer discovery over a second channel having a lower number of peer to peer devices already using the second channel for peer discovery; and

memory coupled to said at least one processor.

13. The node of claim 12, wherein said at least one processor is configured to select a set of N channels to be used for peer discovery signaling, said set of N channels including enough channels such that each device providing channel usage information has at least one channel in the set of N channels, as part of being configured to select at least one channel for use as a peer discovery channel.

14. The node of claim 13, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to communicate to peer to peer devices the selected set of N channels to be used for peer discovery.

15. The node of claim 12, wherein said at least one processor is configured to select at least one channel for each of a plurality of different geographic areas, as part of being configured to select at least one channel to use as a peer discovery channel.