Efficient service advertisement and discovery in a peer-to-peer networking environment with dynamic advertisement and discovery periods based on operating conditions

• US 9,391,853 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2010
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Vandwalle, Pierre, Thomas, Tito, Dominguez, Charles Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THU HA T
• Application Number:
  US12/796,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20110153789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,226 Days
• Field of Search: 713/324, 370/254, 370/338, 705/14.43, 705/14.51, 709/221, 709/222
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/02 Power saving arrangements in wired systems H04L12/12; signaling of mobile application services, e.g. low battery notifications H04W4/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A local device is configured to monitor operating conditions coupled to a wireless network. An advertisement period is dynamically adjusted based on the operating conditions of the local device, where the advertisement period is dynamically adjusted based on at least one of a battery condition of the local device, a user behavior of the local device, network traffic condition, and a type of service to be advertised. The local device broadcasts a service advertisement in the wireless network according to the adjusted advertisement period, the service advertisement including one or more service IDs for identifying one or more services to be advertised from the local device.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method for advertising a service in a peer-to-peer networking environment, the method comprising:

monitoring operating conditions of a local device coupled to a peer-to-peer wireless network;

dynamically adjusting an advertisement period based on at least one of a battery condition of the local device, network traffic condition of the peer-to-peer wireless network, a location of the local device, a change in the location of the local device, an amount of user activity on the local device, a first number of devices on the peer-to-peer wireless network, and a second number of devices with active users on the peer-to-peer wireless network; and

broadcasting, by the local device, an advertisement frame in the peer-to-peer wireless network according to the adjusted advertisement period, the advertisement frame including one or more service IDs for identifying one or more services to be advertised from the local device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically adjusting a discovery period based on the operating conditions of the local device; and

listening, by the local device, in the peer-to-peer wireless network according to the adjusted discovery period in an attempt to receive an advertisement frame from a remote device over the peer-to-peer wireless network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the discovery period is dynamically adjusted based on at least one of a battery condition of the local device, a user behavior of the local device, network traffic condition, and a type of service to be discovered.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the advertisement period is calculated as a product of a predetermined base value and a first adjustment factor, and wherein the advertisement period is dynamically adjusted by adjusting the first adjustment factor.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the discovery period is calculated as a product of the predetermined base value and a second adjustment factor that is different than the first adjustment factor, and wherein the discovery period is dynamically adjusted by adjusting the second adjustment factor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic adjustment of the advertisement period is based on the battery condition of the local device, network traffic condition of the peer-to-peer wireless network, the location of the local device, the amount of user activity on the local device, the first number of devices on the peer-to-peer wireless network, and the second number of devices with active users on the peer-to-peer wireless network;

and

wherein the dynamic adjustment of the advertisement period comprises increasing the advertisement period.

7. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method for advertising a service in a peer-to-peer networking environment, the method comprising:

monitoring operating conditions of a local device coupled to a peer-to-peer wireless network;

dynamically adjusting an advertisement period based on at least one of a battery condition of the local device, network traffic condition of the peer-to-peer wireless network, a location of the local device, a change in the location of the local device, an amount of user activity on the local device, a first number of devices on the peer-to-peer wireless network, and a second number of devices with active users on the peer-to-peer wireless network; and

broadcasting, by the local device, an advertisement frame in the peer-to-peer wireless network according to the adjusted advertisement period, the advertisement frame including one or more service IDs for identifying one or more services to be advertised from the local device.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

dynamically adjusting a discovery period based on the operating conditions of the local device; and

listening, by the local device, in the peer-to-peer wireless network according to the adjusted discovery period in an attempt to receive an advertisement frame from a remote device over the peer-to-peer wireless network.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the discovery period is dynamically adjusted based on at least one of a battery condition of the local device, a user behavior of the local device, network traffic condition of the peer-to-peer wireless network, and a type of service to be advertised.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the advertisement period is calculated as a product of a predetermined base value and a first adjustment factor, and wherein the advertisement period is dynamically adjusted by adjusting the first adjustment factor.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the discovery period is calculated as a product of the predetermined base value and a second adjustment factor that is different than the first adjustment factor, and wherein the discovery period is dynamically adjusted by adjusting the adjustment factor.

12. A portable device, comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a monitor coupled to the wireless transceiver to monitor operating conditions of the portable device coupled to a peer-to-peer wireless network; and

a service advertisement unit coupled to the monitor and the wireless transceiver, to;

dynamically adjust an advertisement period based on at least one of a battery condition of the portable device, network traffic condition of the peer-to-peer wireless network, a location of the portable device, a change in the location of the portable device, an amount of user activity on the portable device, a first number of devices on the peer-to-peer wireless network, and a second number of devices with active users on the peer-to-peer wireless network; and

broadcast an advertisement frame according to the adjusted advertisement period, via the wireless transceiver, in the peer-to-peer wireless network, the advertisement frame including one or more service identifiers (IDs) identifying one or more services to be advertised.

13. The portable device of claim 12, wherein at least one of the advertisement period and the discovery period is dynamically adjusted based on at least one of a battery condition of the local device, a user behavior of the local device, network traffic condition of the peer-to-peer wireless network, and a type of service to be advertised or discovered.

14. The portable device of claim 12, wherein the advertisement period is calculated as a product of a predetermined base value and a first adjustment factor, and wherein the advertisement period is dynamically adjusted by adjusting the first adjustment factor.

15. The portable device of claim 14, wherein the discovery period is calculated as a product of the predetermined base value and a second adjustment factor that is different than the first adjustment factor, and wherein the discovery period is dynamically adjusted by adjusting the second adjustment factor.

16. A machine-implemented method for discovering a service in a peer-to-peer networking environment, the method comprising:

determining operating conditions of a local device coupled to a peer-to-peer wireless network;

dynamically adjusting a discovery period based on at least one of a battery condition of the local device, network traffic condition of the peer-to-peer wireless network, a location of the local device, a change in the location of the local device, an amount of user activity on the local device, a first number of devices on the peer-to-peer wireless network, and a second number of devices with active users on the peer-to-peer wireless network; and

listening, by the local device, in the peer-to-peer wireless network according to the adjusted discovery period in an attempt to discover a service advertised by a remote device by receiving an advertisement frame from the remote device over the peer-to-peer wireless network.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

dynamically adjusting an advertisement period based on the operating conditions of the local device; and

broadcasting, by the local device, an advertisement frame in the peer-to-peer wireless network according to the adjusted advertisement period, the advertisement frame including one or more service identifiers (IDs) identifying one or more services to be advertised from the local device.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method for advertising a service in a peer-to-peer networking environment, the method comprising:

determining operating conditions of a local device coupled to a peer-to-peer wireless network;

dynamically adjusting a discovery period based on at least one of a battery condition of the local device, network traffic condition of the peer-to-peer wireless network, a location of the local device, a change in the location of the local device, an amount of user activity on the local device, a first number of devices on the peer-to-peer wireless network, and a second number of devices with active users on the peer-to-peer wireless network; and

listening, by the local device, in the peer-to-peer wireless network according to the adjusted discovery period in an attempt to discover a service advertised by a remote device by receiving an advertisement frame from the remote device over the peer-to-peer wireless network.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

dynamically adjusting an advertisement period based on the operating conditions of the local device; and

broadcasting, by the local device, an advertisement frame in the peer-to-peer wireless network according to the adjusted advertisement period, the advertisement frame including one or more service identifiers (IDs) identifying one or more services to be advertised from the local device.

20. A portable device, comprising:

a wireless transceiver;

a monitor coupled to the wireless transceiver to determine operating conditions of the portable device; and

a service discovery unit coupled to the monitor and the wireless transceiver, to;

dynamically adjust a discovery period based on at least one of a battery condition of the portable device, network traffic condition, a location of the portable device, a change in the location of the portable device, an amount of user activity on the portable device, a first number of devices on the network, and a second number of devices with active users on the network; and

listen in the peer-to-peer wireless network according to the adjusted discovery period in an attempt to discovery a service advertised by a remote device over a peer-to-peer wireless network.

21. The portable device of claim 20, further comprising a service advertisement unit coupled to the monitor and wireless transceiver to dynamically adjust an advertisement period based on the operating conditions, and broadcast an advertisement frame in the peer-to-peer wireless network according to the adjusted advertisement period, the advertisement frame including one or more service identifiers (IDs) identifying one or more services to be advertised.