Method, apparatus, and computer program product for wireless device discovery

• US 9,451,436 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2013
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Reunamaki, Jukka, Palin, Arto
• Primary Examiner(s): Ton, Dang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Preval, Lionel
• Application Number:
  US13/906,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20140355517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 370/328, 455/41.2, 701/48
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• 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

Method, apparatus, and computer program product example embodiments enhance wireless communications device discovery processes. In an example embodiment, a method comprises detecting, by an apparatus, a sequence of wireless device advertising channel messages in a first communications protocol during device discovery scans of the first communications protocol; and multiplexing, by the apparatus, transmission of a sequence of wireless device discovery messages in a second communications protocol, with the detected sequence of wireless device advertising channel messages in the first communications protocol, in response to the detecting of the sequence of wireless device advertising channel messages in the first communications protocol.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting, by an apparatus, a sequence of wireless device advertising channel messages from another device, in a first communications protocol during device discovery scans of the first communications protocol; and

multiplexing, by the apparatus, transmission of a sequence of wireless device discovery messages in a second communications protocol, with the detected sequence of wireless device advertising channel messages in the first communications protocol, without having a connection to the other device, in response to the detecting of the sequence of wireless device advertising channel messages in the first communications protocol.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

synchronizing, by the apparatus, timing of the device discovery scans with the detected sequence of wireless device advertising channel messages in the first communications protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

multiplexing, by the apparatus, device discovery scanning of wireless device response messages in the second communications protocol, with the detected sequence wireless device advertising channel messages in the first communications protocol, in response to the detecting of the sequence of wireless device advertising channel messages in the first communications protocol.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining, by the apparatus, that at least one of the wireless device advertising channel messages in the first communications protocol or the wireless device response messages in the second communications protocol, meets a predefined criterion of a received signal strength indication exceeding a threshold value.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

initiating, by the apparatus, establishment of a wireless connection with a source device of one or more wireless device advertising channel messages that meets the predefined criterion of a received signal strength indication exceeding a threshold value.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

displaying, by the apparatus, an indication that a wireless connection will be automatically established with the source device of the one or more wireless device advertising channel messages that meet the predefined criterion.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

initiating, by the apparatus, establishment of a wireless connection with a source device of one or more wireless device response messages that meets the predefined criterion of a received signal strength indication exceeding a threshold value.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying, by the apparatus, an indication that a wireless connection will be automatically established with the source device of the one or more wireless device response messages that meet the predefined criterion.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communications protocol is a Bluetooth Low Energy protocol and the second communications protocol is a Bluetooth BR/EDR protocol.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory including computer program code;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

detect a sequence of wireless device advertising channel messages from another device, in a first communications protocol during device discovery scans of the first communications protocol; and

multiplex transmission of a sequence of wireless device discovery messages in a second communications protocol, with the detected sequence of wireless device advertising channel messages in the first communications protocol, without having a connection to the other device, in response to the detecting of the sequence of wireless device advertising channel messages in the first communications protocol.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

synchronize timing of the device discovery scans with the detected sequence of wireless device advertising channel messages in the first communications protocol.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

multiplex device discovery scanning of wireless device response messages in the second communications protocol, with the detected sequence wireless device advertising channel messages in the first communications protocol, in response to the detecting of the sequence of wireless device advertising channel messages in the first communications protocol.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

determine that at least one of the wireless device advertising channel messages in the first communications protocol or the wireless device response messages in the second communications protocol, meets a predefined criterion of a received signal strength indication exceeding a threshold value.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

initiate establishment of a wireless connection with a source device of one or more wireless device advertising channel messages that meets the predefined criterion of a received signal strength indication exceeding a threshold value.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

display an indication that a wireless connection will be automatically established with the source device of the one or more wireless device advertising channel messages that meet the predefined criterion.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

initiate establishment of a wireless connection with a source device of one or more wireless device response messages that meets the predefined criterion of a received signal strength indication exceeding a threshold value.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

display an indication that a wireless connection will be automatically established with the source device of the one or more wireless device response messages that meet the predefined criterion.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first communications protocol is a Bluetooth Low Energy protocol and the second communications protocol is a Bluetooth BR/EDR protocol.

19. A computer program product comprising computer executable program code recorded on a computer readable, non-transitory storage medium, the computer executable program code comprising:

code for detecting, by an apparatus, a sequence of wireless device advertising channel messages from another device, in a first communications protocol during device discovery scans of the first communications protocol; and

code for multiplexing, by the apparatus, transmission of a sequence of wireless device discovery messages in a second communications protocol, with the detected sequence of wireless device advertising channel messages in the first communications protocol, without having a connection to the other device, in response to the detecting of the sequence of wireless device advertising channel messages in the first communications protocol.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

code for multiplexing, by the apparatus, device discovery scanning of wireless device response messages in the second communications protocol, with the detected sequence wireless device advertising channel messages in the first communications protocol, in response to the detecting of the sequence of wireless device advertising channel messages in the first communications protocol.