Methods and apparatus for transmitting data between different peer-to-peer communication groups

• US 9,591,508 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Halasz, David E., Salkintzis, Apostolis K., Smith, Dwight R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Taha, Shaq
• Application Number:
  US13/721,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20140177472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 370/401
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/021 in wireless networks with changing topologies, e.g. ad-hoc networks self-organizing networks H04W84/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for transmitting data between different peer-to-peer communication groups are disclosed. A wireless device determines if it is simultaneously connected to a plurality of peer-to-peer communication groups and instantiates a bridge interface at the wireless device (e.g., TRILL RBridge) for communications between each peer-to-peer communication group. The wireless device also determines if it is simultaneously connected to at least one peer-to-peer communication device and an access point. In such an instance, the wireless device determines if the access point also includes a bridge interface. If the access point does not include a bridge interface, the wireless device instantiates/runs the bridge interface at the wireless device for communications between the at least one peer-to-peer communication device and the access point. If the access point does include a bridge interface, the wireless device causes the bridge interface at the access point to be instantiated for communications between the at least one peer-to-peer communication device and the access point.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting data between different peer-to-peer communication groups, the method comprising:

broadcasting a message indicative of a peer-to-peer group owner functionality from an access point, the message including an indication that the access point supports a bridge interface, the message indicating the bridge interface is a Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) RBridge interface, and the indication comprising setting an RBridge-enabled bit in a capability bitmap;

instantiating the bridge interface at the access point to transmit data between a first wireless device and a network infrastructure, the first wireless device being a member of a peer-to-peer communication group;

filtering peer-to-peer traffic, based on a class of traffic, from a second different wireless device not directly associated with the access point; and

routing the peer-to-peer traffic based on the filtering.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering the peer-to-peer traffic from the second wireless device includes filtering the peer-to-peer traffic to limit Internet access to the second different wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering the peer-to-peer traffic from the second wireless device includes using Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) control traffic filters to control access to the network infrastructure by the second wireless device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless devices causes the instantiating the bridge interface at the access point.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the routing the peer-to-peer traffic based on the filtering includes forwarding the peer-to-peer traffic to another wireless device in another peer-to-peer group and wherein another access point is the owner of the another peer-to-peer group.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the access point and the another access point are connected to the network infrastructure and wherein the network infrastructure is one or more of:

a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), or the Internet.

7. An electronic apparatus configured as an access point for transmitting data between peer-to-peer communication groups, the electronic apparatus comprising:

a radio frequency transceiver;

a controller, operatively coupled to the radio frequency transceiver; and

a memory device comprising instructions executable by the controller to configure the access point to;

broadcast a message indicative of a peer-to-peer group owner functionality, the message including an indication that the access point supports a bridge interface, the message indicating the bridge interface is a Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) RBridge interface, and the indication comprising setting an RBridge-enabled bit in a capability bitmap;

instantiate the bridge interface, at the access point, to transmit data between a first wireless device and a network infrastructure, the first wireless device being a member of a peer-to-peer communication group;

filter peer-to-peer traffic, based on a class of traffic, from a second different wireless device not directly associated with the access point; and

route the peer-to-peer traffic based on the filtering.

8. The electronic apparatus of claim 7, wherein the filtering the peer-to-peer traffic from the second different wireless device includes filtering the peer-to-peer traffic to limit Internet access to the second different wireless device.

9. The electronic apparatus of claim 7, wherein the filtering of the peer-to-peer traffic from the second wireless device includes using Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) control traffic filters to control access to the network infrastructure by the second different wireless device.

10. The electronic apparatus of claim 7, wherein a plurality of devices in the peer-to-peer communication group and a second plurality of devices in another peer-to-peer communication group are each members of the same Internet Protocol (IP) subnet.

11. The electronic apparatus of claim 7, wherein the access point is configured as a Wi-Fi peer-to-peer communication group owner for the peer-to-peer communication group.

12. The electronic apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first wireless device causes the access point to instantiate the bridge interface.

13. The electronic apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a network interface to connect the access point to the network infrastructure; and

wherein the routing the peer-to-peer traffic based on the filtering includes forwarding the peer-to-peer traffic to another wireless device in another peer-to-peer group via the network interface.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the network infrastructure is one or more of:

a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), or the Internet.

15. A system for transmitting data between peer-to-peer communication groups, the system comprising:

a first wireless device;

a second wireless device; and

an access point, the access point configured to;

broadcast a message indicative of a peer-to-peer group owner functionality, the message including an indication that the access point supports a bridge interface, the message indicating the bridge interface is a Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) RBridge interface, and the indication comprising setting an RBridge-enabled bit in a capability bitmap;

instantiate the bridge interface, at the access point, to transmit data between the first wireless device and network infrastructure, the first wireless device being a member of a peer-to-peer communication group;

filter peer-to-peer traffic, based on a class of traffic, from a second different wireless device not directly associated with the access point; and

route the peer-to-peer traffic based on the filtering.

16. The system of claim 15, the first wireless device configured to causes the access point to instantiate the bridge interface.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the filtering of the peer-to-peer traffic from the second different wireless device includes filtering peer-to-peer traffic to limit Internet access to the second different wireless device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the filtering of the peer-to-peer traffic from the second wireless device includes using Transparent Interconnection of Lots of Links (TRILL) control traffic filters to control access to the network infrastructure by the second different wireless device.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein a plurality of devices in the peer-to-peer communication group and a second different plurality of devices in another peer-to-peer communication group are each members of the same Internet Protocol (IP) subnet.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the access point is configured as a Wi-Fi peer-to-peer communication group owner for the peer-to-peer communication group.