Session management and control procedures for supporting multiple groups of sink devices in a peer-to-peer wireless display system

• US 9,699,500 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2013
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Shaukat, Fawad, Kafle, Padam Lal, Subramaniam, Vijay Naicker
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): NEWLIN, TIMOTHY R
• Application Number:
  US14/106,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20150172757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1044 Group management mechanisms management of multicast group membership H04L12/185; reconfiguring of node membership in a computing system to eliminate errors G06F11/1425
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1048 Departure or maintenance mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

An apparatus and method for session management and control procedures for supporting multiple groups of sink devices in a peer-to-peer wireless display system are described. One implementation may include an apparatus configured to transmit multimedia content to a plurality of sink devices. The apparatus may comprise a processor configured to connect to each of the sink devices with a Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connection. The processor may further be configured to receive capability information from each of the sink devices. The processor may further be configured to generate a control message including a group session ID and a transport port number. The processor may further be configured to determine a set of streaming parameters for the sink devices. The processor may further be configured to transmit, using the transport port number and according to the set of streaming parameters, the particular multimedia content to each of the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices.

Claims

1. An apparatus configured as a source device to transmit multimedia content to a plurality of sink devices, comprising

a processor configured to:

connect the source device to the plurality of sink devices by making a first Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connection with a first sink device in a first group and a second Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connection with a second sink device in a second group;

generate a first control message including a first group session ID and a first transport port number at the source device, the first transport port number to be used for communicating to the first group a particular multimedia content associated with the first group, the first group session ID being used by the source for autonomously initiating a group session with the first group;

generate a second control message including a second group session ID and a second transport port number at the source device, the second transport port number to be used for communicating to the second group a particular multimedia content associated with the second group, the second group session ID being used by the source for autonomously initiating a group session with the second group;

determine a set of streaming parameters for the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices associated with the first group session ID based on capabilities of the first group; and

determine a set of streaming parameters for the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices associated with the second group session ID based on capabilities of the second group;

a transmitter configured to;

transmit to each of the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices in the first group the first control message;

transmit to each of the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices in the second group the second control message;

transmit, using the first transport port number and according to the set of streaming parameters associated with the first group, the particular multimedia content to the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices of the first group; and

transmit, using the second transport port number and according to the set of streaming parameters associated with the second group, the particular multimedia content to the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices of the second group.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the set of streaming parameters includes one of a codec information, a display resolution, a video format, or an audio format or a combination thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second control messages each include one of a multicast configuration, a unicast configuration, or a groupcast configuration including a group MAC address for content streaming or a combination thereof.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmission of the particular multimedia content occurs by using a multicast frame delivery technique.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the multicast frame delivery technique is based on the acknowledgement and retry procedures of the 802.11aa standard.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

establish and maintain the group session with the first group over the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connections; and

establish a control messaging scheme for broadcasting the first group session ID, the first transport port information, and a set of steaming parameters to unconnected sink devices for allowing them to be associated with the first group session ID.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to periodically broadcast the first group session ID, the first transport port information, and the set of steaming parameters at a predetermined time interval.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to

receive the capabilities from each of the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices of the first group and the second group requesting the particular multimedia content.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to

add or remove one or more of the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices from the associated group session ID based on one of a request initiated at the apparatus or a request initiated at the sink device;

and

add or remove one or more of the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices from the associated group session ID based on an insufficient capability of the sink device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the insufficient capability of the sink device includes at least its inability to support a session type or an inability to support at least one of the streaming parameters to be used for content streaming.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the particular multimedia content, the group session ID, a session type, the transport port information, and the set of streaming parameters is different for the first and second groups of devices.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein establishing the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connection includes an exchange of a Wi-Fi Display device discovery information, wherein the Wi-Fi Display device discovery information comprises at least an indication of a group session capability of the apparatus, a set of group session management control port data, a group session type, and a set of streaming parameters to be used for content streaming.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein at least a subset of the Wi-Fi Display device discovery information is further exchanged through an Application Service Platform of the Wi-Fi Direct Services standard over a pre-established Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connection.

14. A method of transmitting multimedia content to a plurality of sink devices, comprising:

connecting a source device to the plurality of sink devices by making a first Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connection with a first sink device in a first group and a second Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connection with a second sink device in a second group;

generating a first control message including a first group session ID and a first transport port number at the source device, the first transport port number to be used for communicating to the first group a particular multimedia content associated with the group, the first group session ID being used by the source for autonomously initiating a group session with the first group;

generating a second control message including a second group session ID and a second transport port number at the source device, the second transport port number to be used for communicating to the second group a particular multimedia content associated with the second group, the second group session ID being used by the source for autonomously initiating group session with the second group;

determining a set of streaming parameters for the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices associated with the first group session ID based on capabilities of the first group; and

determining a set of streaming parameters for the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices associated with the second group session ID based on capabilities of the second group;

transmitting to each of the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices in the first group the first control message;

transmit to each of the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices in the second group the second control message;

transmitting, using the first transport port number and according to the set of streaming parameters associated with the first group, the particular multimedia content to the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices of the first group; and

transmitting, using the second transport port number and according to the set of streaming parameters associated with the second group, the particular multimedia content to the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices of the second group.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

establishing and maintaining the group session with the first group over the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connections; and

establishing a control messaging scheme for broadcasting the first group session ID, the first transport port information, and a set of streaming parameters to unconnected sink devices for allowing them to be associated with the first group session ID.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising

adding or removing one or more of the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices from the associated group session ID based on one of a request initiated at the source device or a request initiated at the sink device;

and

adding or removing one or more of the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices from the associated group session ID based on an insufficient capability of the sink device, wherein the insufficient capability of the sink device includes at least its inability to support a session type or an inability to support at least one of the streaming parameters to be used for content streaming.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one of the particular multimedia content, the group session ID, a session type, the transport port information, and the set of streaming parameters is different for the first and second groups of devices.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein establishing the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connection includes an exchange of a Wi-Fi Display device discovery information, wherein the Wi-Fi Display device discovery information comprises at least an indication of a group session capability of the source device, a set of group session management control port data, a group session type, and a set of streaming parameters to be used for content streaming.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein at least a subset of the Wi-Fi Display device discovery information is further exchanged through an Application Service Platform of the Wi-Fi Direct Services standard over a pre-established Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connection.

20. An apparatus for transmitting as a sourced device multimedia content to a plurality of sink devices, comprising:

means for connecting the source device to the plurality of sink devices by making a first Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connection with a first sink device in a first group and a second Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connection with a second sink device in a second group;

means for generating a first control message including a first group session ID and a first transport port number at the source device, the first transport port number to be used for communicating to the first group a particular multimedia content associated with the group, the first group session ID being used by the source for autonomously initiating a group session with the first group;

means for generating a second control message including a second group session ID and a second transport port number at the source device, the second transport port number to be used for communication to the second group a articular multimedia content associated with the second group, the second group session ID being used by the source for autonomously initiating a group session with the second group;

means for determining a set of streaming parameters for the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices associated with the first group session ID based on capabilities of the first group; and

means for determining a set of streaming parameters for the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices associated with the second group session ID based on capabilities of the second group;

means for transmitting to each of the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices in the first group the first control message;

means for transmitting to each of the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices in the second group the second control message;

means for transmitting, using the first transport port number and according to the set of streaming parameters associated with the first group, the particular multimedia content to the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices of the first group; and

means for transmitting, using the first transport port number and according to the set of streaming parameters associated with the first group, the particular multimedia content to the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices of the first group.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

means for establishing and maintaining the group session with the first group over the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connections; and

means for establishing a control messaging scheme for broadcasting the first group session ID, the first transport port information, and a set of streaming parameters to unconnected sink devices for allowing them to be associated with the first group session ID.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising

means for adding or removing one or more of the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices from the associated group session ID based on one of a request initiated at the source device or a request initiated at the sink device;

and

means for adding or removing one or more of the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices from the associated group session ID based on an insufficient capability of the sink device, wherein the insufficient capability of the sink device includes at least its inability to support a session type or an inability to support at least one of the streaming parameters to be used for content streaming.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein at least one of the particular multimedia content, the group session ID, a session type, the transport port information, and the set of streaming parameters is different for the first and second groups of devices.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein establishing the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connection includes an exchange of a Wi-Fi Display device discovery information, wherein the Wi-Fi Display device discovery information comprises at least an indication of a group session capability of the apparatus, a set of group session management control port data, a group session type, and a set of streaming parameters to be used for content streaming.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein at least a subset of the Wi-Fi Display device discovery information is further exchanged through an Application Service Platform of the Wi-Fi Direct Services standard over a pre-established Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connection.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code that, when executed, causes an apparatus configured as a source device to transmit multimedia content to a plurality of sink devices and:

connect the source device to the plurality of sink devices by making a first Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connection with a first sink device in a first group and a second Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connection with a second sink device in a second group;

generate a first control message including a first group session ID and a first transport port number at the source device, the first transport port number to be used for communicating to the first group a particular multimedia content associated with the group, the first group session ID being used by the source for autonomously initiating a group session with the first group;

generate a second control message including a second group session ID and a second transport port number at the source device, the second transport port number to be used for communicating to the second group a particular multimedia content associated with the second group, the second group session ID being used by the source for autonomously initiating a group session with the second group;

determine a set of streaming parameters for the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices associated with the first group session ID based on capabilities of the first group; and

determine a set of streaming parameters for the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices associated with the second group session ID based on capabilities of the second group;

transmit to each of the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices in the first group the first control message;

transmit to each of the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices in the second group the second control message;

transmit, using the first transport port number and according to the set of streaming parameters associated with the first group, the particular multimedia content to the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices of the first group; and

transmit, using the second transport port number and according to the set of streaming parameters associated with the second group, the particular multimedia content to the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices of the second group.

27. The medium of claim 26, further comprising code that, when executed, causes an apparatus to

add or remove one or more of the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices from the associated group session ID based on one of a request initiated at the source device or a request initiated at the sink device;

and

add or remove one or more of the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connected sink devices from the associated group session ID based on an insufficient capability of the sink device, wherein the insufficient capability of the sink device includes at least its inability to support a session type or an inability to support at least one of the streaming parameters to be used for content streaming.

28. The medium of claim 26, wherein establishing the Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connection includes an exchange of a Wi-Fi Display device discovery information, wherein the Wi-Fi Display device discovery information comprises at least an indication of a group session capability of the source device, a set of group session management control port data, a group session type, and a set of streaming parameters to be used for content streaming.

29. The medium of claim 28, wherein at least a subset of the Wi-Fi Display device discovery information is further exchanged through an Application Service Platform of the Wi-Fi Direct Services standard over a pre-established Wi-Fi peer-to-peer connection.