Service identification with reduced ambiguity

• US 9,876,862 B1
• Filed: 02/19/2014
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Lambert, Paul A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barot, Bharat N
• Application Number:
  US14/184,255
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: 709202-205, 709227-229, 709217-219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

A method of performing service discovery is implemented in a first communication device. In the method, a service discovery request is generated that contains a first identifier associated with a requested service and does not contain a second identifier associated with the requested service. The first communication device is caused to transmit the service discovery request. A service discovery response, received by the first communication device from a second communication device, is processed. The service discovery response contains the second identifier and does not contain the first identifier. At least the second identifier is utilized to determine that the second communication device provides the requested service.

Claims

1. A method, implemented in a first communication device, of performing service discovery, the method comprising:

generating, in the first communication device, a service discovery request that contains a first portion of an identifier, the identifier indicating a requested service, and wherein the service discovery request does not contain a second portion of the identifier indicating the requested service;

causing the first communication device to transmit the service discovery request;

processing, at the first communication device, a service discovery response received by the first communication device from a second communication device over a wireless communication network, wherein the service discovery response (i) contains the second portion of the identifier and (ii) does not contain the first portion of the identifier; and

utilizing, by the first communication device, at least the second portion of the identifier to determine that the second communication device provides the requested service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first portion of the identifier includes a first portion of a hash; and

the second portion of the identifier includes a second portion of the hash, wherein the second portion of the hash is different than the first portion of the hash.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the hash is a hash of a string identifier associated with the requested service.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the hash includes at least 2n octets;

the first portion of the identifier consists of a first set of n octets of the hash;

the second portion of the identifier consists of a second set of n octets of the hash; and

the first set of n octets and the second set of n octets are non-overlapping portions of the hash.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein n is greater than or equal to six.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a length of the first portion of the identifier plus a length of the second portion of the identifier is greater than or equal to 12 octets.

7. A non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable memory storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors in a first communication device, cause the one or more processors to:

generate a service discovery request that contains a first portion of an identifier, the identifier indicating a requested service, and wherein the service discovery request does not contain a second portion of the identifier indicating the requested service;

cause the first communication device to transmit the service discovery request;

process a service discovery response received by the first communication device from a second communication device over a wireless communication network, wherein the service discovery response (i) contains the second portion of the identifier and (ii) does not contain the first portion of the identifier; and

utilize at least the second portion of the identifier to determine that the second communication device provides the requested service.

8. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable memory of claim 7, wherein:

the first portion of the identifier includes a first portion of a hash; and

the second portion of the identifier includes a second portion of the hash, wherein the second portion of the hash is different than the first portion of the hash.

9. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable memory of claim 8, wherein the hash is a hash of a string identifier associated with the requested service.

10. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable memory of claim 8, wherein:

the hash includes at least 2n octets;

the first portion of the identifier consists of a first set of n octets of the hash;

the second portion of the identifier consists of a second set of n octets of the hash; and

the first set of n octets and the second set of n octets are non-overlapping portions of the hash.

11. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable memory of claim 10, wherein n is greater than or equal to six.

12. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable memory of claim 7, wherein a length of the first portion of the identifier plus a length of the second portion of the identifier is greater than or equal to 12 octets.

13. A method, implemented in a first communication device, of performing service discovery, the method comprising:

processing, at the first communication device, a service discovery request received by the first communication device from a second communication device over a wireless communication network, wherein the service discovery request that contains a first portion of an identifier, the identifier indicating a requested service, and wherein the service discovery request does not contain a second portion of the identifier indicating the requested service; and

after processing the service discovery request, generating, at the first communication device, a service discovery response that (i) contains the second portion of the identifier and (ii) does not contain the first portion of the identifier; and

causing the first communication device to transmit the service discovery response to the second communication over a wireless communication network so that the second communication device can utilize at least the second portion of the identifier to determine that the first communication device provides the requested service.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the first portion of the identifier includes a first portion of a hash; and

the second portion of the identifier includes a second portion of the hash, wherein the second portion of the hash is different than the first portion of the hash.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the hash is a hash of a string identifier associated with the requested service.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the hash includes at least 2n octets;

the first portion of the identifier consists of a first set of n octets of the hash;

the second portion of the identifier consists of a second set of n octets of the hash; and

the first set of n octets and the second set of n octets are non-overlapping portions of the hash.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein n is greater than or equal to six.

18. A non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable memory storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors in a first communication device, cause the one or more processors to:

process, at the first communication device, a service discovery request received by the first communication device from a second communication device over a wireless communication network, wherein the service discovery request contains a first portion of an identifier, the identifier indicating a requested service, and wherein the service discovery request does not contain a second portion of the identifier indicating the requested service; and

cause the first communication device to transmit the service discovery response to the second communication over a wireless communication network so that the second communication device can utilize at least the second portion of the identifier to determine that the first communication device provides the requested service.

19. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable memory of claim 18, wherein:

the first portion of the identifier includes a first portion of a hash; and

the second portion of the identifier includes a second portion of the hash, wherein the second portion of the hash is different than the first portion of the hash.

20. The non-transitory, tangible, computer-readable memory of claim 19, wherein the hash is a hash of a string identifier associated with the requested service.