Bluetooth low energy triggering NAN for further discovery and connection

• US 9,949,063 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Issued: 04/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Yong, Su Khiong, Liu, Yong, Hartman, Christiaan A., Lehmann, Siegfried, Li, Guoqing, Wong, Chiu Ngok E.
• Primary Examiner(s): WEST, LEWIS G
• Application Number:
  US15/167,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20160353233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• 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 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

In some embodiments, one or more wireless stations operate according to Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)—direct communication with neighboring wireless stations, e.g., direct communication between the wireless stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. Embodiments of the disclosure relate to triggering a NAN datapath using Bluetooth low energy (BLE) signaling. The NAN datapath embodiments described herein provide a mechanism through which devices can communicate to establish a Wi-Fi connection via non-Wi-Fi signaling and provide services. Aspects of the datapath development include Wi-Fi connection establishment and datapath initiation. The datapath model may be implemented for unicast and/or multicast communication between wireless stations, including mobile stations.

Claims

1. A wireless station, comprising:

at least one antenna;

a first wireless interface and a second wireless interface, each configured to perform wireless communications; and

at least one processor communicatively coupled to one or more radios, wherein the one or more radios are associated with the first and second wireless interfaces;

wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the wireless station to;

detect a first neighboring wireless station via signal scanning using the first wireless interface;

discover one or more services available via the second wireless interface via exchange of messages over the first wireless interface with the first neighboring wireless station; and

establish a wireless connection via the second wireless interface with the first neighboring wireless station, based, at least in part, on an identification of a desired service among the one or more discovered services, wherein to establish the wireless connection, the at least one processor is further configured to;

scan for existing device clusters via the second wireless interface;

create, in response to not discovering existing device clusters, a new device cluster; and

broadcast discovery beacon frames via the second wireless interface.

2. The wireless station of claim 1,

wherein, to establish the wireless connection, the at least one processor is further configured to cause the wireless station to:

establish a datapath with the first neighboring wireless station via the wireless connection.

3. The wireless station of claim 2,

wherein, to establish the datapath, the at least one processor is further configured to cause the wireless station to:

exchange service discovery frames with the first neighboring wireless station via the second wireless interface.

4. The wireless station of claim 1,

wherein to detect the first neighboring wireless station, the at least one processor is further configured to cause the wireless station to:

receive advertisement packets comprising an advertisement without requesting additional information regarding the advertisement.

5. The wireless station of claim 1,

wherein to detect the first neighboring wireless station, the at least one processor is further configured to cause the wireless station to:

receive advertisement packets comprising an advertisement; and

request additional information regarding the advertisement via the first wireless interface.

6. The wireless station of claim 1,

wherein the messages comprise one or more of:

a service identifier;

advertisement information;

or

a status of the first wireless interface.

7. The wireless station of claim 1,

wherein to discover services, the at least one processor is further configured to cause the wireless station to:

perform one or more generic attribute profile (GATT) database queries to exchange further service information.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory; and

a processing element in communication with the memory, wherein the processing element is configured to;

receive first instructions to advertise a service, wherein the service is provided via a first wireless interface in communication with the processing element, wherein the instructions indicate advertisement of the service via a second wireless interface in communication with the processing element, and wherein the first wireless interface is a higher power interface than the second wireless interface;

generate second instructions to advertise the service via the second wireless interface;

receive response information via the second wireless interface, wherein the response information indicates a subscription to the service from a neighboring wireless station, wherein to receive the response information, the processing element is further configured to;

receive, via the first wireless interface, at least one discovery beacon frame from the neighboring wireless station; and

generate instructions to join, based, at least in part, on the at least one discovery beacon, a device cluster initiated by the neighboring wireless station; and

provide third instructions to establish a datapath to support the service via the first wireless interface.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the first wireless interface comprises a Wi-Fi interface; and

the second wireless interface comprises a Bluetooth low energy interface.

10. The apparatus of claim 8,

wherein the first instructions comprise a transport status of the first wireless interface and at least one supported service.

11. The apparatus of claim 10,

wherein the transport status indicates that the first wireless interface is disabled.

12. The apparatus of claim 8,

wherein the third instructions further comprise instructions to enable the first wireless interface.

13. The apparatus of claim 8,

wherein the response information comprises a transport status of a wireless interface of the neighboring wireless station.

14. A non-transitory computer readable memory medium storing program instructions executable by a processor to:

generate instructions to detect a first neighboring wireless station via Bluetooth low energy (BLE) signal scanning using a BLE interface in communication with the processor;

generate instructions to discover a service available via a Wi-Fi interface in communication with the processor via exchange of BLE signal messages with the first neighboring wireless station; and

generate instructions to establish a Wi-Fi connection with the first neighboring wireless station based at least in part on discovery of the service, wherein to establish the Wi-Fi connection, the program instructions are further executable to;

generate instructions to scan for existing device clusters via the Wi-Fi interface;

generate instructions to create, in response to not discovering existing device clusters, a new device cluster; and

generate instructions to broadcast discovery beacon frames via the Wi-Fi interface.

15. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 14,

wherein, to establish the Wi-Fi connections, the program instructions are further executable to:

generate instructions to establish a datapath with the first neighboring wireless station via the Wi-Fi connection.

16. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 15,

wherein, to generate instructions to establish the datapath, the program instructions are further executable to:

generate instructions to exchange service discovery frames with the first neighboring wireless station.

17. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 14,

wherein to detect the first neighboring wireless station, the program instructions are further executable to:

receive advertisement packets comprising an advertisement without requesting additional information regarding the advertisement.

18. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 14,

wherein to detect the first neighboring wireless station, the program instructions are further executable to:

receive advertisement packets comprising an advertisement; and

generate instructions to request additional information regarding the advertisement.

19. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 14,

wherein the BLE signal messages comprise one or more of:

a service identifier;

advertisement information;

or

a Wi-Fi interface status.

20. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 14,

wherein to discover Wi-Fi services, the program instructions are further executable to:

generate instructions to perform one or more generic attribute profile (GATT) database queries to exchange further service information.