Independent direct link protocol

• US 20050135304A1
• Filed: 11/01/2004
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ozmo Licensing LLC
• Original Assignee: GlobespanVirata, Inc. (Synaptics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wentink, Menzo, Zwemmer, Arnoud
• Granted Patent: US 7,545,771 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2126 using a reference station
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 TPC
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/48 during retransmission after error or non-acknowledgment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

Disclosed herein are exemplary techniques for initiating a direct wireless link between two wireless devices. The system and method include transmitting, from a first wireless device, a first frame having a destination media access control (MAC) address of the second wireless device, wherein the first frame includes direct link information encapsulated at the logical link control level; receiving, at the first wireless device, a second frame from a second wireless device, the second frame having a destination MAC address and being intended for the first wireless device, wherein the second frame includes direct link information encapsulated at the logical link control level; and establishing a direct wireless link between the first wireless device and the second wireless device when a third frame is transmitted from the first wireless device, the third frame having a destination media access control (MAC) address of the second wireless device, wherein the third frame includes direct link information encapsulated at the logical link control level.

Claims

1. A method for initiating a direct wireless link between two wireless devices, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting, from a first wireless device, a first frame having a destination media access control (MAC) address of the second wireless device, wherein the first frame includes direct link information encapsulated at the logical link control level;

receiving, at the first wireless device, a second frame from a second wireless device, the second frame having a destination MAC address and being intended for the first wireless device, wherein the second frame includes direct link information encapsulated at the logical link control level; and

establishing a direct wireless link between the first wireless device and the second wireless device when a third frame is transmitted from the first wireless device, the third frame having a destination media access control (MAC) address of the second wireless device, wherein the third frame includes direct link information encapsulated at the logical link control level.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of establishing the direct wireless link includes transmitting a test frame from the first wireless device to the second wireless device to confirm that the second wireless device is within a wireless transmission range of the first wireless device.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the logical link control level encapsulation includes a capability information field.

4. The method as in claim 3, wherein the capability information field of the first frame contains proposed capabilities and wherein the capability information field of the second frame a response to the proposed capabilities.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein the capability information field of the first frame includes at least one compression type.

6. The method as in claim 4, wherein the capability information field of the first frame includes at least one PHY rate.

7. The method as in claim 4, wherein the capability information field of the first frame includes at least one encryption capability.

8. The method as in claim 3, wherein the capability information field of the first frame includes at least one encryption capability.

9. The method as in claim 3, wherein the first, second, and third frames are secured by a pairwise encryption key.

10. The method as in claim 3, wherein the logical link control level encapsulation includes an information elements field preceded by a key material type field, and wherein the key material type field contains a type and a context and wherein the type indicates a cipher suite to be used in the direct wireless link.

11. The method as in claim 10, wherein the cipher suite is the cipher suite associated with an access point.

12. A system, wherein a first wireless device is adapted to initiate a direct wireless link with a second wireless device, the first wireless device comprises:

a transceiver adapted to transmit a first frame having a destination media access control (MAC) address of the second wireless device, wherein the first frame includes direct link information encapsulated at the logical link control level;

a receiver, adapted to receive a second frame from a second wireless device, the second frame having a destination MAC address and being intended for the first wireless device, wherein the second frame includes direct link information encapsulated at the logical link control level; and

a processor adapted to establish a direct wireless link between the first wireless device and the second wireless device when a third frame is transmitted from the first wireless device, the third frame having a destination media access control (MAC) address of the second wireless device, wherein the third frame includes direct link information encapsulated at the logical link control level.

13. The system as in claim 12, wherein the transceiver is further adapted to transmit a test frame to the second wireless device to confirm that the second wireless device is within a wireless transmission range of the first wireless device.

14. The system as in claim 12, wherein the logical link control level encapsulation includes a capability information field.

15. The system as in claim 12, wherein the capability information field of the first frame contains proposed capabilities and wherein the capability information field of the second frame a response to the proposed capabilities.

16. The system as in claim 15, wherein the capability information field of the first frame includes at least one compression type.

17. The system as in claim 15, wherein the capability information field of the first frame includes at least one PHY rate.

18. The method as in claim 15, wherein the capability information field of the first frame includes at least one encryption capability.

19. The system as in claim 15, wherein the capability information field of the first frame includes at least one encryption capability.

20. The system as in claim 14, wherein the first, second, and third frames are secured by a pairwise encryption key.

21. The system as in claim 14, wherein the logical link control level encapsulation includes an information elements field preceded by a key material type field, and wherein the key material type field contains a type and a context and wherein the type indicates a cipher suite to be used in the direct wireless link.

22. The method as in claim 21, wherein the cipher suite is the cipher suite associated with an access point.

23. A method for initiating a direct wireless link between two wireless devices, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting, from a first wireless device via an access point, a first frame having a destination media access control (MAC) address of the second wireless device, wherein the first frame includes direct link information encapsulated at the logical link control level;

receiving, at the first wireless device via the access point, a second frame from a second wireless device, the second frame having a destination MAC address and being intended for the first wireless device, wherein the second frame includes direct link information encapsulated at the logical link control level; and

establishing a direct wireless link between the first wireless device and the second wireless device when a third frame is transmitted from the first wireless device, the third frame having a destination media access control (MAC) address of the second wireless device, wherein the third frame includes direct link information encapsulated at the logical link control level.

24. A method for initiating a direct wireless link between two wireless devices, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting, from a first wireless device via an access point, a first frame having a destination media access control (MAC) address of the second wireless device, wherein the first frame includes direct link information encapsulated at the logical link control level;

receiving, at the first wireless device via the access point, a second frame from a second wireless device, the second frame having a destination MAC address and being intended for the first wireless device, wherein the second frame includes direct link information encapsulated at the logical link control level; and

establishing a direct wireless link between the first wireless device and the second wireless device.

25. A system, wherein a first wireless device is adapted to initiate a direct wireless link with a second wireless device, the first wireless device comprises:

a transceiver adapted to transmit a first frame having a destination media access control (MAC) address of the second wireless device, wherein the first frame includes direct link information encapsulated at the logical link control level;

a receiver, adapted to receive a second frame from a second wireless device, the second frame having a destination MAC address and being intended for the first wireless device, wherein the second frame includes direct link information encapsulated at the logical link control level; and

a processor adapted to establish a direct wireless link between the first wireless device and the second wireless device when a third frame is transmitted from the first wireless device, the third frame having a destination media access control (MAC) address of the second wireless device, wherein the third frame includes direct link information encapsulated at the logical link control level.

26. A system, wherein a first wireless device is adapted to initiate a direct wireless link with a second wireless device, the first wireless device comprises:

a transceiver adapted to transmit a first frame having a destination media access control (MAC) address of the second wireless device, wherein the first frame includes direct link information encapsulated at the logical link control level;

a receiver, adapted to receive a second frame from a second wireless device, the second frame having a destination MAC address and being intended for the first wireless device, wherein the second frame includes direct link information encapsulated at the logical link control level; and

a processor adapted to establish a direct wireless link between the first wireless device and the second wireless device when a third frame is transmitted from the first wireless device, the third frame having a destination media access control (MAC) address of the second wireless device, wherein the third frame includes direct link information encapsulated at the logical link control level.