OPERATING A CLUSTER OF PEER-TO-PEER DEVICES

• US 20150006633A1
• Filed: 06/02/2014
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Vandwalle, Pierre B., Hartman, Christiaan A., Liu, Yong
• Granted Patent: US 10,003,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1051 Group master selection mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1059 Inter-group management mechanisms, e.g. splitting, merging or interconnection of groups
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1068 Discovery involving direct consultation or announcement among potential requesting and potential source peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/002 Mutual synchronization

Abstract

A system, apparatus, and method are provided for operating a peer-to-peer communication environment. The environment includes one or more clusters of peer devices, wherein devices in a single cluster are organized into a logical hierarchy under an anchor master (at the root of the hierarchy) and any number of synchronization masters; other devices are non-master devices. Synchronization parameters established by the anchor master and disseminated throughout the hierarchy enable the clusters'"'"' devices to rendezvous, discover peers and services, and communicate among themselves. The anchor master may adjust the synchronization parameters to avoid conflict with another hierarchy. Each device issues beacons (e.g., heartbeats, discovery beacons) that identify the number of devices synchronized with the reporting device, which allows the anchor master to calculate the total number of cluster members. Devices may also report details of a neighboring cluster (e.g., its synchronization parameters) via a beacon or some other communication.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory configured to store;

an identity of a current master of the device; and

synchronization parameters to facilitate synchronization with one or more peer devices; and

a wireless transceiver for conducting wireless communications;

wherein the processor and the wireless transceiver are configured to;

synchronize with the one or more peer devices to form a cluster of devices;

detect one or more parameters of a foreign cluster of devices; and

inform at least one peer device of the one or more parameters of the foreign cluster.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor and the wireless transceiver are further configured to, if the device is an anchor master of the cluster of devices:

determine priority between the device and an anchor master of the foreign cluster.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the processor and the wireless transceiver are further configured to, if the device is the anchor master of the cluster of devices:

if the anchor master of the foreign cluster has higher priority, and if the one or more parameters of the foreign cluster conflict with the synchronization parameters, adjust the synchronization parameters to eliminate the conflict with the one or more parameters of the foreign cluster.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein adjusting the synchronization parameters comprises:

configuring a first schedule of periodic rendezvous of the one or more peer devices to eliminate overlap with a second schedule of periodic rendezvous of the foreign cluster.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein configuring the first schedule of periodic rendezvous comprises:

setting the first schedule to cause a periodic rendezvous of the one or more peer devices to commence upon termination of a periodic rendezvous of the foreign cluster.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein determining priority between the device and an anchor master of the foreign cluster comprises:

comparing a first master preference of the anchor master of the cluster with a second master preference of the anchor master of the foreign cluster.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the processor and the wireless transceiver are further configured to identify the first master preference in one or more beacons broadcast by the device.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory is further configured to store a master preference value reflecting a suitability of the device to be a master device.

9. A method of operating a synchronized cluster of peer devices, the method comprising, at a first peer device:

applying synchronization parameters of the cluster of devices to maintain synchronization with one or more peer devices;

detecting parameters of a foreign cluster of devices; and

reporting the parameters of the foreign cluster of devices to the one or more peer devices.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein applying synchronization parameters comprises:

receiving a beacon transmitted by a master device within the cluster;

extracting the synchronization parameters from the beacon; and

implementing the synchronization parameters to attend a rendezvous of the one or more peer devices.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein applying synchronization parameters further comprises, if the first peer device is a master device:

transmitting the synchronization parameters in periodic discovery beacons.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein detecting parameters of a foreign cluster comprises:

receiving a discovery beacon;

determining that the discovery beacon identifies a foreign anchor master different from an anchor master of the cluster of devices; and

extracting the parameters of the foreign cluster from the discovery beacon.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein reporting the parameters of the foreign cluster of devices comprises:

transmitting one or more beacons containing the parameters of the foreign cluster;

wherein the one or more beacons identify an anchor master of the cluster of devices.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising, if the first peer device is an anchor master of the cluster of devices:

determining whether the parameters of the foreign cluster of devices conflict with the synchronization parameters; and

if the parameters of the foreign cluster of devices conflict with the synchronization parameters, determining a ranking between the first peer device and an anchor master of the foreign cluster of devices.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising, if the anchor master of the foreign cluster of devices ranks higher than the first peer device:

adjusting the synchronization parameters to eliminate the conflict.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the synchronization parameters include a first period with which devices in the cluster rendezvous; and

the parameters of the foreign cluster of devices include a second period with which devices in the foreign cluster rendezvous.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of operating a synchronized cluster of peer devices, the method comprising, at a first peer device:

applying synchronization parameters of the cluster of devices to maintain synchronization with one or more peer devices;

detecting parameters of a foreign cluster of devices; and

reporting the parameters of the foreign cluster of devices to the one or more peer devices.

18. A device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory configured to store synchronization parameters to facilitate synchronization with one or more peer devices; and

a wireless transceiver for conducting wireless communications;

wherein the processor and the wireless transceiver are configured to;

synchronize the device with the one or more peer devices to form a synchronized cluster of devices;

tally a number of subordinate peer devices within the cluster, if any;

increment the tally to account for the device; and

report the incremented tally toward;

if the device has a superior peer device, the superior device;

or

if the device has no superior peer device, the one or more peer devices.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein tallying a number of subordinate peer devices within the cluster comprises:

receiving, from each subordinate master peer device synchronized with the device, if any, a first value identifying a number of devices synchronized with the subordinate master peer device.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the first value of a first subordinate master peer device is received within a discovery beacon comprising the synchronization parameters.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein tallying a number of subordinate peer devices within the cluster further comprises:

receiving, from each subordinate non-master peer device synchronized with the device, if any, a communication identifying the device as the non-master peer device'"'"'s synchronization master.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the communication received from a first subordinate non-master peer device is a heartbeat beacon.

23. A method of operating a synchronized cluster of peer devices, the method comprising, at a first peer device:

synchronizing with the peer devices to form the synchronized cluster of devices;

receiving, from each subordinate device synchronized with the first device, if any, a first value identifying a number of devices synchronized with the subordinate device;

summing the first values received from the subordinate devices;

incrementing the sum by one; and

reporting the incremented sum toward the superior device with which the first peer device is synchronized, if the first peer device is synchronized with a superior device.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

reporting the incremented sum toward the peer devices if the first peer device is an anchor master of the synchronized cluster.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein reporting the incremented sum toward the peer devices comprises:

generating a beacon comprising the incremented sum; and

transmitting the beacon for reception by one or more peer devices;

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the beacon further comprises:

an identity of the first peer device; and

a master preference of the first peer device.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the beacon further comprises:

synchronization parameters of the synchronized cluster; and

a hop count initialized to zero.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising, after reporting the incremented sum toward the peer devices, and at each peer device that receives the beacon:

incrementing the hop count; and

transmitting a new beacon including the incremented hop count and the synchronization parameters.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein receiving a first value comprises:

from each non-master peer device synchronized with the first peer device, if any, receiving a communication identifying the first peer device as the non-master peer device'"'"'s synchronization master.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the communication is a heartbeat beacon.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein receiving a first value comprises:

from each master peer device synchronized with the first peer device, if any, receiving a communication identifying a number of peer devices synchronized with the master peer device.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the communication is a discovery beacon announcing synchronization parameters of the synchronized cluster.

33. The method of claim 23, wherein reporting the incremented sum toward the superior device comprises:

generating a beacon comprising the incremented sum and an identity of the superior device; and

transmitting the beacon for reception by one or more peer devices, including the superior device.

34. A network of peer communication devices, comprising:

multiple peer communications organized into a logical hierarchy, the hierarchy comprising;

an anchor master having a highest master preference value among all peer communication devices in the logical hierarchy; and

for each of N strata (N≧

1), one or more sync masters having master preference values lower than the anchor master'"'"'s master preference value;

discovery beacons transmitted by the anchor master and by the one or more sync masters to identify the anchor master'"'"'s master preference value and to synchronize the hierarchy; and

heartbeat beacons transmitted by non-master peer communication devices.

35. The network of claim 34, wherein each discovery beacon transmitted by a master includes:

a sum of peer communication devices synchronized with the master; and

synchronization parameters for synchronizing the logical hierarchy of peer communication devices;

wherein a master is one of;

the anchor master; and

a sync master.

36. The network of claim 35, wherein each discovery beacon transmitted by a master further includes:

if the master is a sync master, an identity of a superior master with which the master is synchronized.

37. The network of claim 34, wherein each heartbeat beacon transmitted by a non-master peer device includes:

an identity of the master with which the non-master peer device is synchronized.