Inter-device session connectivity enhancement

• US 9,468,032 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2016
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Novak, Robert, Steer, David Gwyn, Yu, Dongsheng
• Primary Examiner(s): REGO, DOMINIC E
• Application Number:
  US14/992,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20160128122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 274 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/418, 455/420, 455/500
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/282 Hierarchical databases, e.g. IMS, LDAP data stores or Lotus Notes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0055 Physical resource allocation for ACK/NACK for physical mapping arrangements in ARQ protocols H04L1/1861
• 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 76/14 Direct-mode setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Devices and methods are provided for managing device-to-device (D2D) communications session in a wireless-enabled communication environment. A first client node comprises a database containing location and ID information associated with a plurality of second client nodes. The location information in the database is updated as individual second client nodes change their location. As the location information is updated, it is processed by the first client node to determine the distance between it and an individual second client node. If the distance between the first client node and the individual second client node is within a viable D2D communications range, then the user of the first client node is notified that a D2D communications session can be initiated with the individual second client node.

Claims

1. A client node, comprising:

a data store comprising identification data and location data associated with at least one second client node; and

processing logic operable to process the identification data and the location data to identify an individual second client node of the at least one second client node within device-to-device (D2D) communication range;

wherein the processing logic is further operable to initiate an update of the identification data and the location data of the at least one second client node to maintain currency of location data,

wherein the client node receives a location data update message from the individual second client node, wherein the location data update message comprises updates to the location data associated with the individual second client node;

wherein, the processing logic is further operable to initiate a first D2D communications session with the individual second client node that is within D2D communication range, and wherein the client node receives the location data update message from the individual second client node in response to a perceived location change of the individual second client node.

2. The client node of claim 1, wherein the client node receives the location data update message from the individual second client node, further comprising, in response to a predetermined time elapsing after the first D2D communications session is established between the client node and the individual second client node.

3. The client node of claim 1, wherein the client node receives the location data update message from the individual second client node, further comprising, in response to the distance between the client node and the individual second client node exceeding a predetermined threshold.

4. The client node of claim 1, wherein the client node receives the location data update message from the individual second client node after a predetermined interval after the client node establishes a communications session with the individual second client node.

5. The client node of claim 4, wherein the frequency of the predetermined interval of the receipt of location data update message is dependent upon the distance between the first and second client nodes.

6. The client node of claim 1, wherein the D2D communications session comprises one of the set of:

data communications directly between client nodes;

Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) configurations;

Cooperative Multipoint (CoMP) configurations;

Interference Control (IC); and

relaying of information among client nodes.

7. The client node of claim 1, wherein:

the client node generates and subsequently sends a first D2D session test message to the individual second client node;

the individual second client node successfully receives the first D2D session test message; and

the individual second client node generates and subsequently sends a D2D session test acknowledgement message to the client node.

8. The client node of claim 7, wherein the client node initiates the first D2D communications session with the individual second client node upon successful receipt of the D2D session test acknowledgement message.

9. The client node of claim 7, wherein the client node does not initiate the first D2D communications session with the individual second client node if the D2D session test acknowledgement message is not successfully received.

10. The client node of claim 7, wherein the client node initiates a second D2D communications session with the individual second client node subsequent to the successful receipt of the D2D session test acknowledgement message.

11. A method for using a client node to initiate a device-to-device (D2D) communications session, comprising:

using a database comprising identification data and location data associated with at least one second client node; and

using processing logic to process the identification data and the location data to identify an individual second client node of the at least one second client node within D2D communication range;

wherein the processing logic is further operable to initiate an update of the identification data and the location data of the at least one second client node to maintain currency of location data,

wherein the client node receives a location data update message from the individual second client node, wherein the location data update message comprises updates to the location data associated with the individual second client node,

wherein, the processing logic is further used to initiate a first D2D communications session with the individual second client node that is within D2D communication range, wherein the client node receives the location data update message from the individual second client node in response to a perceived location change of the individual second client node.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the client node receives the location data update message from the individual second client node, further comprising, in response to a predetermined time elapsing after the first D2D communications session is established between the client node and the individual second client node.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the client node receives the location data update message from the individual second client node, further comprising, in response to the distance between the client node and the individual second client node exceeding a predetermined threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the client node receives the location data update message from the individual second client node after a predetermined interval after the client node establishes a communications session with the individual second client node.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the frequency of the predetermined interval of the receipt of location data update message is dependent upon the distance between the first and second client nodes.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the D2D communications session comprises one of the set of:

data communications directly between client nodes;

Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) configurations;

Cooperative Multipoint (CoMP) configurations;

Interference Control (IC); and

relaying of information among client nodes.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the client node generates and subsequently sends a first D2D session test message to the individual second client node;

the individual second client node successfully receives the first D2D session test message; and

the individual second client node generates and subsequently sends a D2D session test acknowledgement message to the client node.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the client node initiates the first D2D communications session with the individual second client node upon successful receipt of the D2D session test acknowledgement message.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the client node does not initiate the first D2D communications session with the individual second client node if the D2D session test acknowledgement message is not successfully received.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the client node initiates a second D2D communications session with the individual second client node subsequent to the successful receipt of the D2D session test acknowledgement message.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions executable by a processor to implement a method for using a client node to initiate a device-to-device (D2D) communications session, the method comprising:

using a database comprising identification data and location data associated with at least one second client node; and

using processing logic to process the identification data and the location data to identify an individual second client node of the at least one second client node within D2D communication range;

wherein the processing logic is further operable to initiate an update of the identification data and the location data of the at least one second client node to maintain currency of location data,

wherein the client node receives a location data update message from the individual second client node, wherein the location data update message comprises updates to the location data associated with the individual second client node,

wherein, the processing logic is further used to initiate a first D2D communications session with the individual second client node that is within D2D communication range, wherein the client node receives the location data update message from the individual second client node in response to a perceived location change of the individual second client node.