Neighbor awareness networking ranging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11317405-B2
Application number	US-201916433198-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2019
Priority date	Apr 20, 2015
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

One or more wireless stations may operate to configure Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)—direct communication with neighboring wireless stations, e.g., without utilizing an intermediate access point. Scheduling of NAN ranging procedures may include a first wireless station sending first information, including first scheduling preferences and a first ranging role, to a second wireless station. The first wireless station receives second information, including second scheduling preferences and a second ranging role, from the second wireless station. The first wireless station may initiate the ranging procedure based on the scheduling preferences and ranging parameters. Alternatively, the second wireless station and may initiate the ranging procedure based on the scheduling preferences and ranging parameters.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wireless device, comprising:
at least one antenna;
at least one radio communicatively coupled to the antenna and configured to perform Wi-Fi communication with a Wi-Fi access point;
at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one radio, wherein the wireless device is configured to perform voice and/or data communications;
wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the wireless device to:
transmit an indication of first ranging capabilities to a peer wireless device via one of a Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN) discovery beacon, NAN synchronization beacon, or a service discovery frame (SDF), wherein the first ranging capabilities are indicated via a bit that indicates the wireless device is NAN ranging capable;
receive, from the peer wireless device, second ranging capabilities indicating NAN ranging role compatibility between the wireless device and the peer wireless device; and
initiate, based on the first and second ranging capabilities, a NAN ranging operation, wherein the NAN ranging operation is scheduled as one of a full slot schedule (FSS) NAN ranging operation, including a plurality of pre-specified time-slots and associated parameters, or a partial slot schedule (PSS) NAN ranging operation, including at least one pre-specified time-slot and associated one or more parameters.

2. The wireless device of claim 1 ,
wherein the first ranging capabilities are further indicated via at least one of:
a sub-set of ranging capabilities as defined in the Fine Timing Measurement (FTM) protocol; or
a set of ranging capabilities as defined in the FTM protocol.

3. The wireless device of claim 1 ,
wherein a schedule of the NAN ranging operation is based on one or more of an updated further availability window, current further availability window, or preferred further availability window of the wireless device.

4. The wireless device of claim 3 ,
wherein Fine Timing Measurement (FTM) protocol parameters are derived from the schedule of the NAN ranging operation.

5. The wireless device of claim 4 ,
wherein the FTM protocol parameters include one or more of a number of bursts exponent, a burst duration, a minimum delta FTM, a partial timer synchronization function (TSF) timer, an as soon as possible (ASAP) parameter, a number of FTMs per burst, FTM format, FTM bandwidth, or burst period.

6. The wireless device of claim 1 ,
wherein when the NAN ranging operation is scheduled as FSS, the plurality of pre-specified time-slots and associated parameters are specified for the entire schedule of the NAN ranging operation by the peer wireless device.

7. The wireless device of claim 1 ,
wherein when the NAN ranging operation is scheduled as PSS, the at least one pre-specified time-slot is and associated one or more parameters are specified by the peer wireless device, and wherein the associated parameters for ranging are based on an updated further availability window map.

8. The wireless device of claim 7 ,
wherein parameters for subsequent time-slots are negotiated separately on a slot-by-slot basis by the wireless device and the peer wireless device.

9. An apparatus, comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor in communication with the memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
generate instructions to cause transmission of an indication of first ranging capabilities to a peer wireless device via one of a Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN) discovery beacon, NAN synchronization beacon, or a service discovery frame (SDF), wherein the first ranging capabilities are indicated via a bit that indicates the apparatus is NAN ranging capable;
receive, from the peer wireless device, second ranging capabilities indicating NAN ranging role compatibility between the apparatus and the peer wireless device; and
generate instructions to cause, based on the first and second ranging capabilities, an initiation of a NAN ranging operation, wherein the NAN ranging operation is scheduled as one of a full slot schedule (FSS) NAN ranging operation, including a plurality of pre-specified time-slots and associated parameters, or a partial slot schedule (PSS) NAN ranging operation, including at least one pre-specified time-slot and associated one or more parameters.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 ,
wherein the first ranging capabilities are further indicated via at least one of:
a sub-set of ranging capabilities as defined in the Fine Timing Measurement (FTM) protocol; or
a set of ranging capabilities as defined in the FTM protocol.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 ,
wherein a schedule of the NAN ranging operation is based on one or more of an updated further availability window, current further availability window, or preferred further availability window.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 ,
wherein Fine Timing Measurement (FTM) protocol parameters are derived from the schedule of the NAN ranging operation.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 ,
wherein the FTM protocol parameters include one or more of a number of bursts exponent, a burst duration, a minimum delta FTM, a partial timer synchronization function (TSF) timer, an as soon as possible (ASAP) parameter, a number of FTMs per burst, FTM format, FTM bandwidth, or burst period.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 ,
wherein when the NAN ranging operation is scheduled as FSS, the plurality of pre-specified time-slots and associated parameters are specified for the entire schedule of the NAN ranging operation by the peer wireless device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 ,
wherein when the NAN ranging operation is scheduled as PSS, the at least one pre-specified time-slot is and associated one or more parameters are specified by the peer wireless device, wherein the associated parameters for ranging are based on an updated further availability window map, and wherein parameters for subsequent time-slots are negotiated separately on a slot-by-slot basis with the peer wireless device.

16. A non-transitory computer readable memory medium storing program instructions executable by a processor of a wireless device to:
generate instructions to transmit an indication of first ranging capabilities to a peer wireless device via one of a Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN) discovery beacon, NAN synchronization beacon, or a service discovery frame (SDF), wherein the first ranging capabilities are indicated via a bit that indicates the wireless device is NAN ranging capable;
receive, from the peer wireless device, second ranging capabilities indicating NAN ranging role compatibility between the wireless device and the peer wireless device; and
generate instructions to initiate, based on the first and second ranging capabilities, a NAN ranging operation, wherein the NAN ranging operation is scheduled as one of a full slot schedule (FSS) NAN ranging operation, including a plurality of pre-specified time-slots and associated parameters, or a partial slot schedule (PSS) NAN ranging operation, including at least one pre-specified time-slot and associated one or more parameters.

17. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 16 ,
wherein the first ranging capabilities are further indicated via at least one of:
a sub-set of ranging capabilities as defined in the Fine Timing Measurement (FTM) protocol; or
a set of ranging capabilities as defined in the FTM protocol.

18. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 16 ,
wherein a schedule of the NAN ranging operation is based on one or more of an updated further availa

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Yong Su Khiong
• Hartman Christiaan A
• Liu Yong
• Kurian Lawrie
• Heerboth Peter N
• Li Guoqing
• Borges Daniel R
• Wong Chiu Ngok E
• Balasubramaniyan Saravanan
• Haque Tashbeeb
• Rajagopalan Anand

Classifications

• H04W72/20

  Control channels or signalling for resource management · CPC title

• H04W76/14 Primary

  Direct-mode setup · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W64/003 Primary

  locating network equipment · CPC title

• H04W8/005

  Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals · CPC title