Power-efficient availability advertising and discovery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016127883-A1
Application number	US-201514929804-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 2, 2015
Priority date	Nov 5, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of communication includes detecting receipt of an advertisement message by a first communication circuitry while monitoring communications transmitted according to a first communication protocol. The advertisement message may include an information element indicating that a second device is available to participate in a first local ad hoc wireless network using a second communication protocol. The method further includes, based on the detecting receipt of the advertisement message, enabling a second communication circuitry of the first device for forming the first local ad hoc wireless network between the first device and the second device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of communicating, the method comprising:
detecting, at a first device, receipt of an advertisement message by a first communication circuitry while monitoring communications transmitted according to a first communication protocol, the advertisement message having an information element indicating that a second device is available to participate in a first local ad hoc wireless network using a second communication protocol; and based on the detecting receipt of the advertisement message, enabling a second communication circuitry of the first device for forming the first local ad hoc wireless network between the first device and the second device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a first operating energy consumption level of the first communication circuitry is less than a second operating energy consumption level of the second communication circuitry.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after the detecting receipt of the advertisement message, sending a set-up request message to the second device using the first communication circuitry, the set-up request message requesting formation of the first local ad hoc wireless network.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising, after the sending the set-up request message:
receiving, using the first communication circuitry, a set-up confirmation message from the second device; enabling the second communication circuitry after the receiving of the set-up confirmation message; and exchanging set-up information associated with the formation of the first local ad hoc wireless network with the second device using the second communication circuitry.

5 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising, after the sending the set-up request message:
receiving, using the first communication circuitry, a set-up confirmation message from the second device; exchanging set-up information associated with the formation of the first local ad hoc wireless network with the second device using the first communication circuitry; and enabling the second communication circuitry after the exchanging the set-up information.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
setting up a second local ad hoc wireless network with the second device using the first communication protocol; and exchanging the set-up information associated with the formation of the first local ad hoc wireless network via the second local ad hoc wireless network.

7 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising, after the sending the set-up request message or within the set-up request message:
exchanging a termination criterion with the second device; and ceasing attempts to form the first local ad hoc wireless network in response to the termination criterion being satisfied.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after the detecting receipt of the advertisement message:
determining whether to form the first local ad hoc wireless network with the second device; and enabling the second communication circuitry based further on the determination.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
identifying a service to be made available by the second device via the first local ad hoc wireless network; and determining whether to form the first local ad hoc wireless network with the second device based on the service to be made available.

10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining, using the first communication circuitry, a received signal strength indication associated with the second device; comparing the received signal strength indication to a threshold; and determining whether to form the first local ad hoc wireless network with the second device based on the comparison.

11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining, using the first communication circuitry, a communication capability of the second device; comparing the communication capability to a criterion; and determining whether to form the first local ad hoc wireless network with the second device based on the comparison.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the advertisement message includes one or more additional information elements indicating capabilities of the second device, services offered by the second device, or both.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the information element is a single bit in the advertisement message, and wherein the information element indicates that the second device is not participating in any local ad hoc wireless network based on the second communication protocol.

14 . An apparatus for communicating, the apparatus comprising:
a first transceiver configured to communicate according to a first communication protocol and configured to detect receipt of an advertisement message transmitted according to the first communication protocol, the advertisement message having an information element indicating that a second device is available to participate in a local ad hoc wireless network using a second communication protocol; a second transceiver configured to communicate according to the second communication protocol; and a power-saving circuitry configured to selectively enable the second transceiver, based on detecting receipt of the advertisement message, for forming the local ad hoc wireless network with the second device.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein a first operating energy consumption level of the first transceiver is less than a second operating energy consumption level of the second transceiver.

16 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first transceiver is configured to communicate in accordance with a Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) specification and the second transceiver is configured to communicate in accordance with a Neighbor Aware Network (NAN) specification, configured to communicate in accordance with a WiFi Direct® specification, or both.

17 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the first transceiver is configured to exchange set-up information associated with formation of the local ad hoc wireless network with the second device after the advertisement message is detected.

18 . The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising a decision circuitry configured to determine, based on information associated with the second device, whether to form the local ad hoc wireless network after detecting receipt of the advertisement message.

19 . A computer-readable medium storing instructions that are executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
detecting receipt, by a first communication circuitry, of an advertisement message while monitoring communications according to a first communication protocol, the advertisement message having an information element indicating that a second device is available to participate in a local ad hoc wireless network using a second communication protocol; and based on the detecting receipt of the advertisement message, enabling a second communication circuitry for forming the local ad hoc wireless network between a first device and the second device.

20 . The computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise, after the detecting receipt of the advertisement message:
determining whether to form the local ad hoc wireless network with the second device based on a service to be made available by the second device via the local ad hoc wireless network, a received signal strength indication associated with the second device, a communication capability of the second device, o

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Zhou Yan
• Cherian George

Classifications

• H04W84/18

  Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks · CPC title

• H04W8/005 Primary

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

• H04W52/0245

  according to signal strength · CPC title

• H04W4/008

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title