Method, system and apparatus for dynamically assigning master devices in communication sessions

1. A method of dynamically selecting a master device for a communication session from a set of peer devices, the method comprising:

at a first device of the set of peer devices, transmitting local capability data to a second device of the set of peer devices, the local capability data defining an operational capability of the first device;

at the first device, receiving remote capability data from the second device, the remote capability data defining an operational capability of the second device;

comparing the local and remote capability data at the first device;

based on the comparison, determining, at the first device, whether to establish the communication session as the master device; and

at the first device, establishing the communication session with the second device according to the determination,

wherein establishing the communication session with the second device comprises, at the first device:

when the determination of whether to establish the communication session as the master device is affirmative, setting a local intent parameter to a master value,

transmitting the local intent parameter to the second device,

receiving a remote intent parameter from the second device, and

establishing the communication session as the master device when the local intent parameter is greater than the remote intent parameter.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the local capability data includes one or more operational parameters of the first device, and wherein the remote capability data includes one or more operational parameters of the second device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the operational parameters include one or more of (i) an indication of an active concurrent connection with an access point, (ii) a preconfigured maximum number of supportable clients for the communication session, and (iii) an antenna configuration parameter.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the antenna configuration parameter defines a number of simultaneous input and output streams.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein comparing the local and remote capability data includes:

traversing the operational parameters according to a preconfigured prioritization; and

evaluating each operational parameter according to respective criteria.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting a local tie-breaker value with the local intent parameter;

receiving a remote tie-breaker value with the remote intent parameter; and

when the local intent parameter is equal to the remote intent parameter, establishing the communication session as the master device when the local tie-breaker value is greater than the remote tie-breaker value.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

when the local intent parameter is equal to the remote intent parameter, initiating a secondary negotiation stage with the second device.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, at the first device from a third device, a request to join the communication session including an override parameter;

responsive to the request, transmitting an interruption notification to the second device; and

establishing a connection as a slave device with the third device.

9. A computing device, comprising:

a communications interface controllable to establish a communication session with a set of peer devices; and

a processor connected with the communications interface, the processor configured to:

transmit local capability data via the communications interface to a second device of the set of peer devices, the local capability data defining an operational capability of the computing device;

receive, via the communications interface, remote capability data from the second device, the remote capability data defining an operational capability of the second device;

compare the local and remote capability data;

based on the comparison, determine whether to establish the communication session with the second computing device as a master device; and

establish the communication session with the second device according to the determination by:

when the determination of whether to establish the communication session as the master device is affirmative, setting a local intent parameter to a master value,

transmitting the local intent parameter to the second device,

receiving a remote intent parameter from the second device, and

establishing the communication session as the master device when the local intent parameter is greater than the remote intent parameter.

10. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the local capability data includes one or more operational parameters of the computing device, and wherein the remote capability data includes one or more operational parameters of the second device.

11. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the operational parameters include one or more of (i) an indication of an active concurrent connection with an access point, (ii) a preconfigured maximum number of supportable clients for the communication session, and (iii) an antenna configuration parameter.

12. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the antenna configuration parameter defines a number of simultaneous input and output streams.

13. The computing device of claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to compare the local and remote capability data by:

traversing the operational parameters according to a preconfigured prioritization; and

evaluating each operational parameter according to respective criteria.

14. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit a local tie-breaker value with the local intent parameter;

receive a remote tie-breaker value with the remote intent parameter; and

when the local intent parameter is equal to the remote intent parameter, establish the communication session as the master device when the local tie-breaker value is greater than the remote tie-breaker value.

15. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

when the local intent parameter is equal to the remote intent parameter, initiate a secondary negotiation stage with the second device.

16. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, from a third device via the communications interface, a request to join the communication session including an override parameter;

responsive to the request, transmit an interruption notification to the second device; and

establish a connection as a slave device with the third device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of executable instructions executable by a processor of a computing device, the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to:

transmit local capability data via a communications interface of the computing device to a second device of the set of peer devices, the local capability data defining an operational capability of the computing device;

receive, via the communications interface, remote capability data from the second device, the remote capability data defining an operational capability of the second device;

compare the local and remote capability data;

based on the comparison, determine whether to establish the communication session with the second computing device as a master device; and

establish the communication session with the second device according to the determination by:

when the determination of whether to establish the communication session as the master device is affirmative, setting a local intent parameter to a master value,

transmitting the local intent parameter to the second device,

receiving a remote intent parameter from the second device, and

establishing the communication session as the master device when the local intent parameter is greater than the remote intent parameter.