IP Library Granted Patent US 11,012,847
Granted Patent B2
US 11,012,847 · App. 16/548,528 · Granted May 18, 2021

Method, apparatus, and computer readable medium for switching between lower energy and higher energy wireless communication techniques

Inventors: Emily H. Qi (Gig Harbor, WA); Carlos Cordeiro (Portland, OR); Po-Kai Huang (San Jose, CA); David J. McCall (Dallas, TX); Robert D. Hughes (Tualatin, OR)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04W8/005H04L67/1091H04L67/16H04L69/18H04W4/70H04W4/80H04W76/10H04W76/23H04W84/12H04W88/06Y02D30/00Y02D30/70
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,012,847
App. No.
16/548,528
Granted
May 18, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for a wireless communication device switching between lower energy and higher energy wireless communication techniques are disclosed. The wireless communication device includes processing circuitry to: receive a packet in accordance with a lower energy wireless peer-to-peer (P2P) network communication technique from a service provider wireless device, wherein the packet indicates one or more services provided by the service provider wireless device. The processing circuitry may be further to: determine to switch to a higher energy wireless P2P communication technique to communicate with the service provider wireless device based on a determination that a target service is provided by the service provider wireless device. The processing circuitry may be further to: perform a connectivity setup with the provider wireless device to use the target service in accordance with the higher energy wireless P2P communication technique.

Claims (67)

1. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor configured to cause a service seeker wireless communication device to:

decode an advertisement received in accordance with a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) wireless peer-to-peer (P2P) communication technique from an advertiser wireless communication device, wherein the advertisement comprises a bit array that indicates hash values of services advertised by the advertiser wireless communication device; and

when the bit array indicates that a hash value of a target service is set:

determine a service hash of the target service,

encode a P2P probe request comprising the service hash,

configure the service seeker wireless communication device to transmit the P2P probe request in accordance with a Wi-Fi protocol,

decode a P2P probe response comprising an advertisement identification of one or more services provided by the advertiser wireless communication device, wherein the advertisement identification of one or more services comprises an instance name of a service that matches the second hash, wherein the one or more services are offered by the advertiser wireless communication device, and the P2P probe response is received in accordance with the Wi-Fi protocol, and

perform a connectivity setup, using the Wi-Fi protocol, with the advertiser wireless communication device to use the instance name of the service.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit, in accordance with a lower energy wireless P2P network communication technique, a P2P request packet that comprises an indication of the target service to the advertiser wireless communication device; and

receive a P2P response packet from the advertiser wireless communication device, and wherein the response packet comprises information regarding the target service.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit, in accordance with a higher energy wireless P2P network communication technique, a P2P request packet that comprises an indication of the target service to the advertiser wireless communication device; and

receive a P2P response packet from the advertiser wireless communication device, and wherein the response packet comprises information regarding the target service.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit, in accordance with the higher energy wireless P2P network communication technique, the P2P request packet that comprises the indication of the target service to the advertiser wireless communication device if indication of the one or more services provided by the advertiser wireless communication device does not indicate whether the target service is provided by the advertiser wireless communication device.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit, in accordance with the higher energy wireless P2P network communication technique, a P2P service discovery request packet that comprises an indication of the target service to the advertiser wireless communication device; and

receive a P2P service discovery response packet from the advertiser wireless communication device, and wherein the response packet comprises information regarding the target service.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive a beacon frame from the advertiser wireless communication device using BLE; and

wherein the beacon frame indicates that the one or more services are available.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the P2P probe request is transmitted by the service seeker wireless communication device in order to request additional information regarding the one or more services indicated in the beacon frame.

8. A wireless device comprising:

wireless communication circuitry; and

one or more processors coupled to the wireless communication circuitry configured to cause a service seeker wireless communication device to:

decode an advertisement received in accordance with a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) wireless peer-to-peer (P2P) communication technique from an advertiser wireless communication device, wherein the advertisement comprises a bit array that indicates hash values of services advertised by the advertiser wireless communication device; and

when the bit array indicates that a hash value of a target service is set:

determine a service hash of the target service,

encode a P2P probe request comprising the service hash,

configure the service seeker wireless communication device to transmit the P2P probe request in accordance with a Wi-Fi protocol,

decode a P2P probe response comprising an advertisement identification of one or more services provided by the advertiser wireless communication device, wherein the advertisement identification of one or more services comprises an instance name of a service that matches the second hash, wherein the one or more services are offered by the advertiser wireless communication device, and the P2P probe response is received in accordance with the Wi-Fi protocol, and

perform a connectivity setup, using the Wi-Fi protocol, with the advertiser wireless communication device to use the instance name of the service.

9. The wireless device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit, in accordance with a lower energy wireless P2P network communication technique, a P2P request packet that comprises an indication of the target service to the advertiser wireless communication device; and

receive a P2P response packet from the advertiser wireless communication device, and wherein the response packet comprises information regarding the target service.

10. The wireless device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit, in accordance with a higher energy wireless P2P communication technique, a P2P request packet that comprises an indication of the target service to the advertiser wireless communication device; and

receive a P2P response packet from the advertiser wireless communication device, and wherein the response packet comprises information regarding the target service.

11. The wireless device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit, in accordance with the higher energy wireless P2P communication technique, the P2P request packet that comprises the indication of the target service to the advertiser wireless communication device if indication of the one or more services provided by the advertiser wireless communication device does not indicate whether the target service is provided by the advertiser wireless communication device.

12. The wireless device of claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit, in accordance with the higher energy wireless P2P communication technique, a P2P service discovery request packet that comprises an indication of the target service to the advertiser wireless communication device; and

receive a P2P service discovery response packet from the advertiser wireless communication device, and wherein the response packet comprises information regarding the target service.

13. The wireless device of claim 8 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive a beacon frame from the advertiser wireless communication device using BLE; and

wherein the beacon frame indicates that the one or more services are available.

14. The wireless device of claim 13 , wherein the P2P probe request is transmitted by the service seeker wireless communication device in order to request additional information regarding the one or more services indicated in the beacon frame.

15. A method for operating a service seeker wireless communication device comprising:

decoding an advertisement received in accordance with a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) wireless peer-to-peer (P2P) communication technique from an advertiser wireless communication device, wherein the advertisement comprises a bit array that indicates hash values of services advertised by the advertiser wireless communication device; and

when the bit array indicates that a hash value of a target service is set:

determining a service hash of the target service,

encoding a P2P probe request comprising the service hash,

configuring the service seeker wireless communication device to transmit the P2P probe request in accordance with a Wi-Fi protocol,

decoding a P2P probe response comprising an advertisement identification of one or more services provided by the advertiser wireless communication device, wherein the advertisement identification of one or more services comprises an instance name of a service that matches the second hash, wherein the one or more services are offered by the advertiser wireless communication device, and the P2P probe response is received in accordance with the Wi-Fi protocol, and

performing a connectivity setup, using the Wi-Fi protocol, with the advertiser wireless communication device to use the instance name of the service.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

transmitting, in accordance with a lower energy wireless P2P network communication technique, a P2P request packet that comprises an indication of the target service to the advertiser wireless communication device; and

receiving a P2P response packet from the advertiser wireless communication device, and wherein the response packet comprises information regarding the target service.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

transmitting, in accordance with a higher energy wireless P2P communication technique, a P2P request packet that comprises an indication of the target service to the advertiser wireless communication device; and

receiving a P2P response packet from the advertiser wireless communication, and wherein the response packet comprises information regarding the target service.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

transmitting, in accordance with the higher energy wireless P2P communication technique, the P2P request packet that comprises the indication of the target service to the advertiser wireless communication device if indication of the one or more services provided by the advertiser wireless communication device does not indicate whether the target service is provided by the service advertiser wireless communication device.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

transmitting, in accordance with the higher energy wireless P2P communication technique, a P2P service discovery request packet that comprises an indication of the target service to the advertiser wireless communication device; and

receiving a P2P service discovery response packet from the advertiser wireless communication device, and wherein the response packet comprises information regarding the target service.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive a beacon frame from the advertiser wireless communication device using BLE; and

wherein the beacon frame indicates that the one or more services are available.

Assignments (2)
CONFIRMATORY ASSIGNMENT Recorded Aug 11, 2020
From: INTEL IP CORPORATION
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053455/0489 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 25, 2020
From: INTEL CORPORATION
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 053050/0506 →