Nvidia Corporation

Apple Inc.

Qualcomm Incorporated

3com Corporation

Anand Rajagopalan

Ashutosh Jha

Sameer Nanda

Lawrie Kurian

Tashbeeb Haque

Thomas A Maufer

Ayaz Abdulla

Saravanan Balasubramaniyan

Hemamalini Manickavasagam

Yong Liu

Guoqing Li

Norman K Chen

Christiaan A Hartman

Su Khiong Yong

Peter N Heerboth

Radoslav Danilak

Zhanfeng Jia

Daniel R Borges

Paul J Sidenblad

Andreas Wolf

Paul Gyugyi

Lilach Zukerman

Oren Shani

Chiu Ngok E Wong

Rajneesh Kumar

Joseph Hakim

Charles Francis Dominguez

Arunkumar Jayaraman

Pankaj Chhabra

John Alexander Wilson

Tushar Ramanlal Shah

Yi Zhu

Matthew Daniel Smith

Vinod Nagarajan

Tony Chi Wang Ng

Srinivasa Kumar Duvvuri

Brian B Whitaker

Ka Ho P Poon

Shishir Gupta

Bryan J Follis

Dagbegnon H Bahini

Mete Fikirlier

Sandip Homchaudhuri

Karthik R Mekala

Roopkumar Parthasarathy Rao

Curtis J Schmidek

Jacob H Power

Hemamalinl Manickavasagam

Paul J Guygyi

Sanjay Katabathuni

Santosh Lnu

Paul J Gyugyi

Ashutosh K Jha

One or more wireless stations operate to configure Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)—direct communication with neighboring wireless stations, i.e., direct communication between the wireless stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. Embodiments of the disclosure relate to reciprocating service between two or more wireless stations. The reciprocating service embodiments described herein provide a mechanism through which devices can participate in a same service instant.

Neighbor awareness networking datapath—reciprocation and coexistence

An electronic device that communicates with a second electronic device is described. During operation, an electronic device communicates first messages with the second electronic device in time slots corresponding to first channels in a first band of frequencies using a peer-to-peer communication protocol (such as neighbor awareness networking or NaN), where, in a given time slot, a given first channel in the first band of frequencies is used in the communication of the first messages. Moreover, the electronic device communicates second messages with the second electronic device in the time slots corresponding to second channels in a second band of frequencies using the peer-to-peer communication protocol, where, in the given time slot, a given second channel in the second band of frequencies is used in the communication of the second messages. Note that the communicating of the first messages and the second messages may at least partially overlap in time.

Concurrent multi-band operation of a peer-to-peer link

Some embodiments include an apparatus and method for enabling concurrent peer-to-peer (P2P) communications via a scheduled resource unit (RU) allocated by an access point (AP). For example, the AP may use a trigger frame to schedule uplink (UL) multi-user (MU) access for a first station of a plurality of stations by allocating an RU to the first station. Instead of using the allocated RU for UL infrastructure communications with the AP, the first station may utilize the allocated RU for a P2P communications with a second station. In some embodiments the AP facilitates RU utilization for P2P communications between stations. In some embodiments, the first station uses the allocated RU and the AP may be unaware of the P2P communications.

Apparatus and method for scheduled uplink multi-user access with concurrent peer-to-peer communications

One or more wireless stations may operate to configure Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)&#x2014;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.

Neighbor awareness networking ranging

An interface circuit in an electronic device may contend for access to a shared communication channel on behalf of the electronic device and a recipient electronic device, where the access has a duration. Then, the electronic device may provide a schedule frame intended for the recipient electronic device that includes information that specifies one or more time slots during the duration that are associated with the recipient electronic device and one or more communication functions of the recipient electronic device in the one or more time slots. Moreover, the electronic device may provide a data frame with data intended for the recipient electronic device. In response, the electronic device may receive a response frame associated with the recipient electronic device, where the response frame is received during at least one of the one or more time slots.

Low-latency Wi-Fi MAC-layer protocol

In some embodiments, one or more wireless stations operate according to Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)&#x2014;direct communication with neighboring wireless stations, e.g., direct communication between the wireless stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. Embodiments of the disclosure relate to NAN datapath scheduling and NAN pre-datapath operation setup and scheduling. The NAN datapath embodiments described herein provide a mechanism through which devices can communicate and provide services. Aspects of the datapath development include datapath scheduling, including datapath setup and scheduling attributes, as well as pre-datapath operation triggering and scheduling. Scheduling attributes may include a native scheduler rank and a NAN data cluster scheduler rank. NAN data cluster base schedules may be scheduled as equal-sets or subsets of datapath schedules. The datapath model may be implemented for unicast and multicast communication between wireless stations, including mobile stations.

Neighbor awareness networking datapath&#x2014;scheduling, scheduler rank, and pre-datapath operation triggering

Methods and apparatus for an electronic device to perform a dynamic frequency selection (DFS) proxy function are described. An interface circuit of the electronic device receives, from an access point associated with the electronic device, a frame with DFS information that indicates a presence of interference associated with a higher priority user in a shared band of radio frequencies. The frame can include an action frame with a channel switch announcement (CSA) or a beacon with a CSA. In response to receiving the DFS information, the electronic device forwards, to a third electronic device, the DFS information, where the third electronic device is not associated with and does not have a connection to the access point. In this way, the electronic device functions as a DFS proxy for the third electronic device with respect to the shared band of radio frequencies used by the access point.

Dynamic frequency selection proxy

In some embodiments, one or more wireless stations operate to configure direct communication with neighboring mobile stations, e.g., direct communication between the wireless stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. Embodiments of the disclosure relate to adapting a signal strength metric threshold. In some embodiments, the signal strength metric may be adapted (or adjusted) to establish or maintain data communications with peer devices.

Adaptive signal strength thresholds for peer-to-peer synchronization and data communication

In one set of embodiments, one or more client stations operate to configure Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)&#x2014;direct communication with neighboring client stations, i.e., direct communication between the client stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. Embodiments of the disclosure relate to NAN datapath scheduling and NAN pre-datapath operation setup and scheduling. The NAN datapath embodiments described herein provide a mechanism through which devices can communicate and provide services. Aspects of the datapath development include datapath scheduling, including datapath setup and scheduling attributes, as well as pre-datapath operation triggering and scheduling. Scheduling may include determination of a type of datapath, including paging and synchronized datapaths. NAN data cluster base schedules may be scheduled as equal-sets or subsets of datapath schedules. The datapath model may be implemented for unicast and multicast communication between client stations.

Neighbor awareness networking datapath

In one set of embodiments, one or more wireless stations operate to configure Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)&#x2014;direct communication with neighboring wireless stations, i.e., direct communication between the wireless stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. Embodiments of the disclosure relate to reciprocating service between two or more wireless stations. The reciprocating service embodiments described herein provide a mechanism through which devices can participate in a same service instant.

Neighbor awareness networking datapath&#x2014;reciprocation and coexistence

In some embodiments, one or more wireless stations operate to configure Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)&#x2014;direct communication with neighboring wireless stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. Embodiments of the disclosure relate to aspects of NAN communication, including service discovery proxy registration, publishing, and subscription of services via the proxy, maintenance of the proxy, and de-registration of the proxy.

Neighbor awareness networking service discovery proxy

In some embodiments, one or more wireless stations operate to configure Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)&#x2014;direct communication with neighboring wireless stations, e.g., without utilizing an intermediate access point. Embodiments relate to scheduling of NAN ranging procedures, including to a first wireless station sending first information, including first scheduling preferences and a first ranging role, to a second wireless station. The first wireless device receives second information, including second scheduling preferences and a second ranging role, from the second wireless device. 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.

In some embodiments, one or more wireless stations operate to configure direct communication with neighboring mobile stations, e.g., direct communication between the wireless stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. Embodiments of the disclosure relate to techniques for devices (e.g., NAN devices and/or AWDL devices) to detect asymmetric awareness amongst peers.

Detecting asymmetric awareness in peer-to-peer protocol

In some embodiments, one or more wireless stations operate to configure Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)&#x2014;direct communication between neighboring wireless stations, e.g., without utilizing an intermediate access point. Embodiments of the disclosure relate to NAN datapath configuration. The NAN datapath embodiments described herein provide a mechanism through which devices can communicate and provide services. Aspects of the datapath development include datapath scheduling, including datapath setup and scheduling attributes, scheduler rank management, and further NAN discovery. The datapath model may be implemented for unicast and multicast communication between wireless stations.

Neighbor awareness networking datapath&#x2014;base scheduling, scheduler rank, and further service discovery

Growing community of inventors

Saratoga, CA, United States of America

Anand Rajagopalan