Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Mitesh K Desai

Amer A Hassan

Mukund Sankaranarayan

Henrique Filgueiras

Mahmoud S Elhaddad

Henrique M A Filgueiras

Arunkumar Navasivasakthivelsamy

Dattatraya B Rajpure

Billy R Anders, Jr

Arvind M Murching

Yatharth Gupta

Abhinav Gupta

Manoj Kumar Miryala

Trideepraj Roychoudhury

Mingtzong Lee

Nar Ganapathy

Henry M A Filgueiras

Aaron Wesley Cunningham

Paul W Mitchell

David C Harding

Noel Wayne Anderson

Christian F Huitema

Thomas W Kuehnel

Abhishek Abhishek

Taroon Mandhana

Mohammad Shabbir Alam

Andrew Thomas Baron

Danny Allen Reed

Gianluigi Nusca

Saurabh Mahajan

Eliot John Flannery

Mark Clear

Aman Arneja

Paul Rosswurm

Yesayi Hovnanyan

Mukund Sakaranarayan

Jeffrey S C Chang

Billy R Anders

Mahmoud Elhaddad

Henrique MA Filgueiras

A computing device that forms a group in accordance with a peer-to-peer protocol in which a device may be identified based on a credential of a user. The credential may be used to determine a unique identifier for the user such that the same identifier is used on any device operated by the same user. Such an identifier may be used in connection with a peer-to-peer protocol that supports persistent peer-to-peer groups. As a result, the unique identifier for the user may be retained by remote devices that have paired with any device operated by a particular user such that those remote devices may automatically establish a connection with any other device operated by the same user that similarly uses the same unique identifier for the user.

Roaming groups in a Peer-to-Peer Network

Methods and apparatus in a wireless network that allow devices, such as client devices and access points (APs), having software defined radios (SDRs) to change operating behavior depending on network RF environment conditions are disclosed. The devices may be instructed to operate according to differently defined behavior profiles that may be chosen based on RF environment conditions. The profiles may be stored in a database. A particular profile may be obtained from the database for one or more devices based on an interference level within an RF environment of the devices. The profiles may be implemented to change device operating behavior so that interference is reduced or minimized in higher levels of interference. The profiles may also be implemented to change device behavior so that interference is reduced in lower levels of interference while also freeing up resources for more efficient use in the network during lower levels of interference.

Adaptive profiles with SDR

Techniques for connection information for inter-device wireless data communication are described. In at least some embodiments, a broker device maintains wireless connection information for various wireless devices. The wireless connection information includes wireless channels at which particular wireless devices can be accessed. The broker device can provide the wireless connection information to various other devices to enable wireless communication with the wireless devices.

Connection information for inter-device wireless data communication

Technology for managing operational modes of a network adapter is disclosed. The technology includes features for selectively preempting (e.g., canceling, suspending, deferring, pausing, changing to a 'no-op' state, changing to a passive state, or otherwise deprioritizing) execution for a current operational mode of the network adapter, executing a requested network control operation, and optionally restoring the preempted operational mode. The operational mode may be selectively preempted based on priority information associated with the current operational mode and the requested network control operation.

Network mode conflict resolution

The electronic devices described herein enhance a user experience associated with a network connection by transitioning between networks and/or network media. Determinations to switch from one network to another are based on connection quality factors which are collected and compared to defined connection quality thresholds. The connection quality factors are correlated to the quality of the connection, such that the quality of the connection is optimized by switching networks when the connection to one network is poor but the connection to an alternative network may be better. Further, the switching process between networks and/or network media, particularly between 802.11ad networks and other 802.11 networks, is enhanced such that it is substantially seamless, or unnoticeable to the user. The connection quality-based switching determination and the seamless switching between networks provide a consistent, high quality connection and a satisfying user experience.

Switching between network media seamlessly while maintaining a network connection

A wireless computing device operating as a controller of a peer-to-peer group configured to generate unique master keys for each device joining the group. The wireless computing device may use the unique master keys to selectively remove remote devices from the group such that the remote device cannot later rejoin the group. Other remote devices, each possessing a master key that remains valid, can disconnect from the group and later reconnect to the group without express user action. To support such behavior, the wireless device may provide a user interface through which a user may manage connected remote devices by providing commands to selectively disconnect or remove remote devices from the group.

Secure protocol for peer-to-peer network

Technology for managing queuing resources of a shared network adapter is disclosed. The technology includes selectively transferring data from data transmission sources to a queue of the shared network adapter based on status indications from the shared network adapter regarding availability of queuing resources at the shared network adapter. In addition, the technology also includes features for selectively controlling transfer rates of data to the shared network adapter from applications, virtual network stations, other virtual adapters, or other data transmission sources. As one example, this selective control is based on how efficiently data from these data transmission sources are transmitted from the shared network adapter.

Management of multilevel queues for shared network adapters

Methods and apparatus in a wireless network that allow devices, such as client devices and access points (APs), having software defined radios (SDRs) to change operating behavior depending on network RF environment conditions are disclosed. The devices may be instructed to operate according to differently defined behavior profiles that may be chosen based on RF environment conditions. The profiles may be stored in a database. A particular profile may be obtained from the database for one or more devices based on an interference level within an RF environment of the devices. The profiles may be implemented to change device operating behavior so that interference is reduced or minimized in higher levels of interference. The profiles may also be implemented to change device behavior so that interference is reduced in lower levels of interference while also freeing up resources for more efficient use in network during lower levels of interference.

The electronic devices described herein are configured to enhance user experience associated with a network connection when transitioning the network connection between access points. Determinations to scan for available access points and transfer the network connection to an alternative access point are based on connection attributes and/or access point attributes that are compared to scan criteria and transfer criteria. Further, the scan criteria and transfer criteria are updated, or adjusted, according to machine learning techniques such that the determinations to scan for access points and transfer between access points are tuned on a per-device and/or per-user level to fit patterns of use of a particular device and/or user. Over time, the updates to the scan criteria and transfer criteria based on machine learning provide an increasingly consistent, high quality user experience while roaming efficiently between access points.

Roaming between network access points based on dynamic criteria

Techniques for monitoring presence of a remote device at Layer 2 that allow reducing power consumption without compromising the device's availability. A device that pairs with a remote wireless device may establish a Layer 3 connection, such as an IP connection, to the remote device to provide services to a user. The Layer 3 connection may be formed over a Layer 2 connection via an access point or as a peer-to-peer wireless connection between the devices. When the Layer 3 connection is not actively used to access the remote device, the Layer 3 connection and the supporting Layer 2 connection (e.g., WI-FI, WI-FI DIRECT&#x2122; or BLUETOOTH&#xae;) may be terminated and presence of the remote device may be monitored using a Layer 2 device discovery mechanism. The Layer 2 and Layer 3 connections to the device may be reestablished when use of the remote device is desired.

Detecting device presence for a layer 3 connection using layer 2 discovery information

Roaming groups in a peer-to-peer network

A system in which wireless devices form a group in accordance with a peer-to-peer protocol and, at a later time, a device may send an invitation request to trigger the devices to re-form the peer-to-peer group. The invitation request may contain an identifier that is associated with a set of a plurality of devices. Those devices may be related such that they perform a function for which a user would want to use those devices together. The group of devices, for example, may be multimedia devices that receive and present streaming multimedia content or may be human interface devices that collectively act as an interface for a work station incorporating a wireless computing device operated by a user. Requesting that remote devices concurrently re-form a group reduces the time and spectral congestion associated with re-forming the group, particularly when the remote devices may periodically enter a low power state.

Mass re-formation of groups in a peer-to-peer network

A wireless device that discovers other wireless devices for the formation of a peer-to-peer connection may perform a scan that is limited in duration and power consumption. The scan nonetheless is highly likely to discover a device, if a discoverable device exists. In addition, the scan may be performed in compliance with parameters of a peer-to-protocol such that the scan may be readily implemented in a wireless device, in some embodiments even as a firmware upgrade on a wireless network interface card. Parameters of the scan may be adjusted to increase the likelihood that, if the scan completes without discovering a device, no discoverable device exists. The scan may be used in an overall process in which discovery ends or the scan is selectively repeated following an unsuccessful scan, without entering a find phase.

Peer-to-peer discovery

A wireless peer-to-peer protocol that supports fast and low power joining to an existing group. The protocol may be an extension of a peer-to-peer protocol that supports a sleep state for a device controlling the group. When a device is seeking to join a group at a time when the controlling device is in a sleep state, another device that has information about the controlling device may provide information to the joining device that may then be used by the joining device to more quickly, and using less power, synchronize with the controlling device. The information may include information about a channel used by the controlling device or about timing of availability of the controlling device. The information may also reveal whether the group provides a service being sought by the joining device or may otherwise influence whether the joining device will attempt to join a group.

Fast join of peer to peer group with power saving mode

Growing community of inventors

Redmond, WA, United States of America

Mitesh K Desai