U.S. patent application number 16/002879 was filed with the patent office on 2018-10-04 for network discovery.
The applicant listed for this patent is QUALCOMM Incorporated. Invention is credited to Santosh Paul Abraham, George Cherian, Abhishek Pramod PATIL, Alireza Raissinia.
Application Number | 20180288704 16/002879 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 55854285 |
Filed Date | 2018-10-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180288704 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
PATIL; Abhishek Pramod ; et
al. |
October 4, 2018 |
NETWORK DISCOVERY
Abstract
A method of operation of an access point includes transmitting a
message via a low-power network, the message indicating one or more
network parameters associated with a wireless local area network
(WLAN) that is associated with the access point. The method
includes performing a setup procedure with a mobile device based on
the one or more network parameters. The method further includes,
after performing the setup procedure, performing one or more data
communications with the mobile device using the WLAN.
Inventors: |
PATIL; Abhishek Pramod; (San
Diego, CA) ; Cherian; George; (San Diego, CA)
; Raissinia; Alireza; (Monte Sereno, CA) ;
Abraham; Santosh Paul; (San Diego, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
QUALCOMM Incorporated |
San Diego |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
55854285 |
Appl. No.: |
16/002879 |
Filed: |
June 7, 2018 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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14918955 |
Oct 21, 2015 |
10021644 |
|
|
16002879 |
|
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62072919 |
Oct 30, 2014 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y02D 70/142 20180101;
H04W 52/0229 20130101; H04W 48/14 20130101; H04W 48/16 20130101;
Y02D 70/144 20180101; H04W 88/06 20130101; Y02D 30/70 20200801;
H04W 84/12 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04W 52/02 20060101
H04W052/02; H04W 48/16 20060101 H04W048/16 |
Claims
1. A method of operation of an access point, the method comprising:
transmitting a message via a low-power network, the message
indicating one or more network parameters associated with a
wireless local area network (WLAN) that is associated with the
access point; performing a setup procedure with a mobile device
based on the one or more network parameters; and after performing
the setup procedure with the mobile device, performing one or more
data communications with the mobile device using the WLAN.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the low-power network is a
neighborhood-area network (NAN), a Bluetooth network, or a
Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) network.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more network
parameters indicate at least one of a network channel associated
with the WLAN, a target beacon transmit time (TBTT) associated with
the WLAN, and a service set identification (SSID) associated with
the WLAN.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more data
communications include at least one of a data download operation
and a data upload operation.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the low-power network is a
neighborhood-area network (NAN), wherein the one or more network
parameters include a network channel associated with the WLAN, and
wherein the one or more network parameters further indicate a
target beacon transmit time (TBTT) associated with the WLAN.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises a discovery
message, and wherein the discovery message indicates a security
domain of the access point or an Internet Protocol (IP) subnet of
the access point.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the discovery message includes an
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11ai
fast initial link setup (FILS) indication element indicating the
security domain or the IP subnet.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein the discovery message includes a
service identification (ID) that identifies the WLAN.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a plurality
of access network query protocol (ANQP) messages from the mobile
device, wherein the ANQP messages are grouped within a single
message from the mobile device.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the ANQP messages comply with an
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
802.11-2012 communication specification.
11. An apparatus comprising: a memory storing instructions; and a
processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to
execute the instructions to initiate or control operations, the
operations including: transmitting a message via a low-power
network, the message indicating one or more network parameters
associated with a wireless local area network (WLAN); performing a
setup procedure with a mobile device based on the one or more
network parameters; and performing one or more data communications
with the mobile device using the WLAN after performing the setup
procedure with the mobile device.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the low-power network is a
neighborhood-area network (NAN), a Bluetooth network, or a
Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) network.
13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more network
parameters indicate at least one of a network channel associated
with the WLAN, a target beacon transmit time (TBTT) associated with
the WLAN, and a service set identification (SSID) associated with
the WLAN.
14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more data
communications include at least one of a data download operation
and a data upload operation.
15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the low-power network is a
neighborhood-area network (NAN), wherein the one or more network
parameters include a network channel associated with the WLAN, and
wherein the one or more network parameters further indicate a
target beacon transmit time (TBTT) associated with the WLAN.
16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the message comprises a
discovery message, and wherein the discovery message indicates a
security domain or an Internet Protocol (IP) subnet.
17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the discovery message
includes an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
(IEEE) 802.11ai fast initial link setup (FILS) indication element
indicating the security domain or the IP subnet.
18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the discovery message
includes a service identification (ID) that identifies the
WLAN.
19. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising receiving a
plurality of access network query protocol (ANQP) messages from the
mobile device, wherein the ANQP messages are grouped within a
single message from the mobile device.
20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the ANQP messages comply
with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
802.11-2012 communication specification.
21. An apparatus comprising: means for transmitting a message via a
low-power network, the message indicating one or more network
parameters associated with a wireless local area network (WLAN);
and means for initiating performance of a setup procedure with a
mobile device based on the one or more network parameters and for,
after performing the setup procedure with the mobile device,
initiating performance of one or more data communications with the
mobile device using the WLAN.
22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the low-power network is a
neighborhood-area network (NAN), a Bluetooth network, or a
Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) network.
23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the one or more network
parameters indicate at least one of a network channel associated
with the WLAN, a target beacon transmit time (TBTT) associated with
the WLAN, and a service set identification (SSID) associated with
the WLAN.
24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the one or more data
communications include at least one of a data download operation
and a data upload operation.
25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the message comprises a
discovery message, and wherein the discovery message indicates a
security domain or an Internet Protocol (IP) subnet.
26. A non-transitory, computer readable medium storing instructions
that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform
operations comprising: transmitting a message via a low-power
network, the message indicating one or more network parameters
associated with a wireless local area network (WLAN); performing a
setup procedure with a mobile device based on the one or more
network parameters; and after performing the setup procedure with
the mobile device, performing one or more data communications with
the mobile device using the WLAN.
27. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 26,
wherein the low-power network is a neighborhood-area network (NAN),
a Bluetooth network, or a Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) network.
28. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 26,
wherein the one or more network parameters indicate at least one of
a network channel associated with the WLAN, a target beacon
transmit time (TBTT) associated with the WLAN, and a service set
identification (SSID) associated with the WLAN.
29. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 26,
wherein the one or more data communications include at least one of
a data download operation and a data upload operation.
30. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 26,
wherein the message comprises a discovery message, and wherein the
discovery message indicates a security domain or an Internet
Protocol (IP) subnet.
Description
I. CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a divisional application of and
claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/918,955,
filed Oct. 21, 2015, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 62/072,919, filed Oct. 30, 2014, the
contents of each of which are incorporated by reference in their
entirety.
II. FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure is generally related to electronic
devices and more particularly to communication techniques for
electronic devices, such as network discovery for electronic
devices.
III. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART
[0003] Advances in technology have resulted in smaller and more
powerful electronic devices. Electronic devices include mobile
devices, such as wireless telephones, personal digital assistants
(PDAs), and paging devices. Mobile devices may be small,
lightweight, and easily carried by users. Wireless telephones, such
as cellular telephones, can communicate voice and data packets over
wireless networks. Further, many wireless telephones include other
types of devices that are incorporated therein. For example, a
wireless telephone can also include a digital still camera, a
digital video camera, a digital recorder, and an audio file player.
Further, wireless telephones can process executable instructions,
such as to initiate communications with other devices within a
wireless network.
[0004] To communicate within the wireless network, a mobile device
may perform a setup procedure, such as a network discovery
procedure. For example, the mobile device may transmit one or more
probe messages. If an access point is within range of the mobile
device, the access point may receive the one or more probe messages
and may send information to the mobile device (e.g., information
regarding the wireless network) to facilitate the setup procedure.
In some cases, the mobile device may send additional messages to
the access point to obtain additional information regarding the
network (e.g., regarding a back-end of the network), such as by
sending access network query protocol (ANQP) messages to the access
point. Exchanging messages during the setup procedure consumes
power (e.g., battery power of the mobile device), uses airtime
(which could be used for sending data) and uses network resources
(e.g., one or more channels of the wireless network). Further, such
management/setup messages may be sent using a low data rate and
therefore may have a high airtime occupancy, which may decrease the
airtime available for sending data frames (usually at a much higher
rate), thus affecting the overall system throughput.
IV. SUMMARY
[0005] A mobile device may initiate a setup procedure with an
access point in response to receiving a message. The message may be
received via a low-power network, such as via a neighborhood area
network (NAN) or using a Bluetooth.RTM. network (Bluetooth.RTM. is
a registered trademark of Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG),
Inc.). In this case, the mobile device may receive a message (via
the low-power network) that "advertises" a network associated with
the access point, such as a wireless local area network (WLAN)
associated with the access point. The message may indicate a
network channel, a target beacon transmit time (TBTT), or a service
set identification (SSID), as illustrative examples. The message
may be received from the access point or from another mobile
device, as illustrative examples.
[0006] In response to receiving the message via the low-power
network, the mobile device may communicate with the access point
based on the message. For example, the mobile device may
communicate with the access point using a network channel indicated
by the message, such as by tuning a transceiver to send messages to
the access point and/or to receive messages from the access point.
Alternatively or in addition, the mobile device may operate based
on a TBTT indicated by one or more network parameters of the
received advertising message. For example, the mobile device may
wake up from a sleep mode of operation during the TBTT to receive a
beacon from the access point. The beacon may indicate one or more
characteristics of the WLAN (e.g., the network channel), and the
mobile device may communicate with the access point based on the
one or more characteristics (e.g., using the network channel). In
some cases, an advertising message may be received directly from an
access point by the mobile device. Alternatively or in addition, a
mobile device of a low-power network, such as a NAN, may transmit
an advertising message to another mobile device of the low-power
network, (e.g., to "republish" the message for an access point to
advertise the access point to devices of the low-power
network).
[0007] Using the low-power network to "advertise" the network may
reduce power consumption of the mobile device and the access point
as compared to communication of probe messages and other messages,
such as access network query protocol (ANQP) messages between the
mobile device and the access point, thus improving performance of
network devices. Further, because probe messages and ANQP messages
may be sent using a low data rate, reducing or avoiding
communication of probe messages and ANQP messages may free airtime
of the WLAN for data communications (which may be sent using a
higher data rate than probe messages and ANQP messages).
[0008] Accordingly, network operation may be improved by reducing
management and setup overhead (e.g., low data rate messages, such
as probe messages and ANQP messages) in order to increase airtime
available to higher data rate communications (e.g., data
communications).
[0009] Thus, an access point may "advertise" one or more network
parameters associated with a network (e.g., a WLAN) using a
low-power technique (e.g., using a channel associated with a NAN).
The mobile device may be configured to scan the NAN to obtain a
message including parameters from access points. For example, to
identify an access point that is within range of the mobile device,
the mobile device may tune a transceiver to the NAN channel (e.g.,
a receive frequency associated with the NAN) to receive information
using the NAN.
[0010] In some implementations, the mobile device may disable WLAN
network discovery operations, such as probing operations during
which the mobile device sends probe requests on each channel to
find an access point and/or passive network discovery operations
where the mobile device dwells on each channel to catch beacons
from access points operating on that channel. In a NAN
implementation, mobile devices need to monitor only the NAN channel
(e.g., channel 6 in a 2.4 gigahertz NAN implementation) during a
discovery window (DW) associated with the NAN. Thus, use of a NAN
may utilize channel switching and transceiver operation only during
the DW period. In a Bluetooth.RTM. implementation, the mobile
device can turn off a Wi-Fi radio completely and utilize a
Bluetooth.RTM. radio (which is low power compared to Wi-Fi at the
expense of shorter range).
[0011] Devices participating in the NAN may periodically or
occasionally wake up (if asleep) during a discovery window
associated with the NAN to detect one or more messages that
advertise network parameters. For example, time intervals in the
NAN may be divided into timer units (TU), and devices participating
in the NAN may wake up during a 16 TU discovery window that occurs
every 500 TU (or roughly each half-second). An access point may use
the NAN to advertise a network channel associated with the WLAN, a
TBTT associated with the WLAN, or a SSID associated with the
WLAN.
[0012] In a particular example, the access point may advertise
services using an information element associated with an Institute
of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 communication
standard, such as using an IEEE 802.11ai fast initial link setup
(FILS) information element. The IEEE 802.11 FILS information
element may include information regarding a security domain of the
access point or an Internet Protocol (IP) subnet of the access
point, as illustrative examples. In another example, the access
point may utilize a NAN WLAN connectivity attribute to provide
information regarding the WLAN. The NAN WLAN connectivity attribute
may carry additional fields to provide more information regarding
the access point.
[0013] Accordingly, a client device interested in joining or
roaming to a hotspot network need to scan only the NAN channel to
discover surrounding access points. The advertisements sent using
the NAN may enable a mobile device to make an informed decision
regarding network selection (e.g., to select an access point
supported by a particular service provider associated with the
mobile device). For example, the IEEE 802.11ai FILS information
element may indicate that the access point and the mobile device
are associated with a common security domain and/or a common IP
subnet. In this case, the 802.11ai FILS information element may
assist the mobile device in selecting an access point in the same
security domain and/or IP subnet.
[0014] The access point may use the NAN to provide additional ANQP
parameters to a mobile device. In some implementations, this may be
performed using NAN follow-up messages by which a publisher and a
subscriber exchange additional information related to a service. In
some implementation, FILS ANQP elements (e.g., Query AP-List,
AP-List Response, etc.) may be "piggybacked" over NAN messages.
FILS ANQP elements may provide an efficient way to query multiple
ANQP parameters with a single information element, thus reducing
the number of ANQP messages.
[0015] Compared to legacy scanning techniques, NAN based network
discovery involves very little messaging overhead, less channel
switching overhead, and operates in a low-power mode. For example,
a mobile device may monitor only the NAN channel during each
discovery window occurring each 500 TU. The scheme is beneficial in
scenarios where wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) deployment may be
distributed widely (or spread out). In such scenarios, client
devices may consume battery staying awake and switching channels
for legacy scanning while the clients are out of range of Wi-Fi
coverage. Using a NAN, the time spent in discovery is very short
(16 TU) and is confined to only the NAN channel during the
discovery window (each 500 TU).
[0016] In a particular example, a method of operation of a mobile
device includes tuning a transceiver of the mobile device to
communicate using a low-power network and receiving a discovery
message via the low-power network. The discovery message indicates
one or more network parameters associated with a wireless local
area network (WLAN) that is associated with an access point. The
method further includes communicating with the access point using
the WLAN based on the one or more network parameters.
[0017] In another example, an apparatus includes a memory storing
instructions and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor
is configured to execute the instructions to initiate or control
operations. The operations include tuning a transceiver to
communicate using a low-power network and receiving a discovery
message via the low-power network. The discovery message indicates
one or more network parameters associated with a wireless local
area network (WLAN) that is associated with an access point. The
operations further include communicating with the access point
using the WLAN based on the one or more network parameters.
[0018] In another example, a method of operation of an access point
includes transmitting a message via a low-power network. The
message indicates one or more network parameters associated with a
wireless local area network (WLAN) that is associated with the
access point. The method may further include performing a setup
procedure with a mobile device based on the one or more network
parameter, and after performing the setup procedure with the mobile
device, performing one or more data communications with the mobile
device using the WLAN.
[0019] In another example, an apparatus includes a memory storing
instructions and a processor coupled to the memory. The processor
is configured to execute the instructions to initiate or control
operations. The operations include transmitting a message via a
low-power network. The message indicates one or more network
parameters associated with a wireless local area network (WLAN).
The operations further include performing a setup procedure with a
mobile device based on the one or more network parameters and
performing one or more data communications with the mobile device
using the WLAN after performing the setup procedure with the mobile
device.
[0020] One particular advantage provided by at least one of the
disclosed examples is that a mobile device consumes less power
using a low-power network (e.g., by passively scanning the
low-power network for network information) as compared to other
techniques in which a mobile device "actively" scans for network
parameters and other discovery information. Other aspects,
advantages, and features of the present disclosure will become
apparent after review of the entire application, including the
following sections: Brief Description of the Drawings, Detailed
Description, and the Claims.
V. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a particular illustrative
example of a communication system.
[0022] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a particular illustrative
example of a method of operation of a mobile device.
[0023] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a particular illustrative
example of a method of operation of an access point.
[0024] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a particular illustrative
example of a mobile device.
VI. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] Illustrative examples are described below with reference to
the drawings. In the description and the drawings, common features
are designated by common reference numbers for convenience.
[0026] Referring to FIG. 1, a particular illustrative example of a
communication system is depicted and generally designated 100. The
communication system 100 may include one or more access points,
such as an access point 102 and an access point 130. The
communication system 100 may further include one or more mobile
devices, such as a mobile device 110 and a mobile device 140. The
communication system 100 may operate in accordance with a
communication protocol, such as one or more Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 communication protocols
(e.g., an IEEE 802.11u communication protocol). Alternatively or in
addition, the communication system 100 may operate in accordance
with one or more Wi-Fi Alliance communication protocols, such as a
Hotspot 2.0 communication protocol (also referred to as HS2 and
Wi-Fi Certified Passpoint).
[0027] The access point 102 may include a processor 104, a memory
106, and a transceiver 108 (or a transmitter and receiver). The
memory 106 may store instructions that are executable by the
processor 104. The access point 102 may be associated with a first
wireless local area network (WLAN), such as a "hotspot" network.
The first WLAN may be associated with a first coverage area
122.
[0028] The mobile device 110 may include a processor 112, a memory
114, and a transceiver 116 (or a transmitter and receiver). The
memory 114 may store instructions that are executable by the
processor 112.
[0029] The access point 130 may include a processor 132, a memory
134, and a transceiver 136 (or a transmitter and receiver). The
memory 134 may store instructions that are executable by the
processor 132. The access point 130 may be associated with a second
wireless local area network (WLAN), such as a second "hotspot"
network. The second WLAN may be associated with a second coverage
area 124.
[0030] In operation, the mobile device 110 may identify (or attempt
to identify) an access point with which to communicate (e.g., to
enable data communications, such as Internet communications). For
example, if the mobile device 110 is not currently associated with
any access point, the mobile device 110 may "listen" for one or
more discovery messages from an access point. In accordance with
the present disclosure, the mobile device 110 may use a low-power
network to detect a message 109. The message 109 may indicate one
or more network parameters 111 associated with the first WLAN.
[0031] To receive messages using a low-power network, the mobile
device 110 may tune the transceiver 116 (or a receiver of the
transceiver 116) to receive messages using the low-power network
(e.g., to scan for one or more messages advertising one or more
access points). For example, the mobile device 110 may adjust a
receive frequency of the transceiver 116 from a WLAN receive
frequency to a NAN receive frequency or to a Bluetooth.RTM. receive
frequency (Bluetooth.RTM. is a registered trademark of Bluetooth
Special Interest Group (SIG), Inc.). As illustrative examples, the
mobile device 110 may tune the transceiver 116 to receive messages
using a channel specified by a communication protocol, such as
Channel 6 of a 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) NAN network or Channel 44 or 149
(depending on local regulations) of a 5 GHZ NAN network. It is
noted that in other implementations, the mobile device 110 may use
multiple transceivers instead of a single transceiver. In this
case, another transceiver of the mobile device 110 (other than the
transceiver 116) may be tuned to receive messages using the
low-power network.
[0032] The mobile device 110 may receive a message 109 from the
access point 102 sent using the low-power network. The message 109
may indicate one or more network parameters 111 associated with the
first WLAN. To illustrate, the access point 102 may broadcast (or
"publish") the message 109 to "advertise" the first WLAN to mobile
devices, such as the mobile device 110. The access point 102 may
correspond to a provider (or "advertiser") of a service (e.g., the
first WLAN), and the mobile device may correspond to a subscriber
of the service. The one or more network parameters 111 may include
a network channel (e.g., uplink frequency and/or downlink
frequency) associated with the first WLAN, a target beacon transmit
time (TBTT) associated with the first WLAN, a service set
identification (SSID) associated with the first WLAN, or a
combination thereof, as illustrative examples.
[0033] In some implementations, the mobile device 110 may
selectively enable reception of messages, such as the message 109.
For example, input may be received at the mobile device 110 from a
user of the mobile device 110, the input indicating that the mobile
device 110 is to receive (e.g., search for) messages, such as the
message 109. In a particular example, an operating system of the
mobile device 110 may present the user an option (e.g., a network
setting or a "switch" presented via a graphical user interface) to
search for networks, such as a NAN or a "free" network (e.g., a
"free" Wi-Fi network). For example, the "switch" may include a
checkbox presented via the graphical user interface. The switch may
be activated (or enabled) by the user to enable identification of
one or more Wi-Fi networks by "searching" one or more low-power
networks (e.g., a NAN, a Bluetooth.RTM. network, or a
Bluetooth.RTM. low power network) for information related to the
one or more Wi-Fi networks. If the "switch" is activated, the
mobile device 110 may use a low-power network to attempt to find a
Wi-Fi network, such as by scanning a NAN channel, by joining a
nearby NAN cluster (if it exists), or by receiving one or more
service discovery messages that indicate a Wi-Fi network that is
within range of the mobile device 110.
[0034] In some cases, the mobile device 110 may perform a low-power
search for Wi-Fi networks. For example, the mobile device 110 may
perform a search for Wi-Fi networks using low-power networks (e.g.,
instead of searching Wi-Fi channels to detect Wi-Fi networks) in
accordance with a low-power mode of operation. In an illustrative
example, the mobile device 110 may operate according to the
low-power mode (using low-power networks instead of Wi-Fi networks
to search for Wi-Fi networks) in response to a battery charge of
the mobile device 110 being less than a threshold. The mobile
device 110 may operate according to a "standard" mode that uses
Wi-Fi-based searches in response to the battery charge being
greater than or equal to the threshold (or in response to the
mobile device 110 being connected to an external power supply, such
as a mains outlet or a computing device). While operating in the
"standard" mode, Wi-Fi-based searches may be performed
alternatively or in addition to searches using low-power networks.
Further, it is noted that a transition to or from the low-power
mode and the "standard" mode may be initiated by a user of the
mobile device 110 (e.g., based on input received via a graphical
user interface of the mobile device 110) or may be initiated
automatically by the mobile device 110 (e.g., based on a battery
charge of the mobile device 110). In some implementations, the
transition may be initiated automatically by the mobile device 110
by default (e.g., based on a battery charge of the mobile device
110) unless the user "overrides" the default (e.g., by specifying
that the mobile device 110 is to perform searches using only Wi-Fi
channels or using only low-power networks).
[0035] To further illustrate, input received from the user may
indicate one of a first mode (where the mobile device 110 searches
for networks) or a second mode (where the mobile device does not
search for networks). In response to selection of the first mode,
the mobile device 110 may tune to a particular channel (e.g., a
predetermined channel) to detect one or more messages advertising a
network, such as the message 109 advertising the first WLAN. In
some cases, a certain network (or network type) may be associated
with higher priority (or may be "preferred") as compared to one or
more other networks or network types. For example, the mobile
device 110 may "prefer" networks operated by a service provider
associated with the mobile device 110.
[0036] In some examples, a message sent by an access point may
include a service identification (ID) that advertises a WLAN (e.g.,
a Wi-Fi network) using a low-power network, such as a NAN. For
example, the message 109 may include a service ID associated with
the access point 102 (e.g., a service ID that advertises a Wi-Fi
network of the access point 102). The service ID may be "well
known" to devices. To illustrate, in some cases, the WLAN complies
with a particular communication protocol (e.g., a Wi-Fi Alliance
communication protocol or an IEEE 802.11 communication protocol),
and the particular communication protocol specifies the service ID
(e.g., either for particular access points, or for a group of
access points, such as a group of access points that provide Wi-Fi
connectivity).
[0037] In a particular implementation, the message may include a
service ID field that includes the "well known" service ID. The
"well known" service ID may be a particular value, or a hash of a
particular value, that is known to the devices of the network, such
as a value defined by a particular vendor, a value defined by a
particular network provider, or a value defined by a particular
wireless communication protocol. In a particular implementation,
the service ID field may be included in a service descriptor
attribute (SDA). In addition to the service ID field, the message
may include additional fields that indicate one or more network
parameters, such as the one or more network parameters 111 (e.g., a
particular SSID of the access point 102 or a security domain of the
access point 102). To further illustrate, multiple access points
may transmit messages having the same service ID and different
network parameters. For example, a first access point that provides
a first network may transmit a first message including the "well
known" service ID and a first set of network parameters associated
with the first network, and a second access point that provides a
second network may transmit a second message including the
"well-known" service ID and a second set of network parameters
associated with the second network. In a particular implementation,
an access point may provide the service ID in a NAN service
discovery message sent using a NAN. In other implementations, a
device may provide the service ID in a different message, such as a
message used with Bluetooth.RTM. communications or Bluetooth.RTM.
low-energy communications (Bluetooth.RTM. is a registered trademark
of Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), Inc.).
[0038] A subscriber (e.g., a mobile device, such as the mobile
device 110) may search for the service ID (e.g., during operation
according to the first mode where the mobile device 110 searches
for networks). The subscriber may actively search for the service
ID (e.g., by sending one or more service discovery subscription
messages indicating the well-known service ID using a low-power
network, such as a NAN) to detect an access point associated with
the service ID. Alternatively or in addition, the subscriber may
passively search for an access point associated with the service
ID, such as by receiving the message 109, where the message 109
indicates the service ID.
[0039] In some cases, a mobile device may "republish" the message
109 to further advertise the first WLAN. For example, if the mobile
device 140 is within range of the access point 102, the mobile
device 140 may receive the message 109 and may republish the
message 109 to advertise the first WLAN (e.g., to "extend" the
range of the message 109 so that the message 109 is received by
more devices). In this example, the mobile device 110 may receive
the message 109 from the mobile device 140. Thus, although the
low-power network may have a smaller coverage area than the first
WLAN (e.g., due to lower power of transmitted signals), a device
that is within the second coverage area 124 but that is outside the
low-power network coverage area may detect the first WLAN by
receiving the message 109 from the mobile device 140.
[0040] In other cases, republishing of the message 109 in the
communication system 100 can be avoided (e.g., suppressed). For
example, avoiding republishing of the message 109 may avoid
instances of the communication system 100 being "flooded" with
messages (e.g., service discovery messages or other
advertisements). In this example, the access point 102 may send the
message 109, and the message 109 may include a "do not republish"
indication that indicates the message 109 is not to be
republished.
[0041] In certain implementations, the mobile device 110 is
configured to receive messages (e.g., the message 109) during one
or more intervals (or windows) associated with a communication
protocol. For example, the mobile device 110 may receive the
message 109 during a discovery window associated with a
communication protocol. To illustrate, time intervals in a NAN may
be divided into timer units (TU), where one TU is equal to 1024
microseconds. Devices participating in the NAN (e.g., the mobile
device 110) may wake up during a 16 TU discovery window that occurs
every 500 TU (or approximately each half-second). In this example,
the mobile device 110 may periodically or occasionally wake up (if
asleep) during the discovery window associated with the NAN to
receive one or more messages, such as the message 109.
[0042] In response to receiving the message 109, the mobile device
110 may use the one or more network parameters 111 to determine
whether to communicate with the access point 102 (e.g., whether to
perform a link setup procedure with the access point 102). For
example, the mobile device 110 may be configured to communicate
only with certain access points, such as access points affiliated
with a common network or service provider of the mobile device 110.
In this example, the mobile device 110 may determine based on the
one or more network parameters 111 whether the mobile device 110
and the access point 102 are associated with a common network or
service provider. For example, the one or more network parameters
111 may indicate a security domain associated with the access point
102 and/or an IP subnet associated with the access point 102. In
some implementations, the mobile device 110 may be configured to
compare the security domain and/or the IP subnet with an indication
of a security domain and/or an IP subnet of the mobile device 110
(e.g., to determine whether the security domains and/or IP subnets
match).
[0043] In a particular example, the message 109 is sent via the
low-power network in accordance with an IEEE 802.11ai technique.
For example, the one or more network parameters 111 may include an
IEEE 802.11ai FILS information element (IE). The IEEE 802.11ai FILS
information element may indicate a security domain associated with
the access point 102, an Internet Protocol (IP) address type
associated with the access point 102, or an IP subnet associated
with the access point 102. Depending on the particular
implementation, the IEEE 802.11ai FILS information element may
indicate multiple security domains (e.g., six security domains, or
another number of security domains). In a particular embodiment,
the IEEE 802.11ai FILS information element includes a two-byte hash
of a security domain. It is noted that in this example, an IEEE
802.11ai FILS information element may be sent via a low-power
network (e.g., a NAN, a Bluetooth.RTM. (Bluetooth is a registered
trademark of Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), Inc.) network,
or a Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) network) instead of using a WLAN
(e.g., instead of including the IEEE 802.11ai FILS information
element in a beacon or in a probe response that is sent using the
first WLAN associated with the access point 102).
[0044] In a particular embodiment, the mobile device 110 may use an
indication of a security domain included in the one or more network
parameters 111 or an indication of an IP subnet included in the one
or more network parameters 111 to determine which of multiple
access points with which to communicate. To illustrate, if the
mobile device 110 receives another discovery message including
information related to another access point (not shown in FIG. 1)
in addition to receiving the message 109, the mobile device 110 may
compare IP subnets indicated by the message 109 and the other
message to an IP subnet associated with the access point 102. In
this example, if the IP subnet of the access point 102 matches the
IP subnet of the access point 102, the mobile device 110 may
"prefer" to communicate with the access point 102 instead of the
other access point, since for example the mobile device 110 may be
able to avoid obtaining a new Internet Protocol (IP) address in the
case of a common IP subnet (e.g., by selecting the access point 102
for communications instead of selecting the other access
point).
[0045] In some implementations, the low-power network is a NAN, and
the message 109 has a NAN format. For example, the message 109 may
be a NAN frame having a NAN frame format (e.g., a specified number
of fields, types of the fields, and lengths of the fields). In a
particular embodiment, the message 109 is a NAN frame that includes
connectivity information (in addition to service information
typically advertised by a NAN frame). In this example, the message
109 may include a NAN WLAN connectivity attribute that indicates
the one or more network parameters 111. A NAN frame may include a
device role field. The device role field may specify if a device
sending the message 109 is the publisher of the message 109. For
example, the device role field may include a first value (e.g.,
"1") if the device sending the message 109 is the publisher of the
message 109 (e.g., if the access point 102 sends the message 109).
The device role field may include a second value (e.g., "0") if
another device sends the message 109 (e.g., if the mobile device
140 republishes the message 109, or if another access point
republishes the message 109).
[0046] In some implementations, the message 109 is a public action
frame, such as a service discovery frame. A public action frame may
be sent between devices prior to an association procedure between
the devices or may be sent between devices that are not associated
with a common basic service set (BSS). If the message 109 is a
public action frame, the one or more network parameters 111 may be
included in or appended to the public action frame, such as in a
further discovery attribute field of the public action frame.
[0047] The one or more network parameters 111 may include one or
more access network query protocol (ANQP) parameters. Although ANQP
parameters are typically transmitted in response to a query from a
mobile device, the access point 102 may advertise (or broadcast)
the one or more ANQP parameters using the message 109, which may
enable the mobile device 110 to avoid sending requests for the one
or more ANQP parameters. An example sequence of operations within a
typical NAN is provided for illustration and context. In some NAN
scenarios, an access point may advertise services using the NAN by
publishing information during a discovery window (DW) (e.g., by
sending a discovery message during the DW via the NAN). A client
device may discover the access point by detecting the discovery
message. The client device may use information of the discovery
message to determine whether to communicate with the access point
(e.g., to determine whether to "subscribe" to one or more services
of the access point). If the client device determines to
communicate with the access point, the client device may send a
subscribe message to the access point. One or more additional
follow-up messages may be exchanged between the access point and
the client device (e.g., query and response messages) to
communicate additional information between the access point and the
client device. To illustrate, the client device may send an ANQP
Query List element (as specified in IEEE 802.11-2012 section
8.4.4.2) to the access point, and the access point may respond with
a Capabilities List ANQP element (as specified in IEEE 802.11-2012
section 8.4.4.3). In some other implementations, the client device
may send a Query AP-List ANQP element (as specified in IEEE
802.11ai), and the access point may respond with an AP-List
Response ANQP element (as specified in IEEE 802.11ai).
[0048] In connection with the present disclosure, one or more ANQP
parameters may be advertised by the access point 102 in response to
receiving a query from the mobile device 110 (after the mobile
device 110 receives the message 109). For example, the mobile
device 110 may send a NAN follow-up message to the access point 102
in response to receiving the message 109 in order to obtain
additional information regarding the first WLAN. An example of a
NAN follow-up message is a request for additional service
information sent from a "subscriber" of the service to a
"publisher" of the service (e.g., from the mobile device 110 to the
access point 102) in response to receiving a service discovery
message (e.g., in response to receiving the message 109). The
access point 102 may respond to the NAN follow-up message by
sending a NAN follow-up response to the mobile device 110. The NAN
follow-up response may indicate information identified by the NAN
follow-up message.
[0049] In some implementations, one or more IEEE 802.11ai FILS ANQP
elements may be "piggybacked" to a NAN message (e.g., a NAN publish
message, a NAN subscribe message, or a NAN follow-up message). For
example, one or more IEEE 802.11ai FILS ANQP query elements may be
piggybacked to a NAN follow-up message sent from the mobile device
110 to the access point 102. As another example, one or more IEEE
802.11ai FILS ANQP response elements may be piggybacked to a NAN
follow-up response sent from the access point 102 to the mobile
device 110 in response to the NAN follow-up message. In some cases,
the message 109 is a NAN message, and the one or more network
parameters 111 include one or more IEEE 802.11ai FILS ANQP
elements.
[0050] Although certain examples have been described with reference
to a NAN, it should be appreciated that another network or
communication technique may be selected for transmission of the
message 109. For example, the access point 102 may send the message
109 using a Bluetooth.RTM. (Bluetooth is a registered trademark of
Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), Inc.) network, such as
using a Bluetooth.RTM. channel (e.g., communication frequency), a
frame format associated with a Bluetooth.RTM. communication
technique, and/or using a Bluetooth.RTM. low energy (Bluetooth LE)
communication technique. In this case, the message 109 may be a
Bluetooth.RTM. packet. Further, it is noted that in such an
implementation the mobile device 110 and the access point 102 may
include Bluetooth.RTM. transceivers to enable Bluetooth.RTM.
communication. In this example, the mobile device 110 may disable
the transceiver 116 (or put the transceiver 116 in a low-power
state) while the mobile device 110 scans for messages using the
Bluetooth.RTM. transceiver. For example, the mobile device 110 may
disable the transceiver 116 (or put the transceiver 116 in a
low-power state) in response to leaving the first coverage area
122.
[0051] The mobile device 110 may determine based on the one or more
network parameters 111 whether to communicate with the access point
102. If the mobile device 110 determines not to communicate with
the access point 102, the mobile device 110 may scan for one or
more other access points. For example, the mobile device 110 may
continue operating the transceiver 116 using a receive frequency
associated with either a NAN or a Bluetooth.RTM. network to attempt
to identify one or more other access points within range of the
mobile device 110.
[0052] If the mobile device 110 determines to communicate with the
access point 102, the mobile device 110 may initiate a setup
procedure with the access point 102. For example, the setup
procedure may be an IEEE 802.11ai FILS setup procedure. The setup
procedure may include authentication operations and/or association
operations. The setup procedure may establish data connectivity
between the mobile device 110 and the access point 102. For
example, after completing the setup procedure, the mobile device
110 may use the first WLAN to access the Internet (e.g., to
download or upload data) while the mobile device 110 is within the
first coverage area 122. In certain implementations, the mobile
device 110 may store (e.g., cache) information regarding the access
point 102. For example, the mobile device 110 may store an
indication of an IP subnet associated with the access point 102 or
other information related to the access point 102.
[0053] In some cases, the mobile device 110 may initiate a
"roaming" mode in which the mobile device 110 is in communication
with an access point (e.g., the access point 102) and in which the
mobile device 110 scans for another access point (e.g., the access
point 130). In this case, the mobile device 110 may scan for
another access point to improve quality of communications (e.g., to
improve signal strength). In some cases, a roaming mode may be
initiated in response to a user of the mobile device 110 leaving
the first coverage area 122. If the mobile device 110 leaves the
first coverage area 122, the mobile device 110 may become out of
range of the first WLAN. For example, if a user of the mobile
device 110 leaves the first coverage area 122, the mobile device
110 may terminate communications with the access point 102. As an
example, the user of the mobile device 110 may move from a location
118 to a location 120 (and from the first coverage area 122 to the
second coverage area 124).
[0054] In accordance with the present disclosure, the mobile device
110 may use a low-power network to identify (or "discover") access
points. As used herein, a "low-power network" may refer to a
network (and/or a communication technique) that is associated with
a lower power consumption by the mobile device 110 as compared to a
WLAN (e.g., the first WLAN or the second WLAN). An example of a
low-power network is a neighborhood area network (NAN) (also
referred to as a neighborhood-aware network or a near-me area
network). For example, the mobile devices 110, 140 may communicate
using a NAN, which may be associated with lower power consumption
by the mobile devices 110, 140 as compared to communicating via a
WLAN. Another example of a low-power network is a Bluetooth.RTM.
network (e.g., a communication scheme that utilizes a communication
channel that is defined by a Bluetooth.RTM. communication
protocol). For example, devices may communicate using a
Bluetooth.RTM. network (or a Bluetooth.RTM. communication channel),
which may be associated with lower power consumption as compared to
communicating via a WLAN.
[0055] To receive messages using the low-power network, the mobile
device 110 may tune the transceiver 116 (or a receiver of the
transceiver 116) to receive messages using a low-power network
(e.g., to scan for one or more messages advertising one or more
access points). For example, the mobile device 110 may adjust a
receive frequency of the transceiver 116 from a WLAN receive
frequency to a NAN receive frequency or to a Bluetooth.RTM. receive
frequency. As illustrative examples, the mobile device 110 may tune
the transceiver 116 to receive messages using a channel specified
by a communication protocol, such as Channel 6 of a 2.4 gigahertz
(GHz) NAN network or Channel 44 or 149 (depending on local
regulations) of a 5 GHz NAN network. It is noted that in other
implementations, the mobile device 110 may use multiple
transceivers instead of a single transceiver. In this case, another
transceiver of the mobile device 110 (other than the transceiver
116) may be tuned to receive messages using the low-power
network.
[0056] The mobile device 110 may receive a message 126 sent using
the low-power network. The message 126 may indicate one or more
network parameters 128 associated with the second WLAN. To
illustrate, the access point 130 may broadcast (or "publish") the
message 126 to "advertise" the second WLAN to mobile devices, such
as the mobile device 110. The one or more network parameters 128
may include a network channel (e.g., uplink frequency and/or
downlink frequency) associated with the second WLAN, a target
beacon transmit time (TBTT) associated with the second WLAN, a
service set identification (SSID) associated with the second WLAN,
or a combination thereof, as illustrative examples. In some cases,
a mobile device may "republish" the message 126 to further
advertise the second WLAN. For example, the mobile device 140 may
receive the message 126 and may republish the message 126 to
advertise the second WLAN (e.g., to "extend" the range of the
message 126 so that the message 126 is received by more devices).
In this example, the mobile device 110 may receive the message 126
from the mobile device 140. Thus, although the low-power network
may have a smaller coverage area than the second WLAN (e.g., due to
lower power of transmitted signals), a device that is within the
second coverage area 124 but that is outside the low-power network
coverage area may be enabled to detect the second WLAN by receiving
the message 126 from the mobile device 140.
[0057] In other cases, republishing of the message 126 in the
communication system 100 can be avoided (e.g., suppressed). For
example, avoiding republishing of the message 126 may avoid
instances of the communication system 100 being "flooded" with
messages (e.g., service discovery messages or other
advertisements). In this example, the access point 130 may send the
message 126, and the message 126 may include a "do not republish"
indication that indicates the message 126 is not to be
republished.
[0058] In certain implementations, the mobile device 110 is
configured to receive messages (e.g., the message 126) during one
or more intervals (or windows) associated with a communication
protocol. For example, the mobile device 110 may receive the
message 126 during a discovery window associated with a
communication protocol. To illustrate, time intervals in a NAN may
be divided into timer units (TU), where one TU is equal to 1024
microseconds. Devices participating in the NAN (e.g., the mobile
device 110) may wake up during a 16 TU discovery window that occurs
every 500 TU (or approximately each half-second). In this example,
the mobile device 110 may periodically or occasionally wake up (if
asleep) during the discovery window associated with the NAN to
receive one or more messages, such as the message 126.
[0059] In response to receiving the message 126, the mobile device
110 may use the one or more network parameters 128 to determine
whether to communicate with the access point 130 (e.g., whether to
perform a link setup procedure with the access point 130). For
example, the mobile device 110 may be configured to communicate
only with certain access points, such as access points affiliated
with a common network or service provider of the mobile device 110.
In this example, the mobile device 110 may determine based on the
one or more network parameters 128 whether the mobile device 110
and the access point 130 are associated with a common network or
service provider. For example, the one or more network parameters
128 may indicate a security domain associated with the access point
130 and/or an IP subnet associated with the access point 130. In
some implementations, the mobile device 110 may be configured to
compare the security domain and/or the IP subnet with an indication
of a security domain and/or an IP subnet of the mobile device 110
(e.g., to determine whether the security domains and/or IP subnets
match).
[0060] In a particular example, the message 126 is sent via the
low-power network in accordance with an IEEE 802.11ai technique.
For example, the one or more network parameters 128 may include an
IEEE 802.11ai FILS information element (IE). The IEEE 802.11ai FILS
information element may indicate a security domain associated with
the access point 130, an IP address type associated with the access
point 130, or an IP subnet associated with the access point 130.
Depending on the particular implementation, the IEEE 802.11ai FILS
information element may indicate multiple security domains (e.g.,
six security domains, or another number of security domains). In a
particular embodiment, the IEEE 802.11ai FILS information element
includes a two-byte hash of a security domain. It is noted that in
this example, an IEEE 802.11ai FILS information element may be sent
via a low-power network (e.g., a NAN or a Bluetooth.RTM. network)
instead of using a WLAN (e.g., instead of including the IEEE
802.11ai FILS information element in a beacon or in a probe
response that is sent using the second WLAN associated with the
access point 130).
[0061] In a particular embodiment, the mobile device 110 may use an
indication of a security domain included in the one or more network
parameters 128 or an indication of an IP subnet included in the one
or more network parameters 128 to determine which of multiple
access points with which to communicate. To illustrate, if the
mobile device 110 receives another discovery message including
information related to another access point (not shown in FIG. 1)
in addition to receiving the message 126, the mobile device 110 may
compare IP subnets indicated by the message 126 and the other
message to an IP subnet associated with the access point 102. In
this example, if the IP subnet of the access point 130 matches the
IP subnet of the access point 102, the mobile device 110 may
"prefer" to communicate with the access point 130 instead of the
other access point, since for example the mobile device 110 may be
able to avoid obtaining a new Internet Protocol (IP) address in the
case of a common IP subnet (e.g., by selecting the access point 130
for communications instead of selecting the other access
point).
[0062] In some implementations, the low-power network is a NAN, and
the message 126 has a NAN format. For example, the message 126 may
be a NAN frame having a NAN frame format (e.g., a specified number
of fields, types of the fields, and lengths of the fields). In a
particular embodiment, the message 126 is a NAN frame that includes
connectivity information (in addition to service information
typically advertised by a NAN frame). In this example, the message
126 may include a NAN WLAN connectivity attribute that indicates
the one or more network parameters 128. A NAN frame may include a
device role field. The device role field may specify if a device
sending the message 126 is the publisher of the message 126. For
example, the device role field may include a first value (e.g.,
"1") if the device sending the message 126 is the publisher of the
message 126 (e.g., if the access point 130 sends the message 126).
The device role field may include a second value (e.g., "0") if
another device sends the message 126 (e.g., if the mobile device
140 republishes the message 126, or if another access point
republishes the message 126).
[0063] In some implementations, the message 126 is a public action
frame, such as a service discovery frame. A public action frame may
be sent between devices prior to an association procedure between
the devices or may be sent between devices that are not associated
with a common basic service set (BSS). If the message 126 is a
public action frame, the one or more network parameters 128 may be
included in or appended to the public action frame, such as in a
further discovery attribute field of the public action frame.
[0064] The one or more network parameters 128 may include one or
more access network query protocol (ANQP) parameters. Although ANQP
parameters are typically transmitted in response to a query from a
mobile device, the access point 130 may advertise (or broadcast)
the one or more ANQP parameters using the message 126, which may
enable the mobile device 110 to avoid sending requests for the one
or more ANQP parameters. An example sequence of operations within a
NAN is provided for illustration and context. In some NAN
scenarios, an access point may advertise services using the NAN by
publishing information during a discovery window (DW) (e.g., by
sending a discovery message during the DW via the NAN). A client
device may discover the access point by detecting the discovery
message. The client device may use information of the discovery
message to determine whether to communicate with the access point
(e.g., to determine whether to "subscribe" to one or more services
of the access point). If the client device determines to
communicate with the access point, the client device may send a
subscribe message to the access point. One or more additional
follow-up messages may be exchanged between the access point and
the client device (e.g., query and response messages) to
communicate additional information between the access point and the
client device. To illustrate, the client device may send an ANQP
Query List element (as specified in IEEE 802.11-2012 section
8.4.4.2) to the access point, and the access point may respond with
a Capabilities List ANQP element (as specified in IEEE 802.11-2012
section 8.4.4.3). In some other implementations, the client device
may send a Query AP-List ANQP element (as specified in IEEE
802.11ai), and the access point may respond with an AP-List
Response ANQP element (as specified in IEEE 802.11ai).
[0065] In connection with the present disclosure, one or more ANQP
parameters may be advertised by the access point 130 in response to
receiving a query from the mobile device 110 (after the mobile
device 110 receives the message 126). For example, the mobile
device 110 may send a NAN follow-up message to the access point 130
in response to receiving the message 126 in order to obtain
additional information regarding the second WLAN. An example of a
NAN follow-up message is a request for additional service
information sent from a "subscriber" of the service to a
"publisher" of the service (e.g., from the mobile device 110 to the
access point 130) in response to receiving a service discovery
message (e.g., in response to receiving the message 126). The
access point 130 may respond to the NAN follow-up message by
sending a NAN follow-up response to the mobile device 110. The NAN
follow-up response may indicate information identified by the NAN
follow-up message.
[0066] In some implementations, one or more IEEE 802.11ai FILS ANQP
elements may be "piggybacked" to a NAN message (e.g., a NAN publish
message, a NAN subscribe message, or a NAN follow-up message). For
example, one or more IEEE 802.11ai FILS ANQP query elements may be
piggybacked to a NAN follow-up message sent from the mobile device
110 to the access point 130. As another example, one or more IEEE
802.11ai FILS ANQP response elements may be piggybacked to a NAN
follow-up response sent from the access point 130 to the mobile
device 110 in response to the NAN follow-up message. In some cases,
the message 126 is a NAN message, and the one or more network
parameters 128 include one or more IEEE 802.11ai FILS ANQP
elements.
[0067] Although certain examples have been described with reference
to a NAN, it should be appreciated that another network or
communication technique may be selected for transmission of the
message 126. For example, the access point 130 may send the message
126 using a Bluetooth.RTM. network, such as using a Bluetooth.RTM.
channel (e.g., communication frequency), a frame format associated
with a Bluetooth.RTM. communication technique, and/or using a
Bluetooth.RTM. low energy (Bluetooth LE) communication technique.
In this case, the message 126 may be a Bluetooth.RTM. packet.
Further, it is noted that in such an implementation the mobile
device 110 and the access point 130 may include Bluetooth.RTM.
transceivers to enable Bluetooth.RTM. communication. In this
example, the mobile device 110 may disable the transceiver 116 (or
put the transceiver 116 in a low-power state) while the mobile
device 110 scans for messages using the Bluetooth.RTM. transceiver.
For example, the mobile device 110 may disable the transceiver 116
(or put the transceiver 116 in a low-power state) in response to
leaving the first coverage area 122.
[0068] The mobile device 110 may determine based on the one or more
network parameters 128 whether to communicate with the access point
130. If the mobile device 110 determines not to communicate with
the access point 130, the mobile device 110 may scan for one or
more other access points. For example, the mobile device 110 may
continue operating the transceiver 116 using a receive frequency
associated with either a NAN or a Bluetooth.RTM. network to attempt
to identify one or more other access points within range of the
mobile device 110.
[0069] If the mobile device 110 determines to communicate with the
access point 130, the mobile device 110 may initiate a setup
procedure with the access point 130. For example, the setup
procedure may be an IEEE 802.11ai FILS setup procedure. The setup
procedure may include authentication operations and/or association
operations. The setup procedure may establish data connectivity
between the mobile device 110 and the access point 130. For
example, after completing the setup procedure, the mobile device
may upload data to a server using an Internet connection of the
access point 130, download data from a server using an Internet
connection of the access point 130, or a combination thereof.
[0070] In some implementations, multiple access points may
"cooperate." For example, an access point may receive one or more
messages sent by one or more other access points to "learn" about
the one or more other access points. As an illustrative example,
the access point 102 may receive one or more messages sent by the
access point 130, such as by receiving the message 126 to "learn"
the one or more network parameters 128. In some cases, the access
point 102 may advertise the one or more network parameters 128 on
behalf of the access point 102. To further illustrate, the access
points 102, 130 may "take turns" advertising the network parameters
111, 128. In this case, a single message sent by one of the access
points 102, 130 may indicate the network parameters 111, 128. In
this case, one access point may "advertise" another access
point.
[0071] Alternatively or in addition to advertising another access
point, an access point may advertise a particular service offered
by another device. For example, the access point 102 may advertise
a service offered by a device or server (e.g., a music streaming
service offered by a device or a server that is connected to a
backhaul network (e.g., the Internet or an Ethernet) associated
with the access point 102) alternatively or in addition to
advertising the first WLAN. In this example, the message 109 may
indicate one or more attributes of a service offered by another
device (alternatively or in addition to the one or more network
parameters 111), and the mobile device 110 may query the access
point 102 to receive additional information related to the service
offered by the other device (e.g., to determine an IP address or a
streaming rate associated with the other device, as illustrative
examples).
[0072] In some implementations, one or more devices may operate as
a "proxy" for one or more other devices. For example, a provider of
a service may "register" with a proxy (e.g., using one or more NAN
communications) to cause the proxy to advertise the service to one
or more other devices. As an example, the access point 102 may
register with a proxy to "offload" certain NAN operations to the
proxy (e.g., so that the access point 102 communicates less using a
NAN channel and communicates more using an operating channel of the
first WLAN, which may reduce "overhead" associated with switching
channels). For example, a NAN may use a particular channel (e.g.,
channel 6 in a 2.4 GHz band or channel 149 in a 5 GHz band), and
the access point 102 may use another channel (e.g., a primary
channel) to communicate using the first WLAN. In some examples, to
advertise the WLAN using the NAN, the access point 102 may switch
to the NAN channel (e.g., by tuning the transceiver 108) for each
discovery window (e.g., every 512 milliseconds (ms)) associated
with the NAN and may stay on the NAN channel for 16 ms. In this
example, the access point 102 is unavailable for communications
using the primary channel every 512 ms (for 16 ms). Thus,
"offloading" the NAN communications to the proxy may free the
access point 102 to communicate using the first WLAN.
[0073] As another example, if the access point 102 is to initiate a
sleep or hibernate mode of operation, the access point 102 may
register with a proxy, and the proxy may advertise a service of the
access point 102 (e.g., using a low-power network). The proxy may
correspond to the mobile device 110, the mobile device 140, the
access point 130, or another device. Depending on the particular
implementation, a subscriber may query either the access point 102
(if the access point 102 is awake) or the proxy in order to obtain
additional information regarding the service (e.g., to "follow up"
regarding the service).
[0074] In some cases, after registering a service (and attributes
related to the service) with a proxy device, an access point (e.g.,
the access point 102) may switch to the NAN channel for some
discovery windows (but not all discovery windows) associated with
the NAN. For example, the access point 102 may "monitor" the proxy
to confirm the proxy is advertising the service on behalf of the
access point 102. In some cases, the proxy may fail to advertise
the service, such as if the proxy leaves communication range of the
access point 102 or if the proxy powers off. In this case, the
access point 102 may search for a "replacement" proxy (e.g., using
the NAN). Alternatively or in addition, the access point 102 may
switch to the NAN for advertising during each discovery window
(e.g., until the access point 102 locates a "replacement"
proxy).
[0075] The examples of FIG. 1 illustrate a method of obtaining
access to a network that reduces power consumption by a mobile
device. For example, the mobile device 110 may consume less power
using the low-power network to communicate with the access point
130 as compared to using the second WLAN to communicate with the
access point 130. Thus, battery life of the mobile device 110 may
be conserved.
[0076] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of an illustrative method 200 of
operation of a mobile device. The mobile device may correspond to
the mobile device 110 of FIG. 1.
[0077] The method 200 includes tuning a transceiver of the mobile
device to communicate using a low-power network, at 204. For
example, the transceiver may correspond to the transceiver 116. The
low-power network may be a NAN or a Bluetooth.RTM. network, as
illustrative examples.
[0078] The method 200 further includes receiving a discovery
message via the low-power network, at 206. The discovery message
indicates one or more network parameters associated with a WLAN
that is associated with an access point. For example, the discovery
message may correspond to the message 109, the one or more network
parameters may correspond to the one or more network parameters
111, and the WLAN may correspond to the first WLAN described with
reference to FIG. 1. As another example, the discovery message may
correspond to the message 126, the one or more network parameters
may correspond to the one or more network parameters 128, and the
WLAN may correspond to the second WLAN described with reference to
FIG. 1. The one or more network parameters may indicate a network
channel associated with the WLAN, a TBTT associated with the WLAN,
a SSID associated with the WLAN, or a combination thereof, as
illustrative examples. In some cases, the discovery message may be
received from an access point, such as the access point 102 or the
access point 130 of FIG. 1. In other examples, the discovery
message may be received from another mobile device, such as the
mobile device 140 of FIG. 1 (e.g., after the mobile device 140
"republishes" the message 126).
[0079] The method 200 further includes communicating with the
access point using the WLAN based on the one or more network
parameters, at 208. For example, the mobile device may switch
communication from a cellular radio tower (or from another access
point) to the access point, and the mobile device may perform a
data download or a data upload using the WLAN of the access
point.
[0080] In some implementations, the low-power network is a
neighborhood-area network (NAN). In this case, the method 200 may
further include sending a query (e.g., a NAN follow-up message) via
the NAN to the access point. The method 200 may also include
receiving a response (e.g., a NAN follow-up response) to the query
from the access point. The response may indicate one or more
additional network parameters associated with the WLAN. To
illustrate, the query may request additional information related to
the WLAN not included in the discovery message. Depending on the
particular implementation, the additional information may indicate
a network channel of the WLAN, a target beacon transmit time (TBTT)
of the WLAN, a service set identification (SSID) of the access
point, a security domain of the access point, an IP subnet of the
access point, and/or another parameter. The response may indicate
the additional information.
[0081] In some implementations, one or more communications between
the mobile device and the access point comply with an Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11ai fast initial
link setup (FILS) communication protocol. For example, the
discovery message may include an IEEE 802.11ai FILS indication
element (or information element (IE)) indicating one or more of a
security domain of the access point, an IP address type associated
with the access point, or an IP subnet of the access point.
[0082] In some implementations, one or more communications between
the mobile device and the access point utilize one or more query
messages. For example, the method 200 may optionally include
sending and receiving ANQP information with the access point. In
some implementations, the ANQP messages are grouped within a single
message (e.g., multiple ANQP messages may be "consolidated" into a
single message). For example, if the mobile device 110 is to query
the access points 102, 130 (e.g., to "follow-up" regarding the
messages 109, 126), the mobile device 110 may group a first query
(e.g., for the access point 102) and a second query (e.g., for the
access point 130) into a single message and may send the single
message to one of the access points, such as the access point 102.
The access point 102 may forward the second query to the access
point 130 (e.g., using a wired connection, such as the
Internet).
[0083] The ANQP messages may comply with an Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11-2012 communication
specification (e.g., section 8.4.4 of the IEEE 802.11-2012
communication specification and/or another section of the IEEE
802.11-2012 communication specification). In a particular
illustrative embodiment, the ANQP messages are sent using an IEEE
802.11 FILS technique. For example, sending and receiving the ANQP
messages may include sending an IEEE 802.11ai FILS access network
query protocol (ANQP) message to the access point and receiving a
reply to the IEEE 802.11 FILS ANQP message indicating additional
information related to the WLAN (e.g., additional information not
included in the discovery message, such as any of the additional
information described above with reference to the NAN follow-up
message).
[0084] In some cases, the mobile device tunes the transceiver in
connection with a roaming operation by the mobile device. To
further illustrate, the mobile device 110 may tune the transceiver
116 to communicate using the low-power network in response to
terminating communications with the access point 102 or in response
to a signal strength (e.g., signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)) associated
with communications from the access point 102 failing to satisfy a
threshold signal strength. Communications with the access point 102
may be terminated in response to the mobile device 110 exiting a
coverage area associated with the access point 102, such as the
first coverage area 122. In other cases, the mobile device 110 may
tune the transceiver 108 to communicate using the low-power network
while the mobile device 110 is located within the first coverage
area 122. For example, the mobile device 110 may attempt to "roam"
to another access point, such as an access point that is associated
with a service provider of the mobile device 110, while the mobile
device 110 is located in the first coverage area 122. Alternatively
or in addition, the mobile device 110 may tune to a particular
channel at a particular time. For example, the mobile device 110
may tune the transceiver 116 to receive one or more messages using
the NAN at a particular time, and the mobile device 110 may re-tune
the transceiver 116 to communicate using another network (e.g., a
WLAN) after receiving one or more messages using the NAN.
[0085] The method 200 may reduce power consumption by the mobile
device. For example, receiving the message that includes
information related to the second access point using the low-power
network results in a lower power consumption by the mobile device
as compared to communicating with the second access point using the
second WLAN. Thus, battery life of the mobile device may be
increased.
[0086] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an illustrative method 300 of
operation of an access point. For example, the access point may
correspond to the access point 102 or the access point 130 of FIG.
1.
[0087] The method 300 includes transmitting a message via a
low-power network, at 302. The message indicates one or more
network parameters associated with a WLAN that is associated with
the access point. For example, the message may correspond to the
message 126, the one or more network parameters may correspond to
the one or more network parameters 128, and the WLAN may correspond
to the second WLAN described with reference to FIG. 1. The one or
more network parameters may indicate a network channel associated
with the second WLAN, a TBTT associated with the second WLAN, a
SSID associated with the second WLAN, or a combination thereof, as
illustrative examples.
[0088] The method 300 further includes performing a setup procedure
with a mobile device based on the one or more network parameters,
at 304. For example, the setup procedure may be an IEEE 802.11ai
FILS setup procedure. The mobile device may initiate the setup
procedure in response to receiving the message from the access
point. For example, in some cases, the mobile device 110 of FIG. 1
may receive the message 126 directly from the access point 130. In
other cases, the mobile device may initiate the setup procedure in
response to receiving the message from another mobile device that
"republishes" the message (e.g., using a NAN). For example, the
mobile device 140 of FIG. 1 may republish the message 126, and the
mobile device 110 may receive the message 126 from the mobile
device 140.
[0089] The method 300 further includes performing one or more data
communications with the mobile device using the WLAN after
performing the setup procedure with the mobile device, at 306. To
illustrate, the one or more data communications may include a data
download operation, a data upload operation, or a combination
thereof.
[0090] The method 300 may reduce power consumption by the access
point. For example, sending the message using the low-power network
results in a lower power consumption by the access point as
compared to communicating with the mobile device using the second
WLAN. Thus, power consumption by the access point may be
decreased.
[0091] Referring to FIG. 4, a block diagram of a particular
illustrative example of a device is depicted and generally
designated 400. In a particular embodiment, the device 400
corresponds to a mobile device, such as the mobile device 110 of
FIG. 1. Alternatively or in addition, one or more aspects described
with reference to the device 400 may correspond to one or more
aspects of an access point, such as the access point 102, the
access point 130, or both.
[0092] The device 400 includes a processor 410, such as a digital
signal processor (DSP). The processor 410 may be coupled to a
memory, such as to a memory 432. The processor 410 may read and
store instructions 462 and/or data 464 at the memory 432. For
example, the processor 410 may store the instructions 462 and/or
the data 464 at the memory 432. As another example, the processor
410 may access the instructions 462 and/or the data 464 from the
memory 432. The instructions 462 may be executable by the processor
410 to perform or initiate one or more operations described
herein.
[0093] For example, the instructions 462 may be executable by the
processor 410 to process information indicated by a message 490
sent via a low-power network. To illustrate, the message 490 may
correspond to the message 109 or the message 126 of FIG. 1. The
message 490 may indicate a service ID 491, such as the service ID
described with reference to FIG. 1. Alternatively or in addition,
the message 490 may indicate one or more network parameters 492
(e.g., any of the network parameters 111, 128 of FIG. 1). In this
example, the processor 410 may parse the message 490 to identify
the service ID 491 and the one or more network parameters 492. In
some cases, the processor 410 may store (e.g., cache) the service
ID 491 or any of the one or more network parameters 492 at the
memory 432 (e.g., to enable later retrieval of the service ID 491
or any of the one or more network parameters 492). In other cases,
the service ID 491 may be "known" to the device 400 (e.g., prior to
receiving the message 490). For example, the service ID 491 may be
associated with a particular communication protocol and may be
indicated by (e.g., supplied to the device 400 by) a manufacturer
of the device 400 or by a service provider of a network associated
with the device 400, as illustrative examples.
[0094] FIG. 4 also shows a display controller 426 that is coupled
to the processor 410 and to a display 428. A coder/decoder (CODEC)
434 can also be coupled to the processor 410. A speaker 436 and a
microphone 438 can be coupled to the CODEC 434. FIG. 4 further
indicates that the processor 410 may be further coupled to an
antenna 442 via one or more radio devices, such as a transceiver
440.
[0095] The transceiver 440 may include a transmitter 452 and a
receiver 454. For example, the transmitter 452 and the receiver 454
may be integrated within a transceiver that is configured to send
and receive signals using the antenna 442. Although the example of
FIG. 4 depicts one transceiver having one transmitter and one
receiver, it should be appreciated that a device may include
multiple transceivers, transmitters, and/or receivers. For example,
in a particular implementation, the device 400 may include a
dedicated WLAN (or Wi-Fi) transceiver and one or more dedicated
low-power network transceivers, such as a dedicated NAN transceiver
and/or a dedicated Bluetooth.RTM. receiver.
[0096] In a particular embodiment, the processor 410, the display
controller 426, the memory 432, the CODEC 434, and the transceiver
440 are included in a system-in-package or system-on-chip device
422. In a particular embodiment, an input device 430 and a power
supply 444 are coupled to the system-on-chip device 422. Moreover,
in a particular embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the display
428, the input device 430, the speaker 436, the microphone 438, the
antenna 442, and the power supply 444, are external to the
system-on-chip device 422. However, each of the display 428, the
input device 430, the speaker 436, the microphone 438, the antenna
442, and the power supply 444 can be coupled to a component of the
system-on-chip device 422, such as to an interface or to a
controller.
[0097] During operation, the device 400 may present a user
interface, such as a graphical user interface (GUI) using the
display 428. The user interface may be configured to display a
selectable option associated with a switch 493 (e.g., a checkbox
displayed via the GUI). The user interface may be configured to
receive input (e.g., text, touchscreen information, sound, or other
input) enabling the switch 493. Activation of the switch 493 (e.g.,
"checking" of the checkbox) may indicate that the device 400 is to
search for Wi-Fi networks using low-power networks (e.g., using a
NAN, a Bluetooth.RTM. network, or a BLE network), such as Wi-Fi
networks associated with the service ID 491.
[0098] Depending on the particular example, searching for Wi-Fi
networks using low-power networks (e.g., in response to activation
of the switch 493) may be performed alternatively or in addition to
searching for Wi-Fi networks using Wi-Fi channels. For example, as
described with reference to FIG. 1, a "low-power" search may be
performed in some cases, and a "standard" search may be performed
in other cases (e.g., based on a battery charge of the power supply
444).
[0099] The processor 410 may be configured to cause the transceiver
440 to tune to a particular channel (e.g., a channel of a low-power
network) in response to activation of the switch 493. For example,
in response to receiving input enabling the switch 493, the
processor 410 may tune the transceiver 440 to a particular channel
(e.g., a NAN channel, such as channel 6 in a 2.4 GHz band or
channel 149 in a 5 GHz band). The device 400 may monitor the
particular channel to detect a Wi-Fi network based on the service
ID 491 (e.g., to detect the access point 102 if the access point
102 sends the message 490). In another example, the device 400 may
actively "probe" for a network by sending an indication of the
service ID 491 (e.g., using the particular channel) in response to
input indicating the switch 493.
[0100] In a particular example, an apparatus (e.g., the mobile
device 110, the device 400, or both) includes a memory (e.g., the
memory 114, the memory 432, or both) storing instructions (e.g.,
the instructions 462) and a processor (e.g., the processor 112, the
processor 410, or both) coupled to the memory. The processor is
configured to execute the instructions to initiate or control
operations. The operations include tuning a transceiver (e.g., the
transceiver 116, the transceiver 440, or both) to communicate using
a low-power network. The operations also include receiving a
discovery message (e.g., any of the messages 109, 126, and 490) via
the low-power network. The discovery message indicates one or more
network parameters (e.g., any of the network parameters 111, 128,
and 492) associated with a WLAN that is associated with an access
point (e.g., the access point 102, the access point 130, or both).
The operations further include communicating with the access point
using the WLAN based on the one or more network parameters.
[0101] In another example, an apparatus (e.g., the access point
102, the access point 130, or both) includes a memory (e.g., the
memory 106, the memory 134, or both) storing instructions and a
processor (e.g., the processor 104, the processor 132, or both)
coupled to the memory. The processor is configured to execute the
instructions to initiate or control operations. The operations
include transmitting a message (e.g., the message 109, the message
126, or both) via a low-power network. The message indicates one or
more network parameters (e.g., any of the network parameters 111,
128, and 492) associated with a WLAN. The operations further
include performing a setup procedure with a mobile device (e.g.,
the mobile device 110, the device 400, or both) based on the one or
more network parameters and communicating with the mobile device
(e.g., by performing one or more data communications with the
mobile device) using the WLAN after performing the setup procedure
with the mobile device.
[0102] The foregoing disclosed devices and functionalities may be
designed and configured into computer files (e.g. RTL, GDSII,
GERBER, etc.) stored on computer readable media. Some or all such
files may be provided to fabrication handlers who fabricate devices
based on such files. Resulting products include semiconductor
wafers that are then cut into semiconductor die and packaged into
semiconductor chips. The chips are then employed in devices
described above (e.g., within the device 400).
[0103] Those of skill would further appreciate that the various
illustrative logical blocks, configurations, modules, circuits, and
algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments
disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware,
computer software executed by a processor, or combinations of both.
Various illustrative components, blocks, configurations, modules,
circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of
their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as
hardware or processor executable instructions depends upon the
particular application and design constraints imposed on the
overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described
functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but
such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing
a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.
[0104] The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection
with the embodiments disclosed herein (e.g., one or more operations
of the methods 200, 300) may be embodied directly in hardware, in a
software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the
two. A software module may reside in random access memory (RAM),
magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), flash memory,
read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM),
erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically
erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), registers, hard
disk, a removable disk, a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM),
or any other form of non-transient storage medium known in the art.
An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such that
the processor can read information from, and write information to,
the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be
integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may
reside in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The
ASIC may reside in a computing device or a user terminal. In the
alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside as
discrete components in a computing device or user terminal.
[0105] The previous description of the disclosed embodiments is
provided to enable a person skilled in the art to make or use the
disclosed embodiments. Various modifications to these embodiments
will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the
principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments
without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, the
present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments
shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope possible
consistent with the principles and novel features as defined by the
following claims.
* * * * *