Method and apparatus for transmitting / receiving data by using mobile access point in wi-fi aware communication

Abstract

The present disclosure presents a method and an apparatus for transmitting / receiving data by using a mobile access point in neighbor awareness networking (NAN)-based communication. The method by which a first electronic device performs NAN-based communication, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, comprises the steps of: receiving a first frame from a second electronic device on a first channel; transmitting a second frame to the second electronic device on the first channel; and transmitting / receiving data to / from the second electronic device on the first channel by using a mobile access point link provided by the first electronic device, wherein the first frame and / or the second frame includes service-related information of the mobile access point.

Description

Method and device for transmitting and receiving data using a mobile access point in Wi-Fi Aware communication

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and device for transmitting and receiving data in Wi-Fi Aware communication in an electronic device.

[0002] Recently, due to the development of wireless technology, wired networks used by many people are being replaced by wireless networks. In other words, as wireless technology can solve the mobility limitations of wired networks, many technologies utilizing wireless networks are being actively researched.

[0003] A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), also known as Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity), allows users to access the internet via mobile devices or laptops within a certain distance from an Access Point (AP). The Wi-Fi Alliance defines Wi-Fi as a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) product based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard. Wi-Fi communication primarily uses the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz wireless bands. In particular, with the popularization of mobile devices, wireless LANs, which possess the potential as open wireless networks, are expanding rapidly, and Wi-Fi is being used to provide high-speed data services throughout cities, including in schools, airports, hotels, and offices.

[0004] The Internet is evolving from a human-centered network where humans generate and consume information into an IoT (Internet of Things) network where distributed components, such as objects, exchange and process information. IoE (Internet of Everything) technology, which combines IoT with big data processing technologies through connections with cloud servers, is also emerging. Implementing IoT requires technological elements such as sensing technology, wired and wireless communication and network infrastructure, service interface technology, and security technology. Recently, technologies such as sensor networks, Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication, and Machine-Type Communication (MTC) are being researched for connecting objects.

[0005] In an IoT environment, intelligent IT (Internet Technology) services that create new value for human life by collecting and analyzing data generated from connected objects can be provided. Through the convergence and integration of existing IT (Information Technology) with various industries, IoT can be applied to fields such as smart homes, smart buildings, smart cities, smart or connected cars, smart grids, healthcare, smart home appliances, and advanced medical services.

[0006] The present disclosure proposes a method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving data using a mobile access point in Wi-Fi Aware communication.

[0007] The present disclosure proposes a method of using a mobile access point as a data path during Wi-Fi Aware communication.

[0008] A method of a first electronic device for performing neighbor awareness networking (NAN)-based communication according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: receiving a first frame on a first channel from a second electronic device; transmitting a second frame on the first channel to the second electronic device; and transmitting and receiving data on the first channel with the second electronic device using a mobile access point link provided by the first electronic device, wherein at least one of the first frame or the second frame includes service-related information of the mobile access point.

[0009] A method of a second electronic device for performing neighbor awareness networking (NAN)-based communication according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: broadcasting a first frame on a first channel; receiving a second frame from a first electronic device on the first channel; and transmitting and receiving data between the first electronic device and the first channel using a mobile access point link provided by the first electronic device, wherein at least one of the first frame or the second frame includes service-related information of the mobile access point.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a first electronic device performing neighbor awareness networking (NAN) based communication comprises: a transceiver; and at least one processor; wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive a first frame on a first channel from a second electronic device, transmit a second frame on the first channel to the second electronic device, and transmit and receive data on the first channel with the second electronic device using a mobile access point link provided by the first electronic device, and at least one of the first frame or the second frame includes service-related information of the mobile access point.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a second electronic device performing neighbor awareness networking (NAN) based communication comprises: a transceiver; and at least one processor; wherein the at least one processor is configured to broadcast a first frame on a first channel, receive a second frame from the second electronic device on the first channel, and transmit and receive data with the first electronic device on the first channel using a mobile access point link provided by the first electronic device, and at least one of the first frame or the second frame includes service-related information of the mobile access point.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when communicating with Wi-Fi Aware, data transmission is performed using a mobile access point provided by an electronic device, thereby reducing the delay in data transmission and improving communication performance.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, when Wi-Fi Aware communication is performed, data transmission is performed using a mobile access point provided by an electronic device, so Wi-Fi Aware communication can be utilized for services requiring low latency or high bandwidth (e.g., XR (extended reality) services, etc.).

[0014] FIG. 1a illustrates a communication system including an access point and a station.

[0015] FIG. 1b illustrates an example of a wireless environment in which an electronic device provides a hotspot as a mobile access point.

[0016] FIG. 2a illustrates the operation of an access point and a station for establishing a Wi-Fi connection.

[0017] FIG. 2b illustrates the operation of a first electronic device and a second electronic device for a Wi-Fi Aware connection.

[0018] Figure 2c shows examples of various nodes included in a NAN (neighboring awareness networking) cluster.

[0019] Figure 3 shows an example of device and service discovery operation of an electronic device.

[0020] Figure 4 illustrates an example of an electronic device acting as a subscriber operating on a fixed channel during unsynchronized service discovery (USD) operation of electronic devices.

[0021] Figure 5 shows an example of an electronic device acting as a Publisher operating in a fixed channel during USD operation of electronic devices.

[0022] Figure 6 shows an example of an NDL (NAN device link) schedule setup operation for data communication in Wi-Fi Aware communication.

[0023] Figure 7 shows an example of a common resource block (NDL) configuration for data communication in Wi-Fi Aware communication.

[0024] FIG. 8a is a diagram illustrating a case where the NDL of Wi-Fi Aware communication and a mobile access point link are used simultaneously according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 8b is a drawing showing an example of a peer-to-peer (P2P) multi-like device (MLD) structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the operation of operating a Wi-Fi Aware communication channel and a mobile access point communication channel in a single channel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of an operation in which Wi-Fi Aware communication and a mobile access point communication channel are operated on a single channel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a type in which a time slot is shared when operating a Wi-Fi Aware communication channel and a mobile access point communication channel on a single channel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 12 illustrates an example of an operation in which an electronic device acting as a Subscriber provides a mobile access link during USD operation of electronic devices according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a first electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a second electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] FIG. 15 is a drawing showing an example of a configuration of a first electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] FIG. 16 is a drawing showing an example of a configuration of a second electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

[0035] In describing the embodiments, technical details that are well known in the technical field to which this disclosure belongs and are not directly related to this disclosure are omitted. This is intended to convey the essence of this disclosure more clearly without obscuring it by omitting unnecessary explanations.

[0036] For the same reason, some components in the attached drawings have been exaggerated, omitted, or schematically depicted. Additionally, the size of each component does not entirely reflect its actual dimensions. Identical or corresponding components in each drawing have been assigned the same reference numbers.

[0037] The advantages and features of the present disclosure and the methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described below in detail together with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below but may be implemented in various different forms. The embodiments of the present disclosure are provided merely to make the present disclosure complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the disclosure, and the present disclosure is defined only by the scope of the claims. Throughout the specification, like reference numerals refer to like components.

[0038] At this point, it will be understood that each block of the process flow diagrams and combinations of the flow diagrams can be executed by computer program instructions. Since these computer program instructions can be loaded into the processor of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing equipment, the instructions executed through the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment create means to perform the functions described in the flow diagram block(s). Since these computer program instructions can also be stored in computer-available or computer-readable memory that can be directed toward the computer or other programmable data processing equipment to implement the function in a specific way, the instructions stored in computer-available or computer-readable memory can also produce a manufactured item containing means of instruction to perform the function described in the flow diagram block(s).

[0039] Since computer program instructions can be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment, instructions that execute a computer or other programmable data processing equipment by performing a series of operation steps on the computer or other programmable data processing equipment to create a process executed by the computer may also provide steps for executing the functions described in the flowchart block(s).

[0040] Additionally, each block may represent a module, segment, or part of code containing one or more executable instructions for executing a specific logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative execution examples, the functions mentioned in the blocks may occur out of order. For instance, two blocks described in succession may actually be executed substantially simultaneously, or the blocks may be executed in reverse order depending on the corresponding function.

[0041] In this embodiment, the term "part" used refers to a software or hardware component such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and the "part" performs certain roles. However, the meaning of "part" is not limited to software or hardware. The "part" may be configured to reside in an addressable storage medium or may be configured to run one or more processors. Accordingly, according to some embodiments, the "part" includes components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, as well as processes, functions, attributes, procedures, subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functions provided within the components and "parts" may be combined into a smaller number of components and "parts" or further separated into additional components and "parts." In addition, the components and 'parts' may be implemented to utilize one or more CPUs within the device or secure multimedia card. Furthermore, according to some embodiments, the 'parts' may include one or more processors.

[0042] The terms ‘electronic device’, ‘station (STA)’, ‘terminal’, or ‘device’ as used in this specification may be referred to as a mobile station (MS), user equipment (UE), user terminal (UT), wireless terminal, access terminal (AT), terminal, subscriber unit, subscriber station (SS), wireless device, wireless communication device, wireless transmit / receive unit (WTRU), mobile node, mobile, or other terms. Various embodiments of a terminal may include a cellular telephone, a smartphone with wireless communication capabilities, a personal handheld device (PDA) with wireless communication capabilities, a wireless modem, a portable computer with wireless communication capabilities, a shooting device such as a digital camera with wireless communication capabilities, a gaming device with wireless communication capabilities, a music storage and playback appliance with wireless communication capabilities, an internet appliance capable of wireless internet access and browsing, as well as portable units or terminals integrating combinations of such capabilities. Additionally, the terminal may include, but is not limited to, M2M (Machine to Machine) terminals and MTC (Machine Type Communication) terminals / devices. In this specification, the terminal may be referred to as an electronic device or simply a device.

[0043] Exemplary embodiments are described below in relation to Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) systems solely for the sake of simplicity. It should be understood that the exemplary embodiments are equally applicable to systems using signals of one or more wired standards or protocols (e.g., Ethernet and / or HomePlug / PLC standards), as well as other wireless networks (e.g., cellular networks, pico networks, femto networks, satellite networks). As used herein, the terms “WLAN” and “Wi-Fi®” may include communications controlled by the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, BLUETOOTH®, HiperLAN (a set of wireless standards comparable to IEEE 802.11 standards, mainly used in Europe), and other technologies having a relatively short wireless range. Accordingly, the terms “WLAN” and “Wi-Fi” may be used interchangeably herein. Additionally, although the following describes an infrastructure WLAN system comprising one or more access points (APs) and multiple wireless stations (STAs), exemplary embodiments are equally applicable to other WLAN systems, such as multiple WLANs, peer-to-peer (or independent basic service set) systems, Wi-Fi Direct systems, and / or hotspots.

[0044] Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Aware™ (Wi-Fi Aware) refers to a technology that extends Wi-Fi capabilities by enabling rapid discovery, connection, and data exchange with other Wi-Fi devices without traditional network infrastructure, an internet connection, or GPS signals. Wi-Fi Aware can provide the ability for devices to discover and directly connect with each other without other types of connections. Wi-Fi Aware may also be referred to as NAN (neighbor awareness networking).

[0045] Wi-Fi Aware networking can operate by forming clusters with nearby devices or creating a new cluster if a device is the first device in the area. Applications can use the Wi-Fi Aware API (Application Programming Interface) to communicate with Wi-Fi Aware system services that manage the device's Wi-Fi Aware hardware. For example, Wi-Fi Aware network connections can support higher processing speeds over long distances where Bluetooth connections do not reach. For instance, Wi-Fi Aware network connections can be useful for apps that share large amounts of data between users, such as photo sharing apps.

[0046] Additionally, while this specification describes the exchange of data frames between wireless devices, exemplary embodiments may be applied to the exchange of any data unit, packet, and / or frame between wireless devices. Accordingly, the term “frame” may include any frame, packet, or data unit such as, for example, protocol data units (PDUs), MAC (media access control) protocol data units (MPDUs), and PLCP (physical layer convergence procedure) protocol data units (PPDUs). The term “A-MPDU” may mean aggregated MPDUs.

[0047] In the following description, many specific details, such as examples of specific components, circuits, and processes, are presented to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. As used herein, the term “connected” means being directly connected or being connected through one or more intervening components or circuits. The term “connected access point” means an access point to which a given station is currently associated and / or connected (e.g., there exists a communication channel or link established between the access point and the given station). Additionally, in the following description and for illustrative purposes, specific nomenclature is presented to provide a thorough understanding of exemplary embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these specific details may not be necessary to carry out the exemplary embodiments. In other cases, to avoid obscuring the present disclosure, well-known circuits and devices are illustrated in block diagram form.

[0048] Specific terms used in the following description are provided to aid in understanding the present disclosure, and the use of such specific terms may be modified in other forms without departing from the technical spirit of the present disclosure.

[0049] The operating principles of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In describing the present disclosure below, specific descriptions of related known functions or configurations will be omitted if it is determined that such detailed descriptions would unnecessarily obscure the essence of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the terms described below are defined in consideration of their functions in the present disclosure, and these may vary depending on the intentions or practices of the user or operator. Therefore, their definitions should be based on the content throughout this specification.

[0050] FIG. 1a illustrates a communication system including an access point and a station.

[0051] Referring to FIG. 1a, the communication system (100) may include a wireless local area network (WLAN) (150) composed of a plurality of wireless access points (APs) (110, 115) and a plurality of stations (STAs) (or electronic devices) (120, 125). For convenience of explanation, FIG. 1 only shows two access points (APs) (110, 115) and two stations (STAs) (120, 125), but the WLAN (150) may include any number of access points (APs) and any number of stations (STAs).

[0052] A station (STA) (120, 125) may include at least one transceiver, at least one processor, and / or at least one memory. The at least one memory may include a non-temporary computer-readable medium that stores instructions for an access point (AP) (110, 115) to perform operations according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0053] An access point (AP) (110, 115) may be a device that enables one or more stations (STAs) to access a network (e.g., a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN) and / or the Internet) using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or any other suitable communication technology. The access point (AP) (110, 115) may include at least one transceiver, at least one processor, and / or at least one memory. The at least one memory may include a non-temporary computer-readable medium that stores instructions for the access point (AP) (110, 115) to perform operations according to embodiments of the present disclosure. According to one embodiment, the access point (AP) (110, 115) may be implemented as a hardware device or a software device.

[0054] At least one transceiver included in an access point (AP) (110, 115) and / or a station (STA) (120, 125) may include a Wi-Fi transceiver, a Bluetooth transceiver, a cellular transceiver, and / or other suitable radio frequency (RF) transceiver for transmitting and / or receiving signals. Each transceiver may communicate with other wireless devices in distinct operating frequency bands and / or using distinct communication protocols. For example, a Wi-Fi transceiver may communicate within the 2.4 GHz frequency band and / or the 5 GHz frequency band in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard.

[0055] The first station (120) may be connected to the first access point (110) via the first channel (e.g., channel 36 of 5 GHz), and the second station (125) may be connected to the second access point (115) via the second channel (e.g., channel 52 of 5 GHz). The first station (120) may be connected to the second station (125) via Wi-Fi Aware (or NAN) via the third channel (e.g., channel 6 of 2 GHz).

[0056] In the present disclosure, the channel used by a station (120, 125) when communicating with an access point (110, 115) may be referred to as an AP channel, and the channel used when communicating between stations (120, 125) may be referred to as a Wi-Fi Aware channel (or aware channel).

[0057] The following describes the hotspot service.

[0058] A hotspot refers to an area where a terminal provides services, such as the Internet, to other terminals (e.g., smartphones, laptops, tablet PCs, etc.) via a WLAN (wireless local area network). Services for such a hotspot may be provided through a fixed access point (AP) or through a mobile AP. The mobile AP may include a device that provides a mobile hotspot service. The hotspot service provided by the mobile AP may be referred to as a mobile hotspot or a mobile hotspot service. The mobile hotspot can complement the coverage area of ​​a fixed AP or a cellular network service. Furthermore, the mobile hotspot can provide stability to the terminal by enabling a terminal moving at high speed to perform communication without operations such as handover.

[0059] FIG. 1b illustrates an example of a wireless environment in which an electronic device provides a hotspot as a mobile access point.

[0060] As illustrated in FIG. 1b, the wireless environment (130) may include a base station (140), a mobile AP (150), and a terminal (station, STA) (160).

[0061] The base station (140) may be a base station for cellular communication. The base station (140) may communicate with the mobile AP (150) using a cellular communication path. For example, the base station (140) may transmit traffic to the mobile AP (150) via a downlink (170). For example, the base station (140) may receive traffic from the mobile AP (150) via an uplink (175).

[0062] Depending on the communication standard or communication method, the base station (140) may be referred to by terms such as "base station," "base station (eNB, evolved node B)," or "access point."

[0063] The mobile AP (150) may be a device that receives services from the base station (140). For example, the mobile AP (150) may be a terminal that receives services from the base station (140) by subscribing to cellular communication. In one embodiment, the mobile AP (150) may create a hotspot based on the cellular communication service received from the base station (140). For example, the mobile AP (150) may provide a hotspot service to the terminal (160), etc., by activating the tethering or hostspot function of the mobile AP (150).

[0064] In one embodiment, the mobile AP (150) may be a device that provides Wi-Fi services directly without receiving services from the base station (140). For example, the mobile AP (150) may include a device that provides a hotspot to the terminal (160), etc., using a service such as Wi-Fi direct.

[0065] In one embodiment, the mobile AP (150) may be a device capable of using proximity communication or peer-to-peer (P2P) communication functions. For example, the mobile AP (150) may communicate with the terminal (160), etc., via Bluetooth, Zigbee, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), etc.

[0066] The terminal (160) may be a device that receives Wi-Fi service from the mobile AP (150) without receiving service from the base station (140). For example, the terminal (160) may include a mobile phone, smartphone, music player, portable game console, navigation system, laptop computer, etc., that performs wireless communication with another entity (peer) without subscribing to cellular communication.

[0067] For example, the terminal (160) may be a mobile phone, smartphone, music player, portable game console, navigation system, laptop computer, etc., that performs wireless communication with another entity (peer) while the cellular communication function is disabled.

[0068] The above terminal (160) may be a device capable of using proximity communication or P2P (peer-to-peer) communication functions. For example, the above terminal (160) may communicate with the above mobile AP (150), etc., through Bluetooth, Zigbee, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), WiFi, WiFi Aware, etc.

[0069] In one embodiment, the mobile AP (150) and the terminal (160) can transmit and receive messages, signals, information, packets, etc. through a proximity communication path (180). The proximity communication path (180) may be a path through which the mobile AP (150) and the terminal (160) communicate directly. For example, the proximity communication path (160) may be a communication path using a communication method such as Bluetooth, Zigbee, BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy), WiFi, or WiFi Aware.

[0070] The mobile AP (150) and the terminal (160) can transmit and receive messages, signals, information, packets, data, etc. through a path (170) on the hotspot. In one embodiment, the mobile AP (150) can provide a hotspot service to the terminal (160). For example, the terminal (160) can receive traffic or data from another entity (peer) from the mobile AP (150) through a path (185) on the hotspot. For example, the terminal (160) can transmit traffic or data for the other entity to the mobile AP (150) through a path (185) on the hotspot.

[0071] FIG. 2a illustrates the operation of an access point and a station for establishing a Wi-Fi connection.

[0072] Referring to FIG. 2a, the station (220) can transmit or broadcast a probe request message to the access point (210) (S201). For example, the probe request message may include information regarding at least one communication capability supported by the station (220).

[0073] The access point (210) can transmit a probe response message in response to the probe request message (S202). Upon receiving the probe response message, the station (220) can transmit an authentication request message to the access point (210) (S203). The access point (210) transmits an authentication response message to the station (220) in response to the authentication request message (S204), and the authentication procedure between the access point (210) and the station (220) can be completed.

[0074] When the authentication process is completed, the station (220) can send an association request message to the access point (210) (S205). For example, the association request message may include information regarding at least one capability (e.g., according to IEEE 802.11 standards) to be used for data communication between the station (220) and the access point (210). The access point (210) can generate an association ID for the station (220) and send an association response message to the station (220) (S206).

[0075] FIG. 2b illustrates the operation of a first electronic device and a second electronic device for a Wi-Fi Aware connection.

[0076] Referring to FIG. 2b, when the first station (230) and the second station (240) decide to proceed with a Wi-Fi Aware (or NAN) connection, the first station (230) can send at least one discovery beacon message to the second station (240) for synchronization (S211, S212). The first station (230) can send a synchronization beacon message to the second station (240) (S213). The second station (240) can scan at least one discovery beacon message and one synchronization beacon message and perform synchronization with the first station (230).

[0077] The first station (230) transmits a service discovery frame (SDF) publish message to the second station (240) for service discovery (S214), and the second station (240) can transmit an SDF follow-up message corresponding to the SDF publish message to the first station (230) (S215).

[0078] The second station (240) sends a data path request message to the first station (230) for NDP (NAN data path) setup (S216), and the first station (230) can send a data path response message to the second station (240) (S217). The second station (240) sends a data path confirm message to the first station (230) (S218), and the first station (230) can send a data path key installment message to the second station (240) (S219).

[0079] Once the NDP setup is complete, the first station (230) and the second station (240) can establish a NAN connection (S220).

[0080] According to one embodiment, the first station (230) and the second station (240) may exchange information regarding quality of service (QoS) before the NDP setup procedure. According to one embodiment, the information regarding QoS may be included in the QoS field of an SDF message (e.g., an SDF Publish message, an SDF Subscribe message, and / or an SDF Follow-up message).

[0081] According to one embodiment, the first station (230) and the second station (240) may exchange time synchronization function (TSF) information in a service discovery procedure (e.g., S214 and / or S215) to optimize AP and Wi-Fi Aware scheduling. According to one embodiment, the first station (230) and the second station (240) may perform one-hop data transmission (e.g., QuickShare function).

[0082] Figure 2c shows examples of various nodes included in a cluster.

[0083] Each of the nodes illustrated in FIG. 2 can be implemented as an electronic device (or Wi-Fi aware device). Referring to FIG. 2, each of the electronic devices can be distinguished by device role as an anchor master node (250), NAN master nodes (260a, 260b, 260c), sink nodes (270a, 270b), and non-sink nodes (280a, 280b, 280c).

[0084] The anchor master node (250) can communicate with the sink nodes (270a, 270b) and NAN master node (260b) within the coverage area through the discovery method of FIG. 2b. The anchor master node (250) can provide a time reference for synchronization. The anchor master node (250) and the NAN master nodes (260a, 260b, 260c) can transmit discovery beacons and synchronization beacons.

[0085] The sink nodes (270a, 270b) can transmit synchronous beacons as Non-Master nodes. The non-sink nodes (280a, 280b, 280c) can not transmit synchronous beacons as Non-Master nodes. The anchor master node (250) is restricted from direct communication with nodes located outside the coverage (290) and can communicate with nodes located outside the coverage through hops via a connection with another master node.

[0086] The roles and states of nodes may change according to the master rank (MR) included in the cluster. In one embodiment, the master rank may be calculated as a combination of Master Preference, Random Number, and MAC address. A high value may be assigned to the Master Preference in the case of a Powered Device. Information regarding the master rank may be exchanged between nodes within the cluster via beacons. The node with the highest master rank may serve as the anchor master node.

[0087] Figure 3 shows an example of device and service discovery operation of an electronic device.

[0088] Referring to Fig. 3, the process of synchronizing time and channels can be performed between NAN electronic devices included in the cluster.

[0089] In FIG. 3, at least one electronic device included in the cluster can transmit at least one discovery beacon (300) according to the NAN standard. At least one electronic device can transmit at least one synchronization beacon (310) and / or at least one service discovery frame (SDF) (320) within a discovery window (DW) (340) occupying 16 time units (TU) according to the NAN standard. In one embodiment, at least one discovery beacon (300) can be transmitted over a fixed channel, and in the 2.4 GHz band, it can be transmitted using, for example, Ch.6. In one embodiment, at least one discovery beacon (300) may optionally be transmitted in the 5 GHz band, based on Ch.140, but Ch.44 may be used in the low band (e.g., 5.150 - 5.250 GHz).

[0090] According to one embodiment, the DW (340) may occupy 16 TU, and the DW interval (350), which is the time interval between DWs (340), may occupy 512 TU. According to one embodiment, the discovery beacon interval (360), which indicates the transmission interval of at least one discovery beacon (300), may occupy 50 to 200 TU. The time at which the electronic device performs discovery may be dependent on the DW interval (350).

[0091] According to one embodiment, at least one synchronization beacon (310) may be a signal for maintaining synchronization (e.g., time clock synchronization) between electronic devices included in a cluster. At least one synchronization beacon (310) may include at least one piece of information associated with synchronization between electronic devices.

[0092] For example, at least one synchronous beacon (310) may include at least one of the following: a frame control (FC) field indicating the function (e.g., beacon) of the signal, a broadcast address, a media access control (MAC) address of the electronic device that transmitted at least one synchronous beacon (310), a cluster identifier, a sequence control field, a time stamp for the beacon frame, a beacon interval field indicating the interval between the start points of the synchronized communication intervals, or capability information of the electronic device that transmitted at least one synchronous beacon (310).

[0093] At least one sync beacon (310) may include an information element related to at least one proximity network, and may include, for example, service-related content that can be provided based on the proximity network. According to the NAN specification, at least one sync beacon (310) may be transmitted by an electronic device defined as an anchor master device, a master device, or a non-master sync device among at least one electronic device in a cluster.

[0094] According to one embodiment, at least one service discovery frame (320) may be a signal for advertising a service between at least one electronic device in a cluster and exchanging information related to the service based on a proximity network. According to the NAN specification, at least one service discovery frame (320) may be a vendor-specific public action frame and may include various fields. For example, at least one service discovery frame (320) may include an information element related to at least one proximity network.

[0095] According to one embodiment, at least one electronic device may transmit at least one discovery beacon (300) within a section other than the DW section (340). The at least one discovery beacon (300) may be a signal of a cluster advertisement function transmitted so that at least one electronic device that has not joined the cluster can discover the cluster.

[0096] According to one embodiment, at least one electronic device that is not participating in the cluster can discover the cluster and participate in the cluster by performing a passive scan to detect at least one discovery beacon (300) transmitted from at least one electronic device participating in the cluster.

[0097] According to one embodiment, at least one discovery beacon (300) may include at least one piece of information for synchronizing with a cluster. According to one embodiment, the discovery beacon (300) may include at least one of a frame control (FC) field indicating the function (e.g., beacon) of a signal, a broadcast address, a media access control (MAC) address of an electronic device that transmitted at least one discovery beacon (300), a cluster identifier, a sequence control field, a time stamp for a beacon frame, a discovery beacon interval field indicating the transmission interval of at least one discovery beacon (300), or capability information of an electronic device that transmitted at least one discovery beacon (300). According to one embodiment, at least one discovery beacon (300) may include at least one information element related to a proximity network.

[0098] In one embodiment, electronic devices within a cluster may transmit and receive discovery beacons (300), synchronization beacons (310), and / or service discovery frames (320) every DW cycle (350). In this case, when the electronic device utilizes 2.4 GHz, even if it is exchanging data in Ch.1 or Ch.11, it may need to move to and stay in Ch. 6 during the DW period. Accordingly, switching to a social channel designated for synchronization may be a major factor in increasing delay.

[0099] Figure 4 illustrates an example of an electronic device acting as a subscriber operating on a fixed channel during unsynchronized service discovery (USD) operation of electronic devices.

[0100] The Publisher (400) and Subscriber (410) illustrated in FIG. 4 may include electronic devices that perform Wi-Fi Aware communication, such as the first station (120) and second station (125) described in FIG. 1a. The Publisher (400) and Subscriber (410) illustrated in FIG. 4 may include NAN function-supported electronic devices that perform service discovery in an unsynchronized state. That is, the electronic devices may not belong to the same NAN cluster or may belong to different clusters.

[0101] Figure 4 illustrates the operation in which a Publisher (400) can transmit (or broadcast) an Unsolicited NAN SDF (service discovery frame) Publish message on a single channel or multiple channels, but a Subscriber (410) stays on a single channel and waits to receive an Unsolicited NAN SDF Publish message.

[0102] In operations 420 and 423, the Publisher (400) and the Subscriber (410) can initiate an unsynchronized service discovery (USD) operation.

[0103] In operation 437, the Publisher (400) can send (or broadcast) an Unsolicited NAN SDF (service discovery frame) Publish message to the default Publish channel (435) while in a single-channel Publish state (430). The Subscriber (410) can stay on the single channel (425) and wait to receive an Unsolicited NAN SDF Publish message.

[0104] If the Publisher (400) does not receive a response message for the Unsolicited NAN SDF Publish message, it switches to a multi-channel Publish state (440) and can transmit (or broadcast) at least one Unsolicited NAN SDF publish message on at least one channel included in the Publish Channel List (445) in operation 447.

[0105] If the Publisher (400) does not receive a response message for the Unsolicited NAN SDF Publish message, it switches back to the single-channel Publish state (450), and in operation 457, the Publisher (400) can transmit (or broadcast) the Unsolicited NAN SDF publish message on the default Publish channel (defaultPublishchannel) (435).

[0106] If the Publisher (400) does not receive a response message for the Unsolicited NAN SDF Publish message, it switches to a multi-channel Publish state (460) and, in operation 467, can transmit (or broadcast) at least one Unsolicited NAN SDF Publish message on at least one channel included in the publishChannelList. In operation 470, if the Publisher (400) transmits the Unsolicited NAN SDF Publish message on the Subscriber (410)'s receiving channel (425), the Subscriber (410) can receive the Unsolicited NAN SDF Publish message.

[0107] In operation 475, the Subscriber (410) may send a NAN SDF Follow-up message to the Publisher (400) in response to receiving the Unsolicited NAN SDF Publish message (470). In one embodiment, the NAN SDF Follow-up message may not include service-specific information in the service descriptor extension attribute (SDEA). In operation 480, the Publisher (400) and the Subscriber (410) may send and receive NAN SDF Follow-up messages. In one embodiment, the NAN SDF Follow-up message may include service-specific information in the SDEA.

[0108] In operation 485, the Publisher (400) can stop the USD operation.

[0109] Meanwhile, in addition to the operation illustrated in FIG. 4, the Publisher (400) may receive an Unsolicited NAN SDF (service discovery frame) Subscribe message on a single channel or multiple channels, and the Subscriber (410) may transmit an Unsolicited NAN SDF Subscribe message on a single channel. In this case, since the channel through which the Subscriber (410) transmits the Unsolicited NAN SDF Subscribe message is the same as the channel through which the Publisher (400) operates, when the Publisher (400) receives the Unsolicited NAN SDF Subscribe message, the Publisher (400) may transmit an Unsolicited NAN SDF Publish message to the Subscriber (410). Subsequently, the Publisher (400) and the Subscriber (410) may transmit and receive NAN SDF Follow-up messages. In one embodiment, the NAN SDF Follow-up message may include service-specific information in the SDEA.

[0110] Figure 5 shows an example of an electronic device acting as a publisher operating on a fixed channel during USD operation of electronic devices.

[0111] The Subscriber (500) and Publisher (500) illustrated in FIG. 5 may include electronic devices that perform Wi-Fi Aware communication, such as the first station (120) and second station (125) described in FIG. 1.

[0112] FIG. 5 illustrates the operation in which a Subscriber (500) can transmit an Unsolicited NAN SDF (service discovery frame) Subscribe message on a single channel or multiple channels, but a Publisher (500) stays on a single channel and receives an Unsolicited NAN SDF Subscribe message.

[0113] Subscriber (500) and Publisher (500) can initiate unsynchronized service discovery (USD) operations.

[0114] In operation 537, the Subscriber (500) can transmit an Active NAN SDF (service discovery frame) Subscribe message on the default Publish channel (defaultPublishChannel) (535) while in a single channel state (530). The Publisher (510) can remain in the single channel (525) and wait to receive the Active NAN SDF Subscribe message. The default Publish channel (defaultPublishChannel) may be defined as the channel through which the Subscriber (500) transmits the Active NAN SDF (service discovery frame) Subscribe message while in a single channel state (530). In one embodiment, the channel through which the Subscriber (500) transmits the Active NAN SDF (service discovery frame) Subscribe message while in a single channel state (530) may be defined as the default Subscribe channel (defaultSubscribeChannel).

[0115] If the Subscriber (500) does not receive a response message for the Active NAN SDF Subscribe message, the Subscriber (500) switches to a multi-channel state (540) and can transmit at least one Active NAN SDF Subscribe message on at least one channel (545) included in the publishChannelList in operation 547. The publishChannelList refers to a list of channels through which the Subscriber (500) transmits Active NAN SDF (service discovery frame) Subscribe messages in the multi-channel state and may be defined. In one embodiment, the list of channels through which the Subscriber (500) transmits Active NAN SDF (service discovery frame) Subscribe messages in the single-channel state (530) may be defined as the default SubscribeChannelList.

[0116] If the Subscriber (500) does not receive a response message for the Active NAN SDF Subscribe message, it switches to a single channel state (550) and can send an Active NAN SDF Subscribe message on the default Publish channel (defaultPublishchannel) (535) in operation 557.

[0117] If the Subscriber (500) does not receive a response message for the Active NAN SDF Subscribe message, it switches to a multi-channel state (560) and can transmit at least one Active NAN SDF Subscribe message on at least one channel included in the publishChannelList in operation 567. If the Subscriber (500) transmits the Active NAN SDF Subscribe message on the Publisher (510)'s receiving channel (525) in operation 570, the Publisher (510) can receive the Active NAN SDF Subscribe message.

[0118] In operation 580, if the Publisher (510) is not required to follow up with a message, it may send a Solicited NAN SDF Publish message to the Subscriber (500) in response to receiving the Active NAN SDF Subscribe message (570). In this case, the Subscriber (500) may complete the discovery process.

[0119] In operation 585, the Publisher (510) may send a NAN SDF Follow-up message to the Subscriber (500) if a Follow-up message is required. In one embodiment, the NAN SDF Follow-up message may not include service-specific information in the SDEA (service descriptor extension attribute).

[0120] In operation 590, the Subscriber (500) and the Publisher (500) can send and receive NAN SDF Follow-up messages. In one embodiment, the NAN SDF Follow-up message may include service specific info in the SDEA.

[0121] Meanwhile, in addition to the operation illustrated in FIG. 5, the Subscriber (500) may receive a NAN SDF (service discovery frame) Publish message on a single channel or multiple channels, and the Publisher (510) may transmit a NAN SDF Publish message on a single channel. In this case, since the channel through which the Publisher (510) transmits the NAN SDF Publish message is the same as the channel through which the Subscriber (500) operates, when the Subscriber (500) receives the NAN SDF Publish message, the Subscriber (500) may transmit a NAN SDF Subscribe message to the Publisher (510). Subsequently, the Subscriber (500) and the Publisher (510) may transmit and receive NAN SDF Follow-up messages. In one embodiment, the NAN SDF Follow-up message may include service-specific information in the SDEA.

[0122] Figure 6 shows an example of an NDL (NAN device link) schedule setup operation for data communication in Wi-Fi Aware communication.

[0123] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating how an NDP (NAN data path) initiator and an NDP responder propose an NDL schedule for data communication between electronic devices in Wi-Fi Aware communication.

[0124] The NDL scheduling operation consists of an action between a NDP (NAN data path) initiator and an NDP responder. When the NDP initiator establishes a new NDP together with the NDP responder, if there is no existing NDL schedule between the two NAN devices, a new NDL schedule can be established. The NDL schedule can be uniquely identified by the NMI (NAN Management Interface) addresses of the two NAN devices establishing the NDL.

[0125] Referring to FIG. 6, the NDL schedule proposed by the NDP initiator and the NDP responder may include a discovery window (DW) (610) and further availability windows (FAW). The FAW may refer to a window for a time interval for exchanging data and may include a potential further availability window, a conditional FAW (620), and a committed FAW (630).

[0126] The configured NDL schedule consists of one or more NDL CRBs (common resource blocks) (615), which may be included in the overlapping portion of the committed FAW proposed by two NAN devices having the same base channel. The two NAN devices can verify whether the NDL schedule contains enough NDL CRBs to support the new NDP. Once the two NAN devices configure the NDL, they can update the NDL schedule if necessary.

[0127] Figure 7 shows an example of a common resource block (NDL) configuration for data communication in Wi-Fi Aware communication.

[0128] FIG. 7 illustrates the result of a FAW setup between NAN devices (STAs) having an NDL CRB. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an NDC schedule defined in the Wi-Fi Alliance Wi-Fi Aware Specification related to the present disclosure, and the contents described in Section 6.2.3.2 of the Wi-Fi Alliance Wi-Fi Aware Specification (version 3.2) may be applied.

[0129] Meanwhile, demand for services requiring low latency and high bandwidth using short-range communication between terminals (e.g., XR (extended reality) services) is expected to increase. However, Wi-Fi Aware communication is specialized for power-saving operations to satisfy low-power requirements, so performance needs to be improved to provide new services requiring low latency and high bandwidth. Table 1 below shows an example of the requirements for an XR service, which is one of the services requiring low latency and high bandwidth.

[0130] Video FramesThroughput100 Mbps to 200 Mbps (4k / 8k @ 72-120 HzLatencyP75 < 5 ms, P95 < 50 msPose / IMU / Controller button presses (HMD to PC)Throughput2 MbpsLatencyP90 < 2 ms; P99.9 < 10 msMIC Audio (HMD to PC) Throughput< 1 MbpsLatencyP90 < 10 ms, P99.9 < 15 msHaptics (PC to HMD)LatencyP90 < 10 ms, P99.9 < 15 msAudio (PC to HMD)Throughput2 MbpsLatencyP90 < 10 ms, P99.9 < 15 ms

[0131] Referring to Table 1, for example, in the case of MIC Audio (HDM to PC), the delay requirements are P90 < 10ms (i.e., 90% of the terminals using the service satisfy the delay condition of 10ms or less) and P99 < 15ms (i.e., 99% of the terminals using the service satisfy the delay condition of 15ms or less). However, in the case of Wi-Fi Aware communication, as described in FIG. 3, social channel switching is essential to operate a discovery window (e.g., 16 TU) every discovery window interval (e.g., 512 TU), so the above delay requirements may not be satisfied. To solve this problem, the present disclosure proposes a method of using a hotspot link provided by a mobile access point's hotspot service as a data path in Wi-Fi Aware communication. Due to the method proposed in the present disclosure, the performance of Wi-Fi Aware communication, which had limitations as it was previously optimized for power saving, can be improved. The present disclosure proposes a method for providing relevant information so that mobile access can be discovered through service discovery of Wi-Fi Aware communication when a link provided by a mobile access point in Wi-Fi Aware communication is used as a data path.

[0132] FIG. 8a is a diagram illustrating an operation using a mobile access link during Wi-Fi Aware communication according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0133] Referring to FIG. 8a, the operation between a first electronic device (800) operating as a NAN electronic device and a mobile access point and a second electronic device (810) which is a NAN electronic device is illustrated. The first electronic device (800) and the second electronic device (810) may be connected via a NDL (NAN device link) (820) and a mobile access point link (830). The NDL (820) may include a connection via a Wi-Fi Aware channel as described in FIG. 1a.

[0134] In one embodiment, the first electronic device (800) and the second electronic device (810) may be connected via a channel via proximity communication or peer-to-peer (P2P) communication as described in FIG. 1b, including a connection via a Wi-Fi Aware channel. In one embodiment, the mobile access point link (830) may refer to a path on a hotspot as described in FIG. 1b.

[0135] The above mobile access point link (830) may correspond to an IDP (IEEE data path) that can be established between NAN devices. An IDP (IEEE data path) refers to a data path created by establishing an AP-STA data link based on the IEEE 802.11 standard between NAN devices. The IDP extends the operation of the Infrastructure BSS (Basic Service Set) defined in IEEE 802.11 for data transmission between NAN devices, thereby supporting stable and efficient data communication even in a NAN environment.

[0136] Paired NAN devices can perform the role of either a NAN IDP AP or a NAN IDP STA during IDP setup. A NAN IDP AP provides BSS functions and services for connected NAN IDP STAs and manages a single SSID and a single security domain. A NAN IDP STA performs the functions of an IEEE 802.11 non-AP STA and performs data transmission by pairing with a NAN IDP AP. In FIG. 8a, the first electronic device (800) operating as a mobile access point may correspond to a NAN IDP AP or an IDP AP, and the second electronic device (810) using the mobile access point may correspond to a NAN IDP STA or an IDP STA.

[0137] In one embodiment, the first electronic device (800) and the second electronic device (810) may establish an NDL and use a mobile access point link (830) as a data path. In one embodiment, the first electronic device (800) may transmit a frame containing information indicating that a mobile access point-related service is provided to the second electronic device (810) via the Aware NDL (820).

[0138] FIG. 8b is a drawing showing an example of a peer-to-peer (P2P) multi-like device (MLD) structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0139] A "multi-link device (MLD)" may refer to a device capable of performing Multi-Link Operations (MLO), that is, an access point or station capable of performing MLO in a wireless LAN system. "Multi-Link Operations (MLO)" refers to the creation and utilization of multiple links across multiple different frequency bands and channels. Stations and access points can improve performance in terms of latency and network throughput by operating multiple Wi-Fi interfaces across multiple bands (e.g., 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 6 GHz) together. Access points and stations that are multi-link devices may be referred to as "AP MLDs" and "non-AP MLDs."

[0140] An AP MLD may contain one or more APs, and a non-AP MLD may contain one or more STAs (non-AP STAs), and independent links can be created between the included APs and STAs. The APs and STAs included within the AP MLD and non-AP MLD may have independent Lower MAC layers and PHY layers, while sharing the same Upper MAC. For example, multiple APs within an AP MLD may share an upper MAC (medium access control) (U-MAC) layer (and / or an LLC (logical link control) layer), and each AP may include a lower MAC (L-MAC) layer and a PHY layer. For example, multiple STAs within a non-AP MLD may share a U-MAC layer (and / or an LLC layer), and each STA may include an L-MAC layer and a PHY layer.

[0141] The above U-MAC can be used to perform functions such as MSDU (MAC service data unit) aggregation, sequence number assignment, encryption, duplicate detection, and traffic identifier to link mapping. The above L-MAC layer can be used to perform functions such as channel access, MPDU (MAC packet data unit) creation, modulation and coding scheme selection (link adaptation), and ARQ.

[0142] Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 8a, when performing a P2P connection between electronic devices, it is necessary to apply multiple links to the P2P terminal as well, and the P2P device that is a multiple link device can be referred to as a "P2P MLD".

[0143] Referring to FIG. 8b, the P2P MLD (840, 870) may include at least one P2P (850, 890), and independent links between the included P2Ps can be created. In one embodiment, the links between the P2Ps may include links based on Wi-Fi Aware or Wi-Fi Direct communication. In one embodiment, the P2P MLD (840, 870) may include at least one P2P L-MAC layer and at least one P2P PHY layer. In one embodiment, the P2P MLD (840, 870) may include at least one AP (860) or at least one STA (non-AP STA) (880), and independent links between the included AP (860) and STA (880) can be created, respectively.

[0144] In one embodiment, P2P and AP or P2P and STA included in a P2P MLD may share the same Upper MAC while having independent L-MAC and PHY layers. For example, P2P (850) and AP (860) included in a P2P MLD (840) may share a U-MAC layer (and / or LLC layer), and each P2P (850) and AP (860) may include an L-MAC layer and a PHY layer. For example, P2P (890) and STA (880) included in a P2P MLD (870) may share a U-MAC layer (and / or LLC layer), and each P2P (890) and STA (880) may include an L-MAC layer and a PHY layer.

[0145] In one embodiment, Wi-Fi Aware or Wi-Fi Direct communication may be used for links between P2Ps (850, 890) included in the P2P MLD (840, 870). The U-MAC / LLC layer and L-MAC layer included in the P2P MLD (840, 870) may include functions more specialized for P2P than the functions of the U-MAC / LLC layer and L-MAC layer included in the AP MLD and non-AP MLD. For example, if the connection between P2Ps is a connection via Wi-Fi Aware communication, the L-MAC may support a NAN MAC, and the U-MAC / LLC may support functions other than the MAC within the NAN engine.

[0146] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the operation of operating Wi-Fi Aware communication and mobile access point communication channels on a single channel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0147] FIG. 9 illustrates that when an electronic device operates a channel for NDL (NAN device link) and a channel for mobile access link simultaneously, each operation is performed on a separate channel.

[0148] Referring to FIG. 9, the electronic device may operate a NAN discovery channel (e.g., Ch. 6) (900), a NAN data channel (e.g., Ch. 1) (910), and a mobile access point channel (e.g., Ch. 11) (920). In this case, the electronic device may use the NAN discovery channel (e.g., Ch. 6) (900) for the discovery window (930), use the NAN data channel (e.g., Ch. 1) (910) for the FAW (950), and operate as a mobile access point (940, 960) on the mobile access point channel (e.g., Ch. 11) (920) at other times (e.g., slot).

[0149] In this case, channel switching to a social channel (NAN discovery channel (e.g., Ch. 6) (900)) may be performed for the purpose of Aware Discovery.

[0150] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the operation of operating Wi-Fi Aware communication and mobile access point communication channels on a single channel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0151] Referring to FIG. 10, the electronic device can operate the Aware Channel (NAN Discovery Channel and NAN Data Channel) and the Mobile Access Point Channel as a single channel (1000). In this case, the electronic device can operate the Discovery Window (930) and FAW (950) on the same channel as the Mobile Access Point Channel. In one embodiment, the electronic device can operate as a Mobile Access Point (1020, 1040) during times other than when it is used as the Discovery Window (930) and FAW (950) on the Mobile Access Point Channel.

[0152] In this case, the electronic device may not perform channel switching to a social channel for the purpose of Awair discovery. In one embodiment, the electronic device may use the mobile access point channel as the same as the Awair channel, and the mobile access point primary channel may be the Awair discovery channel. In one embodiment, the electronic device may have the mobile access point total bandwidth (e.g., 80 MHz) as the same as the Awair data channel. Even in this case, the primary channel of the Awair channel may be used as the same as the primary channel of the mobile access point. For example, even if the Wi-Fi bandwidth increases to 20 MHz, 40 MHz, or 60 MHz, the channel maintained or used as the main channel may be only the primary channel.

[0153] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a type in which a time slot is shared when operating a Wi-Fi Aware communication channel and a mobile access point communication channel on a single channel according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0154] Referring to FIG. 11, the electronic device can operate the Aware Channel (NAN Discovery Channel and NAN Data Channel) and the Mobile Access Point Channel as a single channel (1100). In this case, the electronic device can operate the Discovery Window and FAW on the same channel as the Mobile Access Point Channel.

[0155] Referring to FIG. 11 (a), the electronic device can operate as a mobile access point in all time slots, including a discovery window (1110) and an FAW (1115) that performs awareness communication (1120). That is, all time slots that perform awareness communication and time slots that operate as a mobile access point may overlap.

[0156] Referring to FIG. 11 (b), the electronic device can operate as a mobile access point (1140) in time slots excluding the discovery window (1130) that performs awareness communication. That is, the time slots excluding the discovery window (1130) in the time slots that perform awareness communication may overlap with the time slots that operate as a mobile access point.

[0157] Referring to FIG. 11 (c), the electronic device can operate as a mobile access point in time slots excluding the discovery window (1150) and FAW (1170) that perform Aware communication (1160, 1180). That is, the time slots excluding the discovery window (1150) and FAW (1170) of the time slots that perform Aware communication may overlap with the time slots that operate as a mobile access point.

[0158] In one embodiment, the electronic device can determine time slots for operating mobile access points simultaneously by taking into account channel congestion caused by competition in the discovery window or FAW interval.

[0159] In this case, when operating communication between the mobile access point and Awair on a single channel, the master preference in the NAN cluster can be set to a high value. For synchronization between the mobile access point segment and the Awair segment, the NAN device acting as the mobile access point can function as an anchor master node to provide a time reference.

[0160] FIG. 12 illustrates an example of an operation in which an electronic device acting as a Subscriber provides a mobile access link during USD operation of electronic devices according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0161] FIG. 12 illustrates a case in which the first electronic device (1207), acting as the Publisher (1200) in a USD procedure between the first electronic device (1207) and the second electronic device (1217), which are NAN devices, transmits an Unsolicited NAN SDF Publish message over multiple channels, and the second electronic device (1217), acting as the Subscriber (1210), waits for the reception of an Unsolicited NAN SDF Publish message over a single channel. In this case, the second electronic device (1217), acting as the Subscriber (1210) that does not move channels (i.e. does not hop channels), can simultaneously operate a mobile access point (1215) during awair communication. In this case, the channel (1250) operated by the second electronic device (1217) as the awair communication channel may be the same as the mobile access point channel (1290). The USD procedure illustrated in FIG. 12 can be applied to the USD procedure illustrated in FIG. 4, and the description of the operation described in FIG. 4 can be applied, and redundant descriptions are omitted in this figure.

[0162] In operation 1237, a first electronic device (1207) acting as a Publisher (1200) can transmit (or broadcast) an Unsolicited NAN SDF (service discovery frame) Publish message to a default Publish channel (1235) while in a single-channel Publish state (1230). A second electronic device (1217) acting as a Subscriber (1210) can remain in a single channel (1250) and wait to receive an Unsolicited NAN SDF Publish message. In one embodiment, the Unsolicited NAN SDF (service discovery frame) Publish message may include service-related information of a mobile access point. In one embodiment, the Unsolicited NAN SDF (service discovery frame) Publish message may include information indicating that the first electronic device (1207) acting as the Publisher (1200) is discovering a service related to a mobile access point.

[0163] If the first electronic device (1207) acting as the Publisher (1200) does not receive a response message for the Unsolicited NAN SDF Publish message, it switches to a multi-channel Publish state (1240) and, in operation 1247, transmits (or broadcasts) at least one Unsolicited NAN SDF publish message on at least one channel included in the publishChannelList (1245). In one embodiment, the Unsolicited NAN SDF (service discovery frame) Publish message may include service-related information of the mobile access point. In one embodiment, the Unsolicited NAN SDF (service discovery frame) Publish message may include information indicating that the first electronic device (1207) acting as the Publisher (1200) is discovering a service related to the mobile access point.

[0164] In operation 1275, a second electronic device (1217) that performs the role of a Subscriber (1210) and includes a mobile AP (1215) may send a NAN SDF Follow-up message to a first electronic device (1207) that performs the role of a Publisher (1200) in response to receiving the Unsolicited NAN SDF Publish message (1270). In one embodiment, the NAN SDF Follow-up message may not include service-specific information in the service descriptor extension attribute (SDEA).

[0165] In operation 1280, the Publisher (1200) and the Subscriber (1210) can send and receive NAN SDF Follow-up messages. In one embodiment, the NAN SDF Follow-up message may include service-specific information in the SDEA. In one embodiment, the NAN SDF Follow-up message may include information indicating that a second electronic device (1217) performing the role of the Subscriber (1210) and including a mobile AP (1215) provides mobile access point-related services. In one embodiment, the information indicating that the second electronic device (1217) performing the role of the Subscriber (1210) and including a mobile AP (1215) provides mobile access-related services may include NAN attributes shown in Tables 2 and 3 described below.

[0166] Unlike what is illustrated in FIG. 12, in a USD procedure between a first electronic device (1207) and a second electronic device (1217) that are NAN devices, if the second electronic device (1217) acting as a Subscriber (1210) transmits a NAN SDF Subscribe message on multiple channels and the first electronic device (1207) acting as a Publisher (1200) waits for the reception of the NAN SDF Subscribe message on a single channel, the first electronic device (1207) acting as a Publisher (1200) can simultaneously operate a mobile access point during AWARE communication. In this case, the channel operated by the first electronic device (1207) as an AWARE communication channel may be the same as the mobile access point channel. In this case, the NAN SDF Subscribe message may include information indicating that the second electronic device (1217) acting as a Subscriber (1210) is discovering a mobile access point-related service.

[0167] The following describes the definition of NAN attributes for indicating whether mobile access points are operating between NAN devices.

[0168] In Wi-Fi Aware communication, when using a link provided by a mobile access point as a data path, it is necessary to provide relevant information so that mobile access can be discovered through service discovery of Wi-Fi Aware communication. In this case, among the NAN devices, a NAN device operating a mobile access point may configure a NAN attribute containing information regarding whether a mobile access point is operated in a frame transmitted between NAN devices, such as a NAN SDF frame or an Action frame. In one embodiment, the NAN SDF frame may include a NAN SDF Publish frame or a NAN SDF Subscribe frame. Table 2 below illustrates an example of an information element included in a NAN attribute included in a frame transmitted by a NAN device.

[0169] FieldSize (Octets)Value (Hex)DescriptionAttribute ID1VariableIdentifies the type of NAN attributeLength2VariableLength of the following fields in the attributeAttribute BodyVariableVariableNAN attribute specific information fields

[0170] Referring to Table 2, a NAN attribute may consist of a 1-octet NAN attribute ID field, a 2-octet length field, and a variable-length attribute body. In this case, an example of a NAN attribute containing information about whether a mobile access point is operational in a frame transmitted between NAN devices can be shown in Table 3 below.

[0171] FieldSize(Octets)ValueDescriptionAttribute ID10x2F (any reserved value can be used)Aware-Assisted Mobile AP Attribute (e.g. 0x2F-0x4B, 0x4D-0xDC, 0xDE-0xFF)Length2VariableLength of the following fields in the attribute (in bytes)Instance ID1VariableThe same value as in the Instance ID field of the associated Service Descriptor attribute.Control2VariableInformation about the fields present and their length.SSIDVariableVariableSSID of Aware-Assisted Mobile APChannel Bitmap0 or 2VariableChannels are for the given Operating Class. One or more channels are defined per Operating Class.If Operating Class less than 131 then -the bit i of the Channel Bitmap is set to one when the ith Channel, in increasing numerical order, of the possible channels within the Operating Class is selected, and set to zero otherwiseElse-Bits [7:0] => Start channel number (indicated by channel center frequency index column / Channel Set column) within the Operating Class selected- Bits [15:8] => Number of channels including start channel number indicated by bits [7:0] and following channels (indicated in channel center frequency index column / Channel set column) within the Operating Class selectedPrimary Channel Bitmap0 or 1VariableIf exactly one bit is set in the Channel Bitmap subfield, then this field indicates the set of selected preferred primary channels. It is reserved otherwise. The detailed setting of Primary Channel Bitmap is shown in Table 101.TBTT0 or 1VariableTarget Beacon Transmission TimeAuthentication Algorithm Number0 or 1Variable0 for Open System, 1 for Shared Key.

[0172] A NAN attribute containing information on whether a mobile access point is operational in a frame transmitted between NAN devices may include at least one of the fields shown in Table 3 above. A 1-octet "Attribute ID" field may include an attribute identifier (ID) indicating that it is an attribute of an aware-assisted mobile access point (Aware-Assisted Mobile AP). For example, the attribute identifier (ID) may include predetermined values ​​such as 0x2F-0x4B, 0x4D-0xDC, 0xDE-0xFF, etc.

[0173] The 2-octet "length" field may contain the length values ​​(e.g., in bytes) of the fields that follow within the attribute.

[0174] The "Instance ID" field of one octet may contain a value identical to the instance ID field of the associated service descriptor attribute, namely, a Publish_ID or Subscribe_ID value. In the case of the Publish_ID, it may contain the instance ID of the published service. For example, if an electronic device provides a hotspot service through a mobile access point, it may randomly assign a specific value (e.g., '2' or '3') to the hotspot service and transmit it. For example, if a NAN device receives a frame containing a NAN attribute containing information about whether the mobile access point is operational from two NAN devices, the NAN device that wishes to receive the hotspot service may include a value indicating the hotspot service contained in the "Instance ID" field of the NAN attribute of the transmitted frame in a follow-up frame and transmit it.

[0175] The 2-octet "Control" field may contain information about the fields existing in the attribute or information about their length.

[0176] The variable-length "SSID (service set identifier)" field may include the service set identifier (SSID) of an aware-assisted mobile access point (aware-assisted mobile AP).

[0177] A "channel bitmap" field of 0 or 2 octets may contain a value representing a channel that services mobile access. The "channel bitmap" field may contain information representing a channel based on an operating class defined in "IEEE Draft Standard P802.11-REVme™ / D1.0, December 2021". If the operating class is less than '131', bit i of the channel bitmap may be set to 1 for the i-th channel among the available channels within the operating class in ascending order, and otherwise set to 0.

[0178] If the operating class is '131' or higher, the bits [7:0] may represent the starting channel number (indicated by the channel center frequency index column / channel set column) within the selected operating class. If the operating class is '131' or higher, the bits [15:8] may represent the number of channels (indicated by the channel center frequency index column / channel set column) following the starting channel number indicated by bits [7:0] within the selected operating class.

[0179] The "primary channel bitmap" field of 0 or 1 octet contains a value representing the primary channel bitmap, and if exactly one bit is set in the channel bitmap subfield, this field may represent a set of selected preferred primary channels. Otherwise, it may be reserved.

[0180] The "TBTT (target beacon transmission time)" field of 0 or 1 octet may indicate the target beacon transmission time and may indicate the time when the first beacon is transmitted as a mobile access point starting from the time when the electronic device broadcasts a frame containing the NAN attribute.

[0181] The "authentication algorithm number" field of 0 or 1 octet may contain information indicating a shared key in the case of an open system.

[0182] In one embodiment, when Wi-Fi Aware communication and mobile access point communication channels are operated on a single channel as described in FIG. 10 and FIG. 1, the NAN attribute transmitted by the electronic device may not include at least one of the "channel bitmap" field, "primary channel bitmap" field, "TBTT (target beacon transmission time)" field, or "authentication algorithm number" field.

[0183] The respective sizes (e.g., byte / bit size) and / or positions of the attribute information element fields shown in Tables 2 and 3 above are merely examples for convenience of explanation, and the sizes and / or positions of each of the said fields may be implemented with various values ​​depending on the design specifications.

[0184] FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a first electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0185] In step 1300, the first electronic device can receive a first frame from the second electronic device on the first channel.

[0186] In step 1310, the first electronic device can transmit a second frame from the first channel to the second electronic device.

[0187] In step 1320, the first electronic device can transmit and receive data with the second electronic device on the first channel using the mobile access point link provided by the first electronic device.

[0188] In one embodiment, at least one of the first frame or the second frame may include information indicating that the first electronic device provides mobile access point-related services. In one embodiment, the first frame may be received in the discovery window of the first channel.

[0189] In one embodiment, the first electronic device can transmit and receive data with the second electronic device in the FAW (further availability window) of the first channel.

[0190] In one embodiment, the mobile access point link may not be provided during a time interval in which at least one of the discovery window or the FAW exists.

[0191] In one embodiment, the mobile access point link may be provided overlappingly during a time interval in which at least one of the discovery window or the FAW exists.

[0192] In one embodiment, the first frame may include an SDF (service discovery frame) Subscribe frame or an SDF Publish frame. In one embodiment, the first frame may be broadcast on multiple channels.

[0193] In one embodiment, the service-related information of the mobile access point may include information indicating that the first electronic device provides a service related to the mobile access point.

[0194] In one embodiment, information indicating that the first electronic device provides a mobile access point-related service may include at least one of an identifier indicating that the first electronic device is an Aware-supported mobile access point, an identifier for the provided mobile access point-related service, and an identifier for the second electronic device.

[0195] In one embodiment, in claim 1, the service-related information of the mobile access point may include information indicating that the second electronic device is discovering a service related to the mobile access point.

[0196] In one embodiment, the first electronic device and the second electronic device may be included in a neighboring awareness networking (NAN) cluster. In one embodiment, the first electronic device may include a NAN device that performs the role of a Subscriber and the second electronic device may include a NAN device that performs the role of a Publisher, or the first electronic device may include a NAN device that performs the role of a Publisher and the second electronic device may include a NAN device that performs the role of a Subscriber.

[0197] FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a second electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0198] In step 1400, the second electronic device can broadcast the first frame on the first channel.

[0199] In step 1410, the second electronic device can receive a second frame from the first electronic device on the first channel.

[0200] In step 1420, the second electronic device can transmit and receive data with the first electronic device on the first channel by using the mobile access point link provided by the first electronic device.

[0201] In one example, at least one of the first frame or the second frame may include service-related information of a mobile access point.

[0202] In one embodiment, the second electronic device can transmit and receive data with the first electronic device in the further availability window (FAW) of the first channel. In one embodiment, the first frame can be received in the discovery window of the first channel.

[0203] In one embodiment, the mobile access point link may not be provided during a time interval in which at least one of the discovery window or the FAW exists.

[0204] In one embodiment, the mobile access point link may be provided overlappingly during a time interval in which at least one of the discovery window or the FAW exists.

[0205] In one embodiment, the first frame may include an SDF (service discovery frame) Subscribe frame or an SDF Publish frame. In one embodiment, the first frame may be broadcast on multiple channels.

[0206] In one embodiment, the service-related information of the mobile access point may include information indicating that the first electronic device provides a service related to the mobile access point.

[0207] In one embodiment, information indicating that the first electronic device provides a mobile access point-related service may include at least one of an identifier indicating that the first electronic device is an Aware-supported mobile access point, an identifier for the provided mobile access point-related service, and an identifier for the second electronic device.

[0208] In one embodiment, in claim 1, the service-related information of the mobile access point may include information indicating that the second electronic device is discovering a service related to the mobile access point.

[0209] In one embodiment, the first electronic device and the second electronic device may be included in a neighboring awareness networking (NAN) cluster. In one embodiment, the first electronic device may include a NAN device that performs the role of a Subscriber and the second electronic device may include a NAN device that performs the role of a Publisher, or the first electronic device may include a NAN device that performs the role of a Publisher and the second electronic device may include a NAN device that performs the role of a Subscriber.

[0210] FIG. 15 is a drawing showing an example of a configuration of a first electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0211] In FIG. 15, the electronic device may include a processor (1501), a transceiver (1502), and a memory (1503). The processor (1501), transceiver (1502), and memory (1503) of the electronic device may operate according to the method(s) described in the embodiments described above in FIG. 1 to 14. However, the components of the electronic device are not limited to the examples described above. For example, the electronic device may include more components or fewer components than the components described above. Furthermore, the processor (1501), transceiver (1502), and memory (1503) may be implemented in the form of at least one chip.

[0212] The transceiver (1502) is a collective term for a receiver and a transmitter, and can transmit and receive signals with other electronic devices (stations), access points, or other network entities through the transceiver (1502). At this time, the signals being transmitted and received may include at least one of control information and data. To this end, the transceiver (1502) may include an RF transmitter that up-converts and amplifies the frequency of the transmitted signal, and an RF receiver that low-noise amplifies the received signal and down-converts the frequency. This is merely one embodiment of the transceiver (1502), and the components of the transceiver (1502) are not limited to an RF transmitter and an RF receiver. Additionally, the transceiver (1502) can receive a signal and output it to a processor (1501), and transmit the signal output from the processor (1501) to another network entity through a network.

[0213] The memory (1503) can store programs and data necessary for the operation of an electronic device according to at least one of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 14. Additionally, the memory (1503) can store control information and / or data included in a signal obtained from the electronic device. The memory (1503) may be composed of a storage medium or a combination of storage media such as ROM, RAM, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, and a DVD.

[0214] The processor (1501) can control a series of processes so that an electronic device can operate according to at least one of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 14. The processor (1501) may include at least one processor.

[0215] FIG. 16 is a drawing showing an example of a configuration of a second electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0216] In FIG. 16, the electronic device may include a processor (1601), a transceiver (1602), and a memory (1603). The processor (1601), transceiver (1602), and memory (1603) of the electronic device may operate according to the method(s) described in the aforementioned embodiments of FIG. 1 to 14. However, the components of the electronic device are not limited to the examples described above. For example, the electronic device may include more components or fewer components than the components described above. Furthermore, the processor (1601), transceiver (1602), and memory (1603) may be implemented in the form of at least one chip.

[0217] The transceiver (1602) is a collective term for a receiver and a transmitter, and can transmit and receive signals with other electronic devices (stations), access points, or other network entities through the transceiver (1602). At this time, the signals being transmitted and received may include at least one of control information and data. To this end, the transceiver (1602) may include an RF transmitter that up-converts and amplifies the frequency of the transmitted signal, and an RF receiver that low-noise amplifies the received signal and down-converts the frequency. This is merely one embodiment of the transceiver (1602), and the components of the transceiver (1602) are not limited to an RF transmitter and an RF receiver. Additionally, the transceiver (1602) can receive a signal and output it to a processor (1601), and transmit the signal output from the processor (1601) to another network entity through a network.

[0218] The memory (1603) can store programs and data necessary for the operation of an electronic device according to at least one of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 14. Additionally, the memory (1603) can store control information and / or data included in a signal obtained from the electronic device. The memory (1603) may be composed of a storage medium or a combination of storage media such as ROM, RAM, hard disk, CD-ROM, and DVD.

[0219] The processor (1601) can control a series of processes so that an electronic device can operate according to at least one of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 14. The processor (1601) may include at least one processor.

[0220] In the specific embodiments of the present disclosure described above, the components included in the present disclosure are expressed in a singular or plural form according to the specific embodiments presented. However, the singular or plural expression is selected to suit the situation presented for convenience of explanation, and the present disclosure is not limited to singular or plural components; even if a component is expressed in the plural form, it may be composed of a singular form, and even if a component is expressed in the singular form, it may be composed of a plural form.

[0221] Meanwhile, although specific embodiments have been described in the detailed description of the present disclosure, it is understood that various modifications are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the scope of the present disclosure should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined by the claims set forth below as well as equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. A method of a first electronic device for performing NAN (neighbor awareness networking) based communication, A step of receiving a first frame on a first channel from a second electronic device; The step of transmitting a second frame on the first channel to the second electronic device; and The method includes the step of transmitting and receiving data to and from the second electronic device and the first channel using a mobile access point link provided by the first electronic device. A method characterized in that at least one of the first frame or the second frame includes service-related information of a mobile access point.

2. In Paragraph 1, The method further includes the step of transmitting and receiving data in the second electronic device and the FAW (further availability window) of the first channel. A method characterized in that the first frame is received in the discovery window of the first channel.

3. In Paragraph 2, A method characterized in that the above mobile access point link is not provided during a time interval in which at least one of the above discovery window or the above FAW exists.

4. In Paragraph 2, A method characterized in that the above mobile access point link is provided in an overlapping manner during a time interval in which at least one of the discovery window or the FAW exists.

5. In Paragraph 1, The first frame above includes an SDF (service discovery frame) Subscribe frame or an SDF Publish frame, and the first frame is broadcast on multiple channels, or A method characterized in that the above-mentioned first frame includes an Action frame.

6. In paragraph 1, the service-related information of the mobile access point includes information indicating that the first electronic device provides mobile access point-related services, and A method characterized in that information indicating that the first electronic device provides mobile access-related services includes at least one of an identifier indicating that the first electronic device is an Aware-supported mobile access point, an identifier for the provided mobile access point-related services, and an identifier for the second electronic device.

7. In paragraph 1, the service-related information of the mobile access point is, A method characterized by including information indicating that the second electronic device is discovering a mobile access point-related service.

8. In Paragraph 1, The first electronic device and the second electronic device are included in the same NAN (neighboring awareness networking) cluster, or the first electronic device is included in the NAN cluster, and A method characterized in that the first electronic device comprises a NAN device performing the role of a Subscriber and the second electronic device comprises a NAN device performing the role of a Publisher, or the first electronic device comprises a NAN device performing the role of a Publisher and the second electronic device comprises a NAN device performing the role of a Subscriber.

9. A method of a second electronic device for performing NAN (neighbor awareness networking) based communication, Step of broadcasting the first frame on the first channel; A step of receiving a second frame from a first electronic device in the first channel; and The method includes the step of transmitting and receiving data between the first electronic device and the first channel using a mobile access point link provided by the first electronic device. A method characterized in that at least one of the first frame or the second frame includes service-related information of a mobile access point.

10. In Paragraph 9, The method further includes the step of transmitting and receiving data in the FAW (further availability window) of the first electronic device and the first channel. A method characterized in that the first frame is received in the discovery window of the first channel.

11. In Paragraph 10, The above mobile access point link is not provided during the time interval in which at least one of the discovery window or the FAW exists, or A method characterized in that the above mobile access point link is provided in an overlapping manner during a time interval in which at least one of the discovery window or the FAW exists.

12. In Paragraph 9, The first frame above includes an SDF (service discovery frame) Subscribe frame or an SDF Publish frame, and the first frame is broadcast on multiple channels, or A method characterized in that the above-mentioned first frame includes an Action frame.

13. In paragraph 9, the service-related information of the mobile access point includes information indicating that the first electronic device provides mobile access point-related services, and A method characterized by including at least one of an identifier indicating that the first electronic device provides mobile access point-related services, an identifier for the provided mobile access point-related services, and an identifier for the second electronic device.

14. In a first electronic device that performs NAN (neighbor awareness networking) based communication, Transmitter / receiver; and It includes at least one processor; and the at least one processor, From the second electronic device, a first frame is received on the first channel, and With the second electronic device, a second frame is transmitted on the first channel, and It is configured to transmit and receive data with the second electronic device on the first channel using the mobile access point link provided by the first electronic device, and A first electronic device characterized in that at least one of the first frame or the second frame includes service-related information of a mobile access point.

15. In a second electronic device that performs NAN (neighbor awareness networking) based communication, Transmitter / receiver; and It includes at least one processor; and the at least one processor, Broadcast the first frame on the first channel, and From the second electronic device, a second frame is received on the first channel, and It is configured to transmit and receive data between the first electronic device and the first channel using a mobile access point link provided by the first electronic device, and A second electronic device characterized in that at least one of the first frame or the second frame includes service-related information of a mobile access point.

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