Acoustic Peer Discovery for Wireless LANs

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional network-based location services for wireless devices are limited by the accuracy and availability of GPS and cellular geolocation, particularly in indoor environments and areas with unreliable internet connections, making proximity discovery inefficient and unreliable.

Innovation Solution

The use of ultrasonic messaging for peer discovery among wireless devices, where devices encode and broadcast voting messages to determine roles and establish multi-tier wireless LANs without relying on absolute positioning or centralized servers, utilizing speaker and microphone components to propagate discovery signals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If GPS or cellular geolocation is used for proximity discovery, then location information can be obtained, but accuracy deteriorates in indoor environments and reliability deteriorates when internet connections are unavailable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveavailability of location serviceVSAvoidlocation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces acoustic signals as an intermediary medium for proximity discovery. Instead of relying directly on GPS or cellular geolocation, devices use speakers and microphones to transmit and receive acoustic messages that encode proximity information. This intermediary approach works independently of internet connectivity and provides reliable operation in indoor environments where GPS is unavailable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the electronic/network-based location service system with an acoustic-based discovery mechanism. By substituting the mechanical/acoustic transmission medium for the electronic network dependency, the system achieves reliable proximity discovery without requiring internet connections or centralized location servers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Adaptability or versatility

If network-based location services are used, then centralized database access is enabled, but device complexity increases due to dependency on network infrastructure

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork service availabilityVSAvoidnetwork connection requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements self-service proximity discovery where devices autonomously determine their proximity status through direct acoustic communication with neighboring devices. Each device independently processes acoustic messages from neighbors and determines proximity relationships without requiring centralized database queries or network infrastructure, thereby reducing device complexity and eliminating network dependencies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If acoustic messaging is used for peer discovery, then proximity discovery reliability is improved in indoor environments, but device complexity increases due to ultrasonic waveform encoding and processing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproximity discovery reliabilityVSAvoidacoustic message processing

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent leverages the universal presence of speakers and microphones in modern wireless devices to implement acoustic messaging. These existing components, already present in every device for audio output and input, are repurposed for proximity discovery functionality. This approach avoids adding specialized hardware while achieving reliable acoustic-based peer discovery through software-level utilization of existing multi-functional components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This method enables efficient and reliable proximity discovery and networking of devices, even in environments where traditional location services are unreliable, by establishing wireless LANs and allowing direct communication among devices without the need for centralized network assistance.

Implementation Method 1

utilizing speaker and microphone components to propagate discovery signals

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAcoustic wave transmission: Sound

Implementation Method 2

voting messages encoded in ultrasonic waveform

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectUltrasonic vibration: Ultrasonic Vibration

Data Source

PatentUS9918213B2Discovery and networking of proximate wireless devices by acoustic messaging

Publication Date: 2018.03.13 DEWMOBILE

AI summary

Apparatus and method are provided for discovery and networking of proximate devices using acoustic messaging. In one novel aspect, a peer discovery protocol is used to discover proximate devices using voting messages encoded in ultrasonic waveform. In one embodiment, the UE receives one or more voting messages from neighboring UEs encoded in ultrasonic waveform, builds its voting message and broadcasts the voting message encoded in ultrasonic waveform. In another embodiment, based on the voting result, a multi-tier wireless LAN is established by the master UEs through two RF interfaces. In another novel aspect, an optimized synchronization by the receiver is used to locate the transmitted frame boundary of the ultrasonic message. In one embodiment, the UE reversed-looks up a pre-calculated boundary-offset table to estimate the tone boundary and searches the maximum synchronization tone energy down to per sampling interval using a predefined search algorithm to optimize locating the tone boundary.