Access Point Proxy for Service Discovery in WLAN

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current WLAN technologies face challenges in efficiently discovering and managing services, particularly in high-density scenarios, as they rely on devices to periodically listen for available services, leading to resource and power consumption issues and frequent association/disassociation problems.

Innovation Solution

A method where an Access Point (AP) acts as a proxy to receive and maintain service information from Stations (STAs), allowing for service discovery and direct association management, reducing the need for constant listening and improving resource efficiency by providing richer service information through local and remote searches.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If devices periodically listen for available services using active or passive scanning, then service discovery capability is improved, but resource consumption and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice discovery capabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The access point acts as an intermediary that maintains service information and responds to service discovery requests from stations. Instead of stations continuously scanning for services, they can query the access point which holds the service registry, significantly reducing the power consumption while maintaining service discovery capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If devices periodically listen for available services, then service discovery is enabled, but association and disassociation operations occur frequently

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice information availabilityVSAvoidassociation stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The access point performs preliminary action by maintaining service information in advance before stations need to discover services. Stations can query the access point for service information without needing to re-associate, preventing frequent association/disassociation cycles and improving connection stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If Wi-Fi Direct technology is used for device discovery, then direct device communication is enabled, but service-based discovery is limited and resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedirect device communication capabilityVSAvoidresource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The access point serves as a mediator that maintains service information and assists in service-based discovery. Stations can query the access point for service information without needing to continuously scan or maintain direct peer-to-peer discovery mechanisms, reducing resource consumption while enabling service-based discovery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10433241B2Methods, devices, and systems for registering and discovering service

Publication Date: 2019.10.01 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD

AI summary

Methods, devices, and systems for registering and discovering a service. An access point (AP) may receive and maintain service information registered by an associated station (STA), and serve as a proxy for a STA to discover service information in a network, and further discover a direct association service and manage direct communication between STAs, thereby meeting a user's demand of selecting a network according to a service requirement.