Bluetooth SDAP Service Discovery for WLAN Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
In environments with multiple wireless networks, discovering and accessing available IP services in a WLAN is challenging due to limited range and lack of service discovery capabilities, especially when high-quality audio or video transfer is required, and determining the location of a receiving end with WLAN access through an Access Point is problematic.
Innovation Solution
Combining Bluetooth service discovery with WLAN service usage by employing the Service Discovery Application Profile (SDAP) to identify and connect to IP services via Bluetooth-enabled devices, which negotiate authorization and authentication, and provide IP addresses and port numbers for connection, enabling data transfer over WLAN.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If Bluetooth is used for service discovery in WLAN environments, then service discovery capability is improved, but network coverage range is limited to 10-100 meters
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines Bluetooth service discovery functionality with WLAN data transmission by having Bluetooth devices advertise their IP service availability through Bluetooth Service Discovery Protocol, while actual data transfer occurs over WLAN. This merging allows service discovery to work at short range while data transmission utilizes the longer-range WLAN infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
Bluetooth acts as an intermediary mechanism for service discovery and authentication, while WLAN serves as the intermediary for data transmission. The patent uses Bluetooth to negotiate authorization and authentication parameters, then transitions to WLAN for actual service access, effectively using Bluetooth as a mediator to enable WLAN service discovery.
2Productivity
If traditional WLAN service discovery is used, then data transmission capability is improved, but service discovery functionality is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes Bluetooth devices serve multiple functions: they act as both service discovery mechanisms and authentication intermediaries. By implementing the Service Discovery Application Profile (SDAP) in Bluetooth, the system enables Bluetooth devices to perform service discovery while maintaining their primary data transmission function over WLAN.
Solution Approach 2:
Bluetooth serves as an intermediary layer that provides service discovery and authentication functionality without interfering with WLAN data transmission. The patent establishes that Bluetooth-enabled devices can discover IP services through Bluetooth while the actual data transfer occurs over WLAN, separating the discovery and transmission functions.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If Bluetooth network is used for data transfer, then service discovery is improved, but bandwidth is limited and high quality audio/video transfer becomes impractical
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication process into two distinct phases: service discovery and authentication through Bluetooth at low bandwidth, followed by high-bandwidth data transfer over WLAN. This segmentation allows the system to use Bluetooth's limited bandwidth efficiently for control functions while leveraging WLAN's high bandwidth for media transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
Bluetooth acts as an intermediary for negotiation and authentication, while WLAN serves as the high-capacity transmission medium. The patent uses Bluetooth to exchange IP addresses, port numbers, and authentication parameters, then transitions to WLAN for actual audio/video data transfer, effectively using Bluetooth as a mediator for setup rather than data transfer.
4Productivity
If WLAN Access Point is used for service access, then data transmission capability is improved, but location determination of receiving end becomes problematic
Solution Approach 1:
Bluetooth serves as an intermediary that provides location information through its inherent proximity-based identification mechanisms. The patent uses Bluetooth to determine the relative positions and identities of devices before establishing WLAN connections, thereby solving the location determination problem while maintaining WLAN's high data transmission capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A device having wireless connectivity may be coupled to Internet Protocol (IP) service available in a network, including a wireless local area network (WLAN), local area network (LAN), Ethernet or other suitable Internet access point, by broadcasting a wireless protocol service discovery query requesting information about the IP service available in the network and waiting for a reply from another device having wireless connectivity in the network. The device includes a wireless protocol service discovery query module that broadcasts the wireless protocol service discovery query and waits for the reply from the second device. The scope of the invention also includes a network having such devices with the features described above, as well as a computer program product with a program code that is stored on a machine readable carrier, for carrying out the steps according to the aforementioned method when the computer program is run in a processor module of the first device.