Concurrent Multi-Band Peer-to-Peer Link Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Coexisting peer-to-peer communication using Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN) and infrastructure Wi-Fi communication protocols often result in increased latency for real-time applications, as devices need to pause traffic during wireless scans and association with access points, degrading user experience.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device communicates using both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands simultaneously, with overlapping time slots and channels, allowing continuous peer-to-peer communication while performing wireless scans and association, reducing the need for traffic pauses and minimizing latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a device performs wireless scans and association with access points using single-band peer-to-peer communication, then the device can maintain infrastructure communication, but the latency for real-time applications increases due to traffic pauses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies frequency dimensionality by operating peer-to-peer communication on a first frequency band (e.g., 2.4 GHz) and infrastructure communication on a second frequency band (e.g., 5 GHz or 6 GHz). This allows both communication modes to coexist without interfering with each other, eliminating the need to pause peer-to-peer traffic during scans or association operations on the infrastructure band.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the wireless communication operations by separating peer-to-peer communication tasks from infrastructure communication tasks into different frequency bands. This segmentation allows independent operation of both modes, where peer-to-peer communication can continue uninterrupted while the device performs scans and association on the infrastructure band.
2Reliability
If a device pauses peer-to-peer traffic to perform wireless scans or association, then the device can maintain infrastructure connectivity, but the communication performance and user experience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By moving infrastructure communication to a different frequency band, the patent enables simultaneous operation of both peer-to-peer and infrastructure modes without mutual interference. The device can perform scans and association on the infrastructure band while maintaining continuous peer-to-peer communication on the first band, thus preserving communication performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuous peer-to-peer communication by operating it on a frequency band that is independent from infrastructure communication. This allows the useful action of peer-to-peer data transmission to continue uninterrupted while the device engages in scan or association operations on the infrastructure band.
3Device complexity
If a device uses single-band peer-to-peer communication, then the device complexity is low, but the ability to coexist with infrastructure communication is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements multi-functionality by enabling the device to simultaneously support both peer-to-peer communication mode and infrastructure communication mode on different frequency bands. This allows the device to adapt to various communication scenarios and coexist with infrastructure networks while maintaining peer-to-peer functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent resolves the coexistence issue by introducing a frequency dimension, where peer-to-peer communication operates on a first frequency band and infrastructure communication operates on a second frequency band. This dimensional separation enables both modes to coexist without mutual interference, significantly improving adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device that communicates with a second electronic device is described. During operation, an electronic device communicates first messages with the second electronic device in time slots corresponding to first channels in a first band of frequencies using a peer-to-peer communication protocol (such as neighbor awareness networking or NaN), where, in a given time slot, a given first channel in the first band of frequencies is used in the communication of the first messages. Moreover, the electronic device communicates second messages with the second electronic device in the time slots corresponding to second channels in a second band of frequencies using the peer-to-peer communication protocol, where, in the given time slot, a given second channel in the second band of frequencies is used in the communication of the second messages. Note that the communicating of the first messages and the second messages may at least partially overlap in time.