Infrastructure-Assisted Wireless Peer Discovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
In peer-to-peer wireless networks, nodes often consume excess power while broadcasting discovery signals, especially when out of the network coverage region, highlighting a need for improved discovery management to conserve battery life.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of infrastructure-assisted discovery procedures, where an infrastructure node broadcasts and detects discovery signals on behalf of a mobile node, allowing the node to conserve power by reducing unnecessary signal broadcasts and optimizing discovery signal timing based on proximity to peers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a node periodically broadcasts discovery signals to enable peer discovery, then discovery capability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an infrastructure node as an intermediary that performs discovery signal broadcasting and detection on behalf of mobile nodes. The mobile node sends a discovery request to the infrastructure node, which then broadcasts the discovery signal and detects responses from peer nodes, relaying the results back to the mobile node. This mediator approach allows the mobile node to maintain discovery capability while consuming minimal power.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile node sends a discovery request to the infrastructure node in advance before needing to discover peers. The infrastructure node prepares and executes the discovery signal broadcasting and detection processes beforehand, so that when the mobile node needs peer information, the discovery has already been performed or is in progress, reducing the need for the mobile node to actively broadcast signals.
2Reliability
If a node continuously broadcasts discovery signals to ensure peer discovery, then discovery reliability is improved, but battery life deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The infrastructure node serves as a mediator that handles the energy-intensive continuous broadcasting and detection tasks. The mobile node can maintain high discovery reliability by relying on the infrastructure node to continuously perform discovery operations, while the mobile node itself consumes minimal power by only sending requests and receiving results.
Solution Approach 2:
The infrastructure node provides self-service by autonomously performing discovery signal broadcasting and detection without requiring the mobile node to be actively involved in the transmission processes. The mobile node simply initiates discovery requests and receives results, allowing the infrastructure node to manage its own resource allocation for continuous discovery operations.
Data Source
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AI summary
Apparatuses and methods are disclosed for infrastructure assisted discovery in wireless peer-to-peer networks. Various discovery procedures may be implemented where a first node supports discovery of other nodes for a second node.