NAN Discovery Phases Without Timing Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN) devices face challenges in discovering each other efficiently due to long timing synchronization periods and high power consumption, with potential loss of connectivity during the discovery process.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a discovery procedure that includes single channel publish phases and multi-channel publish phases, allowing devices to recursively iterate between these phases, along with single channel subscribe phases, without requiring prior association, using IEEE 802.11 standards for communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If NAN devices perform timing synchronization during discovery procedure, then discovery reliability is improved, but discovery time increases and power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the timing synchronization requirement from the discovery procedure, allowing devices to perform discovery without establishing timing synchronization. This removes the problematic element that caused long discovery times and high power consumption while maintaining discovery reliability through the pub-sub mechanism on unassociated state.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs discovery actions before establishing timing synchronization or association. Devices can publish and subscribe to discovery frames in the unassociated state, completing the discovery function before any synchronization overhead is introduced.
2Reliability
If NAN devices perform timing synchronization during discovery procedure, then discovery reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the timing synchronization requirement from the discovery procedure, allowing devices to discover each other without the power-consuming synchronization process. The unassociated state pub-sub mechanism achieves discovery with minimal power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Discovery is performed in advance before any power-consuming synchronization or association procedures. Devices can complete discovery while in unassociated state, avoiding unnecessary power consumption.
3Adaptability or versatility
If NAN device performs discovery procedure, then device discovery capability is improved, but connectivity may be lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs discovery in the unassociated state before any connectivity commitments are made. Devices can discover each other and exchange information without being bound to a specific connectivity state, allowing flexible transition to associated state after discovery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent allows devices to dynamically transition between unassociated and associated states during the discovery process. Devices can start discovery in unassociated state, then transition to associated state after finding suitable peers, optimizing both discovery capability and connectivity reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
Some aspects of this disclosure are directed to implementing a discovery procedure including one or more of single channel publish phases, multi-channel publish phases, and single channel subscribe phases. For example, a method includes determining, by a publisher device, a first time period for a single channel publish phase and determining, by the publisher device, a second time period for a multi-channel publish phase. The method further includes transmitting, by the publisher device, one or more frames during at least one of the first time period of the single channel publish phase or the second time period of the multi-channel publish phase. The method further includes receiving, by the publisher device, a service specific message from a subscriber device during the at least one of the first time period of the single channel publish phase or the second time period of the multi-channel publish phase.