Role Reversal for Wireless Service Discovery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication protocols, such as 802.11, lack a service discovery mechanism, making it cumbersome to discover services provided by nearby devices without establishing a network connection first, which burdens service provider devices with access point functionality and complicates network interfaces.

Innovation Solution

Reversing the roles of wireless stations and access points allows service clients to initiate connections with service providers, using administrative messages to invite stations to disclose service information before a connection is established, enabling service discovery and access without requiring service providers to implement access point functionality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If service providers implement access point functionality to enable service discovery, then service discovery capability is improved, but device complexity and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice discovery capabilityVSAvoidnetwork interface complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional role assignment by having the service client (device seeking services) act as the access point initiator, while the service provider acts as the station. This role reversal allows service discovery messages to be sent by the client without requiring the provider to implement complex access point functionality, thus resolving the contradiction between service discovery capability and device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the access point initiation functionality from the service provider device and relocates it to the service client device. By taking out the burden of implementing access point functionality from the provider, the system achieves service discovery capability without increasing provider device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Adaptability or versatility

If service providers implement access point functionality, then service discovery is enabled, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice discovery capabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

By inverting the roles so that the service client initiates connection as an access point rather than the service provider, the patent enables service discovery while allowing the provider to operate in lower-power station mode, thus resolving the contradiction between service discovery capability and power consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Reliability

If network connection is established before service discovery, then reliable communication is ensured, but service access time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidservice access time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by enabling service discovery messages to be exchanged during the connection establishment phase itself. The client sends service discovery information elements in association with connection establishment messages, allowing service identification to occur before the formal network connection is completed, thus reducing service access time while maintaining communication reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Loss of information

If service discovery uses broadcast or multicast messages, then service advertisement is improved, but network traffic increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice advertisement effectivenessVSAvoidnetwork traffic

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts service discovery communication from the traditional broadcast/multicast model and relocates it to unicast messages exchanged during connection establishment. By taking out the service discovery function from generic broadcast traffic and embedding it in targeted connection messages, the system achieves effective service advertisement with reduced overall network traffic

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS7974574B2Base station initiated proximity service discovery and connection establishment

Publication Date: 2011.07.05 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

The normal roles of wireless stations and wireless access points in initiating the establishment of wireless connections may be reversed without the need for changes in the network interfaces for either the station or access point device. This capability may be used to allow wireless devices acting as access points, but on which service clients operate, to initiate the establishment of a connection with a station, on which a wireless service provider operates. Discovery of services between wireless devices can be provided prior to establishing a connection between the devices. A service client device providing access point functionality may broadcast an invitation for service advertisements and then receive service advertisements from relevant service providers acting as wireless stations. An information element may be included as part of periodically broadcast administrative messages to wirelessly convey an invitation for service advertisements. In response to a service advertisement, the access point may send to the wireless station an invitation to connect, prompting the wireless station to begin to establish a connection according to a wireless communication protocol.