Peer-to-peer communication in ad hoc wireless network

Obtaining authorization to access a wireless network

Background

I. Field

The present disclosure relates, in general, to communications and, more specifically, to techniques for supporting communications for wireless devices.

II. Background

Wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide various communication services, such as voice, video, packet data, etc. These wireless networks include wide-area wireless networks (WWAN) that provide communication coverage for large geographic areas, wireless local area networks (WLANs) that provide communication coverage for mid-geographic areas, and wireless personal area networks (WPAN) that provide Communication coverage for small geographic areas. Different wireless networks usually have different capabilities, requirements and coverage areas.

A wireless device (e.g., a cell or mobile phone) may be able to communicate with one or more wireless networks, e.g. eg, a WWAN and / or a WLAN. The wireless device may also be able to communicate peer-to-peer with other wireless devices. The wireless device can be invoked by a user to make a call to another wireless device. The wireless device can be placed within the coverage of zero, one or multiple wireless networks at the time the call is made. From the user's perspective, it is desirable that the call be connected as quickly and efficiently as possible, regardless of whether the wireless device is

or not under the coverage of any wireless network.

Additional attention is demanded from EP 1 458 151 A1, which refers to a procedure and apparatus for providing security services in an ad-hoc network. In order to provide security services, a set of user identities is transmitted from a first ad-hoc node to a second network external to the ad-hoc network. The set of user identities includes user identities referred to at least one ad-hoc node. A first set of authentication parameters is generated in the external network. The first set of authentication parameters includes an authentication vector for each user identity included in the set of user identities and each authentication vector that includes a second set of authentication parameters. Some of the authentication parameters of the second set are transferred to the first ad-hoc node, whereby a third set of authentication parameters is received in the first ad-hoc node. The third set of authentication parameters is used in the first ad-hoc node to provide a security service in the ad-hoc network.

There is, therefore, a need in technology technology to effectively support communication for a wireless device.

Summary

According to the present invention, a wireless client device is provided, as set forth in claims 1 or 7, and a method, as set forth in claims 3 or 10. Additional embodiments are claimed in the dependent claims.

In one aspect, a wireless communication device is configured to obtain authorization for communication via a wireless network from a wireless client device of the wireless network, and to communicate via the wireless network after obtaining authorization from the wireless client device. This aspect can also be implemented by a computer program procedure, apparatus or product.

Various aspects and characteristics of the disclosure are described in greater detail below.

Brief description of the drawings

FIG. 1 shows a deployment of a WWAN and a WLAN.

FIG. 2 shows a list of identifiers provided on a wireless device.

FIG. 3 shows a process for peer-to-peer communication.

FIG. 4 shows an apparatus for peer-to-peer communication.

FIG. 5 shows a process to perform the discovery with a list of identifiers.

FIG. 6 shows an apparatus for performing the discovery with a list of identifiers.

FIG. 7 shows a process for making the discovery at the beginning of a call.

FIG. 8 shows an apparatus for making the discovery at the beginning of a call.

FIG. 9 shows a process to perform the discovery using external timing.

5 FIG. 10 shows an apparatus for performing the discovery using external timing.

FIG. 11 shows a process for performing IP address discovery.

FIG. 12 shows an apparatus for performing IP address discovery.

FIG. 13 shows a process to obtain and use an SSID.

FIG. 14 shows a device for obtaining and using an SSID.

10 FIG. 15 shows a process for managing traffic data for a peer-to-peer call.

FIG. 16 shows an apparatus for managing traffic data for a peer-to-peer call.

FIG. 17 shows a block diagram of a wireless device.

Detailed description

FIG. 1 shows a deployment of a WWAN 110 and a WLAN 120. WWAN 110 provides coverage of

fifteen communication for a large geographic area, such as, p. eg, a city, a state, or an entire country. The WWAN 110 may be a cellular network such as a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) network, a Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) network, a Orthogonal FDMA network (OFDMA), etc. A CDMA network can use a radio technology such as cdma2000, Broadband CDMA (W-CDMA), etc. The CDMA2000 covers the IS-95, IS-2000 and IS-856 standards. A TDMA network can

twenty use a radio technology such as the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). These various radio technologies, standards and cellular networks are known in the art. WWAN 110 can also be a broadcast network such as a MediaFLO network, a Digital Video Broadcasting network for handheld devices (DVB-H), a Digital Broadcasting Network of Integrated Services for Broadcasting of Terrestrial Television (ISDB- T), etc. These broadcast networks are also known in the art.

25 In the following description, WWAN 110 is a cellular network that includes base stations that support communication for wireless devices within the WWAN coverage area. For simplicity, only two base stations 112a and 112b are shown in FIG. 1. A base station is a station that communicates with wireless devices. A base station may also be called, and may contain some, or all, of the functionality of a Node B, a base transceiver station (BTS), an access point, etc. A central network 114 is coupled with the base stations

30 and provides coordination and control for base stations. The central network 114 can also be coupled with other networks, e.g. eg, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, etc.

WLAN 120 provides communication coverage for a medium geographic area such as a shopping center, an airport terminal, a building, etc. WLAN 120 may include any number of access points that support communication for any number of stations. For simplicity, only one access point 122 is shown in FIG. 1. WLAN 120 can implement the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, some other WLAN standard or some other WLAN radio technology. The IEEE 802.11 family of standards covers 802.11, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n, which specify different radio technologies. As used herein, Wi-Fi refers to the IEEE 802.11 standard, as well as other WLAN standards and radio technologies. The access point 122 can be coupled with a hub / router 124 that can support communication with a local area network (LAN)

40 and / or a WAN. The access point 122 and the hub / router 124 can also be combined into a single wireless router.

Wireless devices 130 can be scattered throughout all coverage areas of WWAN 110 and WLAN 120, as well as outside the coverage of these wireless networks. For simplicity, only five wireless devices 130a to 130e are shown in FIG. 1. A wireless device can be fixed or mobile. A wireless device

Four. Five It may also be called, and may contain some, or all, of the functionality of a mobile station, a user equipment, a station, a terminal, an access terminal, a subscriber unit, etc. A wireless device can be a cell or mobile phone, a handheld device, an electronic phonebook (PDA), a laptop, a wireless modem, a handheld device, etc.

A wireless device may be able to communicate with any number of wireless networks of any radio technologies. For example, a wireless device may be able to communicate with WWAN 110 and / or WLAN 120. A wireless device may therefore be a WWAN device as well as a WLAN station, e.g. eg, a cell phone or mobile phone with Wi-Fi capabilities.

A wireless device may be able to communicate with zero, one or multiple wireless networks at any time, depending on (a) the capabilities of the wireless device and (b) the location of the wireless device, e.g. eg, if it is

or not located within the coverage of any wireless network. In the example shown in FIG. 1, wireless device 130a can communicate with WWAN 110, wireless device 130b can communicate with WLAN 120, wireless device 130c can communicate with both WWAN 110 and WLAN 120, and wireless devices 130d and 130e are out of the coverage of WWAN 110 and WLAN 120.

Wireless devices with Wi-Fi capabilities may be able to communicate directly with each other via ad hoc wireless networks. An ad hoc wireless network is a wireless network that can be formed on the fly as needed, usually without a central controlling entity, such as an access point, and can be dissolved when it is no longer needed. An ad hoc wireless network may consist of, and may include, wireless devices that wish to communicate peer-to-peer with each other.

Peer-to-peer (PTP) and push-to-talk (PTT) features can be supported on wireless devices that use Wi-Fi capabilities. PTT usually involves maintaining a connection so that communication can begin quickly when initiated by a user. The characteristics of PTP and PTT may be desirable in various scenarios. For example, a family can visit a mall, and each family member can go to a different store. Family members may be able to keep in touch by calling each other directly using Wi-Fi. As another example, a group can go hiking where WWAN coverage is not available. Group members may be able to communicate with each other using Wi-Fi.

The techniques described in this document can be used for various types of calls between Wi-Fi enabled wireless devices. For example, the techniques can be used for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls, data calls, video calls, Short Message Service (SMS) messaging, etc.

A peer-to-peer call between two wireless devices includes the following phases:

<dl><dt>1.</dt><dd> Discovery - discover the presence of other wireless device (s) via Wi-Fi, </dd></dl>

<dl><dt>2.</dt><dd> Session security - set a session key for use during the call, </dd></dl>

<dl><dt>3.</dt><dd> Call establishment - exchange signaling to set up the call, </dd></dl>

<dl><dt>4.</dt><dd> Data exchange - program and manage traffic data to achieve the desired QoS, and </dd></dl>

<dl><dt>5.</dt><dd> End of call - exchange signaling to end the call. </dd></dl>

Additional phases, such as IP address discovery, may be present for some calls.

A peer-to-peer call can be established in one of the following scenarios:

<dl><dt>1.</dt><dd> Both WWAN and WLAN are absent, </dd></dl>

<dl><dt>2.</dt><dd> WWAN is present but WLAN is absent, </dd></dl>

<dl><dt>3.</dt><dd> WWAN is absent but WLAN is present, and </dd></dl>

<dl><dt>4.</dt><dd> Both WWAN and WLAN are present. </dd></dl>

Some of the phases can be carried out in different ways, depending on whether WWAN and / or WLAN are present, as described below.

Discovery

The discovery can be done in various ways - with and without WLAN and with and without WWAN. To facilitate discovery, p. For example, when WLAN and WWAN are absent, a wireless device can be supplied with a list of identifiers for other wireless devices that can communicate peer-to-peer with this wireless device. This list may be called a PTP list, a list of "friends", etc. The supply of the PTP list can be done by a service provider, a user and / or some other entity. For example, the wireless device may have a phone book of numbers for easy dialing, and all wireless numbers, or only certain wireless numbers in the phone book, may be included in the PTP list. The PTP list can be supplied on the wireless device and can include all telephone numbers with which the user expects to communicate peer-to-peer.

FIG. 2 shows a design of a PTP 200 list included in a wireless device. In this design, the PTP list has an entry for each of the other wireless devices that can communicate peer-to-peer with this wireless device. The entry for each wireless device may include a telephone number, an IP address, an SSID, a pre-shared key (PSK), etc. The SSID and PSK are described in more detail below. In general, each entry can include any type of information, e.g. eg, more, less, or different information than the information shown in FIG. 2. The fields for each entry may or may not be occupied. For example, if the IP address for a given wireless device is not known, then this IP address may be absent in the PTP list and can be obtained using one of the mechanisms described below.

In a design, which is called background discovery, a wireless device periodically sends and receives frames for the discovery of other wireless devices. Each wireless device periodically sends beacon frames, each beacon frame containing an identifier for the sending wireless device. A beacon frame is a management frame that carries certain information regarding the sending wireless device. In general, an identifier can be an SSID, a telephone number, a chunk of the telephone number, or some other identification information. Other wireless devices in the vicinity of the sending wireless device receive the beacon frames. Each receiving wireless device extracts the identifier of each received beacon frame and compares the extracted identifier with the identifiers in its PTP list. If the extracted identifier is included in the PTP list, then the receiving wireless device returns a response to the sending wireless device. After the discovery, the sending and receiving wireless devices can go into the next phase, e.g. eg, authentication, if a call is initiated between two wireless devices. The PTP list can be used to filter unwanted frames and to respond to frames only from wireless devices of interest.

A wireless device can operate in a power saving mode to conserve battery power. In the power saving mode, the wireless device can be turned on periodically for a short period of time to send and / or receive frames and can be turned off in the period between waking periods. The wireless device can thus function according to a sleep-wake cycle, which is a cycle of a waking period and a sleep period.

Wireless devices, in general, are not synchronized over time and, while in the energy-saving mode, their sleep-wake cycles are likely to be different. Therefore, even if the wireless devices may be nearby, a wireless device may be asleep while another wireless device is sending a frame, and vice versa. To combat non-synchronized timing, wireless devices may wake up randomly to send and / or receive frames. A wireless device can use a random number generator to select when to wake up the next time, then go to sleep, and then wake up when the randomly selected time runs out. The amount of time for two wireless devices to discover each other can then depend on the duration of the vigil and the sleep-wake cycle. For example, if each wireless device is awake for a period of 10 milliseconds (ms) within a 100 ms sleep-wake cycle, then the two wireless devices will discover each other, most likely, within seconds.

A wireless device can turn off its radio frequency (RF) and physical layer (PHY) sections during sleep time, and only one processor can be awake. The processor can use a timer to activate the switching on of the RF and PHY sections, to send frames, and to scan the electronic medium for frames from other wireless devices. The wireless device may be awake, e.g. eg, for 10 ms in a sleep-wake cycle of 100 ms. All wireless devices may have the same sleep-wake cycle, but they may not be synchronized. The 100 ms sleep-wake cycle can be divided into ten slots, each slot having a duration of 10 ms. The wireless device knows the duration of its sleep-wake cycle and tracks the ten slots in the sleep-wake cycle. In a given sleep-wake cycle, the processor can select a random number between 0 and 9 and can turn on the RF and PHY sections in the selected slot to listen to frames from other wireless devices. If no frame is received during the selected slot, the processor can turn off the RF and PHY sections. In the next sleep-wake cycle, the processor can select a random number again and can repeat the process. If another wireless device in the neighborhood is doing the same transmission and reception processing, then there is a more than 99% chance that the two wireless devices will discover each other in five seconds. The discovery time may be greater or lesser, depending on the operating cycle, which is the ratio between the duration of the vigil and the duration of the sleep-wake cycle. However, this processing is background activity, and energy is mainly consumed during the wake-up time of the sleep-wake cycle.

In another design, which is called active discovery, a wireless device periodically receives frames from other wireless devices, but sends frames only to discover a destination wireless device, e.g. eg when a call is made. When a user initiates a call, the calling wireless device enters a discovery mode and broadcasts a polling request that contains an identifier for a called wireless device.

The calling wireless device then waits for a polling response from the called wireless device and, if none is received within a predetermined amount of time, sends another polling request. The calling wireless device can also continuously send polling requests for at least one sleep surveillance cycle, because the called wireless device may be in the power saving mode. The calling wireless device may send polling requests during a sufficient number of sleep-wake cycles of the called wireless device, in order to ensure that the called wireless device is given sufficient opportunity to receive a polling request. To cover the case in which the called wireless device is operating on a different frequency channel, the calling wireless device may send polling requests for at least one sleep-wake cycle through a frequency channel and, if a Poll response, switch to another frequency channel and continue sending polling requests. When the called wireless device receives a polling request and determines that the polling request is addressed to it, the called wireless device sends a polling response to the calling wireless device.

With active discovery, a wireless device sends polling requests only when they are needed, e.g. eg when a call is made. All wireless devices are in a passive listening mode whenever they are awake. To combat non-synchronized timing, a calling wireless device can send polling requests at randomly selected time intervals. Each wireless device can listen to polling requests at randomly selected time intervals.

Active and background discoveries can be enhanced by the presence of a WWAN and / or a WLAN. Wireless devices may be able to obtain WWAN or WLAN timing and can use timing to achieve temporary synchronization. Wireless devices can program their beacon frames and / or polling requests based on timing from WWAN or WLAN. For example, when a call is initiated, the calling wireless device can send a polling request at a predetermined time. Other wireless devices are awake at that time, due to the synchronization provided by the timing of the WWAN or the WLAN, and can effectively receive the polling request from the calling wireless device.

The discovery can also be carried out with assistance from WWAN and / or WLAN, if present. For example, the calling wireless device can communicate with the WWAN and the WLAN and can request the paging of the called wireless device from the WWAN or the WLAN. The called wireless device can answer the WWAN or WLAN, or directly to the calling wireless device.

WLAN devices can operate on different frequency channels, which can be determined by regulatory agencies. For example, in the United States there are 11 frequency channels in 801.11b / g and 12 frequency channels in 802.11a. A wireless device can send and / or receive frames on one or more frequency channels for discovery. The channel, or channels, of specific frequency to be used for the discovery can be determined in various ways. In a design, when the WLAN and WWAN are absent, one or more frequency channels can be configured by the service provider or the user. For example, the channel, or channels, of configured frequency (s) can be included in the PTP list. For background discovery, the wireless device can broadcast beacon frames through each frequency channel set, e.g. eg, through all the configured frequency channels. For active discovery, the wireless device can send polling requests on all configured frequency channels, e.g. eg, through the frequency channels and sending polling requests for at least one sleep-wake cycle for each frequency channel.

When WWAN is present, channel selection can be controlled by WWAN. For example, WWAN may indicate (eg, broadcast) one or more specific frequency channels available for use. When the WLAN is present, the wireless device may operate on the same frequency channel used by the WLAN and / or may operate on another frequency channel (s).

An 802.11 wireless network is identified by an SSID, which is the name of the wireless network. The SSID is included in certain types of frames, such as beacon frames, polling requests, polling responses, etc. A basic service set identifier (BSSID) is a 48-bit identifier that all wireless devices in a basic service set (BSS) include in the header of data frames, polling frames, etc. In an infrastructure BSS with an access point, the BSSID is a Media Access Control (MAC) address of the access point. In an independent BSS (IBSS) without an access point, a wireless device can randomly select a BSSID.

An access point in a WLAN periodically broadcasts the SSID in beacon frames. Wireless devices can obtain the SSID from the beacon frames and use the SSID in polling requests and polling responses sent by these wireless devices. When a WLAN is absent, an SSID can be formed for an ad hoc wireless network in several ways.

In a design, an SSID is formed based on a user-specific identifier for a sending / calling wireless device. For example, the SSID can be set to the telephone number of the sending wireless device, a chunk of the telephone number, some other identifying information, etc. For this design, the PTP list for a given wireless device may contain an SSID for each wireless device included in the PTP list, e.g. eg, as shown in FIG. two. For background discovery, the sending wireless device may periodically send beacon frames containing its SSID. Other wireless devices receive the beacon frames, extract the SSID from each beacon frame, compare the extracted SSID with the SSIDs included in their PTP lists, and respond to the sending wireless device if there is a match.

In another design, an SSID is formed based on a user-specific identifier for a wireless destination / calling device. For active discovery, the sending wireless device can send polling requests that contain the SSID for the target wireless device. Other wireless devices receive polling requests, extract the SSID from each polling request, compare the extracted SSID with their own SSID and respond to the sending wireless device if there is a match. This design allows each wireless device to listen to only one SSID, which is the SSID for that wireless device. Each wireless device can use its SSID to filter received frames and can only respond to frames sent with its SSID.

In another additional design, an SSID is formed based on user-specific identifiers for the sending and destination wireless devices. For this design, the PTP list for a given wireless device may contain an SSID for each wireless device included in the PTP list. For active discovery, the sending wireless device can send polling requests that contain the SSID for the target wireless device. The destination wireless device can check both the sender of the polling requests and the desired recipient based on the SSID.

Once the wireless devices discover each other, an ad hoc wireless network can be formed, as described in the IEEE 802.11 standard. The wireless device with the fastest clock becomes an access point for the ad hoc wireless network and transmits beacon frames that are used by another wireless device (s) to synchronize its timing.

Security

Security for a peer-to-peer call can be achieved in several ways - with and without the WLAN and with and without the WWAN. To facilitate security, p. For example, when the WLAN and WWAN are absent, a wireless device can have a pre-shared key (PSK) for each wireless device included in its PTP list, e.g. eg, as shown in FIG. 2. A PSK is a secret key that is shared between two wireless devices symmetrically. The PSK can be registered by the service provider, the user and / or some other entity. For example, a PSK for two wireless devices can be generated based on a slice of the serial numbers of these two devices, passwords created for these devices, etc. For a given wireless device, PSKs for all wireless devices in the PTP list are registered on that wireless device. PSKs can be used for security, as described below.

After completing the discovery, calling and calling wireless devices can exchange greetings to authenticate each other and to generate session keys. Wireless devices can use the PSK for authentication, as described in the IEEE 802.11 standard. Wireless devices can then use the PSK to generate a symmetric master key (PMK) and a group master key (GMK). Wireless devices can then use the PMK and GMK to generate session keys, as described in the IEEE 802.11i standard. Wireless devices can then use session keys to encrypt traffic data exchanged during the call.

A wireless device can also be provided with a certificate (e.g., an X.509 certificate) by the service provider. The certificate may contain one or more digital signatures that can be used to authenticate information received from another entity. The certificate can also be used for security. Wireless calling and calling devices can exchange greetings to authenticate each other and generate session keys using the certificate, e.g. eg, as described in the IEEE 802.11i standard.

Security can also be achieved in other ways when WWAN is present. In one design, authentication is achieved by signaling, using the WWAN security protocols that are supported by the WWAN. For example, wireless devices in a peer-to-peer call can carry out the Mutual Challenge and Authentication Protocol (CHAP), the Authentication and Key Agreement (AKA), the Session Initialization Protocol (SIP authentication) ), etc., with WWAN. In another design, WWAN assigns the PMK and GMK to wireless devices, which can use the PMK and GMK to generate session keys. In general, authentication can be done peer-to-peer or through WWAN or WLAN, while encryption can be performed by wireless devices.

A WLAN may be present, but it may delegate to a WLAN client device to authenticate and / or authorize another device requesting access to the WLAN or local content. For example, a user with device A can visit a location with a WLAN, e.g. eg, another user's home or store. The user with device A may wish to make a VoIP call via the WLAN. The user with device A may be required to obtain permission from another person at the location (eg, the homeowner or the store administrator) before the WLAN allows the VoIP call to start. In this case, a client device of the person at the location can become a substitute administrative element of the network. Device A can perform authentication with the client device and / or can obtain authorization from the client device. The client device can then send a command to the network administrative element to allow device A to access the WLAN. The device can be granted full or partial access, based on timer or unrestricted, etc. For example, the device A can be granted access only for the current VoIP call, for a specific time duration, for certain content, etc.

A wireless device requesting access to a WLAN may not be on a list of wireless device administrators authorized to access the WLAN. You can give a WLAN administrator the option to add this wireless device to the list, e.g. eg, temporarily or permanently. The wireless device can be allowed to access the WLAN after it has been added to the list.

IP address discovery

Wireless devices can communicate using the IP in a network layer and Ethernet in a link layer. In this case, the IP packets can be encapsulated in Ethernet frames, which are exchanged between the wireless devices. Each wireless device uses IP addresses to exchange IP packets and MAC addresses to exchange Ethernet frames. Each IP packet includes a source IP address for the sending wireless device and a destination IP address for the recipient wireless device. Similarly, each Ethernet frame includes a source MAC address for the sending wireless device and a destination MAC address for the receiving wireless device.

A wireless device can store the IP address and MAC address of each wireless device included in the PTP list. The wireless device can communicate with another wireless device in the PTP list using the IP address and MAC address stored in the PTP list.

A wireless device may not know the IP address and / or MAC address of another wireless device. The wireless device can obtain the IP address and / or the MAC address in various ways, e.g. eg, after completing the discovery and security phases.

In a design, which can be used when the WLAN is present, the wireless devices register with the WLAN and provide their user-specific identifiers (e.g., telephone numbers) as well as IP addresses. A server, such as a domain name system (DNS) server or a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server, can store user-specific identifiers and IP addresses of registered wireless devices. When a requesting wireless device wants the IP address of a destination wireless device, the requesting wireless device queries the server about the user-specific identifier for the destination wireless device. The server will then return the IP address of the destination wireless device. The requesting wireless device can then obtain the MAC address of the destination wireless device, if necessary, using the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP). For the ARP, the requesting wireless device broadcasts an ARP packet with the IP address of the destination wireless device. Other wireless devices receive the ARP package. Each wireless device determines whether the IP address included in the ARP package is its IP address and, in that case, responds with its MAC address.

In another design, which can be used even when the WLAN is absent, the requesting wireless device uses the reverse ARP (R-ARP) to obtain the IP address of the destination wireless device. In this design, the requesting wireless device broadcasts an R-ARP packet containing the user-specific identifier (e.g., the telephone number) for the destination wireless device. The R-ARP packet can be sent in multicast mode, so that it is not restricted to the subnet in which the requesting wireless device is located. Other wireless devices receive the R-ARP package. Each wireless device determines whether the user-specific identifier included in the R-ARP package is its user-specific identifier and, in that case, responds by sending its IP address in a unicast IP packet to the requesting wireless device.

Call setup

Once the security for a peer-to-peer call is established and the IP and MAC addresses are resolved, the wireless device can exchange signaling for the call set-up, using the SIP or some other appropriate protocol. The SIP is a signaling protocol for initiating, modifying and terminating interactive user sessions based on the IP (eg, a VoIP call). Most SIP implementations assume that there is centralized control. The peer-to-peer call can be established in an ad hoc mode between wireless devices. In ad hoc mode, the SIP has support without centralized control, and improvements can be used for peer to peer signaling.

When WWAN is present, signaling for the establishment and dismantling of calls can be sent through WWAN. When the WLAN is present, the discovery, security, data connectivity, etc., can be done through the WLAN. When both WWAN and WLAN are present, information can be exchanged between WWAN and WLAN, p. eg, through a combined network management system. The information exchanged may include location information, timing information, etc., and may be used for call establishment, handover, etc.

When WWAN is present, a wireless device can initiate a call to another wireless device using WWAN. WWAN can be aware of the locations of the two wireless devices and can determine that the call can be initiated on the WLAN or peer-to-peer. WWAN can then instruct the two wireless devices to establish the call over the WLAN, or peer-to-peer, and may be able to save air link resources for other calls that cannot be initiated by the WLAN or peer-to-peer. WWAN can therefore ease the burden of calls whenever possible.

Data management

Different types of calls may have different data and QoS requirements. For example, a VoIP call may have certain requirements about the delay. An upper layer application that is responsible for establishing calls can be aware of the requirements of the call being initiated and can determine how traffic data should be managed for the call. The upper layer application can carry traffic management information to the lower layers that are responsible for the transmission and reception of traffic data.

In a design, the top layer application marks packages using one or more fields from a package header. Version 4 IP (IPv4) includes an 8-bit service type (TOS) field that can be used to carry the desired QoS. The TOS field includes a 3-bit precedence subfield, used to indicate the precedence (or importance) of traffic data, and three 1-bit subfields, used to indicate the desired delay, flow and reliability. IPv4 is described in RFC 791. IP version 6 (IPv6) includes an 8-bit traffic class field that can be used to identify and distinguish between different classes or packet priorities. IPv6 is described in RFC 2460. The TOS field in IPv4 and the traffic class field in IPv6 can be replaced by an 8-bit differentiated services (DS) field, described in RFC 2474. The DS field includes a 6-bit differential services code point (DSCP) subfield that carries a code point that defines the skip behavior (PHB) for an IP packet. The top layer application can also mark packages in other ways, using other fields.

In the call establishment, a table can be created with one or more values ​​for each subfield to be dialed and, for each value, the corresponding manipulation for the packages marked with that value. Then, packet filtering can be performed based on the table. Packets that match the filtering criteria are handled as specified by the table.

In another design, application programming interfaces (APIs) are used to achieve the desired handling of traffic data for the call. The upper layer application can call the APIs, which are controllers that process the traffic data that traverses the upper and lower layers. APIs can classify traffic by looking at parts of the IP header and / or higher layer protocol headers, such as the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), etc.

In another additional design, operating system (OS) functions are used to achieve the desired handling of traffic data for the call. Traffic data can be stored in a temporary warehouse with a control section. The control section indicates how traffic data in the temporary store should be manipulated by the lower layers, and can be properly marked by the OS functions. Different operating systems may have different implementations to mark the temporary store. The temporary store can therefore be marked according to the operating system used for the wireless device.

Some examples of how the different phases of a peer-to-peer call can be carried out in the four scenarios are given below.

When both WWAN and WLAN are absent.

<dl><dt>*</dt><dd> Make the background or asset discovery, </dd></dl>

<dl><dt>*</dt><dd> Perform peer-to-peer security using a PSK or certificate, </dd></dl>

<dl><dt>*</dt><dd> Exchange signaling for the establishment and dismantling of peer-to-peer calls, through the SIP, </dd></dl>

<dl><dt>*</dt><dd> Exchange data peer to peer. </dd></dl>

When only WWAN is present.

<dl><dt>*</dt><dd> Use WWAN timing for background or asset discovery, </dd></dl>

<dl><dt>*</dt><dd> Perform peer-to-peer security or through WWAN, </dd></dl>

* Exchange SIP signaling for the establishment and dismantling of peer-to-peer calls or through WWAN 5,

<dl><dt>*</dt><dd> Exchange data peer to peer. </dd></dl>

When only WLAN is present.

<dl><dt>*</dt><dd> Perform background or asset discovery using the WLAN, </dd></dl>

<dl><dt>*</dt><dd> Perform peer-to-peer security or through the WLAN, </dd></dl>

10 * Exchange SIP signaling for the establishment and dismantling of peer-to-peer calls or via the WLAN,

<dl><dt>*</dt><dd> Exchange data peer to peer or via the WLAN. </dd></dl>

When both WWAN and WLAN are present.

<dl><dt>*</dt><dd> Perform peer-to-peer discovery, using WWAN or WLAN, </dd></dl>

fifteen * Perform peer-to-peer security, using WWAN or WLAN,

<dl><dt>*</dt><dd> Exchange SIP signaling for the establishment and dismantling of calls, peer to peer or through WWAN, </dd></dl>

<dl><dt>*</dt><dd> Exchange data peer to peer or via the WLAN. </dd></dl>

IP address discovery can be carried out, if necessary, for each of the four scenarios 20 described above.

FIG. 3 shows a process 300 for communicating peer to peer. A wireless device discovers a target wireless device, e.g. eg, with WWAN or WLAN absent (block 312). The wireless device performs authentication of the target wireless device and generates a session key, e.g. eg, using a pre-shared key or a certificate registered in the wireless device (block 314). The wireless device forms a

25 Wireless ad hoc network with the wireless destination device (block 316) and communicates peer-to-peer with the wireless destination device via the wireless ad hoc network, using the session key (block 318).

FIG. 4 shows an apparatus 400 for peer-to-peer communication. The apparatus 400 includes means for performing the discovery of a destination wireless device (block 412), means for performing authentication of the destination wireless device and generating a session key (block 414), means for forming an ad hoc wireless network with he

30 destination wireless device (block 416) and means for peer-to-peer communication with the destination wireless device via the ad hoc wireless network, using the session key (block 418).

FIG. 5 shows a process 500 to perform the discovery with a list of identifiers. A wireless device receives a frame (e.g., a beacon frame or a polling request) from another wireless device (block 512). The wireless device extracts an identifier from the received frame (block 514) and determines if the extracted identifier 35 is included in the list of identifiers registered in the wireless device (block 516). An identifier can be an SSID or some other type of identifier. An identifier can be obtained based on (a) a telephone number

or some other identifying information for this wireless device and / or (b) a telephone number or some other identifying information for the other wireless device. The list may include identifiers for wireless devices designated to communicate with this wireless device. The wireless device sends a response

40 if the extracted identifier is included in the list (block 518). The wireless device can initiate peer-to-peer communication with the other wireless device if the received frame indicates a call request (block 520).

The wireless device can perform the background discovery and can periodically send and receive frames for the discovery of other wireless devices. Each frame may include an identifier for the sending wireless device. The wireless device may also perform active discovery and may periodically listen to frames, but send frames only to discover a destination wireless device (e.g. eg, at the beginning of a call). Each transmitted frame may include an identifier for the destination wireless device. For both background and active discoveries, the wireless device can send

and / or receive frames during (a) time intervals selected pseudorandomly or (b) time intervals determined based on the timing obtained from a wireless communication network, e.g. eg, a cellular network or a broadcast network.

FIG. 6 shows an apparatus 600 to perform the discovery. The apparatus 600 includes means for receiving a frame from another wireless device (block 612), means for extracting an identifier from the received frame (block 614), means for determining whether the extracted identifier is included in a list of identifiers (block 616) , means for sending a response if the extracted identifier is included in the list (block 618) and means for initiating peer-to-peer communication with the other wireless device if the received frame indicates a call request (block 620).

FIG. 7 shows a process 700 for making the discovery at the beginning of a peer-to-peer call. A wireless device receives an indication (e.g., from a user) to initiate a peer-to-peer call with a destination wireless device (block 712). The wireless device makes the discovery of the destination wireless device in response to the reception of the indication (block 714). The wireless device can send at least one frame (e.g. eg, a polling request) that identifies the target wireless device. Each transmitted frame may include an identifier for the destination wireless device. The wireless device communicates peer-to-peer with the wireless destination device for the call (block 716).

FIG. 8 shows an apparatus 800 to perform the discovery. The apparatus 800 includes means for receiving an indication to initiate a peer-to-peer call with a destination wireless device (block 812), means for making the discovery of the destination wireless device in response to receiving the indication (block 814) and means for peer-to-peer communication with the destination wireless device for the call (block 816).

FIG. 9 shows a process 900 to perform the discovery using external timing. A wireless device obtains timing from a wireless communication network, e.g. eg, a cellular network, a broadcast network, etc. (block 912). The wireless device monitors for frames of other wireless devices at designated time intervals, determined based on the timing of the wireless communication network (block 914). The wireless device may sleep between the designated time intervals and may wake up before each time interval designated to monitor for frames of other wireless devices and / or to transmit frames.

FIG. 10 shows an apparatus 1000 to perform the discovery. The apparatus 1000 includes means for obtaining timing of a wireless communication network (block 1012) and means for monitoring for frames of other wireless devices at designated time intervals, determined based on the timing of the wireless communication network (block 1014 ).

FIG. 11 shows a process 1100 to perform IP address discovery for a peer-to-peer call. A wireless device forms a package that includes a user-specific identifier for a target wireless device (block 1112). The user-specific identifier can be based on (eg, set to) a telephone number or some other identifying information for the destination wireless device. The wireless device sends the packet to request an IP address of the destination wireless device (block 1114) and receives a response that includes the IP address of the destination wireless device (block 1116). For blocks 1114 and 1116, the wireless device may broadcast the packet to other wireless devices and may receive the response from the destination wireless device. Alternatively, the wireless device can send the packet to a server in a wireless network and can receive the response from the server. The wireless device can be registered on the server, e.g. For example, before sending the package. In any case, the wireless device communicates peer-to-peer with the target wireless device using the IP address (block 1118).

FIG. 12 shows a 1200 process for performing IP address discovery. The apparatus 1200 includes means for forming a packet that includes a user-specific identifier for a destination wireless device (block 1212), means for sending the packet to request an IP address of the destination wireless device (block 1214), means for receiving a response that includes the IP address of the destination wireless device (block 1216) and means for peer-to-peer communication with the destination wireless device using the IP address (block 1218).

FIG. 13 shows a 1300 process for obtaining and using an SSID for an ad hoc wireless network. A wireless device determines an SSID based on at least one user-specific identifier for at least one wireless device (block 1312). The wireless device uses the SSID for the discovery of one or more wireless devices (block 1314). Said wireless device (s) may include this wireless device and / or a destination wireless device for a peer-to-peer call. Said wireless device (s) may correspond to the target wireless device (for active discovery) or to all wireless devices in the vicinity of this wireless device (for background discovery). The SSID can be obtained based on

(a) a telephone number or some other identification information for this wireless device and / or (b) a telephone number or some other identification information for the destination wireless device. The wireless device may include the SSID in each frame sent to discover another wireless device (s) and / or can filter frames received based on the SSID.

FIG. 14 shows a device 1400 for obtaining and using an SSID for an ad hoc wireless network. The apparatus 1400 includes means for determining an SSID based on at least one user-specific identifier for at least one wireless device (block 1412) and means for using the SSID for the discovery of one or more wireless devices (block 1414).

FIG. 15 shows a process 1500 to manage traffic data for a peer-to-peer call. The wireless device checks the QoS requirements for the peer-to-peer call with a target wireless device (block 1512). QoS requirements may refer to delay, data rate, etc. The wireless device processes the traffic data for the peer-to-peer call according to the QoS requirements (block 1514). For example, the wireless device can mark the packets that carry the traffic data using at least one header field of the packet, e.g. eg, the TOS field in IPv4, the traffic class field in IPv6 or the DS field. The wireless device can also classify traffic data using APIs. The wireless device can also mark a temporary store that stores traffic data with management information for traffic data. The wireless device sends the processor traffic data to the destination wireless device (block 1516).

FIG. 16 shows a 1600 process for managing traffic data for a peer-to-peer call. The apparatus 1600 includes means for checking QoS requirements for the peer-to-peer call with a destination wireless device (block 1612), means for processing traffic data for the peer-to-peer call according to the QoS requirements (block 1614) and means for sending the processed traffic data to the destination wireless device (block 1516).

FIG. 17 shows a block diagram of a wireless device design 130c, which is able to communicate peer-to-peer with other wireless devices and also with WWAN 110 and WLAN 120. On the transmission path, the traffic data to be sent by the wireless device 130c they are processed (e.g., formatted, encoded and interleaved) by an encoder 1722 and further processed (e.g. e.g., modulated, channeled and encrypted) by a modulator (Mod) 1724 according to an applicable radio technology (eg, for Wi-Fi or WWAN) to generate output segments. A transmitter (TMTR) 1732 then conditions (e.g., converts the output segments to analog, filters, amplifies and increases the frequency) and generates a modulated signal, which is transmitted via a 1743 antenna.

On the receiving path, the antenna 1734 receives signals transmitted by base stations in the WWAN, access points in the WLAN and / or other wireless devices. A receiver (RCVR) 1736 conditions (e.g., filters, amplifies, reduces the frequency and digitizes) a signal received from the antenna 1734 and provides samples. A demodulator (Demod) 1726 processes (e.g., decrypts, channels and demodulates) samples and provides symbol estimates. A decoder 1728 further processes (e.g., deinterleaves and decodes) the symbol estimates and provides decoded data. The encoder 1722, the modulator 1724, the demodulator 1726 and the decoder 1728 can be implemented by a modem processor 1720. These units perform the processing according to the radio technology or technologies used for communication.

A controller / processor 1740 controls the operation in the wireless device 130c. A memory 1742 stores data and program codes for the wireless device 130c. Controller / processor 1740 can implement process 300 in FIG. 3, process 500 in FIG. 5, process 700 in FIG. 7, process 900 in FIG. 9, process 1100 in FIG. 11, process 1300 in FIG. 13, process 1500 in FIG. fifteen and / or other processes for peer-to-peer communication. The 1740 controller / processor can also implement timers that indicate when to sleep, when to send and receive frames for discovery, etc. Memory 1742 can store various types of information, such as the PTP list shown in FIG. two.

The techniques described in this document can be implemented by various means. For example, the techniques can be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. For a hardware implementation, the processing units in a wireless device can be implemented within one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSP), digital signal processing devices (DSPD), devices of programmable logic (PLD), field programmable gate formations (FPGA), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, electronic devices, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described in this document, or a combination thereof.

For an implementation in firmware and / or software, the techniques can be implemented with instructions (eg, procedures, functions, etc.) that can be used by one or more processors to perform the functions described in this document. The instructions may be firmware and / or software codes that can be stored in a memory (e.g., memory 1742 in FIG. 17) and executed by one or more processors (e.g., processor 1740) . The memory may be implemented within the processor or be external to the processor, stored in an external memory, in a computer program product, e.g. eg, a CD-ROM or other means, being in a memory on an external server, or the like.

Titles are included in this document for reference and to help locate certain sections. These titles are not intended to limit the scope of the concepts described under them, and these concepts may have applicability in other sections throughout the report.

5 The above description of the disclosure is provided to allow any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Various modifications of the disclosure will be immediately apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Thus, it is not intended that the disclosure be limited by the examples described herein, but should be granted the broadest scope consistent with the novel principles and characteristics.

10 disclosed in this document.