Abstract: Methods and apparatus for using different frequency bands are described. In some embodiments a first frequency band which is a licensed spectrum frequency band is used for peer discovery, device authentication, session establishment between peer devices and/or supporting an ongoing communications through control signaling. When available, a second frequency band, e.g., an unlicensed public frequency band is used for communicating data while the communications session is maintained using one or more control signals communicated in the first frequency band. Data and control signaling may be performed on a time division basis during a time period in which data is communicated.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to peer to peer communication networks are described. Embodiments directed to methods and apparatus for establishing traffic data transmission rates and/or transmission power levels between wireless terminals is described. Embodiments direct to methods and apparatus of making decisions whether or not to transmit as a function of the received power of the received response signals are also described. Transmission of pilot signals after granting of a transmission request and a decision to transmit traffic data has been made occurs in some embodiments. Rate information to be used in determining a traffic rate may be received in response to the pilot signal from a peer to peer (P2P) device.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for supporting multiple modes of communication operation, e.g., with different parameters and/or frequency bands being used in the different modes of operation are described. One or more adjustments are made based on a signal or signals received in a first frequency band from a second communications device, e.g., an access router with reliable timing. The communications device selects between and operates in either the first frequency band, e.g., a WAN frequency band, or in a second frequency band, e.g., a LAN frequency band. The WAN and LAN frequency bands may be non-overlapping. One or more parameters used in the second frequency band have a predetermined relationship to one or more parameters used for communications in the first frequency band making the adjustment based on the signal received in the first frequency band relevant and useful to support communications in the second frequency band.

Abstract: To mitigate interference between multiple peer-to-peer devices, transmitter yielding and/or receiver yielding may be performed among devices operating in a peer-to-peer network. Generally, a transmitter device will yield communications on a time slot to a higher priority transmitter device if it will cause unacceptable interference to a higher priority receiver device. Likewise, a receiver device may yield use of the time slot if interference is unacceptably high. Both transmitter and receiver yielding may be improved by use of beamforming at a receiver device. By utilizing beamforming information to make the transmitter and/or receiver yielding decisions, better interference mitigation may be achieved.

Abstract: In an ad hoc peer-to-peer communication network between wireless devices, a low priory first receiver device calculates and provides three transmission rates to its corresponding first transmitter device to allow higher priority devices to concurrently use a shared frequency spectrum. The first receiver device may wirelessly receive a first pilot signal from the first transmitter device and a second pilot signal from a second transmitter device. The second pilot signal indicating that the second transmitter device intends to transmit a second traffic signal that will interfere with the first traffic signal. The first receiver device then determines 1) a first transmission rate as a function of the second pilot signal, 2) a second transmission rate as a function of the first and second pilot signals, and 3) a third transmission rate as a function of the first pilot signal. The three transmission rates are then sent to the first transmitter device.

Abstract: Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate paging within a peer-to-peer communication network. A first wireless terminal monitors the paging channel of a wide area network. When a second wireless terminal intends to establish a peer-to-peer connection with the first wireless terminal, the second wireless terminal generates a paging message and transfers the message to the WAN, which routes the paging message to a base station. The base station uses its paging channel to send a paging message to the target first wireless terminal. The paging message indicates to the target first wireless terminal that the second wireless terminal intends to establish a peer-to-peer connection with the first wireless terminal. The paging message may further include parameters to be used to establish the peer-to-peer connection. Upon reception of the paging message, the second wireless terminal sends a signal directly to the first wireless terminal to start the direct peer-to-peer communication.

Abstract: One feature provides for establishing an ad hoc peer-to-peer network over an existing channel allocation for another network. To mitigate interference between multiple peer-to-peer devices, a plurality of receiver chains in a receiver device may be configured with beamforming coefficients so as to focus reception in the direction of an intended signal from a transmitter device while minimizing reception from other directions. Similarly, the receiver device may also use a plurality of antennas and a transmitter chain to beamform in the direction of the transmitter device, thereby focusing its transmission toward the transmitter device. The receiver device may also notify nearby devices that it is employing a plurality of receive antennas. This information can be used by the nearby devices to more intelligently perform transmitter yielding. By utilizing beamforming information to make the transmitter and/or receiver yielding decision, better interference mitigation may be achieved.

Abstract: In an ad hoc peer-to-peer communication network between wireless devices, a low priory first transmitter device adjusts it transmit power based on a received transmission request response from a higher priority second receiver device. The first transmitter device broadcasts a first transmission request to a corresponding first receiver device and may receive a first transmission request response from a different second receiver device. The second transmission request response is sent by the second receiver device in response to a second transmission request from a second transmitter device. The first transmitter device calculates an interference cost to the second receiver device as a function of the received power of the first transmission request response. A transmission power is obtained as a function of the calculated interference cost and the transmission power of the first transmission request, the transmission power to be used for traffic transmissions corresponding to the first transmission request.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to peer to peer communication networks are described. A peer to peer timing structure is implemented which includes recurring peer discovery intervals and traffic intervals. Some embodiments further include recurring paging intervals for peer to peer pages. A wireless communications device, supporting peer to peer communications and storing information defining the timing structure, determines a time reference point, facilitating a coarse level of synchronization with respect to the timing structure. The time reference point is determined based on a broadcast signal received from a communications device, e.g., a satellite, base station, or beacon signal transmitter. Multiple peer to peer wireless communications devices in a local vicinity thus obtain the same basic understanding as to the current relative point in time with respect to a common recurring peer to peer timing structure.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to peer to peer communication networks are described. A wireless communications device supports peer to peer communications with multiple peers. The wireless communications device determines its transmit timing synchronization based on a reference signal received from a node such as a base station, a satellite, or a beacon transmitter which does not transmit user data. The wireless communications device determines a plurality of different receive timing adjustments corresponding to different peer communications devices based on signals received from those peer communications devices. The wireless communications device stores the plurality of determined receive timing adjustment information corresponding to the different peer communications devices. The wireless communications device retrieves and applies stored receive timing adjustment information which matches the particular device which transmitted the signal attempting to be recovered.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to peer to peer communication networks are described. A peer to peer timing structure is implemented which includes a pattern of different types of time intervals including at least a peer discovery time interval and a traffic interval. A wireless communications device, supporting peer to peer operations stores the peer to peer timing structure information, accesses the stored information, and used the accessed information to determine an operation to be performed during a current time period. The operation is, e.g., a peer discovery operation, a peer to peer timing synchronization operation, a peer paging operation, or a peer to peer traffic signaling operation. Various exemplary relationships between the different types of intervals, including relative frequencies, relative durations, and spacing information, are described.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to peer to peer communication networks are described. An active connection list is maintained by a wireless communications device supporting peer to peer communications. In various embodiments, the active connection identifier list being maintained is in addition to a list of discovered peers in the local vicinity. Paging signaling, e.g., peer to peer paging signaling, is used to establish active connections. Air link peer to peer traffic resources include traffic control resources and traffic data resources. A wireless communications device seeking to transmit on a traffic data resource transmits a traffic request signal on a traffic control resource. An active connection identifier is, in some embodiments, associated with a particular subset of traffic control resources. Thus, a wireless communications device monitors the portion or portions of the traffic control resource corresponding to its active connections for traffic request signals, but need not monitor other portions.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus related to peer to peer communication networks are described. A peer to peer timing structure is implemented which includes recurring peer discovery intervals and traffic intervals. During a peer discovery interval, a wireless communications device, supporting peer to peer communications, monitors for and receives a broadcast signal from another peer wireless communications device, recovers an identifier from the received broadcast signal, and stores the received identifier in memory. The identifier is one of a device identifier and a user identifier. The wireless communications device maintains a list of discovered identifiers in its vicinity. In some embodiments, paging intervals are also included in the recurring peer to peer timing structure. In various embodiments, a wireless communications device receives or sends a page to a peer node prior to sending or receiving user data in a traffic interval. Various features are directed to peer paging protocol implementations.

Abstract: Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate detecting and/or identifying peers in a local area peer-to-peer network. Times (e.g., peer discovery intervals) for performance of mutual detection and identification between peers may be synchronized (e.g., based upon a signal broadcast to the peers), Further, within each partitioned peer discovery interval, a wireless terminal may select a portion of time to transmit (e.g., broadcast) short messages that may be employed by peers to detect and/identify the wireless terminal. Moreover, the remainder of the time within the partitioned peer discovery interval may be employed to listen to short messages received from peers.

Abstract: Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate sharing bandwidth between a wide area network and a local area peer-to-peer network. The peer-to-peer network may use an air interface technology that is similar to distinct from an air interface technology use din the wide area network. Moreover, the wide area network and the local area peer-to-peer network may utilize distinct sets of parameters. For example, if the wide area network and the peer-to-peer network use OFDM-based air interface technologies, parameters such as tone spacing, symbol time, cyclic prefix, and the like of the two networks may vary. Further, peer-to-peer parameters may be a function of parameters for the wide area network.