Abstract: In order to flexibly manage and broadcast content to electronic devices in a multicast group, a multicast group management protocol allows one or more multicast group masters to be specified. In addition to controlling membership in the multicast group, a multicast group master can define or specify a multicast session, in which content from one or more sources is broadcast to at least a subset of the electronic devices or sinks in the multicast group. The multicast group management protocol supports concurrent broadcasts of content to different multicast sessions. Moreover, the broadcasts in the different multicast sessions may have different: priorities, encoding techniques, quality-of-service policies, reliability, and/or number of parity bits. For example, the different encoding techniques may include different layers in H.264 Scalable Video Coding. Alternatively or additionally, the different number of parity bits may be associated with application layer forward error correction.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to a system and method for providing flexible receiver configuration in wireless communication systems, such as 802.11 WLAN systems. In one embodiment, a wireless device may transmit a first data frame including first configuration information specifying a first configuration of the receiver to notify a remote device that the wireless device intends to configure its receiver according to the first configuration. After receiving an acknowledgement frame confirming the first configuration information, the wireless device may configure the receiver according to the first configuration. In another embodiment, a wireless device may receive a first data frame including first configuration information and further including a request that the wireless device configure its receiver according to the first configuration. In response, the wireless device may configure the receiver according to the first configuration.

Abstract: In one set of embodiments, one or more client stations operate to configure Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)—direct communication with neighboring client stations, i.e., direct communication between the client stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. Embodiments of the disclosure relate to NAN datapath scheduling and NAN pre-datapath operation setup and scheduling. The NAN datapath embodiments described herein provide a mechanism through which devices can communicate and provide services. Aspects of the datapath development include datapath scheduling, including datapath setup and scheduling attributes, as well as pre-datapath operation triggering and scheduling. Scheduling may include determination of a type of datapath, including paging and synchronized datapaths. NAN data cluster base schedules may be scheduled as equal-sets or subsets of datapath schedules. The datapath model may be implemented for unicast and multicast communication between client stations.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that provides wireless service groups. During operation, a wireless device's advertising mechanism advertises a service group over Wi-Fi, wherein the service group comprises at least the wireless device and wherein the service group's security requirements regulate multicast protection within the service group. In response to receiving a request from a second device to be admitted into the service group, the wireless device's security mechanism admits the second device into the service group and sends the service group's security requirements to the second device, thereby enabling the second device to initialize multicast protection in accordance with the service group's security requirements.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that enables service-configurable wireless connections. During operation, a local service endpoint of a service runs on a wireless device. The local service endpoint sends a request to establish a datapath with another service endpoint on another device. Meanwhile, the wireless device's service discovery module discovers a remote endpoint for the service on a remote device. In response to the request, the wireless device's service-configurable security entity configures a Wi-Fi connection's security configuration, thereby enabling the local endpoint to establish a datapath between the local endpoint and the remote endpoint over the Wi-Fi connection.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to a system and method for providing flexible receiver configuration in wireless communication systems, such as 802.11 WLAN systems. In one embodiment, a wireless device may transmit a first data frame including first configuration information specifying a first configuration of the receiver to notify a remote device that the wireless device intends to configure its receiver according to the first configuration. After receiving an acknowledgement frame confirming the first configuration information, the wireless device may configure the receiver according to the first configuration. In another embodiment, a wireless device may receive a first data frame including first configuration information and further including a request that the wireless device configure its receiver according to the first configuration. In response, the wireless device may configure the receiver according to the first configuration.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to providing reduced power consumption in wireless communication systems, such as 802.11 WLAN systems. Timing information regarding power save opportunities (PSOPs) may be provided in communication frames, which may inform mobile devices of expected frame exchange periods during which they may transition to a Doze state. Additional PSOP information may be included in beacon frames, which may inform mobile devices of expected multicast periods during which they may transition to a Doze state. This may operate to provide improvements in terms of power consumption.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to service discovery using a dynamically configurable Bloom filter. According to some embodiments, various parameters of the Bloom filter may be determined by a first wireless device. The parameters may include a number of services advertised using the Bloom filter, a false positive rate of the Bloom filter, a set of hash functions used with the Bloom filter, and/or a size of the Bloom filter. The Bloom filter may be generated according to the determined parameters. The Bloom filter, along with some or all of the parameters of the Bloom filter, may be transmitted by the first wireless device. A second wireless device may use the Bloom filter as part of a service discovery process to determine whether or not a desired service is available via the first wireless device.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are provided for initiating a network connection between a first device and a second device. While one or more high-power network interfaces of the first device are in a dormant state, the first device communicates with a second device via the first device's low-power network interface. The first device can determine, based on the communication, whether to establish a network connection with the second device via a high-power network interface of the first device. Next, if the first device is to establish the network connection with the second device via the high-power network interface, the device can wake the first high-power network interface and connect to the second device via the first high-power network interface.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for dynamic, adaptive scanning of communication channels are provided. A device alternates between scan cycles and rest cycles. A scan cycle includes interleaved intervals of scanning and resting. A scan interval may involve active or passive scanning, and a rest interval may be active or inactive. An active rest interval is spent tending to a communication requirement other than scanning (e.g., an infrastructure connection, a peer-to-peer connection). An inactive rest interval may be spent in a low-power mode of operation. Rest cycles, like rest intervals, may also be active or inactive. Durations of rest cycles and rest intervals increase each time a scan cycle completes without detection of any significant event or signal (e.g., until they reach a maximum). Upon detection of a significant event, they decrease, possibly by being reset to default durations.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods are provided for coordinating multiple peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. A device operates a first P2P communications protocol to participate in a first P2P network. The device also operates a second P2P communications protocol to participate in a second P2P network. The device can modify at least one of the first P2P network's parameters and at least one of the second P2P network's parameters to minimize conflicts between operations of the P2P networks. To enable it to modify these parameters, the device may configure or reconfigure its operating parameters to cause it to take on a supervisory role (e.g., master, group owner).

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for dynamic, adaptive scanning of communication channels are provided. A device alternates between scan cycles and rest cycles. A scan cycle includes interleaved intervals of scanning and resting. A scan interval may involve active or passive scanning, and a rest interval may be active or inactive. An active rest interval is spent tending to a communication requirement other than scanning (e.g., an infrastructure connection, a peer-to-peer connection). An inactive rest interval may be spent in a low-power mode of operation. Rest cycles, like rest intervals, may also be active or inactive. Durations of rest cycles and rest intervals increase each time a scan cycle completes without detection of any significant event or signal (e.g., until they reach a maximum). Upon detection of a significant event, they decrease, possibly by being reset to default durations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for conducting peer-to-peer communications while channel hopping among two or more wireless channels, at least one of which is a restricted channel. One type of restricted channel requires the use of DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) or a similar scheme for avoiding use of the channel during certain circumstances (e.g., for radar avoidance). Communicating peers may synchronize a channel-hopping sequence with TBTTs (Target Beacon Transmission Times) of the restricted channel(s), so that they switch to such a channel in time to capture a beacon and determine whether the channel is free. If the channel is free, or if no beacon is received, they may immediately begin or resume their communications. They may also quiesce just before another TBTT so as to capture that beacon. Thus, the peer-to-peer communications do not diminish a peer device's ability to receive and comply with channel switch announcements.

Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method are provided for operating a peer-to-peer communication environment. The environment includes one or more clusters of peer devices, wherein devices in a single cluster are organized into a logical hierarchy under an anchor master (at the root of the hierarchy) and any number of synchronization masters; other devices are non-master devices. Synchronization parameters established by the anchor master and disseminated throughout the hierarchy enable the clusters' devices to rendezvous, discover peers and services, and communicate among themselves. The anchor master may adjust the synchronization parameters to avoid conflict with another hierarchy. Each device issues beacons (e.g., heartbeats, discovery beacons) that identify the number of devices synchronized with the reporting device, which allows the anchor master to calculate the total number of cluster members. Devices may also report details of a neighboring cluster (e.g.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for dynamic, adaptive scanning of communication channels are provided. A device alternates between scan cycles and rest cycles. A scan cycle includes interleaved intervals of scanning and resting. A scan interval may involve active or passive scanning, and a rest interval may be active or inactive. An active rest interval is spent tending to a communication requirement other than scanning (e.g., an infrastructure connection, a peer-to-peer connection). An inactive rest interval may be spent in a low-power mode of operation. Rest cycles, like rest intervals, may also be active or inactive. Durations of rest cycles and rest intervals increase each time a scan cycle completes without detection of any significant event or signal (e.g., until they reach a maximum). Upon detection of a significant event, they decrease, possibly by being reset to default durations.

Abstract: A system and method for peer-to-peer communications is disclosed. A first wireless device receives a message from a second wireless device identifying communication requirements of a point-to-point communication involving the second wireless device. The first wireless device determines whether the second wireless device's communication requirements can be satisfied based on communication resources already committed for other communications. When the communication requirements of the second wireless device can be satisfied, the first wireless device generates a time sharing schedule to be used by the first and second wireless devices based on the already-committed communication requirements and the second device's communication requirements. The time sharing schedule may include a first portion for broadcast communication among a group of devices to which the first and second wireless devices belong, and a second portion for the point-to-point communications of the second wireless devices.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates communication between a first computing device and a second computing device connected to the first computing device through an extended service set (ESS) of a wireless local area network (WLAN). During operation, the system obtains, on the first computing device, connection information associated with the second computing device. Next, the system uses the connection information to move the first computing device from a first basic service set (BSS) associated with the first computing device to a second BSS associated with the second computing device. After the first computing device is connected to the second BSS, the system establishes a direct link between the first computing device and the second computing device, wherein the direct link facilitates subsequent communication between the first and second computing devices.

Abstract: An electronic device performs a scan of each wireless channel in a sequence of wireless channels to detect advertising frames transmitted from other electronic devices. When performing the scan, the electronic device waits for a next transmit time. After the next transmit time, the electronic device configures the electronic device to monitor a next wireless channel from the sequence of wireless channels. The electronic device then monitors the next wireless channel for the advertising frames for a scanning time interval, wherein a duration of the scanning time interval is set in accordance with one or more transmit times used for transmitting advertising frames on the wireless channels in the sequence of wireless channels. When wireless channels from the sequence of wireless channels remain to be scanned, the electronic device returns to wait for a next transmit time.

Abstract: Security key distribution techniques using key rollover strategies for wireless networks are described. A number of keys are generated, usually by an access point. The present invention allows a standard mode and a mixed mode. In standard mode, each device on the network supports automatic key updates. In mixed mode, one or more devices on the wireless network require fixed keys. In both modes, a predetermined number of keys are determined and communicated to client devices that are accessing the wireless network. The predetermined number is determined so that a client device can miss a certain number of authentication periods without losing communication with the wireless network. Preferably, transmit keys used by an access point are different than the transmit keys used by the client devices that support automatic key updates.

Abstract: Security key distribution techniques using key rollover strategies for wireless networks are described. A number of keys are generated, usually by an access point. The present invention allows a standard mode and a mixed mode. In standard mode, each device on the network supports automatic key updates. In mixed mode, one or more devices on the wireless network require fixed keys. In both modes, a predetermined number of keys are determined and communicated to client devices that are accessing the wireless network. The predetermined number is determined so that a client device can miss a certain number of authentication periods without losing communication with the wireless network. Preferably, transmit keys used by an access point are different than the transmit keys used by the client devices that support automatic key updates.