Patent application number | Description | Published |
20120082127 | METHOD TO ENHANCE DISCOVERY OF IDENTIFIERS MULTIPLEXED IN A PEER-TO-PEER CHANNEL - A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided in which an identifier is sent in a peer discovery signal. In addition, a value is sent with the identifier in the peer discovery signal indicating at least one of a next time, a next frequency, or a next resource that the identifier will be sent. A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided in which an identifier is received in a peer discovery signal. In addition, a value is received with the identifier in the peer discovery signal indicating at least one of a next time, a next frequency, or a next resource that the identifier should be expected to be received. | 04-05-2012 |
20120303459 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING ADVERTISING CONTROL INFORMATION - Various embodiments are directed to the transmission, e.g., broadcast, of identification information and corresponding control information in discovery signals by a wireless communications device as part of a discovery process. In some embodiments, the identifier identifies one of: an advertisement, a user, or a module. In one embodiment the identifier identifies an advertisement, and the corresponding control information communicates a bid factor used in determining the value of a bid for an ad display opportunity. In another embodiment, the identifier identifies a dynamically modifiable advertisement, and the corresponding control information communicates information that is used to set and/or modify the dynamically modifiable portion of the advertisement. In still another embodiment, the identifier identifiers a user and the control information communicates status information. In yet another embodiment, the identifier identifies a module, e.g., a software application, and the control information communicates a command for the module to perform a particular operation. | 11-29-2012 |
20120303463 | ADCACHE SPACE AUCTIONS BASED ON DIFFERENTIAL CONTEXT - In some embodiments, in an exemplary advertising system multiple bidders compete for ad cache space on devices which display ads. The bidders are, e.g., advertisers, ad networks, and/or loyalty program providers. The devices which store and display the ads are, e.g., mobile and/or stationary wireless communications devices. An individual bidder is provided with contextual information that is of relevance to the individual bidder. The contextual information is about the device onto which ads may be loaded. Different bidders may be, and sometimes are, supplied with different restricted information. Various embodiments are directed to a methods and apparatus for operating an ad broker system. | 11-29-2012 |
20130060702 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DEMOGRAPHICS INFORMATION COLLECTION - Various embodiments are directed to methods and apparatus which can be used to implement a system for collecting demographic information of users and/or devices in real-time or near real-time. Methods and apparatus directed to communicating and collecting demographic information via wireless signals, e.g., discovery signals, transmitted by one or more wireless devices, e.g., wireless communications devices supporting a peer to peer signaling protocol, are described. In various embodiments, at least some of the demographic information is transmitted in a secure manner. | 03-07-2013 |
20130183905 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SYNCHRONIZING A WIRELESS NETWORK WITH AN EXTERNAL TIMING SOURCE - A communications device synchronizes itself with respect to an external reference signal, e.g., a GPS signal. The communications device detects timing reference signals, e.g., beacon signals, from a communications network. If the communications device determines that the network is not synchronized to the external timing reference signal, the communications device operates as a master timing control device. In various embodiments, when operating as a master timing control device the wireless communications device communicates time stamps, e.g., in beacon signals, which indicate a greater passage of time than the actual passage of time. When operating as a master timing control device the communications device transmits network timing reference signals at a higher rate than is being used by the network to seize control of network timing and become the master timing control device. The communications device drives the network timing to synchronize network timing to the external timing reference. | 07-18-2013 |
20130183906 | ENHANCED DISTRIBUTED SYNCHRONIZATION FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS - Methods and apparatus are described which increase the probability and/or frequency that devices with comparatively faster clocks in a network than other devices in the network will transmit beacon signals are described. As a result, devices with faster clocks will tend to drive system synchronization to convergence faster than if all devices transmitted beacons at the same rate, thus facilitating more reliable maintenance of system synchronization since the devices with faster clocks will tend to transmit more frequently. | 07-18-2013 |
20130184030 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING AND/OR USING A SIGNAL SUPPRESSION UTILITY METRIC - Methods and apparatus are described for efficiently suppressing transmission of signals from devices which are using a first protocol, in order to allow the frequency spectrum being used by devices using the first protocol to be used briefly for communication between devices using an alternative communications protocol. In some embodiments, the first protocol is WiFi and the alternative signaling protocol is a non-WiFi peer to peer communications protocol. A wireless communications device, e.g., a peer to peer wireless communications device, generates a signal suppression utility metric (SSUM). The signal suppression utility metric provides an indication of how useful transmitting a transmission suppression signal, e.g., a S-CTS signal which may be a CTS to self signal, will be at a given point in time. The wireless communications device decides whether or not to transmit a transmission suppression signal as a function of the signal suppression utility metric. | 07-18-2013 |
20130196631 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING NETWORK-ASSISTED END-TO-END PAGING BETWEEN LTE DEVICES TRACKED BY DIFFERENT MOBILITY MANAGEMENT ENTITIES - A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. The apparatus may be an initiator UE, a target UE, an MME of an initiator UE, or an MME of a target UE. In one configuration, the apparatus is a target UE. The target UE broadcasts information for identifying an MME serving the target UE along with a target expression of the target UE, receives, from the MME serving the target UE, parameters and a key for communicating with an initiator UE, and communicates securely with the initiator UE based on the key. | 08-01-2013 |
20130196693 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING NETWORK-ASSISTED PAGING OF LTE DEVICES VIA A COMMON ENTITY - A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. In one configuration, the apparatus is a target UE. The target UE communicates an expression of the target UE to a serving entity, receives a page initiated from the serving entity for communicating with an initiator UE, and communicates securely with the initiator UE based at least on the page. In one configuration, the apparatus is a serving entity. The serving entity receives a first expression from a target UE, receives a second expression from an initiator UE, and sends a page to the target UE upon determining that the second expression matches the first expression. | 08-01-2013 |
20130196694 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING NETWORK-ASSISTED END-TO-END PAGING BETWEEN LTE DEVICES - A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. The apparatus may be a target UE, an initiator UE, or an MME. In one configuration, the apparatus is an initiator UE. The initiator UE determines a network address of a target UE based on a target expression, sends a connection request including information associated with the initiator UE to the target UE at the determined network address, sends information associated with the target UE to an MME serving the initiator UE, and receives, from the MME serving the initiator UE, one or more parameters for communicating with the target UE. Further, the initiator UE communicates with the target UE based on the one or more parameters. | 08-01-2013 |
20130272193 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MULTIPLEXING APPLICATION IDENTIFIERS FOR PEER-TO-PEER DISCOVERY SYSTEMS - A method, a computer program product, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus may be equipped to obtain one or more application identifiers from one or more applications on a wireless device, generate a super identifier (SID) having elements corresponding to the one or more applications and a base that identifies one or more common properties of the one or more applications, and broadcast the SID during one or more peer discovery slots allocated for the wireless device. In another example, a UE may be equipped to receive the SID broadcast by another UE, determine a match between at least one of the one or more common properties in the base, and determine whether an element associated with one or more applications is present in the SID. | 10-17-2013 |
20140022986 | WAN ASSISTED MONITORING AND COMMUNICATIONS METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES - Methods and apparatus for improved monitoring and tracking of communications devices, e.g., peer to peer devices, using assistance from WAN elements such as base stations, are described. In some embodiments, a wireless terminal requests peer to peer communications discovery assistance from one or more base stations. In some embodiments, the request includes information identifying peer communications discovery information the wireless terminal is seeking to detect. In some embodiments, upon receiving the request, nearby base stations listen to the common discovery channel and upon detecting the specified discovery information, send a response indicating the detection of the discovery information and a proximate location of the announcing peer device, to the wireless terminal. The wireless terminal can use the received information to locate and page the announcing peer via the base station serving the announcing peer. Location tracking of peer devices is facilitated and peer-to-peer communication setup time may be reduced. | 01-23-2014 |
20140022999 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ASSOCIATING USER EQUIPMENT ELECTRONIC IDENTIFIERS WITH USERS - Techniques for associating an electronic identifier of a user equipment (UE) with a user of the UE are described. In embodiments of an apparatus, system, method, and computer program of the present disclosure, a UE may transmit an electronic identifier associated with the UE via peer discovery, for receiving by a second UE. A perceivable cue associated with the electronic identifier may be indicated to a second user. The UE or the user of the UE may indicate the perceivable cue to the second user. Selection of the perceivable cue by the second user may cause the initiation of communications between the UE and the second UE. | 01-23-2014 |
20140112163 | SUPPRESSING WIRELESS BROADCAST/MULTICAST DATA TRANSMISSIONS - A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are described. The apparatus wirelessly transmits a reservation signal intended for a plurality of receivers for scheduling a broadcast/multicast data transmission, monitors for a confirmation signal from at least one of the plurality of receivers, wirelessly transmits the broadcast/multicast data transmission to the plurality of receivers if the confirmation signal is received, and suppresses transmission of the broadcast/multicast data to the plurality of receivers if the confirmation signal is not received. In some embodiments, the apparatus further determines at least one of a number of received confirmation signals or a signal strength of a received confirmation signal from the at least one of the plurality of receivers, and suppresses transmission of the broadcast/multicast data based on the determined at least one of the number of received confirmation signals or the signal strength of the received confirmation signal. | 04-24-2014 |
20140119262 | COORDINATED TRANSMISSION RATE AND CHANNEL SCHEDULING FOR WIRELESS MULTICAST AND BROADCAST - A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. The apparatus receives indication of a transmission scheme for decoding multicast/broadcast data transmitted from a sender, receives a reservation signal for the multicast/broadcast data from the sender, determines whether the receiver is capable of decoding the multicast/broadcast data at the indicated transmission scheme, and transmits a confirmation signal for the multicast/broadcast data to the sender after determining that the receiver is capable of decoding the multicast/broadcast data at the indicated transmission scheme. The apparatus receives the multicast/broadcast data according to the transmission scheme after the confirmation signal is transmitted. Alternatively, the apparatus suppresses transmission of the confirmation signal when it is determined that the receiver is not capable of decoding the multicast/broadcast data at the indicated transmission scheme. | 05-01-2014 |
20140126453 | MULTICAST OVER WIRELESS NETWORK WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF POWER-EFFICIENT PEER GROUP DISCOVERY - A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. The apparatus may be a data source determining to send a multicast transmission for a multicast group having a multicast group identifier, wirelessly communicating an expression with at least one node in the multicast group, the expression based on the multicast group identifier, and sending the multicast transmission to the at least one node. The apparatus may a data receiver determining to receive a multicast transmission for a multicast group having a multicast group identifier, wirelessly communicating an expression with a data source in the multicast group, the expression based on the multicast group identifier, and receiving the multicast transmission from the data source. | 05-08-2014 |
20150038136 | POWER EFFICIENT DISCOVERY OF LTE-DIRECT RELAY FOR OUT-OF-COVERAGE DEVICES - Methods, systems, and devices are described for managing wireless communications. In one method, a mobile device may determine to transition to a relay status. The relay status may indicate a capability of the mobile device to function as a relay device between at least one other mobile device and a base station. A peer discovery signal that indicates the relay status may then be transmitted. In another method, a mobile device may broadcast an out-of-coverage status indicator in a first peer discovery signal. A second peer discovery signal may be received from at least one other mobile device. The second peer discovery signal may indicate a capability of the at least one other mobile device to function as a relay device. | 02-05-2015 |