# US 2019/0174400 A1 · Techniques for energy efficient wifi neighbor awareness network operation

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- Number: US 2019/0174400 A1
- Document ID: US20190174400A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/161,625
- Filed: 2018-10-16
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2014-05-02
- Assignees: Intel Corporation
- Applicants: Intel Corporation
- Inventors: Minyoung Park; Emily H. Qi; Venkatakrishna Yellepeddy
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190174400A1

## CPC

- H04W 48/16: Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
- H04W 8/005: {Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals}
- H04W 40/244: {using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing}
- H04W 56/001: {Synchronization between nodes}
- H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
- H04W 88/14: Backbone network devices
- Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE

## Abstract

Various embodiments are generally directed to an apparatus, method and other techniques for performing neighbor awareness network (NAN) discovery operations to discover a NAN cluster comprising one or more devices synchronized to a discovery window. In some embodiments, the NAN discovery operation may include communicating a cluster discovery message to join the NAN cluster, waiting a first time period for a response to the cluster discovery message, and joining the NAN cluster based on information in the response to synchronize to the discovery window when the response is received within the first time period. Various embodiments may also include disabling, by the processing circuitry, one or more operations to perform the NAN discovery operations if the response is not received within the first time period.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

-26. (canceled)

### Claim 27

An apparatus of a computing device, comprising:
a memory; and
processing circuitry coupled with the memory to:
process a frame comprising a network awareness networking (NAN) Cluster identification (NAN Cluster ID) associated with a NAN Cluster and a time offset associated with the NAN Cluster for synchronization with a time synchronization function (TSF) time of the NAN Cluster; and
causing the computing device to wake at a discovery window to join the NAN Cluster based on receipt of the frame.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The apparatus of claim 27, the frame comprising at least one of a beacon and a probe response.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The apparatus of claim 27, the processor circuitry to cause the computing device to transmit a probe request, wherein the frame is a probe response.

### Claim 30 (depends on 27)

The apparatus of claim 27, the processor circuitry to synchronize a clock to a TSF time of the NAN cluster based on the time offset.

### Claim 31 (depends on 27)

The apparatus of claim 27, the processor circuitry to cause the computing device to transmit a beacon after joining the NAN Cluster.

### Claim 32 (depends on 27)

The apparatus of claim 27, the processor circuitry to operate in a master role to transmit NAN synchronization beacons and discovery beacons.

### Claim 33 (depends on 27)

The apparatus of claim 27, the processor circuitry to operate in a master role to transmit a NAN synchronization beacon during a discovery window and a number of NAN discovery beacons outside of the discovery window during a discovery window interval.

### Claim 34 (depends on 33)

The apparatus of claim 33, the processor circuitry to cause the computing device to transmit consecutive NAN Discovery Beacons with a maximum interval time within 200 milliseconds.

### Claim 35 (depends on 33)

The apparatus of claim 33, the processor circuitry to determine whether the NAN Cluster includes an infrastructure device.

### Claim 36 (depends on 27)

The apparatus of claim 27, the processor circuitry to cause the computing device to receive a NAN synchronization beacon during a discovery window and a NAN discovery beacon outside of the discovery window during a discovery window interval.

### Claim 37 (depends on 27)

The apparatus of claim 27, the NAN Cluster identification to comprise a medium access control (MAC) address.

### Claim 38 (depends on 27)

The apparatus of claim 27, if one or more NAN Clusters are discovered, the processor to cause the computing device to join the NAN Cluster with highest grade.

### Claim 39 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:
one or more input/output (I/O);
a transceiver; and
an antenna coupled with the transceiver.

### Claim 40

An article comprising a computer-readable storage medium containing a plurality of instructions that when executed enable a computing device to:
process a frame comprising a network awareness networking (NAN) Cluster identification (NAN Cluster ID) associated with a NAN Cluster and a time offset associated with the NAN Cluster for synchronization with a time synchronization function (TSF) time of the NAN Cluster; and
cause the computing device to wake at a discovery window to join the NAN Cluster based on receipt of the frame.

### Claim 41 (depends on 40)

The article of claim 40, the frame comprising at least one of a beacon and a probe response.

### Claim 42 (depends on 40)

The article of claim 40, to enable the computing device to synchronize a clock to a TSF time of the NAN cluster based on the time offset.

### Claim 43 (depends on 40)

The article of claim 40, to enable the computing device to transmit a beacon for the NAN Cluster after joining the NAN Cluster.

### Claim 44 (depends on 40)

The article of claim 40, to enable the computing device to operate in a master role to transmit may transmit a NAN synchronization beacon during a discovery window and a number of NAN discovery beacons outside of the discovery window during a discovery window interval.

### Claim 45 (depends on 40)

The article of claim 40, the NAN Cluster identification to comprise a medium access control (MAC) address.

### Claim 46 (depends on 40)

The article of claim 40, if one or more NAN Clusters are discovered, the processor to join the NAN Cluster with highest grade.

### Claim 47

An apparatus of a computing device comprising:
a memory; and
processing circuitry coupled with the memory to:
generate a frame comprising a network awareness networking (NAN) Cluster identification (NAN Cluster ID) associated with a NAN Cluster and a time offset associated with the NAN Cluster for synchronization with a time synchronization function (TSF) time of the NAN Cluster; and
process the frame for transmission by the computing device to a station.

### Claim 48 (depends on 47)

The apparatus of claim 47, the frame comprising at least one of a beacon and a probe response.

### Claim 49 (depends on 47)

The apparatus of claim 47, the processor circuitry to cause the computing device to receive a probe request, wherein the frame is a probe response.

### Claim 50 (depends on 47)

The apparatus of claim 47, the processor circuitry to cause the computing device to transmit a beacon for the NAN Cluster.

### Claim 51 (depends on 47)

The apparatus of claim 47, the processor circuitry to operate in a master role to cause the computing device to transmit NAN synchronization beacons and discovery beacons.

### Claim 52 (depends on 51)

The apparatus of claim 51, the processor circuitry to determine whether the NAN Cluster includes an infrastructure device.

### Claim 53 (depends on 47)

The apparatus of claim 47, the processor circuitry to cause the computing device to receive a NAN synchronization beacon during a discovery window and a NAN discovery beacon outside of the discovery window during a discovery window interval.

### Claim 54 (depends on 47)

The apparatus of claim 47, the NAN Cluster identification to comprise a medium access control (MAC) address.

### Claim 55 (depends on 47)

The apparatus of claim 47, comprising:
one or more input/output (I/O);
a transceiver; and
an antenna coupled with the transceiver.

### Claim 56

An article comprising a computer-readable storage medium containing a plurality of instructions that when executed enable a computing device to:
generate a frame comprising a network awareness networking (NAN) Cluster identification (NAN Cluster ID) associated with a NAN Cluster and a time offset associated with the NAN Cluster for synchronization with a time synchronization function (TSF) time of the NAN Cluster; and
process the frame for transmission by the computing device to a station.

### Claim 57 (depends on 56)

The article of claim 56, the frame comprising at least one of a beacon and a probe response.

### Claim 58 (depends on 56)

The article of claim 56, to enable the computing device to receive a probe request, wherein the frame is a probe response.

### Claim 59 (depends on 56)

The article of claim 56, to enable the computing device to transmit a beacon for the NAN Cluster.

### Claim 60 (depends on 56)

The article of claim 56, to enable the computing device to operate in a master role to transmit NAN synchronization beacons and discovery beacons.

### Claim 61 (depends on 56)

The article of claim 56, to enable the computing device to receive a NAN synchronization beacon during a discovery window and a NAN discovery beacons outside of the discovery window during a discovery window interval.

### Claim 62 (depends on 56)

The article of claim 56, the NAN Cluster identification to comprise a medium access control (MAC) address.

### Claim 63 (depends on 56)

The article of claim 56, if one or more NAN Clusters are discovered, to enable the computing device to join a second NAN Cluster with highest grade.

### Claim 64

An apparatus of a computing device, comprising:
a means for processing a frame comprising a network awareness networking (NAN) Cluster identification (NAN Cluster ID) associated with a NAN Cluster and a time offset associated with the NAN Cluster for synchronization with a time synchronization function (TSF) time of the NAN Cluster; and
a means for causing the computing device to wake at a discovery window to join the NAN Cluster based on receipt of the frame.

### Claim 65 (depends on 64)

The apparatus of claim 64, the frame comprising at least one of a beacon and a probe response.

### Claim 66 (depends on 64)

The apparatus of claim 64, further comprising a means for synchronizing a clock to a TSF time of the NAN cluster based on the time offset.

### Claim 67

An apparatus of a computing device, comprising:
a means for generating a frame comprising a network awareness networking (NAN) Cluster identification (NAN Cluster ID) associated with a NAN Cluster and a time offset associated with the NAN Cluster for synchronization with a time synchronization function (TSF) time of the NAN Cluster; and
a means for processing the frame for transmission by the computing device to a station.

### Claim 68 (depends on 67)

The apparatus of claim 67, the frame comprising at least one of a beacon and a probe response.

### Claim 69 (depends on 67)

The apparatus of claim 67, further comprising a means for receiving a NAN synchronization beacon during a discovery window and a NAN discovery beacons outside of the discovery window during a discovery window interval.

### Claim 70 (depends on 67)

The apparatus of claim 67, the NAN Cluster identification to comprise a medium access control (MAC) address.