# US 9,439,232 B2 · Managing traditional Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi direct connections using a wireless device

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- Number: US 9,439,232 B2
- Document ID: US9439232B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/157,897
- Filed: 2014-01-17
- Published: 2015-07-23
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2014-01-17
- Assignees: GM Global Technology Operations LLC; General Motors Corporation
- Applicants: General Motors LLC; GM Global Technology Operations LLC
- Inventors: Lakshmi Thanayankizil; Fan Bai; David P. Pop
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9439232B2

## CPC

- H04W 76/15: Setup of multiple wireless link connections
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

A method of managing short-range wireless links between a primary wireless device and a plurality of secondary wireless devices includes initiating a short-range wireless link between the primary wireless device and a secondary wireless device configured to communicate using a traditional Wi-Fi protocol; providing the short-range wireless link between the primary wireless device and the secondary wireless device using a Wi-Fi direct protocol, wherein the primary wireless device acts as a group owner and the secondary wireless device acts as a group member; detecting the presence of an additional secondary wireless device, acting as a server, using the primary wireless device; ending use of the Wi-Fi direct protocol over the short-range wireless link between the primary wireless device and the secondary wireless device; and beginning use of the traditional Wi-Fi protocol over the short-range wireless link between the primary wireless device and the secondary wireless device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of managing, using one or more processors located in a primary wireless device, short-range wireless links between the primary wireless device and a plurality of secondary wireless devices, comprising the steps of:
(a) initiating a short-range wireless link between the primary wireless device and a secondary wireless device that communicates using a traditional Wi-Fi protocol, wherein the short-range wireless link is initiated either at the primary wireless device or the secondary wireless device and the primary device configured to communicate using a Wi-Fi direct protocol and the traditional Wi-Fi protocol;
(b) providing the short-range wireless link between the primary wireless device and the secondary wireless device using the Wi-Fi direct protocol, wherein the primary wireless device is a group owner and the secondary wireless device is a group member;
(c) detecting the presence of an additional secondary wireless device, that is a group owner, using the primary wireless device;
(d) ending use of the Wi-Fi direct protocol over the short-range wireless link between the primary wireless device and the secondary wireless device based on the detection in step (c);
(e) beginning use of the traditional Wi-Fi protocol over the short-range wireless link between the primary wireless device and the secondary wireless device after ending the use of the Wi-Fi direct protocol in step (d), wherein the primary wireless device becomes a server for the secondary wireless device; and
(f) providing another short-range wireless link between the primary wireless device and the additional secondary wireless device using the Wi-Fi direct protocol, wherein the primary wireless device becomes a group member to the additional secondary wireless device at the same time the primary wireless device is the server for the secondary device.

### Claim 2

A method of managing, using one or more processors located in a primary device, short-range wireless links between the primary wireless device and a plurality of secondary wireless devices, comprising the steps of:
(a) initiating a short-range wireless link between a vehicle telematics unit and a secondary wireless device that communicates using a traditional Wi-Fi protocol, wherein the short-range wireless link is initiated either at the vehicle telematics unit or the secondary wireless device and the vehicle telematics unit configured to communicate using a Wi-Fi direct protocol and the traditional Wi-Fi protocol;
(b) providing the short-range wireless link between the vehicle telematics unit and the secondary wireless device using the Wi-Fi direct protocol, wherein the vehicle telematics unit is a group owner and the secondary wireless device is a group member;
(c) detecting the presence of an additional secondary wireless device that is a group owner using the vehicle telematics unit;
(d) ending use of the Wi-Fi direct protocol over the short-range wireless link between the vehicle telematics unit and the secondary wireless device based on the detection in step (c);
(e) beginning use of the traditional Wi-Fi protocol over the short-range wireless link between the vehicle telematics unit and the secondary wireless device, wherein the vehicle telematics unit becomes a server for the secondary wireless device; and
(f) providing another short-range wireless link between the vehicle telematics unit and the additional secondary wireless device using the Wi-Fi direct protocol, wherein the vehicle telematics unit becomes a group member to the additional secondary wireless device at the same time the vehicle telematics unit is the server for the secondary device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising executing steps (c)-(e) at the vehicle telematics unit.

### Claim 4

A method of managing, using one or more processors located in a primary device, short-range wireless links between a vehicle infotainment unit and a plurality of secondary wireless devices, comprising the steps of:
(a) initiating a short-range wireless link between the vehicle infotainment unit and a secondary wireless device that communicates using a traditional Wi-Fi protocol, wherein the short-range wireless link is initiated either at the vehicle infotainment unit or the secondary wireless device and the vehicle infotainment unit configured to communicate using a Wi-Fi direct protocol and the traditional Wi-Fi protocol;
(b) providing the short-range wireless link between the vehicle infotainment unit and the secondary wireless device using the Wi-Fi direct protocol, wherein the vehicle infotainment unit is a group owner and the secondary wireless device is a group member;
(c) detecting the presence of an additional secondary wireless device that is a group owner using the vehicle infotainment unit;
(d) ending use of the Wi-Fi direct protocol over the short-range wireless link between the vehicle infotainment unit and the secondary wireless device based on the detection in step (c);
(e) beginning use of the traditional Wi-Fi protocol over the short-range wireless link between the vehicle infotainment unit and the secondary wireless device, wherein the vehicle infotainment unit becomes a server for the secondary wireless device; and
(f) providing another short-range wireless link between the vehicle infotainment unit and the additional secondary wireless device using the Wi-Fi direct protocol, wherein the vehicle infotainment unit becomes a group member to the additional secondary wireless device at the same time the vehicle infotainment unit is the server for the secondary device.