Method, apparatus and system for device discovery

An apparatus for device discovery, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to a processor, wherein the memory stores processor-executable instructions which when executed causes the processor to implement operations including:
• acquiring a user identification of a target user, and acquiring, according to the user identification of the target user, broadcast information of a second device to which the target user logs in;
• and
• when broadcast information of another device except the apparatus itself is monitored through a device-to-device (D2D) function, matching the monitored broadcast information of the another device with the broadcast information of the second device, and when the matching is successful, determining that the second device and the first device are within a preset distance.

A short distance server, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to a processor, wherein the memory stores processor-executable instructions which when executed causes the processor to implement operations including;
• receiving a request for querying broadcast information of a second device, wherein the query request is initiated by a first device and the query request comprises a device identity of the second device;
• and
• searching for the broadcast information of the second device according to the device identity of the second device, and returning the broadcast information of the second device to the first device, so that the first device matches monitored broadcast information of another device except the first device with the broadcast information of the second device to determine whether the first device and the second device are within a preset distance.