US 12,004,257 B2
Device discovery and connectivity in a cellular network
Rocco Di Girolamo, Laval (CA); Catalina Mihaela Mladin, Hatboro, PA (US); Michael F. Starsinic, Newtown, PA (US); and Hongkun Li, Malvern, PA (US)
Assigned to InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc., Wilmington, DE (US)
Appl. No. 17/283,076
Filed by InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc., Wilmington, DE (US)
PCT Filed Oct. 4, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/054698
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 6, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/076630, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 16, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/742,638, filed on Oct. 8, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0385642 A1, Dec. 9, 2021
Int. Cl. H04W 4/00 (2018.01); H04W 8/00 (2009.01); H04W 8/18 (2009.01); H04W 84/04 (2009.01)
CPC H04W 8/005 (2013.01) [H04W 8/18 (2013.01); H04W 84/042 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising:
transmitting, to a core network entity of a cellular network configured to enable a sociability service among devices connected to the cellular network, the sociability service comprising at least one of a social discovery service or a social communication service, a request to register to the sociability service, wherein the request comprises a first sociability context and wherein the first sociability context comprises one or more of a first social identifier and or a first social policy of the apparatus;
receiving, from the core network entity and based on the first social identifier, a response to the request to register, the response to the request to register comprising an indication that the apparatus is registered with the sociability service;
transmitting, to the core network entity, a request to discover at least one device of the devices connected to the cellular network, the request comprising social markers characterizing the at least one device, wherein the requested discovery is based on a comparison between the social markers and a second social identifiers of the at least one device; and
receiving, from the core network entity, a response to the request to discover, the response to the request to discover comprising an identity of the at least one device discovered based upon the comparison, wherein the response to the request to discover further comprises one or more of a second social policy of the at least one device, discovered based upon the comparison, an indication whether the at least one device discovered based upon the comparison is social, a uniqueness guarantee indicating a certainty level associated with the identity of the at least one device discovered based upon the comparison, or a port number associated with an application on the at least one device discovered based upon the comparison.