US Patent 11272438 Propagating discovery assistance request and response

A wireless communication apparatus/system/method utilizing directional data transmission over a communication (e.g., mmW) band and propagating discovery assistance request and responses to neighboring stations (e.g., in its BSS or in the surrounding area) toward increasing network efficiency. If these stations support discovery assistance they send a discovery assistance response to the station from which the request was propagated. The STA that sent the propagated discovery assistance request processes all the responses and sends a discovery assistance response, containing information about the discovery assistance campaign, to the STA that requested the discovery assistance request.