Events and scheduling for communication in wireless networks

• US 10,063,943 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2016
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Taylor, James Laurence, Bartier, Jerome, Barnes, Keith, Uhling, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Tan H
• Application Number:
  US15/395,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20180124479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 455522, 455 69, 455 134, 4554521, 455 6711, 4555521, 4551151, 370329, 370458, 370336, 370338, 370447, 370257, 370311, 709205, 375134
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/713 using frequency hopping
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7143 Arrangements for generation of hop patterns
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7156 Arrangements for sequence synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1881 with schedule organisation, e.g. priority, sequence management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/60 for transmitting utility meters data, i.e. transmission of data from the reader of the utility meter
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/04 Arrangements for synchronous operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/20 for optimising the interference level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/002 Mutual synchronization
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 : Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 : Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/121 : for groups of terminals or users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 : Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 : in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 : Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 : Master-slave selection or change arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 : adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Techniques for communicating schedule data regarding a schedule are described herein. For example, a device may communicate a schedule information element that includes a tag indicating a first operating context to which to apply schedule data regarding a schedule. The schedule information element may also include a reference tag to indicate whether the schedule data is contained in the schedule information element or has been previously received and/or to identify a second operating context associated with previously received schedule data. If the reference tag indicates that the schedule data is contained in the schedule information element, the schedule data may be extracted from the schedule information element and applied to the first operating context. If the reference tag indicates that the schedule data has been previously received, the previously received schedule data may be accessed and applied to the first operating context.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed, instruct a processing unit to perform operations comprising:

wirelessly receiving, by a first node of a wireless network and from a second node of the wireless network, a first communication including a schedule information element, each of the first node and the second node comprising a full function device or a limited function device, the schedule information element including;

a tag indicating a first operating context to which to apply schedule data, the schedule data indicating at least one of;

a schedule active period comprising a duration of time of an active period within a schedule element during which the first node listens for communications;

a schedule repetition interval comprising a duration of time of the schedule element;

an event reference comprising a reference schedule element boundary element number for a particular schedule element, a start of the particular schedule element comprising an event reference schedule element boundary (SEB);

an event offset comprising a duration of time from the event reference SEB to an event sampled listening reference point (SLRP);

or

an event repetition interval comprising a duration of time between successive event SLRPs; and

a reference tag including one or more reference bits to (i) indicate whether at least a portion of the schedule data is contained in the schedule information element or has been previously received and/or (ii) identify a second operating context associated with a previously received schedule data to be used as at least the portion of the schedule data;

in the event that the reference tag indicates that at least the portion of the schedule data is contained in the schedule information element, extracting at least the portion of the schedule data from the schedule information element and applying the extracted schedule data to the first operating context;

in the event that the reference tag indicates that at least the portion of the schedule data is has been previously received, accessing the previously received schedule data and applying the previously received schedule data to the first operating context;

determining, by the first node, a schedule for the first operating context, the schedule indicating that a second communication is scheduled to be sent at the event SLRP; and

based at least in part on the schedule;

placing the first node in a low power state associated with less than a threshold amount of power; and

listening for the second communication from the second node at the event SLRP.

2. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a listening period that includes the event SLRP and at least one of a particular amount of time before the event SLRP or a particular amount of time after the event SLRP; and

awaking from the low power state based at least in part on the listening period;

wherein the listening for the second communication from the second node at the event SLRP comprises;

in response to awaking from the low power state, listening for the second communication from the second node.

3. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the schedule information element further includes a future transition element number that indicates when to apply the schedule data to the first operating context, the future transition element number identifying a schedule element.

4. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the full function device comprises a mains powered device and the limited function device comprises a battery powered device.

5. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the wirelessly receiving is performed without receiving data indicating at least one of a channel plan, a generator function, a channel spacing, or a channel list.

6. A method of scheduling communications, the method comprising:

wirelessly receiving, by a first node of a wireless network and from a second node of the wireless network, a first communication including a schedule information element, each of the first node and the second node comprising a full function device or a limited function device, the schedule information element including;

a tag indicating a first operating context to which to apply schedule data, the schedule data indicating an event sampled listening reference point (SLRP); and

a reference tag including one or more reference bits to (i) indicate whether at least a portion of the schedule data is contained in the schedule information element or has been previously received and/or (ii) identify a second operating context associated with previously received schedule data to be used as the schedule data;

determining, by the first node, a schedule for the first operating context based at least in part on the schedule information element, the schedule indicating that a second communication is scheduled to be sent at the event SLRP; and

based at least in part on the schedule;

placing the first node in a low power state associated with less than a threshold amount of power; and

listening for the second communication from the second node at the event SLRP.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the schedule data indicates at least one of:

a schedule active period comprising a duration of time of an active period within a schedule element during which the first node listens for communications;

a schedule repetition interval comprising a duration of time of the schedule element;

an event reference comprising a reference schedule element boundary element number for a particular schedule element, a start of the particular schedule element comprising an event reference schedule element boundary (SEB);

an event offset comprising a duration of time from the event reference SEB to the event SLRP;

or

an event repetition interval comprising a duration of time between successive event SLRPs.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the schedule information element further includes a future transition element number that indicates when to apply the schedule data to the first operating context.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the one or more bits of the reference tag indicates that at least the portion of the schedule data is contained in the schedule information element; and

the schedule information element further includes at least the portion of the schedule data.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a listening period that includes the event SLRP and at least one of a particular amount of time before the event SLRP or a particular amount of time after the event SLRP; and

awaking from the low power state based at least in part on the listening period;

wherein the listening for the second communication from the second node at the event SLRP comprises;

in response to awaking from the low power state, listening for the second communication from the second node.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining the listening period is based at least in part on a last communication that was received from the second node, the last communication including timing synchronization information.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining the listening period is based at least in part on an amount of time that has lapsed since receiving a last communication from the second node, the last communication including timing synchronization information.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining the listening period is based at least in part on an amount of timing uncertainty associated with the first node, the timing uncertainty associated with the first node being based on at least one of a timing accuracy for the first node or clock drift for the first node.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining the listening period is based at least in part on an amount of timing uncertainty associated with the second node, the timing uncertainty associated with the second node being based on at least one of a timing accuracy for the second node or clock drift for the second node.

15. A node comprising:

a radio configured to transmit a first communication including a schedule information element, the node comprising a full function device or a limited function device;

one or more processors communicatively coupled to the radio; and

memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, the memory storing one or more instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

generating the schedule information element, the schedule information element including;

a tag indicating a first operating context to which to apply schedule data, the schedule data indicating an event sampled listening reference point (SLRP); and

a reference tag including one or more reference bits to identify a second operating context associated with previously received schedule data to be used as at least a portion of the schedule data; and

causing the radio to listen for or transmit a second communication based at least in part on the first operating context and the schedule data.

16. The node of claim 15, wherein the schedule data indicates at least one of:

a schedule active period comprising a duration of time of an active period within a schedule element during which the node listens for communications;

or

a schedule repetition interval comprising a duration of time of the schedule element.

17. The node of claim 15, wherein the schedule data indicates at least one of:

an event reference comprising a reference schedule element boundary element number for a particular schedule element, a start of the particular schedule element comprising an event reference schedule element boundary (SEB);

an event offset comprising a duration of time from the event reference SEB to the event SLRP;

or

an event repetition interval comprising a duration of time between successive event SLRPs.

18. The node of claim 17, wherein the node comprises a full function device and the radio is configured to send the first communication to a first limited function device and to send a third communication to a second limited function device, the third communication including another schedule information element for the second limited function device, the third communication indicating the event reference SEB and another event offset that is different than the event offset included in the schedule data that is sent to the first limited function device.

19. The node of claim 17, wherein the node comprises a full function device and the radio is configured to send the first communication to multiple limited function devices to synchronize the multiple limited function devices to the event reference SEB.

20. The node of claim 19, wherein the generating the schedule information element includes determining the event repetition interval based at least in part on timing uncertainty of the multiple limited function devices.