System and method for waking up a radio communications module of a device

• US 10,462,740 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yang, Yunsong, Rong, Zhigang, Du, Zhenguo
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agosta, Stephen M
• Application Number:
  US15/648,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20180041959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3805 with built-in auxiliary receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/265 taking into account the quality of service QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method for method for waking up one of a plurality of radio communications modules (RCMs) of a first station includes receiving a wake-up configuration from a second station, placing the plurality of RCMs into a sleeping mode, receiving a wake-up signal from the second station on an auxiliary low-power radio receiver of the first station, determining a first RCM of the plurality of RCMs to wake up in accordance with the wake-up configuration, and waking up the first RCM from the sleeping mode to communicate with the second station.

Claims

1. A method for waking up one of a plurality of 802.11-compliant radio communications modules (RCMs) of a first station, the method comprising:

receiving, by the first station, a wake-up configuration from a second station;

placing, by the first station, the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs of the first station into a sleeping mode;

receiving, by the first station, a wake-up signal from the second station on an auxiliary low-power radio receiver of the first station, the auxiliary low-power radio receiver being common to each RCM of the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs;

determining, by the first station, a first RCM of the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs to wake up in accordance with the wake-up configuration;

waking up, by the first station, the first RCM from the sleeping mode to communicate with the second station;

transmitting, by the first station, an RCM wake up indicator to the second station;

detecting, by the first station, a time-out prior to receiving a response from the second station on the first RCM;

determining, by the first station, a third RCM of the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs of the first station to wake up;

waking up, by the first station, the third RCM; and

communicating, by the first station with the second station using the third RCM, after waking up the third RCM.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating, by the first station, with the second station to determine the wake-up configuration.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein communicating with the second station to determine the wake-up configuration is performed using either the first RCM or a second RCM of the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs, where the second RCM is a different RCM from the first RCM.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the wake-up configuration is determined in accordance with one or more of a power consumption requirement comparing a power consumption of each RCM of the first station, a latency requirement comparing a latency associated with waking up each RCM of the first station, a Quality of Service (QoS) requirement of an anticipated data transmission comparing QoS requirements supported by each of the RCMs of the first station, a range requirement comparing an estimated range between the first station and the second station with a communications range supported by each of the RCMs of the first station, or historical and usage information of the first station.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wake-up configuration comprises an indication of the first RCM.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the wake-up configuration comprises mappings of mapping indicator values to RCMs of the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs of the first station, wherein the wake-up signal includes a mapping indicator, and wherein determining the first RCM comprises selecting the first RCM in accordance with the mappings and the mapping indicator.

7. A method for communicating with a first station having a plurality of 802.11-compliant radio communications modules (RCMs) and an auxiliary low-power radio receiver common to each RCM of the 802.11 compliant RCMs, the method comprising:

transmitting, by a second station, a wake-up configuration for the first station;

placing, by the second station, the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs of the first station into a sleeping mode;

transmitting, by the second station, a wake-up signal to the auxiliary low-power radio receiver of the first station, the wake-up signal configured to wake up a first RCM of the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs in accordance with the wake-up configuration;

receiving, by the second station, a wake-up indication from a second RCM of the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs of the first station;

determining, by the second station, that a third RCM of the second station, associated with the second RCM of the first station, is associated with a non-preferred radio access network of the second station;

instructing, by the second station using the third RCM of the second station, the first station to switch to a different RCM; and

communicating, by the second station, data with the first station using a fourth RCM of the second station associated with a fifth RCM of the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs of the first station, the fourth RCM being associated with a preferred radio access network of the second station.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the wake-up configuration comprises an indication of the first RCM.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising communicating, by the second station, with the first station to determine the wake-up configuration.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein communicating with the first station to determine the wake-up configuration is performed using a sixth RCM of the second station associated with one of the first RCM or a seventh RCM of the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs of the first station that is a different RCM from the first RCM.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the wake-up configuration is determined in accordance with one or more of a power consumption requirement comparing a power consumption of each RCM of the first station, a latency requirement comparing a latency associated with waking up each RCM of the first station, a Quality of Service (QoS) requirement of an anticipated data transmission comparing QoS requirements supported by each of the RCMs of the first station, a range requirement comparing an estimated range between the first station and the second station with a communications range supported by each of the RCMs of the first station, or historical and usage information of the first station.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the wake-up configuration comprises mappings of mapping indicator values to RCMs the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs of the first station, wherein the wake-up signal includes a mapping indicator, and wherein the method further comprises determining, by the second station, a value of the mapping indicator in the wake-up signal that corresponds to the first RCM in accordance with the mappings.

13. A first station comprising:

a plurality of 802.11-compliant radio communications modules (RCMs),

a non-transitory memory storage comprising instructions; and

one or more processors in communication with the non-transitory memory storage and the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to;

receive a wake-up configuration from a second station,

place the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs into a sleeping mode,

receive a wake-up signal from the second station on an auxiliary low-power radio receiver of the first station, wherein the auxiliary low-power radio receiver is common to each RCM of the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs,

determine a first RCM of the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs to wake up in accordance with the wake-up configuration,

wake up the first RCM from the sleeping mode to communicate with the second station,

transmit a RCM wake up indicator to the second station,

detect a time-out prior to receiving a response from the second station on the first RCM,

determine a third RCM of the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs of the first station to wake up,

wake up the third RCM, and

communicate with the second station using the third RCM after waking up the third RCM.

14. The first station of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to communicate with the second station to determine the wake-up configuration.

15. The first station of claim 13, wherein the wake-up configuration comprises an indication of the first RCM.

16. The first station of claim 13, wherein the wake-up configuration comprises mappings of mapping indicator values to RCMs of the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs of the first station, wherein the wake-up signal includes a mapping indicator, and wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to select the first RCM in accordance with the mappings and the mapping indicator.

17. A second station configured to communicate with a first station, the first station having a plurality of 802.11-compliant radio communications modules (RCMs) and an auxiliary low-power radio receiver common to each RCM the 802.11 compliant RCMs, the second station comprising:

a non-transitory memory storage comprising instructions; and

one or more processors in communication with the non-transitory memory storage, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to;

transmit a wake-up configuration for the first station,

place a plurality of the 802.11-compliant RCMs of the first station into a sleeping mode,

transmit a wake-up signal to the auxiliary low-power radio receiver of the first station, the wake-up signal configured to wake up a first RCM of the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs in accordance with the wake-up configuration,

receive a wake-up indication from a second RCM of the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs of the first station,

determine that a third RCM of the second station, associated with the second RCM of the first station, is associated with a non-preferred radio access network of the second station,

instruct, using the third RCM of the second station, the first station to switch to a different RCM, and

communicate data with the first station using a fourth RCM of the second station associated with a fifth RCM of the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs of the first station, wherein the fourth RCM is associated with a preferred radio access network of the second station.

18. The second station of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to communicate with the first station to determine the wake-up configuration.

19. The second station of claim 17, wherein the wake-up configuration comprises mappings of mapping indicator values to RCMs the plurality of 802.11-compliant RCMs of the first station, wherein the wake-up signal includes a mapping indicator, and wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to determine a value of the mapping indicator in the wake-up signal that corresponds to the first RCM in accordance with the mappings.

20. The second station of claim 17, wherein the wake-up configuration comprises an indication of the first RCM.

21. The second station of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to determine the wake-up configuration in accordance with one or more of a power consumption requirement comparing a power consumption of each RCM of the first station, a latency requirement comparing a latency associated with waking up each RCM of the first station, a Quality of Service (QoS) requirement of an anticipated data transmission comparing QoS requirements supported by each of the RCMs of the first station, a range requirement comparing an estimated range between the first station and the second station with a communications range supported by each of the RCMs of the first station, or historical and usage information of the first station.