Method and apparatus for battery life extension for nodes within beaconing networks

• US 20040258102A1
• Filed: 06/17/2003
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bourgeois, Monique J., Callaway, Edgar H.
• Granted Patent: US 6,879,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/511
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link

Abstract

An “identical beacons” field (401) is inserted near the beginning of a transmitted beacon (403) that contains either an integer equal to the number of consecutive identical beacons sent (i.e., identical to the one presently being transmitted) or a repetition bit indicating whether or not the beacon contains changed information when compared to a prior-sent beacon. After sleeping awhile, a node (302-304) wakes up, receives a first portion of the beacon containing the identical beacons field, and analyzes the identical beacons field. Based on the analysis, the node makes a decision on whether to remain “awake” for reception of the remaining beacon or to return to sleep.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting a beacon within a beacon network, the method comprising the steps of:

determining if a beacon contains changed content;

based on the determination, inserting a repetition bit into the beacon, wherein the repetition bit indicates whether the beacon contains changed content; and

transmitting the beacon to nodes within the network.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

inserting address information within the beacon, wherein the address information comprises addresses for nodes within the network that are to receive a scheduled transmission or to communicate with another network node.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

inserting control information within the beacon.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of inserting the repetition bit into the beacon comprises the step of inserting the repetition bit into a beginning portion of the beacon.

5. A method for transmitting a beacon within a beacon network, the method comprising the steps of:

determining if a beacon contains changed content;

determining an identical beacon counter value indicating a number of identical beacons transmitted;

inserting the identical beacon counter value into the beacon; and

transmitting the beacon to nodes within the network.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of:

inserting address information within the beacon, wherein the address information comprises addresses for nodes within the network that are to receive data.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of:

inserting control information within the beacon.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of inserting the identical beacon counter value into the beacon comprises the step of inserting the identical beacon counter value into a beginning portion of the beacon.

9. A method for battery life extension for nodes within a beacon network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a beacon, wherein the beacon comprises a repetition bit that indicates whether the beacon contains changed content; and

based on whether or not the beacon contains changed content, either placing the node in a power conservation mode or staying awake to receive a further portion of the beacon message.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of receiving the beacon comprises the step of receiving a beacon comprising the repetition bit and address information, wherein the address information comprises addresses for remote nodes within the network that are to receive a scheduled transmission or to communicate with another network node.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of receiving the beacon comprises the step of receiving a beacon comprising the repetition bit and control information.

12. A method for battery life extension for nodes within a beacon network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a beacon, wherein the beacon comprises an identical beacon field comprising a number of identical beacons transmitted;

determining a number of beacons missed since a last received beacon; and

based on the identical beacon count and the number of beacons missed since the last received beacon, either placing the node in a power conservation mode or staying awake to receive a further portion of the beacon message.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of receiving the beacon comprises the step of receiving a beacon comprising the identical beacon field and address information, wherein the address information comprises addresses for nodes within the network that are to receive data or to transmit to another network node.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of receiving the beacon comprises the step of receiving a beacon comprising the identical beacon field and control information.

15. A beacon comprising:

a first portion;

a second portion; and

wherein the first portion comprises an indication as to whether second portion contains changed information, and/or an indication of how many repetitions of second portion has occurred without any change.

16. The beacon of claim 15 wherein the second portion comprises address information.

17. The beacon of claim 15 wherein the second portion comprises control information.

18. An apparatus comprising:

logic circuitry determining if a beacon contains changed content;

beacon format circuitry inserting a repetition bit into the beacon, wherein the repetition bit indicates whether the beacon contains changed content; and

transmission circuitry for transmitting the beacon.

19. An apparatus comprising:

logic circuitry determining if a beacon contains changed content and incrementing an identical beacon counter value if the beacon is to contain unchanged content;

beacon format circuitry inserting the identical beacon counter value into the beacon, wherein the identical beacon counter value indicates a number of identical beacons transmitted; and

transmission circuitry for transmitting the beacon.

20. An apparatus comprising:

receive circuitry for receiving a beacon, wherein the beacon comprises a repetition bit that indicates whether the beacon contains changed content; and

logic circuitry for placing a node in a power conservation mode based on whether or not the beacon contains changed content.

21. An apparatus comprising:

receive circuitry for receiving a beacon, wherein the beacon comprises an identical beacon field comprising a number of identical beacons transmitted; and

logic circuitry for determining a number of beacons missed since a last received beacon, and based on the identical beacon counter value and the number of beacons missed since the last received beacon, either placing a node in a power conservation mode or staying awake to receive a rest of the beacon message.