Method and apparatus for wake on wireless systems

• US 20050059386A1
• Filed: 08/23/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Atheros Communications Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Sheung L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,319,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/420
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus to wirelessly control network devices is described. In one embodiment, a wireless device is used to control at least one host device using a network. In one aspect, a wireless device receives and determines a response to network control signals received thereto. In another aspect, a wireless device controls a host sleep sequence to allow a network to remotely power a host device between an active and passive state. In one aspect, a wireless device provides one or more network identification responses to signals received from the network. In another aspect, a network provides an alert to a third party such as a network administrator if the network determines a wireless device is absent from the network due to a loss of signal therefrom.

Claims

1. A wireless network, comprising:

at least one network transceiver;

at least one host transceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with the at least one network transceiver; and

a remote control circuit coupled to the host transceiver and responsive to network signals from the at least one network transceiver.

2. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the remote control circuit comprises host command data.

3. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the remote control circuit comprises network response data.

4. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the at least one host transceiver comprises a transmitter configured to transmit at least one network signal to the wireless network indicative that a host associated with the host transceiver is wirelessly connected to the wireless network.

5. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the network transceiver comprises a transmitter configured to transmit at least one network signal to the at least one host transceiver.

6. The wireless network of claim 1, wherein the signals received comprise frame data.

7. A method of controlling one or more devices wirelessly coupled to a network, the method comprising:

wirelessly providing network signals to at least one wireless network device; and

the at least one network device performing at least one operation in response to at least one of the network signals.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one operation comprises a network device wake up command.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the one operation comprises a network device sleep command.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the one operation comprises wirelessly transmitting at least one network connection signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the wirelessly transmitting comprises transmitting the at least one network connection signal to the network after a predetermined number of network signals have been received by the at least one wireless network device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the wirelessly transmitting comprises transmitting at least one network connection signal to the network after a predetermined type of network signal has been received by the at least one wireless network device.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the one operation comprises wirelessly transmitting a wireless network connection signal to the network in response to at least one network signal received.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising issuing an alert to the network if the network connection signal is not received by the network.

15. A wireless network device, comprising:

at least one network device wirelessly coupled to a network controller;

a data repository containing (i) a plurality of host commands and (ii) comparison data associated with the plurality of host commands;

a command program; and

a processor configured to execute the command program configured to perform at least some of the plurality of host commands in response to network signals associated with the comparison data.

16. The wireless network device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of host commands comprise a command to wake-up a host device.

17. The wireless network device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of host commands comprises a command to transmit from the network device a network connection signal.

18. The wireless network device of claim 15, wherein the comparison data comprises a plurality of digital data patterns associated with at least some of the plurality of host commands.

19. A method of wirelessly controlling network devices, comprising:

receiving control signals at least at one of the network devices;

comparing the control signals to comparison data; and

if at least some of the comparison data matches within a predefined threshold of at least some of the control signals, then performing with the network device at least one network operation associated with at least one of the matching control signals.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the receiving control signals further comprises transmitting at least one network signal from a wireless network to at least one of the network devices.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the performing comprises transmitting from at least one of the network devices a signal indicative that the at least one network device is wirelessly connected to a network.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the performing comprises transmitting a host wake-up operational signal.