Power saving in a wireless local area network

• US 20050129009A1
• Filed: 12/16/2003
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Kitchin, Duncan M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,085,595 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a client node transmits a wakeup notification message to a supporter node when the client node is in a higher power awake mode. The supporter node may transmit data, if any, to the client node until there is no more data to be transmitted to the client node. The supporter node then transmits a done transmitting packet to the client node when the buffer memory is empty to indicate there is no more data to be transmitted. Upon receiving a done transmitting packet, the client node may enter into a lower power sleep mode until a subsequent awake event. The wakeup notification message may be transmitted by the client node at a time or interval selected to provide a power savings to the client node.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting a wakeup notification message to a supporter node; and

receiving data, if any, until a packet is received from the supporter node indicating no data is available.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wakeup notification message is a power save poll.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wakeup notification message is transmitted periodically to the supporter node.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wakeup notification message is transmitted to the supporter node at a time determined by a client node.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wakeup notification message is transmitted to the supporter node at a time determined by the supporter node.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said transmitting does not occur in the event the supporter node is transmitting data at a time of an expected wakeup notification message.

7. A method, comprising:

receiving a wakeup notification message transmitted from a client node;

transmitting data, if any, to the client node; and

transmitting a packet to the client node indicating no data is available for the client node.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the wakeup notification message is a power save poll.

9. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the wakeup notification message is received periodically from the client node.

10. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the wakeup notification message is received from the client node at a time determined by the client node.

11. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the wakeup notification message is received from the client node at time determined by a supporter node.

12. A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said receiving does not occur in the event said transmitting data occurs at a time of an expected wakeup notification message.

13. An article comprising a storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a computing platform, result in power saving in a wireless local area network by:

transmitting a wakeup notification message to a supporter node; and

receiving data, if any, until a packet is received from the supporter node indicating no data is available.

14. An article as claimed in claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, further result in power saving in a wireless local area network by periodically transmitting the wakeup notification message at a time determined by a client node.

15. An article as claimed in claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, further result in power saving in a wireless local area network by transmitting the wakeup notification message at a time determined by the supporter node.

16. An article as claimed in claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, further result in power saving in a wireless local area network by not executing said transmitting in the event the supporter node is transmitting data at a time of an expected wakeup notification message.

17. An article comprising a storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a computing platform, result in power saving in a wireless local area network by:

receiving a wakeup notification message transmitted from a client node;

transmitting data, if any, to the client node; and

transmitting a packet to the client indicating no data is available for the client node.

18. An article as claimed in claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, further result in power saving in a wireless local area network by receiving the wakeup notification message at a time determined by the client node.

19. An article as claimed in claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, further result in power saving in a wireless local area network by receiving the wakeup notification message at a time determined by a supporter node.

20. An article as claimed in claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, further result in power saving in a wireless local area network by not executing said receiving in the event the supporter node is transmitting data at a time of an expected wakeup notification message.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a wireless local area network interface, wherein said wireless local area network interface includes a transceiver to transmit a wakeup notification message to a supporter node and to receive data, if any, until a packet is received from the supporter node indicating no data is available.

22. An apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein the transceiver does not transmit a wakeup notification message to the supporter node in the event the supporter node is transmitting data at a time of an expected wakeup notification message.

23. An apparatus as claimed in claim 21, wherein the wireless local area network interface enters a lower power mode after receiving the packet from the supporter node indicating not data is available.

24. An apparatus, comprising:

a wireless local area network interface, wherein said interface includes a transceiver to receive a wakeup notification message from a client node and to transmit data, if any, to the client node and to transmit a packet to the client node indicating no data is available.

25. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, further comprising a buffer memory to buffer data for the client node until transmitted upon the transceiver receiving a wakeup notification message from the client node.

26. An apparatus, comprising:

an omnidirectional antenna; and

a wireless local area network interface to couple to said omnidirectional antenna, wherein said interface includes a transceiver to receive a wakeup notification message from a client node and to transmit data, if any, to the client node and to transmit a packet to the client node indicating no data is available.

27. An apparatus as claimed in claim 26, further comprising a buffer memory to buffer data for the client node until transmitted upon the transceiver receiving a wakeup notification message from the client node.