Scheduling data transmissions to improve power efficiency in a wireless network

• US 20060285517A1
• Filed: 06/13/2006
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kakani, Naveen K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,873,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/535 based on resource usage policies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Various embodiments are disclosed relating to scheduling data transmissions to improve power efficiency in a wireless network. In an example embodiment, uplink transmissions may be scheduled after the downlink transmissions within the frame sequence. One or more nodes having only scheduled downlink transmissions during the frame sequence may be scheduled for downlink transmissions at or near the start of the downlink transmissions. In another embodiment, one or more nodes having only scheduled uplink transmissions during the frame sequence may be scheduled for uplink transmissions at or near the end of the uplink transmissions. In yet another embodiment, one or more nodes having scheduled both downlink and uplink transmissions during the frame sequence may be scheduled for transmissions near a transition from downlink to uplink transmissions.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting a frame including a schedule identifying uplink and/or downlink transmission periods during a frame sequence for one or more nodes in a wireless network, the uplink transmissions being scheduled after the downlink transmissions within the frame sequence, with one or more nodes having only scheduled downlink transmissions during the frame sequence being scheduled for downlink transmissions at or near the start of the downlink transmissions.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein one of the nodes having only scheduled downlink transmissions during the frame sequence being scheduled for a downlink transmission immediately after receipt of the frame.

3. The method of claim 1 and wherein one or more nodes having only scheduled uplink transmissions being scheduled at or near the end of the uplink transmissions.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein one of the nodes having only scheduled uplink transmissions during the frame sequence being scheduled for an uplink transmission at the end of the uplink transmissions.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting a frame comprises transmitting a Power Save Multi Poll frame.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting a frame comprises transmitting an IEEE 802.11n Power Save Multi Poll (PSMP) frame.

7. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

transmitting one or more downlink data frames to one or more wireless nodes at the scheduled transmission periods.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting a frame including a schedule identifying uplink and/or downlink transmission periods, wherein each of the uplink transmission periods being identified by a downlink start offset and/or downlink transmission duration, and each of the uplink transmission periods being identified by an uplink start offset and/or uplink transmission duration.

9. A method comprising:

transmitting a frame including a schedule identifying uplink and/or downlink transmission periods during a frame sequence for one or more nodes in a wireless network, the uplink transmissions being scheduled after the downlink transmissions within the frame sequence, wherein one or more nodes having scheduled both downlink and uplink transmissions during the frame sequence being scheduled for transmissions near a transition from downlink to uplink transmissions.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein transmitting a frame comprises transmitting a Power Save Multi Poll frame.

11. A method comprising:

transmitting a frame including a schedule identifying uplink and/or downlink transmission periods during a frame sequence for one or more nodes in a wireless network, the uplink transmissions being scheduled after the downlink transmissions within the frame sequence, with one or more nodes having only scheduled uplink transmissions during the frame sequence being scheduled for uplink transmissions at or near the end of the uplink transmissions.

12. A method comprising:

transmitting a frame identifying uplink and/or downlink transmission periods during a frame sequence for one or more nodes in a wireless network, the uplink transmissions being scheduled after the downlink transmissions within the frame sequence, with one or more nodes having only scheduled downlink transmissions during the frame sequence being scheduled for downlink transmissions at or near the start of the downlink transmissions, and with one or more nodes having only scheduled uplink transmissions during the frame sequence being scheduled for uplink transmissions at or near the end of the uplink transmissions, and with one or more nodes having scheduled both downlink and uplink transmissions during the frame sequence being scheduled for transmissions near a transition from downlink to uplink transmissions.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein transmitting a frame comprises transmitting a Power Save Multi Poll frame.

14. An apparatus for wireless communications, the apparatus comprising:

a controller;

a memory coupled to the controller;

the apparatus adapted to;

transmit a frame including a schedule identifying uplink and/or downlink transmission periods during a frame sequence for one or more nodes in a wireless network, the uplink transmissions being scheduled after the downlink transmissions within the frame sequence, with one or more nodes having only scheduled downlink transmissions during the frame sequence being scheduled for downlink transmissions at or near the start of the downlink transmissions.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 and wherein one or more nodes having only scheduled uplink transmissions being scheduled at or near the end of the uplink transmissions, and with one or more nodes having both downlink and uplink transmissions being scheduled for transmissions near the transition from downlink to uplink transmissions.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein transmitting a frame comprises transmitting an IEEE 802.11n Power Save Multi Poll frame.

17. An article comprising:

a storage medium;

said storage medium including stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, result in;

transmitting a frame identifying uplink and/or downlink transmission periods for one or more nodes in a wireless network, the uplink transmissions being scheduled after the downlink transmissions, wherein one or more nodes having both downlink and uplink transmissions being scheduled for transmissions near the transition from downlink to uplink transmissions.

18. The article of claim 17 wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor further result in:

transmitting the frame, the frame further identifying uplink and/or downlink transmission periods for one or more nodes in a wireless network, the uplink transmissions being scheduled after the downlink transmissions, with one or more nodes having only scheduled downlink transmissions being scheduled for downlink transmissions at or near the start of the downlink transmissions, and with one or more nodes having only scheduled uplink transmissions being scheduled at or near the end of the uplink transmissions.

19. The article of claim 17 wherein transmitting a frame comprises transmitting an IEEE 802.11n Power Save Multi Poll frame.