METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MESSAGE TRANSMISSION WITHIN A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
First Claim
1. In a communication system employing an awake interval where all nodes remain awake to receive and transmit messages, and also employing a sleep interval where nodes may sleep if they have no messages to receive, a method for message transmission, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining that a broadcast message is to be transmitted to a node;
determining if the broadcast message size is below a threshold; and
transmitting the broadcast message during the awake interval if the broadcast message is below the threshold, otherwise transmitting the broadcast message during the sleep interval.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The proposed method and apparatus reduces an amount of power required for nodes to both transmit and receive messages. In particular, broadcast packets are sent in an awake period (ATIM window) if the length of these messages is small. Because these packets do not need acknowledgment or they do not expect immediate reply, they may be broadcast in the ATIM window. Since all nodes are awake during the ATIM window, nodes may receive messages during this period of time which they ordinarily would need to stay awake to receive in the sleep period (post ATIM window).
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. In a communication system employing an awake interval where all nodes remain awake to receive and transmit messages, and also employing a sleep interval where nodes may sleep if they have no messages to receive, a method for message transmission, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining that a broadcast message is to be transmitted to a node;
determining if the broadcast message size is below a threshold; and
transmitting the broadcast message during the awake interval if the broadcast message is below the threshold, otherwise transmitting the broadcast message during the sleep interval. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. In a communication system employing an awake interval where all nodes remain awake to receive and transmit messages, and also employing a sleep interval where nodes may sleep if they have no messages to receive, a method for message reception, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a broadcast message during the awake interval if the broadcast message length is below a threshold, otherwise; and
receiving the broadcast message during the sleep interval. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. In a communication system employing an awake interval where all nodes remain awake to receive and transmit messages, and also employing a sleep interval where nodes may sleep if they have no messages to receive, an apparatus for message transmission, the apparatus comprising:
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logic circuitry determining that a broadcast message is to be transmitted to a node and determining if the broadcast message size is below a threshold; and
transmission circuitry transmitting the broadcast message during the awake interval if the broadcast message is below the threshold, otherwise transmitting the broadcast message during the sleep interval. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. In a communication system employing an awake interval where all nodes remain awake to receive and transmit messages, and also employing a sleep interval where nodes may sleep if they have no messages to receive, a method for message transmission, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining that a plurality of broadcast messages are to be transmitted to a plurality of nodes;
determining that multiple broadcast messages from the plurality of broadcast messages that are to be transmitted have a length that is below a threshold;
transmitting a single broadcast message that is below the threshold during the awake interval; and
transmitting all remaining broadcast messages that are below the threshold during the sleep interval.
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Specification