Power saving method and apparatus using multiple channels in a mesh network

• US 20080037570A1
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Young-Gon, Kim, Jae-Hoon
• Granted Patent: US 8,363,581 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A power saving method and apparatus are provided for saving power by reducing the number of changes between active mode and sleep mode using multiple channels. A process for negotiating which of multiple channels will be assigned a transmission opportunity (TXOP) is performed. A TXOP MAP is configured by exchanging a packet through a common channel during a predetermined time at every monitoring time according to a negotiated channel. The TXOP is allocated to each channel according to the TXOP MAP. As a change between the active mode and the sleep mode is reduced, power can be saved, resources of the mesh network can be efficiently used, and interference between nodes can be reduced.

Claims

1. A power saving method for use in a mesh network, comprising:

negotiating which of multiple channels will be assigned a transmission opportunity (TXOP);

configuring a TXOP MAP by exchanging a packet through a common channel during a predetermined time at every monitoring time according to a negotiated channel; and

allocating the TXOP to each channel according to the TXOP MAP.

2. The power saving method of claim 1, wherein the negotiating step comprises:

transmitting an available channel list from a first node for configuring the TXOP to a second node;

selecting a channel and transmitting the selected channel from the second node to the first node; and

advertising the selected channel from the first node to the second node.

3. The power saving method of claim 1, wherein the TXOP is set using traffic specification (TSPEC) and add traffic (ADDT) values.

4. The power saving method of claim 1, wherein the step of configuring the TXOP MAP comprises:

performing a monitoring operation whenever a time computed by multiplying the number of service intervals (SIs) available in the common channel by an SI is reached.

5. The power saving method of claim 4, wherein the number of SIs available in the common channel is set to an integer in inverse proportion to a traffic aware parameter, the traffic aware parameter being defined by a traffic amount and the number of active nodes.

6. The power saving method of claim 1, wherein the packet in the step of configuring the TXOP MAP is one of a management frame, a control frame, and a broadcast packet.

7. The power saving method of claim 1, wherein the step of configuring the TXOP MAP comprises:

updating the TXOP MAP at every end of service period (EOSP).

8. The power saving method of claim 1, wherein the step of configuring the TXOP MAP comprises:

temporally continuously allocating multiple TXOPs to one channel when the first node has the multiple TXOPs.

9. The power saving method of claim 1, wherein the step of configuring the TXOP MAP comprises:

temporally continuously allocating a first TXOP and a second TXOP to the multiple channels when a first node and a second node have the first TXOP and the second node and a third node have the second TXOP.

10. A power saving apparatus for use in a mesh network, comprising:

a memory for storing a power saving control program; and

a controller connected to the memory,

wherein the controller negotiates which of multiple channels will be assigned a transmission opportunity (TXOP), configures a TXOP MAP by exchanging a packet through a common channel during a preset time at every monitoring time according to a negotiated channel, and allocates the TXOP to each channel according to the TXOP MAP.

11. The power saving apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller controls power in active mode while the TXOP is allocated and controls the power in sleep mode while the TXOP is not allocated.

12. The power saving apparatus of claim 10, wherein the TXOP is set using traffic specification (TSPEC) and add traffic (ADDT) values.

13. The power saving apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller performs channel negotiation by controlling an operation for transmitting a channel list to an opposite node for configuring the TXOP, receiving a channel selected by the opposite node and advertising the selected channel.

14. The power saving apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller configures the TXOP MAP by temporally continuously allocating multiple TXOPs to one channel when a node has the multiple TXOPs.

15. The power saving apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller configures the TXOP MAP by temporally continuously allocating a first TXOP and a second TXOP to the multiple channels when a first opposite node and a second opposite node have the first TXOP and the second opposite node and a node of the controller have the second TXOP.

16. The power saving apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller performs a monitoring operation for configuring the TXOP MAP whenever a time computed by multiplying the number of service intervals (SIs) available in the common channel by an SI is reached.

17. The power saving apparatus of claim 16, wherein the number of SIs available in the common channel is set to an integer in inverse proportion to a traffic aware parameter, the traffic aware parameter being defined by a traffic amount and the number of active nodes.

18. A power saving system for use in a mesh network, comprising:

a first node for negotiating with a second node for an available channel, advertising a negotiated channel, configuring a transmission opportunity (TXOP) MAP according to advertisement, and allocating a TXOP according to the TXOP MAP; and

the second node for negotiating with the first node for the available channel, receiving the advertisement, configuring the TXOP MAP according to the advertisement, and having the TXOP allocated according to the configured TXOP MAP.

19. A computer-readable recording medium for power saving in a mesh network, comprising:

a first set of instructions for negotiating which of multiple channels will be assigned a transmission opportunity (TXOP);

a second set of instructions for configuring a TXOP MAP by exchanging a packet through a common channel during a predetermined time at every monitoring time according to a negotiated channel; and

a third set of instructions for allocating the TXOP to each channel according to the TXOP MAP.