Remote device waking using a multicast packet

• US 20080170569A1
• Filed: 01/16/2007
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Garg, Sumit, Sridharan, Murari
• Granted Patent: US 9,319,225 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/390
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/16 Multipoint routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/66 Layer 2 routing, e.g. in Ethernet based MAN's
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/145 avoiding end of session, e.g. keep-alive, heartbeats, resumption message or wake-up for inactive or interrupted session
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/005 Routing actions in the presence of nodes in sleep or doze mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Sleeping device(s) may be changed from a sleeping state to an awake state using a multicast packet that sent to a multicast address of a multicast wake-up group. The packet may include an identifier for one or more particular device(s) in the multicast group, which, when received by the device(s), causes the device(s) to wake up.

Claims

1. At least one computer readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed, perform a method, for use by a first device, for changing the first device from a sleeping state of the first device to an awake state of the first device, the first device being a member of a multicast group, the method comprising acts of:

(A) receiving, by the first device, a multicast packet sent to at least two devices that are members of the multicast group;

(B) determining, by the first device, whether the multicast packet includes an identifier of the first device; and

(C) in response to determining that the multicast packet includes an identifier of the first device, changing the first device from the sleeping state of the first device to the awake state of the first device.

2. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a processor and a network communication module.

3. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the act (B) is performed by the network communication module.

4. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein the act (C) comprises providing, from the network communication module to the processor, in response to determining in the act (B) that the multicast packet includes an identifier of the first device, a signal indicating that the first device should be changed from the sleeping state of the first device to the awake state of the first device.

5. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein changing the first device from the sleeping state of the first device to the awake state of the first device comprises changing the processor from a sleeping state of the processor to an awake state of the processor.

6. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the identifier of the first device comprises a network address of the first device.

7. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first device consumes less average power in the sleeping state of the first device than in the awake state of the first device.

8. The at least one computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the identifier of the first device is included in a payload of the multicast packet.

9. A method, for use by a second device, for changing a first device from a sleeping state of the first device to an awake state of the first device, the first device being a member of a multicast group that includes at least two devices, the method comprising acts of:

(A) receiving, by the second device, a first packet sent to an address of the multicast group, the first packet that includes an identifier of the first device; and

(B) in response to receiving the first packet, sending, to the at least two devices that are members of the multicast group, a multicast packet that includes the identifier of the first device to indicate that the first device should be changed from the sleeping state of the first device to the awake state of the first device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second device comprises a router.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifier comprises a network address of the first device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifier comprises a medium access control (MAC) address of the first device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifier of the first device is included in a payload of the multicast packet.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the first packet is received in the act (A) in response to being sent by a third device to the address of the multicast group, the third device being at a location that is remote from the first device.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the first packet is sent by the third device in response to determining that at least one communication with the first device has failed.

16. A first device, comprising:

a processor configured to change from a sleeping state of the processor to an awake state of the processor in response to receiving a wake-up signal from a network communication module that is in communication with the processor; and

a network communication module that receives a multicast packet sent to devices that are members of a multicast group and determines whether the multicast packet includes an identifier of the first device, and if so, provides a wake-up signal to the processor.

17. The first device of claim 16, wherein the network communication module comprises a network card.

18. The first device of claim 16, wherein the identifier comprises a network address of the first device.

19. The first device of claim 16, wherein the identifier comprises a medium access control (MAC) address of the first device.

20. The first device of claim 16, wherein the processor consumes less average power in the sleeping state of the processor than in the awake state of the processor.