POWER-SAVE APPARATUS FOR 802.11 MULTICAST PAGING APPLICATIONS
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- an access point configured to provide a wireless data link to at least one associated power-save client station;
wherein the access point is configured to determine multicast group membership for the at least one power-save client station;
wherein the access point is configured to classify each multicast group as one of the group consisting of;
disabled when no associated client stations are members,active when all associated member stations are in active mode, andpower-save when at least one associated member station is in power-save mode;
wherein the access point is configured to delete multicast frames addressed to a multicast group classified as disabled;
wherein the access point is configured to immediately transmit frames to addressed to a multicast group classified as active; and
wherein the access point is configured to buffer a frame addressed to a multicast group classified as power-save for transmission following a periodic, scheduled beacon transmission.
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Abstract
A power-save system for a network with an access point and an associated power-save client. The access point buffers wireless data that includes a unicast frame and a multicast frame. A periodic scheduled beacon message is transmitted with a unicast indication element and a multicast indication element. The unicast element instructs a client to remain awake to receive a buffered unicast frame, which includes a destination MAC address. The multicast element instructs a client to remain awake following the beacon to receive a buffered multicast frame, which includes a destination multicast address designating a multicast group of which the client is a member. At least one beacon message is designated as a multicast delivery beacon. The buffered multicast frame is transmitted following the designated multicast beacon. The multicast element contains a list of entries, each entry corresponding to either a multicast MAC address, multicast IP address, or client identifier.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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an access point configured to provide a wireless data link to at least one associated power-save client station; wherein the access point is configured to determine multicast group membership for the at least one power-save client station; wherein the access point is configured to classify each multicast group as one of the group consisting of; disabled when no associated client stations are members, active when all associated member stations are in active mode, and power-save when at least one associated member station is in power-save mode; wherein the access point is configured to delete multicast frames addressed to a multicast group classified as disabled; wherein the access point is configured to immediately transmit frames to addressed to a multicast group classified as active; and wherein the access point is configured to buffer a frame addressed to a multicast group classified as power-save for transmission following a periodic, scheduled beacon transmission. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus, comprising:
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an access point configured to provide a wireless data link to at least one associated power-save client station; wherein the access point is configured to determine multicast group membership for the at least one power-save client station; wherein the access point is configured to classify each multicast group as one of the group consisting of; disabled when no associated client stations are members, active when all associated member stations are in active mode, and power-save when at least one associated member station is in power-save mode; wherein the access point is configured to delete multicast frames addressed to a multicast group classified as disabled; wherein the access point is configured to immediately transmit frames to addressed to a multicast group classified as active; wherein the access point is configured to buffer a frame addressed to a multicast group classified as power-save for transmission following a periodic, scheduled beacon transmission; and where the access point is responsive for receiving an Address Resolution Protocol request for an associated station in a power save mode to buffer the Address Resolution Protocol request for transmission following the periodic, scheduled beacon transmission. - View Dependent Claims (16, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a unicast indicator is set to instruct the associated station in a power save mode to remain in an awake mode to receive the Address Resolution Protocol request.
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17-1. (canceled)
Specification