SCHEDULED PEER POWER SAVE MODE

• US 20090196212A1
• Filed: 01/31/2009
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jolly Seven, Series 70 of Allied Security Trust I (Allied Security Trust)
• Original Assignee: Maarten Menzo Wentink
• Inventors: Wentink, Maarten Menzo
• Granted Patent: US 8,797,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• 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: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Embodiments of scheduled peer power save systems, devices, and methods are disclosed. For example, methods of saving power for stations configured to communicate via a direct link are provided. Embodiments of scheduled peer power save systems, devices and methods are disclosed. For example, methods of saving power for stations configured to communicate via a direct link are provided. In one embodiment, among others, a method comprises waking up, at a station and peer station, before a scheduled wakeup interval. The scheduled wakeup interval is defined relative to common timing reference at the station and the peer station. Further, in the absence of a service period between the station and the peer station, the station and the peer station stay awake until at least a predefined time period has elapsed or a predefined number of idle slots have elapsed.

Claims

1. A method of saving power for stations configured to communicate via a direct link, the method comprising:

waking up, at a station and a peer station, before a scheduled wakeup interval,

wherein the scheduled wakeup interval is defined relative to a common timing reference at the station and the peer station, and

wherein, in the absence of a service period between the station and the peer station, the station and the peer station stay awake until at least a predefined time period has elapsed or a predefined number of idle slots have elapsed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the common timing reference is a target beacon transmission time (TBTT) associated with a beacon, wherein the beacon is delivered by an access point (AP).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the scheduled wakeup interval is one of a plurality of scheduled wakeup intervals included in a periodic wakeup schedule.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising staying awake, at the station and the peer station, until a service period has ended.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising entering a doze state, at the station and the peer station, when at least a predefined time period has elapsed during which no service period has occurred between the station and the peer station.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising entering a doze state, at the station and the peer station, when at least a predefined number of idle slots have elapsed and no service period has occurred between the station and the peer station during the duration of the predefined number of idle slots that elapsed.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the idle time slots are determined according to a distributed channel access protocol.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising terminating the waking up when a predefined number of scheduled wakeup intervals have elapsed during which no service period has occurred.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising terminating the waking up by transmitting a termination frame by the station or the peer station.

10. A method of saving power for stations configured to communicate via a direct link, the method comprising:

receiving, at a station, a frame destined for a peer station; and

sending, from the station, an indication frame that causes a wakeup schedule to be set up and activated at the station and the peer station,

wherein the indication frame is sent via an AP to the peer station.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the indication frame is sent when no scheduled wakeup interval has occurred for at least a duration equal to an indication window.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the duration of the indication window is negotiable between the station and the peer station.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the indication frame is sent when an access category (AC) becomes non-empty.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising routing traffic for an AC over the direct link while traffic for another AC is routed through an AP.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the traffic routed over the direct link has a high duty cycle relative to the traffic routed through the AP.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising sending traffic from the station to the peer station.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising sending a trigger frame from the station to the peer station during a scheduled wakeup interval when the station has traffic for the peer station, wherein the wakeup schedule includes one or more scheduled wakeup intervals, and the scheduled wakeup interval is included in the one or more scheduled wakeup intervals.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the trigger frame begins a service period, and the method further comprises remaining awake, at the station and the peer station, until the service period is terminated.

19. A device configured to communicate with a peer station via a direct link, the device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory component that stores logic executable by the processor, the logic being configured to send an indication frame that causes a wakeup schedule to be set up and activated at the device and the peer station,

wherein the logic is further configured to send the indication frame via an AP to the peer station, and

wherein the logic is further configured to send the indication frame when no scheduled wakeup has occurred for at least a duration equal to an indication window or when no wakeup schedule is currently active between the device and the peer station.

20. The device of claim 19, further comprising sending the indication frame when a traffic stream will be transmitted via the direct link.