POWER SAVE ENHANCEMENTS FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICES

• US 20100008274A1
• Filed: 07/14/2008
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: KNECKT, Jarkko, KASSLIN, Mika, MARIN, Janne, MAJKOWSKI, Jakub
• Granted Patent: US 8,284,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/04 Scheduled access hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Method, apparatus, and computer program product embodiments are disclosed to enable power save modes of operation between wireless devices for direct data transfer in an infrastructure basic service set. The embodiments are an enhancement to the peer U-APSD power save mechanism. The embodiments provide additional operation for peer U-APSD mechanism with two stations operating in power save mode.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by a transmitting wireless device, an indication for a required direct link service period to a receiving wireless device;

the transmitted indication including at least one of access category information of at least one buffered frame and a sequence number of a last transmitted frame via the direct link; and

receiving from the receiving wireless device, a trigger signal based on the indication, the trigger signal indicating that the next direct link service period can be started, so that data exchange via the direct link can be initiated.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting wireless device is in an awake state until the trigger signal is received via the direct link.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if both wireless devices are in power save mode with the direct link deactivated, the direct link is activated by the transmission of the indication.

4. The method claim 1, wherein the wireless devices are members of an infrastructure basic service set, and coordinate entering into a power save mode over the direct link.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication includes a time stamp of a frame creation time for the indication, and if the receiving device has triggered later than the time specified by the time stamp, it may ignore the indication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitted indication is transmitted in a peer traffic indication frame.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger signal is sent from the receiving device over the direct link to the transmitting device.

7. A device, comprising:

a transceiver; and

a processor configured to control the operation of the transceiver to;

transmit an indication for a required direct link service period to a receiving wireless device;

the transmitted indication including at least one of access category information of at least one buffered frame and a sequence number of a last transmitted frame via the direct link; and

receive from the receiving wireless device, a trigger signal based on the transmitted indication, the trigger signal indicating that the next direct link service period can be started, so that data exchange via the direct link can be initiated.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the device operates according to the IEEE 802.11 communication protocol standards.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the device is a member of an infrastructure basic service set, and coordinates entering into a power save mode over the direct link.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the device is in an awake state until the trigger signal is received via the direct link.

11. The device claim 7, wherein if both devices are in power save mode with the direct link deactivated, the direct link is activated by the transmission of the indication.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein the transmitted indication is transmitted in a peer traffic indication frame.

28. The device of claim 7, wherein the trigger signal is sent from the receiving wireless device over the direct link to the wireless device.

31. The device of claim 7, wherein the indication includes a time stamp of a frame creation time for the indication, and if the receiving device has triggered later than the time specified by the time stamp, it may ignore the indication.

13. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable medium configured to store program instructions, which when executed by a computer processor, perform the steps of;

transmitting, by a transmitting wireless device, an indication for a required direct link service period to a receiving wireless device;

the transmitted indication including at least one of access category information of at least one buffered frame and a sequence number of a last transmitted frame via the direct link; and

receiving from the receiving device, a trigger signal based on the transmitted indication, the trigger signal indicating that the next direct link service period can be started, so that data exchange via the direct link can be initiated.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

means for transmitting, by a transmitting wireless device, an indication for a required direct link service period to a receiving wireless device;

the transmitted indication including at least one of access category information of at least one buffered frame and a sequence number of a last transmitted frame via the direct link; and

means for receiving from the receiving device, a trigger signal based on the transmitted indication, the trigger signal indicating that the next service period can be started, so that data exchange via the direct link can be initiated.

15. A device, comprising:

a transceiver; and

a processor configured to control the operation of the transceiver to;

receive an indication for a required direct link service period from a wireless device;

the indication including at least one of access category information of at least one buffered frame and a sequence number of a last transmitted frame in the direct link; and

send to the wireless device, a trigger signal based on the indication, the trigger signal indicating that the next direct link service period can be started, so that the wireless device can initiate data exchange via the direct link.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the device operates according to the IEEE 802.11 communication protocol standards.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the device is a member of an infrastructure basic service set, and coordinates entering into a power save mode over the direct link.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the trigger signal is generated only if the indication is not outdated.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the transmitting device is in an awake state until the trigger signal is received via the direct link.

20. The device claim 15, wherein if both devices are in power save mode with the direct link deactivated, the direct link is activated by the transmission of the indication.

29. The device of claim 15, wherein the trigger signal is sent over the direct link.

32. The device of claim 15, wherein the indication includes a time stamp of a frame creation time for the indication, and if the receiving device has triggered later than the time specified by the time stamp, it may ignore the indication.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving an indication for a required direct link service period from a wireless device;

the indication including at least one of access category information of at least one buffered frame and a sequence number of a last transmitted frame in the direct link; and

means for sending to the wireless device, a trigger signal based on the indication, the trigger signal indicating that the next direct link service period can be started, so that the wireless device can initiate data exchange via the direct link.

22. A method, comprising:

receiving in a device an indication for a required direct link service period from a wireless device;

the indication including at least one of access category information of at least one buffered frame and a sequence number of a last transmitted frame via the direct link; and

sending to the wireless device, a trigger signal based on the indication, the trigger signal indicating that the next direct link service period can be started, so that the wireless device can initiate data exchange via the direct link.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the trigger signal is generated only if the indication is not outdated.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein if both wireless devices are in power save mode with wakeup schedule deactivated, the wakeup schedule is activated by the transmission of the indication.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the indication coordinates returning from a power save mode.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein the trigger signal is sent over the direct link.

33. The method of claim 22, wherein the indication includes a time stamp of a frame creation time for the indication, and if the receiving device has triggered later than the time specified by the time stamp, it may ignore the indication.

26. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable medium configured to store program code executable by a computer processor;

program code in the computer readable medium for receiving in a device an indication for a required direct link service period from a wireless device;

the indication including at least one of access category information of at least one buffered frame and a sequence number of a last transmitted frame via the direct link; and

program code in the computer readable medium for sending to the wireless device, a trigger signal based on the indication, the trigger signal indicating that the next service period can be started, so that the wireless device can initiate data exchange via the direct link.