ACCESS POINT AGITATION

• US 20100172276A1
• Filed: 01/08/2009
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trapeze Networks Incorporated (Juniper Networks Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Trapeze Networks Incorporated (Juniper Networks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Aragon, David Bradburn
• Granted Patent: US 8,355,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0232 according to average transmission signal activity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A technique for controlling the amount of power consumed by access points (APs) of a wireless network involves implementing power-saving APs (PSAPs). It would be desirable for the PSAPs to be in sleep mode during periods of low activity, and at full power during periods of high activity. To that end, a PSAP agitation (PSAPA) engine can be implemented to agitate PSAPs in response to increases in wireless activity, and put PSAPs to sleep in response to decreases in wireless activity.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a wireless activity threshold;

estimating wireless activity in at least a portion of a wireless domain using wireless activity data associated with the wireless domain;

comparing the estimated wireless activity to the wireless activity threshold;

transmitting a wakeup command to a power-saving access point (PSAP) in accordance with the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring the wireless domain to obtain the wireless activity data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at least a portion of the wireless activity data from a vigilant access point (VAP) in the wireless domain.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein in accordance with the comparison includes determining that the estimated wireless activity exceeds the wireless activity threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising supplying power to the PSAP in accordance with the comparison.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising supplying power over Ethernet (PoE) to the PSAP in accordance with the comparison.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said comparison is a first comparison, further comprising:

with the first comparison, determining that the estimated wireless activity has exceeded the wireless activity threshold for a period of time;

with a second comparison, comparing the period of time to a time threshold;

wherein said transmitting a wakeup command to the PSAP is in accordance with the first comparison and the second comparison.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein in accordance with the second comparison includes determining that the period of time exceeds the time threshold.

9. A system comprising:

an access point (AP) interface;

a wireless activity threshold module;

a wireless activity analysis module, coupled to the AP interface and to the wireless activity threshold module, wherein in operation the wireless activity analysis module receives wireless activity data associated with a wireless domain from the AP interface, receives a wireless activity threshold from the wireless activity threshold module, compares estimated wireless activity associated with the wireless activity data to the wireless activity threshold, and provides power-saving AP (PSAP) agitation data to the AP interface for output to a PSAP when the estimated wireless activity exceeds the wireless activity threshold.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a vigilant AP (VAP) coupled to the AP interface, wherein in operation the VAP provides at least a portion of the wireless activity data.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a PSAP coupled to the AP interface, wherein in operation the PSAP provides at least a portion of the wireless activity data.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising a PSAP coupled to the AP interface, wherein in operation the PSAP receives the PSAP agitation data or a command derived therefrom, and awakens in response to receiving the PSAP agitation data or command derived therefrom.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising an agitated PSAP coupled to the AP interface, wherein in operation the agitated PSAP receives the PSAP agitation data or a command derived therefrom, and resets a timer associated with remaining in an agitated state in response to receiving the PSAP agitation data or command derived therefrom.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the wireless activity data is associated with IEEE 802.11 standards-compliant communications.

15. A system comprising:

a timer;

a power interface;

a switch coupled to the timer and the power interface;

a radio coupled to the switch;

wherein, in operation, while the timer is moving from a start time to an end time, the switch is in a closed position which couples the power interface to the radio causing power to flow from the power interface to the radio through the switch.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a controller interface coupled to the timer, wherein, in operation, a wakeup signal received on the controller interface causes the timer to be reset to the start time.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the end time is occasionally set to a new value.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising one or more full power components that are coupled to the power interface, and receive power through the power interface regardless of the position of the timer.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a power saving access point (PSAP) comprising the timer, the power interface, the switch, and the radio;

a vigilant access point (VAP);

a PSAP agitation (PSAPA) engine coupled to the VAP and the PSAP, wherein, in operation, the PSAPA engine receives wireless activity data from the VAP and sends a wakeup signal to the PSAP when wireless activity associated with the wireless activity data exceeds a wireless activity threshold;

wherein the PSAP resets the timer to the start time upon receipt of the wakeup signal.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the radio is a first radio, further comprising a second radio coupled to the power interface, wherein, in operation, in a vigilant mode, the second radio receives power from the power interface while the first radio is off.