APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING POWER OF WIRELESS DEVICE AND METHOD THEREOF

• US 20110116429A1
• Filed: 06/11/2009
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Joong Heon, Jeon, Beom Jin
• Granted Patent: US 8,605,634 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 74/002 Transmission of channel access control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method of controlling the power consumption of a wireless station is disclosed. The present invention includes waking-up a coordinator in a sleep state, entering an awake state and if a signal for turning on a peripheral station is received in the awake state, transmitting an awake message to the peripheral station via a beacon signal during a beacon timeslot. Accordingly, the power consumption of a coordinator in a WPAN network may be reduced, power control by a peripheral station may be facilitated, and inefficient operation and management of the network may be prevented.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a coordinator for use in a wireless network including a station, the coordinator having an awake state to receive or transmit information and a sleep state to save power, the method comprising:

placing the coordinator in an awake state;

transmitting a beacon signal to the station during a beacon timeslot; and

maintaining the awake state for a predetermined period after transmitting the beacon signal to receive information from the station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes an awake message indicating the desired awake/sleep state of the coordinator.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

maintaining the awake state after receiving the awake message from the stations.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

placing the coordinator in the sleep state after the end of the beacon timeslot when no awake message is received.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the coordinator is in the sleep state during a contention access period and a contention free access period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes a group awake message.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

maintaining the awake state when receiving the group awaking message; and

transmitting a beacon signal to the station where the beacon signal includes an awake message commanding the station to change to an awake state.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined period is contiguous with a beacon transmission.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined period is allocated between the beacon signal and next beacon signal.

10. A method of controlling a coordinator for use in a wireless network including stations, the coordinator having an awake state to receive or transmit information and a sleep state to save power, the method comprising:

receiving first awake information during a predetermined period, the first awake information indicating a change to the awake state of the coordinator from one of stations;

receiving second awake information from one of the stations, the second awake information indicating a change to the awake state of a target station; and

transmitting a beacon signal during a beacon period including third awake information indicating a change to the awake state of the target station,

wherein the coordinator is in the awake state at least during the predetermined period and beacon period.

11. A method of controlling a coordinator for use in a wireless network including stations, the coordinator having an awake state to receive or transmit information and a sleep state to save power, the method comprising:

receiving group awake information from one of the stations during a predetermined period where the group awake information indicates a change to the awake state of the stations; and

transmitting a beacon signal to the stations during a beacon period where the beacon signal includes awake information indicating a change to the awake state of the stations,

wherein the coordinator is in the awake state at least during the predetermined period and the beacon period.

12. A method for controlling a station for use in a wireless network including a coordinator, the coordinator having an awake state to receive or transmit information and a sleep state to save power, the method comprising:

placing the coordinator in an awake state;

transmitting awake information to a coordinator during a predetermined period where the awake information indicates a change to the awake state of the coordinator; and

maintaining the awake state during a beacon timeslot to receive a beacon signal from the coordinator.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the predetermined period is contiguous with a beacon transmission.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the predetermined period is allocated between the beacon signal and next beacon signal.

15. A method for controlling a station for use in a wireless network including a coordinator, the coordinator having an awake state to receive or transmit information and a sleep state to save power, the method comprising:

transmitting first awake information to a coordinator during a predetermined period where the first awake information indicates a change to the awake state of the coordinator; and

transmitting second awake information to the coordinator where the second awake information indicates a change to the awake state of a target station.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

communicating data with the target station.

17. A method for controlling a station for use in a wireless network including a coordinator, the coordinator having an awake state to receive or transmit information and a sleep state to save power, the method comprising:

receiving a beacon signal from a coordinator during a beacon timeslot, the beacon signal including group awake information indicating a change to the awake state of the station; and

changing to the awake state according to the awake information received.

18. An apparatus for controlling power consumption in a wireless network including stations having an awake state to receive or transmit information and a sleep state to save power, the apparatus comprising:

a communication module that receives data from an external station and that transmits data to the external station; and

a controller that maintains the awake state during a beacon timeslot to transmit a beacon signal to stations through the communication module and that maintains the awake state during a predetermined period to receive information from the stations through the communication module after transmitting the beacon signal.

19. An apparatus for controlling power consumption in a wireless network including stations having an awake state to receive or transmit information and a sleep state to save power, the apparatus comprising:

a communication module that transmits data to at least one external station and coordinator and that receives data from at least one of external station and coordinator; and

a controller maintains the awake state to transmit awake information to a coordinator during a predetermined period through the communication module and that maintains the awake state to receive a beacon signal from the coordinator during a beacon timeslot through the communication module,

wherein the awake information indicates a change to the awake state of the coordinator.