ADAPTIVE POWER-SAVING/POWER-SAVING SUPPORT METHOD IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND APPARATUS USING THE SAME

• US 20110149820A1
• Filed: 12/16/2010
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Lee, Je-Hun, Lee, Sok-Kyu
• Granted Patent: US 8,717,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method for adaptively performing power saving in a station of a wireless communication system includes: receiving first power-save capability information from an AP, the first power-save capability information containing information on power-save schemes supported by a MAC layer of the AP; transmitting second power-save capability information to the AP in response to the first power-save capability information, the second power-save capability information containing information on power-save schemes supported by a MAC layer of the station; transmitting power-save policy information, into which properties of traffics used in the station are reflected, to the AP; and performing a power-save function while interworking with the MAC layer of the station, according to the power-save policy information based on a predetermined power-save scheme.

Claims

1. A method for adaptively performing power saving in a station of a wireless communication system, comprising:

receiving first power-save capability information from an access point (AP), the first power-save capability information containing information on power-save schemes supported by a media access control (MAC) layer of the AP;

transmitting second power-save capability information to the AP in response to the first power-save capability information, the second power-save capability information containing information on power-save schemes supported by a MAC layer of the station;

transmitting power-save policy information, into which properties of traffics used in the station are reflected, to the AP; and

performing a power-save function while interworking with the MAC layer of the station, according to the power-save policy information based on a predetermined power-save scheme,

wherein the predetermined power-save scheme comprises a common power-save scheme among the power-save schemes supported by the MAC layer of the AP and the power-save schemes supported by the MAC layer of the station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the power-save schemes comprise any one or more of a legacy scheme, an automatic power save delivery (APSD) scheme, and a power save multi-poll (PSMP) scheme of the IEEE 802.11.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first power-save capability information further contains any one or more of information on a the power-save function is performed by reflecting the changed information period at which the first power-save capability information is noticed and information on an effective period of the first power-save capability information, and

the second power-save capability information further contains any one or more of information on a the power-save function is performed by reflecting the changed information period at which the second power-save capability information is noticed and information on an effective period of the second power-save capability information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the power-save policy information is transmitted in a state in which the power-save policy information is contained in a message noticing that the station enters a power-save mode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the power-save policy information is represented by using one or more of a method of indicating the power-save policy information by using categories into which the traffics used in the station are classified depending on the properties of the traffics and a method of indicating the power-save policy information by giving weights to key factors representing the properties of the traffics used in the station, respectively.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting any one or more of the changed second power-save capability information and the changed power-save policy information to the AP,

wherein, in said performing the power-save function while interworking with the MAC layer of the station, according to the power-save policy information based on the predetermined power-save scheme, the power-save function is performed by reflecting the changed information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving any one or more of the changed first power capability information and changed power-save support policy information from the AP; and

changing any one or more of the second power-save capability information and the power-save policy information based on the changed information received form the AP,

wherein, in said performing the power-save function while interworking with the MAC layer of the station, according to the power-save policy information based on the predetermined power-save scheme, the power-save function is performed by reflecting the changed information, and

the power-save support policy information comprises information generated by considering the situations of necessary resources, based on the power-save policy information, such that the AP supports power saving of the station.

8. A method for supporting adaptive power saving of a station by an AP of a wireless communication system, comprising:

transmitting first power-save capability information to the station, the first power-save capability information containing information on power-save schemes supported by a MAC layer of the AP;

receiving second power-save capability information transmitted by the station in response to the first power-save capability information, the second power-save capability information containing information on power-save schemes supported by a MAC layer of the station;

receiving power-save policy information, into which properties of traffics used in the station are reflected, from the station; and

performing a power-save support function for the station while interworking with the MAC layer of the AP, according to power-save support policy information based on a predetermined power-save scheme,

wherein the predetermined power-save scheme comprises a common power-save scheme among the power-save schemes supported by the MAC layer of the AP and the power-save schemes supported by the MAC layer of the station, and

the power-save support policy information is generated by considering the situations of necessary resources, based on the power-save policy information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the power-save schemes comprise any one or more of a legacy scheme, an APSD scheme, and a PSMP scheme of the IEEE 802.11.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first power-save capability information further contains any one or more of information on a the power-save function is performed by reflecting the changed information period at which the first power-save capability information is noticed and information on an effective period of the first power-save capability information, and

the second power-save capability information further contains any one or more of information on a notification period at which the second power-save capability information is noticed and information on an effective period of the second power-save capability information.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the power-save policy information is transmitted in a state in which the power-save policy information is contained in a message noticing that the station enters a power-save mode.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the power-save policy information is represented by using one or more of a method of indicating the power-save policy information by using categories into which the traffics used in the station are classified depending on the properties of the traffics and a method of indicating the power-save policy information by giving weights to key factors representing the properties of the traffics used in the station, respectively, and

the power-save support policy information is represented by using any one or more of a method of indicating the power-save support policy information by using categories into which traffics supported by the AP are classified depending on the properties of the traffics and a method of indicating the power-save support policy information by giving weights to key factors representing the properties of the traffics supported by the AP, respectively.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising transmitting any one or more of the changed first power-save capability information and the changed power-save support policy information to the station,

wherein, in said performing the power-save support function for the station while interworking with the MAC layer of the AP, according to the power-save support policy information based on the predetermined power-save scheme, the power-save support function is performed by reflecting the changed information.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving any one or more of the changed second power capability information and the changed power-save policy information from the station; and

changing any one or more of the first power-save capability information and the power-save support policy information based on the changed information received form the station,

wherein, in said performing the power-save support function for the station while interworking with the MAC layer of the AP, according to the power-save support policy information based on the predetermined power-save scheme, the power-save function is performed in a state in which the changed information is reflected.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the resources comprise any one or more of a memory resource for buffering data to be transmitted to the station while the station is in a sleep mode and a notification period at which the buffering state is noticed the station.

16. A station which adaptively performs power saving in a wireless communication system, comprising:

a MAC layer;

a receive module configured to receive first power-save capability information from an AP, the first power-save capability information containing information on power-save schemes supported by a MAC layer of the AP;

a transmit module configured to transmit second power-save capability information containing information on power-save schemes supported by the MAC layer of the station and power-save policy information into which properties of traffics used in the station are reflected; and

a power save coordinator (PSC) module configured to control the MAC layer and the transmit module of the station to transmit the second power-save capability information in response to the first power-save capability information and transmit the power-save policy information,

wherein the PSC module performs a power-save function while interworking with the MAC layer of the station, according to the power-save policy information based on a predetermined power-save scheme, and

the predetermined power-save scheme comprises a common power-save scheme among the power-save schemes supported by the MAC layer of the AP and the power-save schemes supported by the MAC layer of the station.

17. The station of claim 16, wherein the first power-save capability information further contains any one or more of information on whether the AP supports a PSC module or not, information on a notification period at which the first power-save capability information is noticed, and information on an effective period of the first power-save capability information, and

the second power-save capability information further contains any one or more of information on whether the station supports a PSC module or not, information on a notification period at which the second power-save capability information is noticed, and information on an effective period of the second power-save capability information.

18. The station of claim 16, wherein the power-save policy information is represented by using one or more of a method of indicating the power-save policy information by using categories into which the traffics used in the station are classified depending on the properties of the traffics and a method of indicating the power-save policy information by giving weights to key factors representing the properties of the traffics used in the station, respectively.

19. An access point which supports adaptive power saving of a station in a wireless communication system, comprising:

a MAC layer;

a transmit module configured to transmit first power-save capability information to the station, the first power-save capability information containing information on power-save schemes supported by the MAC layer of the AP;

a receive module configured to receive second power-save capability information transmitted by the station in response to the first power-save capability information, the second power-save capability information containing information on power-save schemes supported by a MAC layer of the station, and receive power-save policy information, into which properties of traffics used in the station are reflected, from the station; and

a PSC module configured to control the MAC layer and the transmit module of the AP to transmit the first power-save capability information to the station,

wherein the PSC module performs a power-save function for the station while interworking with the MAC layer of the AP, according to power-save policy information based on a predetermined power-save scheme,

the predetermined power-save scheme comprises a common power-save scheme among the power-save schemes supported by the MAC layer of the AP and the power-save schemes supported by the MAC layer of the station; and

the power-save support policy information is generated by considering the situations of necessary resources, based on the power-save policy information.

20. The access point of claim 19, wherein the power-save policy information is represented by using one or more of a method of indicating the power-save policy information by using categories into which the traffics used in the station are classified depending on the properties of the traffics and a method of indicating the power-save policy information by giving weights to key factors representing the properties of the traffics used in the station, respectively, and

the power-save support policy information is represented by using any one or more of a method of indicating the power-save support policy information by using categories into which traffics supported by the AP are classified depending on the properties of the traffics and a method of indicating the power-save support policy information by giving weights to key factors representing the properties of the traffics supported by the AP, respectively.