MANAGING POWER STATES IN NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20110176463A1
• Filed: 01/15/2010
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Atheros Communications Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mong Tse, Patrick Kung, Cowan, Anthony J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,797,932 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Controlling a power state of a communications device includes: receiving over a network at a communications device in a low-power mode from a scheduling device an assignment of a power state schedule indicating one or more intervals to enter an active state period and one or more intervals to enter a sleep state period; and during an active state period at the communications device, receiving over the network from a second communications device aware of the power state schedule a request that the communications device exit the low-power mode.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a power state of a communications device, the method comprising:

receiving over a network at a communications device in a low-power mode from a scheduling device an assignment of a power state schedule indicating one or more intervals to enter an active state period and one or more intervals to enter a sleep state period; and

during an active state period at the communications device, receiving over the network from a second communications device aware of the power state schedule a request that the communications device exit the low-power mode.

2. The method of claim 1, in which an active state period of the communications device overlaps with an active state period of the second communications device.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the second communications device has been assigned a power state schedule by the scheduling device.

4. The method of claim 1, in which a desired maximum response time is equal to the sum of the active state period and the sleep state period.

5. The method of claim 1, in which the length of an active state period is based on a desired level of power consumption.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending from the communications device to the scheduling device an indication that the communications device is entering the low-power mode.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving at the communications device from the scheduling device an approval to enter the low-power mode.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at the communications device from the scheduling device information about a power state schedule of one or more other communication devices.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising during an active state period, receiving over the network at the communications device from the scheduling device a request that the communications device exit the low-power mode.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at the communications device a central beacon from the scheduling device indicating the low-power mode status of one or more other communications devices on the network.

11. The method of claim 10, in which the central beacon indicates the active state status of one or more other communications devices on the network

12. The method of claim 10, in which the central beacon indicates the sleep state status of one or more other communications devices on the network

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at the communications device an indication from the scheduling device of the active state periods of one or more other communications devices on the network.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the scheduling device, determining that all communications devices have entered a sleep state period, and entering a sleep state period.

15. The method of claim 14, in which determining is based on power state schedules assigned to the communications devices.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising, at the scheduling device, exiting the sleep state period when a communications device exits a sleep state period.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at a third communications device, entering a low-power mode based on an event other than a network communication from the scheduling device.

18. The method of claim 17, in which the event is the receipt of a network communication from a device other than the scheduling device indicating that the device other than the scheduling device has entered a low-power mode.

19. A method for controlling a power state of a communications device, the method comprising:

receiving over a network at a communications device in a low-power mode from a scheduling device an indication of a power state schedule of a second communications device, the power state schedule indicating one or more intervals to enter an active state period and one or more intervals to enter a sleep state period; and

during an active state period at the communications device, sending over the network to the second communications device, during an active state period indicated by the power state schedule, a request that the second communications device exit the low-power mode.

20. A network, comprising:

a scheduling device; and

a communications device in communication with the scheduling device, configured to

receive, in a low-power mode, an assignment of a power state schedule from the scheduling device, the power state schedule indicating one or more intervals to enter an active state period and one or more intervals to enter a sleep state period, and

receive, during an active state period, a request that the communications device exit the low-power mode from a second communications device aware of the power state schedule.