REDUCING POWER CONSUMPTION IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20120263086A1
• Filed: 04/18/2012
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Liu, Yong, Banerjea, Raja
• Granted Patent: US 9,226,233 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 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A network interface of an access point device is configured to transmit to one or more first client stations in a first basic service set (BSS) a first value of a first parameter that indicates a time duration during which the access point device will not dissociate a client station due to not receiving at least one frame from the client station, and transmit to one or more second client stations in a second BSS a second value of the first parameter. The first value of the first parameter is at least an order of magnitude larger than the second value of the first parameter.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting, with an access point device, to one or more first client stations in a first basic service set (BSS) a first value of a first parameter that indicates a time duration during which the access point device will not dissociate a client station due to not receiving at least one frame from the client station; and

transmitting, with the access point device, to one or more second client stations in a second BSS a second value of the first parameter;

wherein the first value of the first parameter is at least an order of magnitude larger than the second value of the first parameter.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, with the access point device and from a first client station, a value of a second parameter corresponding to the first client station, wherein the second parameter indicates a time period between when the first client station in the first BSS periodically awakes from a power save mode,

wherein the value of the second parameter corresponds to a time period greater than the second value of the first parameter.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, with the access point device, to the one or more first client stations a first value of a second parameter that indicates a basic data rate utilized by the access point device;

transmitting, with the access point device, to the one or more second client stations a second value of the second parameter;

wherein the first value of the second parameter is different than the second value of the second parameter.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, with the access point device, to the one or more first client stations a first value of a second parameter that indicates an encryption mode utilized by the access point device;

transmitting, with the access point device, to the one or more second client stations a second value of the second parameter;

wherein the first value of the second parameter is different than the second value of the second parameter.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein

the first value of the first parameter is greater than one hour, and

the second value of the first parameter is less than one minute.

6. An access point device for use in a wireless communication network, the access point device comprising:

a network interface configured to

transmit to one or more first client stations in a first basic service set (BSS) a first value of a first parameter that indicates a time duration during which the access point device will not dissociate a client station due to not receiving at least one frame from the client station, and

transmit to one or more second client stations in a second BSS a second value of the first parameter;

wherein the first value of the first parameter is at least an order of magnitude larger than the second value of the first parameter.

7. An access point device according to claim 6, wherein the network interface is configured to permit a first client station to remain associated with the access point device when a time between receiving successive frames from the first client station is less than the first value of the first parameter and greater than the second value of the first parameter.

8. An access point device according to claim 6, wherein the network interface is configured to:

transmit to the one or more first client stations a first value of a second parameter that indicates a basic data rate utilized by the access point device; and

transmit to the one or more second client stations a second value of the second parameter;

wherein the first value of the second parameter is different than the second value of the second parameter.

9. An access point device according to claim 6, wherein the network interface is configured to:

transmit to the one or more first client stations a first value of a second parameter that indicates an encryption mode utilized by the access point device; and

transmit to the one or more second client stations a second value of the second parameter;

wherein the first value of the second parameter is different than the second value of the second parameter.

10. An access point device according to claim 6, wherein

the first value of the first parameter is greater than one hour, and

the second value of the first parameter is less than one minute.

11. A method, comprising:

transmitting, in a wireless network, first data units associated with one or more power-constrained sensor devices; and

transmitting, in the wireless network, second data units associated with offload of cellular telephone data;

wherein priority is given to transmission of the first data units over transmission of the second data units with regard to access to a wireless medium.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein

when a network interface of a station in the wireless network attempts access to the wireless medium, the network interface is configured to first monitor the wireless medium for at least a channel scanning delay period to determine whether the wireless medium is busy, and

a first channel scanning delay period associated with transmission of the first data units is shorter than a second channel scanning delay period associated with transmission of the second data units.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein

when a network interface of a station in the wireless network attempts access to the wireless medium and determines that the wireless medium is busy, the network interface is configured (i) to determine a backoff period and (ii) to wait the backoff period before attempting again to access the wireless medium, and

an average of a first backoff period associated with transmission of the first data units is shorter than an average of a second backoff period associated with transmission of the second data units.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein each transmission in the wireless network corresponding to offload of cellular telephone data is limited to a first maximum duration that is less than a second maximum duration corresponding to other types of transmissions.

15. A method according to claim 11, wherein

transmissions in the wireless network are at one of a plurality of different bandwidths including a minimum bandwidth, and

transmissions in the wireless network corresponding to offload of cellular telephone data are permitted only using a bandwidth that is greater than the minimum bandwidth.

16. A method according to claim 11, wherein an extension of a transmit opportunity (TXOP) corresponding to transmissions of offload of cellular telephone data is not permitted.

17. A method according to claim 11, wherein when a duration of a transmit opportunity (TXOP) in the wireless network is truncated, transmissions of offload of cellular telephone data wait at least until an original duration of the TXOP prior to truncation expires.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a network interface configured to

transmit, in a wireless network, first data units associated with offload of cellular telephone data, and

give priority, with regard to access to a wireless medium, to transmission of the second data units associated with one or more power-constrained sensor devices in the wireless network over transmission of the first data units.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein

when the network interface attempts access to the wireless medium, the network interface is configured to first monitor the wireless medium for at least a channel scanning delay period to determine whether the wireless medium is busy, and

a first channel scanning delay period associated with transmission of the first data units is longer than a second channel scanning delay period utilized by stations in the wireless network when transmitting the second data units.

20. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein

when the network interface attempts access to the wireless medium and determines that the wireless medium is busy, the network interface is configured (i) to determine a backoff period and (ii) to wait the backoff period before attempting again to access the wireless medium, and

an average of a first backoff period associated with transmission of the first data units is longer than an average of a second backoff period associated with transmission of the second data units.

21. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the network interface is configured to limit a transmission in the wireless network corresponding to offload of cellular telephone data to a first maximum duration that is less than a second maximum duration corresponding to other types of transmissions.

22. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the network interface is configured to

transmit in the wireless network data units at one of a plurality of different bandwidths including a minimum bandwidth, and

transmit in the wireless network data units corresponding to offload of cellular telephone data only using a bandwidth that is greater than the minimum bandwidth.

23. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the network interface is configured to

not permit extension of a transmit opportunity (TXOP) corresponding to transmissions of offload of cellular telephone data, and

permit extension of TXOP corresponding to transmissions of other types of data

24. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein when a duration of a transmit opportunity (TXOP) in the wireless network is truncated, the network interface is configured to wait at least until an original duration of the TXOP prior to truncation expires before attempting a transmission corresponding to offload of cellular telephone data.