Apparatus And Method For Operating M2M Devices

• US 20130073746A1
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Huang, Kuei-Li, Yang, Jen-Shun, Singh, Shubhranshu, Gleixner, Stephen, Cheng, Ching-Wen
• Granted Patent: US 9,521,634 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method for operating a machine-to-machine (M2M) device communicating with a gateway includes determining, by the gateway, a timing parameter for synchronizing the machine-to-machine device with the gateway; inserting the timing parameter into a control signal; and transmitting the control signal from the gateway to the machine-to-machine device.

Claims

1. A method for operating machine-to-machine devices in a wireless network, comprising:

determining, by a gateway, a timing parameter for synchronizing a plurality of machine-to-machine devices with the gateway;

inserting the timing parameter into a control signal; and

transmitting the control signal from the gateway to the machine-to-machine devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the gateway is connected between a first network and a second network;

a server is connected to the first network; and

the machine-to-machine devices are connected to the second network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the timing parameter defines a time interval for the gateway to transmit a periodic message to the server.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

obtaining a timer having a timer length;

starting the timer; and

transmitting the periodic message to the server each time the timer expires.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising calculating the timing parameter based on the time interval.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising periodically adjusting the time interval.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising adjusting the time interval upon expiration of the timer.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the timing parameter defines a target beacon transmission time for the gateway to transmit a next control signal, and

the method further comprises:

transmitting, by the gateway, the periodic message to the server in accordance with the time interval; and

determining the target beacon transmission time based on a beacon interval and the time interval.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signal is in compliance with the IEEE 802.11 standard, and the timing parameter is inserted into a vendor specific field of the control signal.

10. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining the timing parameter in response to a change in the time interval.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising periodically transmitting the control signal in accordance with a beacon interval.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the timing parameter defines a time interval for the machine-to-machine devices to periodically enter a power-saving mode, and the method further comprises:

determining a target beacon transmission time and a current time; and

calculating the timing parameter based on the beacon interval, the target beacon transmission time, and the current time.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program codes, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method at a gateway for operating machine-to-machine devices in a wireless network, the method comprising:

determining a timing parameter for synchronizing a machine-to-machine device to the gateway;

inserting the timing parameter into a control signal; and

transmitting the control signal from the gateway to the machine-to-machine device.

14. A method for operating a machine-to-machine device in a wireless network, comprising:

periodically switching a machine-to-machine device between a first operation mode and a second operation mode in accordance with a time interval;

receiving, by the machine-to-machine device, a control signal carrying a timing parameter;

extracting the timing parameter from the control signal; and

adjusting the time interval in accordance with the timing parameter.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the machine-to-machine device consumes less energy in the first operation mode than in the second operation mode.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising updating, by the machine-to-machine device, the time interval upon exiting the first operation mode.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving the control signal from a gateway, wherein the machine-to-machine device and the gateway are connected to a first network, and the gateway is further connected to a second network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the timing parameter defines the time interval.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the timing parameter defines a target beacon transmission time, and the target beacon transmission time indicates timing of a next control signal transmitted by the gateway.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising calculating the time interval based on the target beacon transmission time, a current time, and a beacon interval.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the control signal is in compliance with the IEEE 802.11 standard, and the timing parameter is carried in a vendor specific field of the control signal.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising synchronizing the switching from the first operation mode to the second operation mode with a transmission of messages by the gateway to the second network.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising switching, by the machine-to-machine device, from the first operation mode to the second operation mode after the gateway transmits a Tracking Area Update (TAU) message to the second network.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program codes, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for operating a machine-to-machine device in a wireless network, the method comprising:

periodically switching a machine-to-machine device between a first operation mode and a second operation mode in accordance with a time interval;

receiving a control signal carrying a timing parameter;

extracting the timing parameter from the control signal; and

adjusting the time interval in accordance with the timing parameter.

25. A method for operating a machine-to-machine device in a wireless network, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a gateway, a timing parameter;

inserting the timing parameter into a control signal;

transmitting the control signal to a machine-to-machine device through a first network;

extracting, by the machine-to-machine device, the timing parameter from the control signal; and

switching the machine-to-machine device between a first operation mode and a second operation mode in accordance with the timing parameter.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the gateway communicates with a server through a second network, and

the method further comprises:

periodically transmitting, in accordance with a preset time interval, messages from the gateway to the server through the second network.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

updating, by the gateway, the preset time interval; and

determining the timing parameter based on the updated preset time interval.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the timing parameter defines a target beacon transmission time for transmitting a future control signal from the gateway to the machine-to-machine device, and

the method further comprises:

calculating, by the machine-to-machine device, a time length of the first operation mode based on the target beacon transmission time, a current time, and a beacon interval.

29. A system for operating a machine-to-machine device in a wireless network, comprising:

a gateway connected between a first network and a second network, the gateway configured to obtain a timing parameter, insert the timing parameter into a control signal, and transmit the control signal through a first network; and

a machine-to-machine device connected to the first network, the machine-to-machine device configured to receive the control signal, extract the timing parameter from the control signal, and switch between a first operation mode and a second operation mode in accordance with the timing parameter.