SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INTELLIGENT POWER SAVE NOTIFICATION

• US 20130329614A1
• Filed: 06/07/2012
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm Atheros Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: THAKUR, Sidharth
• Granted Patent: US 9,813,987 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: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed to coordinate a power save delay between a station (STA) and an access point (AP.) The STA may be configured to transmit information regarding a power save delay duration to the AP. The STA may then inform the AP that it will be entering power save mode and delay entering the power save mode for a specified period of time corresponding to the power save delay duration, thus providing a buffer period to allow the AP to complete the delivery of any frames that may already be in the hardware queue.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system comprising a station, wherein the station is configured to enter a power save mode after a specified power save delay duration following a transmission to an access point of a power management frame containing a power management indication.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the station is configured to transmit a frame to the access point having information corresponding to the power save delay duration.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 2, further comprising an access point, wherein the access point is configured, after receipt of the power management frame from the station, to determine if a period of time corresponding to the power save delay duration has elapsed since transmission of the power management frame prior to transmitting a frame to the station and to transmit a delivery frame addressed to the station if the period of time has not elapsed.

4. The wireless communication system of claim 3, wherein the access point further comprises a hardware queue configured to receive frames to be transmitted and the access point transmits the delivery frame by sending the delivery frame to the hardware queue.

5. The wireless communication system of claim 3, wherein the access point is configured to hold the delivery frame when the period of time has elapsed.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 5, wherein the access point holds the delivery frame in a software buffer when the period of time has elapsed.

7. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the access point is configured to transmit a frame to the station having information corresponding to the power save delay duration.

8. The wireless communication system of claim 7, wherein the information corresponding to the power save delay duration is determined dynamically.

9. The wireless communication system of claim 7, wherein the station is configured to determine the power save delay duration from the information corresponding to the power save delay duration transmitted by the access point.

10. The wireless communication system of claim 1, wherein the power save delay duration is in the range of approximately 32 to 64 time slots.

11. A method for wireless communication between a station and an access point, comprising:

transmitting a power management frame from the station to the access point containing a power management indication; and

placing the station in a power save mode after a specified power save delay duration.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting a frame from the station to the access point having information corresponding to the power save delay duration prior to transmitting the power management frame.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving the power management frame from the station with the access point;

determining if a period of time corresponding to the power save delay duration has elapsed since transmission of the power management frame; and

transmitting a delivery frame addressed to the station with the access point if the period of time has not elapsed.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting the delivery frame by sending the delivery frame to a hardware queue of the access point.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising holding the delivery frame at the access point when the period of time has elapsed.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein holding the delivery frame comprises storing the delivery frame in a software buffer of the access point.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting a frame to the station from the access point having information corresponding to the power save delay duration.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the information corresponding to the power save delay duration is determined dynamically.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining the power save delay duration at the station from the information corresponding to the power save delay duration transmitted by the access point.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the power save delay duration is in the range of approximately 32 to 64 time slots.