POWER SAVE MECHANISM FOR LOW-POWER NETWORK DEVICES

• US 20140161118A1
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: IYER, Mahesh D., SHUKLA, Amit
• Granted Patent: US 9,584,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/351
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/70 Routing based on monitoring results
• 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

A power save unit of a first network device determines a sleep duration associated with a sleep mode of a low-power network device based on an exchange of information between the first network device and the low-power network device of a communication network. The power save unit determines whether the low-power network device is in the sleep mode. In response to determining that the low-power network device is in the sleep mode, the power save unit redirects network packets destined to the low-power network device to the first network device. The first network device stores the redirected network packets and notifies the low-power network device that the first network device has stored the redirected network packets.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing, at a first network device, a communication link between the first network device and a low-power network device of a communication network;

determining, at the first network device, a sleep duration associated with a sleep mode of the low-power network device based on an exchange of information between the first network device and the low-power network device;

determining, at the first network device, whether the low-power network device is in the sleep mode;

redirecting network packets from the communication network, destined to the low-power network device, to the first network device in response to determining that the low-power network device is in the sleep mode;

storing the network packets from the communication network at the first network device; and

notifying the low-power network device that the first network device has stored the network packets.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said establishing the communication link comprises exchanging association information and exchanging power save information between the first network device and the low-power network device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said exchanging association information comprises exchanging network addresses of the first network device and the low-power network device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said exchanging power save information comprises exchanging information which indicates that the low-power network device is a battery powered device and the first network device is connected to an uninterrupted power source.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the sleep duration comprises determining a sleep schedule, wherein the sleep schedule includes repeating time intervals for which the low-power network device is in the sleep mode for the sleep duration.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the sleep duration associated with the sleep mode of the low-power network device based on the exchange of information between the first network device and the low-power network device comprises:

sending available storage capacity information to the low-power network device;

receiving power save requirements from the low-power network device; and

determining the sleep duration based on the available storage capacity information and the power save requirements.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the sleep duration comprises negotiating the sleep duration with the low-power network device based on the exchange of information between the first network device and the low-power network device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the low-power network device is a battery powered device and the first network device is a network device connected to an uninterrupted power source.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, at the first network device, that the low-power network device is in an active mode; and

sending the redirected network packets stored at the first network device to the low-power network device based on determining that the low-power network device is in the active mode.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining, at the first network device, whether the low-power network device is in the sleep mode comprises:

determining whether a power management bit sent by the low-power network device is set or reset.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said redirecting the network packets from the communication network, destined to the low-power network device, comprises modifying entries in an address table at an access point of the communication network to redirect the network packets to the first network device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said notifying the low-power network device that the first network device has stored the redirected network packets comprises sending a traffic indication map to indicate to the low-power network device that the first network device has stored the redirected network packets.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising, invalidating the redirection of network packets, destined to the low-power network device, by modifying entries in an address table at an access point of the communication network.

14. A method comprising:

establishing, at a low-power network device, a communication link between the low-power network device and a first network device of a communication network;

determining, at the low-power network device, a sleep duration associated with a sleep mode of the low-power network device based on an exchange of information between the low-power network device and the first network device;

entering the sleep mode at the low-power network device;

entering an awake mode at the low-power network device in response to expiration of the sleep duration;

invalidating a redirection of network packets from the communication network, destined to the low-power network device, set by the first network device in response to the low-power network device entering the sleep mode;

determining, at the low-power network device, that the first network device stored network packets while the low-power network device was in the sleep mode; and

obtaining the stored network packets from the first network device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said establishing the communication link comprises exchanging association information and power save information between the first network device and the low-power network device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said determining the sleep duration comprises determining a sleep schedule, wherein the sleep schedule includes repeating time intervals for which the low-power network device is in the sleep mode for the sleep duration.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said entering the sleep mode at the low-power network device comprises entering the sleep mode based on the sleep schedule.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said determining the sleep duration based on an exchange of information between the first network device and the low-power network device comprises:

sending power save requirements from the low-power network device;

receiving available storage capacity information from the first network device; and

determining the sleep duration based on the available storage capacity information and the power save requirements.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the low-power network device is a battery powered device and the first network device is a network device connected to an uninterrupted power source.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising sending an indication to the first network device in the communication network on entering the sleep mode.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining whether an internet protocol (IP) connection to the communication network is active in response to entering the awake mode at the low-power network device; and

re-establishing the IP connection to the communication network based on determining that the IP connection to the communication network is not active.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein said invalidating the redirection of the network packets from the communication network comprises modifying entries in an address table at an access point of the communication network.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein said determining that the first network device stored network packets while the low-power network device was in the sleep mode comprises determining whether a traffic indication map set by the first network device indicates stored network packets.

24. A network device comprising:

a network interface; and

a power save unit configured to;

determine, at the network device, a sleep duration associated with a sleep mode of a low-power network device based on an exchange of information between the network device and the low-power network device via a communication link;

determine, at the network device, whether the low-power network device is in the sleep mode;

redirect network packets from the communication network, destined to the low-power network device, to the network device in response to determining that the low-power network device is in the sleep mode;

store the network packets from the communication network at the network device; and

notify the low-power network device that the network device has stored the network packets.

25. The network device of claim 24, wherein the power save unit configured to determine the sleep duration comprises the power save unit configured to determine a sleep schedule, wherein the sleep schedule includes repeating time intervals for which the low-power network device is in the sleep mode for the sleep duration.

26. The network device of claim 24, wherein the power save unit configured to determine the sleep duration associated with the sleep mode of the low-power network device based on the exchange of information between the first network device and the low-power network device comprises the power save unit configured to:

send available storage capacity information to the low-power network device;

receive power save requirements from the low-power network device; and

determine the sleep duration based on the available storage capacity information and the power save requirements.

27. The network device of claim 24, wherein the power save unit is further configured to:

determine, at the first network device, that the low-power network device is in an active mode; and

send the redirected network packets stored at the network device to the low-power network device based on determining that the low-power network device is in the active mode.

28. The network device of claim 24, wherein the power save unit configured to redirect the network packets from the communication network, destined to the low-power network device, comprises the power save unit configured to modify entries in an address table at an access point of the communication network to redirect the network packets to the network device.

29. The network device of claim 24, wherein the power save unit configured to notify the low-power network device that the network device has stored the redirected network packets comprises the power save unit configured to send a traffic indication map to indicate to the low-power network device that the network device has stored the redirected network packets.

30. A low-power network device comprising:

a network interface; and

a power save unit configured to;

determine, at the low-power network device, a sleep duration associated with a sleep mode of the low-power network device based on an exchange of information between the low-power network device and a first network device;

enter the sleep mode at the low-power network device;

enter an awake mode at the low-power network device in response to expiration of the sleep duration;

invalidate a redirection of network packets from the communication network, destined to the low-power network device, set by the first network device in response to the low-power network device entering the sleep mode;

determine, at the low-power network device, that the first network device stored network packets while the low-power network device was in the sleep mode; and

obtain the stored network packets from the first network device.

31. The low-power network device of claim 30, wherein the power save unit configured to determine the sleep duration comprises the power save unit configured to determine a sleep schedule, wherein the sleep schedule includes repeating time intervals for which the low-power network device is in the sleep mode for the sleep duration.

32. The low-power network device of claim 30, wherein the power save unit configured to determine the sleep duration based on an exchange of information between the first network device and the low-power network device comprises the power save unit configured to:

send power save requirements from the low-power network device;

receive available storage capacity information from the first network device; and

determine the sleep duration based on the available storage capacity information and the power save requirements.

33. The low-power network device of claim 30, wherein the power save unit is further configured to:

determine whether an internet protocol (IP) connection to the communication network is active in response to entering the awake mode at the low-power network device; and

re-establish the IP connection to the communication network based on determining that the IP connection to the communication network is not active.

34. The low-power network device of claim 30, wherein the power save unit configured to invalidate the redirection of the network packets from the communication network comprises the power save unit configured to modify entries in an address table at an access point of the communication network.

35. One or more machine-readable storage media having stored therein instructions, which when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform operations that comprise:

establishing, at a first network device, a communication link between the first network device and a low-power network device of a communication network;

determining, at the first network device, a sleep duration associated with a sleep mode of the low-power network device based on an exchange of information between the first network device and the low-power network device;

determining, at the first network device, whether the low-power network device is in the sleep mode;

redirecting network packets from the communication network, destined to the low-power network device, to the first network device in response to determining that the low-power network device is in the sleep mode;

storing the network packets from the communication network at the first network device; and

notifying the low-power network device that the first network device has stored the network packets.

36. One or more machine-readable storage media having stored therein instructions, which when executed by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform operations that comprise:

establishing, at a low-power network device, a communication link between the low-power network device and a first network device of a communication network;

determining, at the low-power network device, a sleep duration associated with a sleep mode of the low-power network device based on an exchange of information between the low-power network device and the first network device;

entering the sleep mode at the low-power network device;

entering an awake mode at the low-power network device in response to expiration of the sleep duration;

invalidating a redirection of network packets from the communication network, destined to the low-power network device, set by the first network device in response to the low-power network device entering the sleep mode;

determining, at the low-power network device, that the first network device stored network packets while the low-power network device was in the sleep mode; and

obtaining the stored network packets from the first network device.