ASSISTED ENERGY EFFICIENT PEER-TO-PEER (P2P) COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20140266625A1
• Filed: 09/25/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Merlin, Simone, Sampath, Hemanth, Asterjadhi, Alfred
• Application Number:
  US14/036,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20140266625A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The operation of one or more low power/low functionality wireless tags is established in a system, and an external station is then introduced to the system. Communication is established between wireless tags and the external station, wherein the external station directly receives advertised information transmitted from the wireless tags. Various modes of operation include: (1) the external STA is introduced into a system including passive wireless tags, which are associated with a wireless access point (AP); (2) the external STA is introduced into a system including active wireless tags, which are associated with a wireless AP; (3) the external STA is introduced into a system including passive wireless tags, which are not associated with a wireless AP; and (4) the external STA is introduced into a system that includes active wireless tags, which are not associated with a wireless AP.

Claims

1. A method for operating in a wireless communication system, the system including one or more wireless tags, the method comprising:

receiving, by a tag of the one or more wireless tags, a communication from a wireless access point; and

transmitting, by the tag, advertised information about the tag directly to a station external to the wireless communication system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication comprises a beacon, and wherein the advertised information is transmitted in response to the beacon.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the beacon identifies the tag within the beacon.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting a Power Save Poll (PS-Poll) in response to the beacon.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein transmitting the advertised information comprises including the advertised information in the PS-Poll.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving from the wireless access point an acknowledge signal in response to the PS-Poll;

maintaining an active state in response to the acknowledge signal; and

receiving, during the active state, a probe request from the station,

wherein transmitting the advertised information comprises transmitting the advertised information in a response to the probe request.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

maintaining an active state following the transmission of the PS-Poll; and

receiving, during the active state, a probe request from the station,

wherein transmitting the advertised information comprises transmitting the advertised information in a response to the probe request.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication comprises a delivery traffic indication map (DTIM) beacon.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

maintaining an active state in response to the DTIM beacon; and

receiving, during the active state, a request from the station,

wherein transmitting the advertised information comprises transmitting the advertised information in a response to the request.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication establishes a wake up schedule with the wireless access point.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a request from the station at a time derived from the wake up schedule,

wherein transmitting the advertised information comprises transmitting the advertised information in a response to the request.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication comprises a wake up request that specifies a wake up time.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

switching to an active state at the specified wake up time; and

receiving, during the active state, a request from the station,

wherein transmitting the advertised information comprises transmitting the advertised information in a response to the request.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting the advertised information comprises transmitting the advertised information at the specified wake up time.

15. A wireless tag, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in electronic communication with the processor, the memory embodying instructions, the instructions being executable by the processor to;

receive a communication from a wireless access point in a wireless communication system, the wireless communication system comprising the wireless tag and the wireless access point; and

transmit advertised information about the wireless tag directly to a station external to the wireless communication system.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the communication comprises a beacon, and wherein the advertised information is transmitted in response to the beacon.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the beacon identifies the wireless tag within the beacon.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

transmit a Power Save Poll (PS-Poll) in response to the beacon.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the instructions executable to transmit the advertised information comprise instructions executable by the processor to include the advertised information in the PS-Poll.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving, at a tag of one or more wireless tags, a communication from a wireless access point in a wireless communication system, the wireless communication system comprising the one or more wireless tags and the wireless access point; and

means for transmitting, from the tag, advertised information about the tag directly to a station external to the wireless communication system.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the communication comprises a beacon, and wherein the advertised information is transmitted in response to the beacon.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the beacon identifies the tag within the beacon.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for transmitting a Power Save Poll (PS-Poll) in response to the beacon.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for transmitting the advertised information comprise means for including the advertised information in the PS-Poll.

25. An access point, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory in electronic communication with the processor, the memory embodying instructions, the instructions being executable by the processor to;

receive a communication from a station external to a wireless communication system, the wireless communication system comprising one or more wireless tags and the access point; and

transmit a communication to at least one wireless tag of the one or more wireless tags to trigger the at least one wireless tag to directly transmit advertised information about the at least one wireless tag to the station.

26. The access point of claim 25, wherein the at least one wireless tag transmits the advertised information only in response to a received request.

27. The access point of claim 26, wherein the communication to the at least one wireless tag comprises a beacon, and wherein the at least one wireless tag transmits the advertised information in response to the beacon.

28. The access point of claim 27, wherein the advertised information from the at least one wireless tag is included in a Power Save Poll (PS-Poll) transmitted by the at least one wireless tag.

29. The access point of claim 27, wherein:

the communication from the station identifies the at least one wireless tag; and

the beacon, in response to the communication from the station, identifies the at least one wireless tag within the beacon.

30. The access point of claim 26, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

transmit a beacon to the at least one wireless tag;

after transmitting the beacon, receive a Power Save Poll (PS-Poll) from the at least one wireless tag;

transmit an acknowledge signal in response to the PS-Poll, wherein the station transmits a request to the at least one wireless tag in response to the acknowledge signal, and wherein the at least one wireless tag transmits the advertised information in response to the request.

31. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a communication from a station external to a wireless communication system, the wireless communication system comprising one or more wireless tags and the access point; and

means for transmitting a communication to at least one wireless tag of the one or more wireless tags to trigger the at least one wireless tag to directly transmit advertised information about the at least one wireless tag to the station.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the at least one wireless tag transmits the advertised information only in response to a received request.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the communication to the at least one wireless tag comprises a beacon, and wherein the at least one wireless tag transmits the advertised information in response to the beacon.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the advertised information from the at least one wireless tag is included in a Power Save Poll (PS-Poll) transmitted by the at least one wireless tag.

35. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein:

the communication from the station identifies the at least one wireless tag; and

the beacon, in response to the communication from the station, identifies the at least one wireless tag within the beacon.