POWER SAVINGS WITH PREAMBLE IN WLAN SYSTEMS

• US 20150071142A1
• Filed: 12/23/2013
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Joonsuk, Mujtaba, Syed A., Wang, Xiaowen
• Granted Patent: US 9,603,092 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0238 where the received signal is an unwanted signal, e.g. interference or idle signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In order to reduce power consumption of an electronic device during communication with another electronic device in a wireless local area network (WEAN), the electronic device analyzes fields in a given packet prior to a payload of the given packet to look for information that specifies a destination of the given packet. For example, the information may include: a full associated identification (AID) of the destination, a partial media-access-control (MAC) address of the destination; and/or a compressed (MAC) address of the destination. The information may be included in the preamble of the given packet. In particular, the information may replace length information in a high-throughput signal field in the given packet. Moreover, if the destination is other than the electronic device, the electronic device dumps the given packet and changes a power state of the electronic device, thereby reducing the power consumption.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

an antenna;

a receive circuit, coupled to the antenna, configured to receive packets from another electronic device using a wireless local area network (WLAN), wherein the receive circuit is configured to analyze fields in a given packet prior to a payload of the given packet to look for information that specifies a destination of the given packet; and

control logic coupled to the receive circuit, wherein, if the destination is other than the electronic device, the control logic is configured to dump the given packet and to change a power state of the electronic device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the WLAN is compatible with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 communication protocol.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the information includes one of:

a full associated identification (AID) of the destination, a partial media-access-control (MAC) address of the destination; and

a compressed (MAC) address of the destination.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the information is included in the preamble of the given packet.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the information replaces length information in a high-throughput signal field in the given packet.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein changing the power state reduces power consumption of the electronic device.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the given packet includes information specifying a proprietary format that is compatible with an IEEE 802.11 communication protocol and avoids interference with other electronic devices in the wireless local area network.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the information specifying the proprietary format includes one of:

a proprietary bit in a signal-training field, a proprietary bit in a high-throughput signal field, and a type of encoding of the information specifying the destination of the given packet.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

an antenna;

a transmit circuit, coupled to the antenna, configured to transmit packets to another electronic device using a wireless local area network (WLAN), and

wherein the transmit circuit is configured to assemble a given packet with information that specifies the other electronic device located in the given packet prior to a payload of the given packet; and

wherein the information replaces length information in a high-throughput signal field in the given packet.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the WLAN is compatible with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 communication protocol.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the information includes one of:

a full associated identification (AID) of the destination, a partial media-access-control (MAC) address of the destination; and

a compressed (MAC) address of the destination.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the information facilitates reduced power consumption of the other electronic device.

13. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the given packet includes information specifying a proprietary format that is compatible with an IEEE 802.11 communication protocol and avoids interference with other electronic devices in the wireless local area network.

14. A method for changing a power state of an electronic device, wherein the method comprises:

receiving packets from another electronic device using a wireless local area network (WLAN);

for a given packet, analyzing fields prior to a payload of the given packet to look for information that specifies a destination of the given packet; and

if the destination is other than the electronic device, dumping the given packet and changing the power state of the electronic device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the WLAN is compatible with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 communication protocol.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the information includes one of:

a full associated identification (AID) of the destination, a partial media-access-control (MAC) address of the destination; and

a compressed (MAC) address of the destination.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the information is included in the preamble of the given packet.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the information replaces length information in a high-throughput signal field in the given packet.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein changing the power state reduces power consumption of the electronic device.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the given packet includes information specifying a proprietary format that is compatible with an IEEE 802.11 communication protocol and avoids interference with other electronic devices in the wireless local area network.