Session recovery after network coordinator or AP restart for single user, multiple user, multiple access, and/or MIMO wireless communications

• US 20160021611A1
• Filed: 05/27/2015
• Published: 01/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wong, Chiu Ngok Eric, Fischer, Matthew James
• Granted Patent: US 9,907,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Session recovery after network coordinator or AP restart for single user, multiple user, multiple access, and/or MIMO wireless communications. Restart or reset of a network coordinator (e.g., an access point (AP) or other network coordinator type device) may occur for various reasons (e.g., a power cycle or power failure, inadequate failover protection, scheduled or planned power outages such as for including network maintenance, software upgrades, etc.). Upon determination of network coordinator restarted or reset, a singular bit within a communication from the network coordinator indicates synchronization or not of the its timing synchronization function (TSF) (e.g., with other devices in the communication system, such as wireless stations (STAs), smart meter stations (SMSTAs), etc.). A given device (e.g., STA, SMSTA, etc.) can provide its current TSF to the network coordinator so that it can resynchronize, re-establish its scheduled for wake times of those devices (e.g., target wake times (TWTs)), etc.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device comprising:

a communication interface; and

a processor, at least one of the processor or the communication interface configured to;

generate a signal that includes information that specifies that the wireless communication device has undergone a restart or reset and that includes a timing synchronization function (TSF) value request;

transmit the signal to another wireless communication device;

receive, from the another wireless communication device, a second signal that includes a TSF value; and

modify a TSF timer of the wireless communication device based on the TSF value.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to:

transmit a target wake time (TWT) to the another wireless communication device, wherein the another wireless communication device configured to awaken from a power savings mode based on the TWT.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to:

transmit, before transmission of the signal to the another wireless communication device, a first target wake time (TWT) to the another wireless communication device, wherein the another wireless communication device configured to awaken from a power savings mode based on the first TWT;

undergo the restart or the reset; and

transmit, after modification of the TSF timer of the wireless communication device based on the TSF value, a second TWT to the another wireless communication device, wherein the another wireless communication device configured to awaken from the power savings mode based on the second TWT.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to:

generate the signal that includes the information that includes the TSF value request, wherein the TSF value request includes a singular bit set to a predetermined value.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to:

generate the signal that includes a restart count value that specifies that the wireless communication device has undergone the restart or the reset.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to:

transmit the signal to a plurality of other wireless communication device;

receive, from at least one wireless communication device of the plurality of other wireless communication device, at least one other signal that includes at least one other TSF value; and

modify the TSF timer of the wireless communication device based on the at least one other TSF value.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 1 further comprising:

a laptop host computer, a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, a cellular telephone.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 1 further comprising:

an access point (AP), wherein the another wireless communication device is a wireless station (STA).

9. A wireless communication device comprising:

a communication interface; and

a processor, at least one of the processor or the communication interface configured to;

generate a first signal that includes a first timing synchronization function (TSF) value that corresponds to a TSF timer of the wireless communication device;

transmit the first signal to another wireless communication device;

undergo a restart or a reset;

generate a second signal that includes a second TSF value that corresponds to the TSF timer of the wireless communication device after the restart or the reset;

transmit the second signal to the another wireless communication device;

receive, from the another wireless communication device, a third signal that includes a third TSF value; and

modify the TSF timer of the wireless communication device based on the third TSF value.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to:

transmit a target wake time (TWT) to the another wireless communication device, wherein the another wireless communication device configured to awaken from a power savings mode based on the TWT.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to:

generate the second signal that includes a restart count value that specifies that the wireless communication device has undergone the restart or the reset.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to:

receive, from at least one other wireless communication device, at least one other signal that includes at least one other TSF value; and

modify the TSF timer of the wireless communication device based on the at least one other TSF value.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 9 further comprising:

an access point (AP), wherein the another wireless communication device is a wireless station (STA).

14. A method for execution by a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

generating a signal that includes information that specifies that the wireless communication device has undergone a restart or reset and that includes a timing synchronization function (TSF) value request;

transmitting, via a communication interface of the wireless communication device, the signal to another wireless communication device;

receiving, via the communication interface of the wireless communication device and from the another wireless communication device, a second signal that includes a TSF value; and

modifying a TSF timer of the wireless communication device based on the TSF value.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

transmitting, via the communication interface of the wireless communication device, a target wake time (TWT) to the another wireless communication device, wherein the another wireless communication device operating by awakening from a power savings mode based on the TWT.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

transmitting, via the communication interface of the wireless communication device, before transmission of the signal to the another wireless communication device, a first target wake time (TWT) to the another wireless communication device, wherein the another wireless communication device configured to awaken from a power savings mode based on the first TWT;

undergoing the restart or the reset; and

transmitting, via the communication interface of the wireless communication device, after modification of the TSF timer of the wireless communication device based on the TSF value, a second TWT to the another wireless communication device, wherein the another wireless communication device configured to awaken from the power savings mode based on the second TWT.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

generating the signal that includes the information that includes the TSF value request, wherein the TSF value request includes a singular bit set to a predetermined value.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

generating the signal that includes a restart count value that specifies that the wireless communication device has undergone the restart or the reset.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

transmitting, via the communication interface of the wireless communication device, the signal to a plurality of other wireless communication device;

receiving, via the communication interface of the wireless communication device, from at least one wireless communication device of the plurality of other wireless communication device, at least one other signal that includes at least one other TSF value; and

modifying the TSF timer of the wireless communication device based on the at least one other TSF value.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the wireless communication device is an access point (AP), wherein the another wireless communication device is a wireless station (STA).