Low power protocol for wireless terminal peer-to-peer communications
First Claim
1. A method for managing peer-to-peer communications in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) having a plurality of wireless terminals, one of which acts as a master at any time and remaining ones acting as slaves at any time, the method comprising:
- communicating according to a frame cycle including a beaconing period, a broadcast data period, a plurality of polled data periods, and a contention period;
during the beaconing period, the master transmitting a beacon and each of the plurality of Slaves listening for the beacon;
during the broadcast data period, the master broadcasting data and each of the plurality of Slaves listening for the broadcast data;
during each polled data period, the master polling an assigned Slave and the assigned Slave transmitting data to the master if it has data to send;
during the contention period, a new Slave, if present, transmitting to the master;
during the plurality of polled data periods, non-assigned Slaves optionally powering down their transmitters and receivers; and
during the contention period, the plurality of Slaves optionally powering down their transmitters and receivers.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) system in which wireless terminals each operate upon battery power. One of the wireless terminals acts as a Master to coordinate the transmission and receptions of the Slaves so as to reduce the power consumed by all of the devices. The Slaves operate according to a power up and power down sequence to conserve battery power. Further, the terminals may alternate between being Slaves and being the Master to equalize battery consumption of the wireless terminals.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for managing peer-to-peer communications in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) having a plurality of wireless terminals, one of which acts as a master at any time and remaining ones acting as slaves at any time, the method comprising:
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communicating according to a frame cycle including a beaconing period, a broadcast data period, a plurality of polled data periods, and a contention period; during the beaconing period, the master transmitting a beacon and each of the plurality of Slaves listening for the beacon; during the broadcast data period, the master broadcasting data and each of the plurality of Slaves listening for the broadcast data; during each polled data period, the master polling an assigned Slave and the assigned Slave transmitting data to the master if it has data to send; during the contention period, a new Slave, if present, transmitting to the master; during the plurality of polled data periods, non-assigned Slaves optionally powering down their transmitters and receivers; and during the contention period, the plurality of Slaves optionally powering down their transmitters and receivers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for managing peer-to-peer communications in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) having a plurality of wireless terminals, the system comprising:
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a plurality of frame cycles, one of the plurality of wireless terminals acting as a master during each frame cycle and remaining ones of the plurality of wireless terminals acting as Slaves during each frame cycle; each frame cycle comprising a beaconing period, a broadcast data period, a plurality of polled data periods, and a contention period; whereby during the beaconing period, the master transmits a beacon and each of the plurality of Slaves listens for the beacon; whereby during the broadcast data period, the master broadcasts data and each of the plurality of Slaves listens for the broadcast data; whereby during each polled data period, the master polls an assigned Slave and the assigned Slave transmits data to the master if it has data to send; whereby during the contention period, a new Slave, if present, transmits to the master; whereby during the plurality of polled data periods, non-assigned Slaves optionally power down their transmitters and receivers; and whereby during the contention period, the plurality of Slaves optionally power down their transmitters and receivers. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A system for managing peer-to-peer communications in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) having a plurality of wireless terminals, the system comprising:
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means for communicating according to a frame cycle including a beaconing period, a broadcast data period, a plurality of polled data periods, and a contention period; means for, during the beaconing period, the master transmitting a beacon and each of the plurality of Slaves listening for the beacon; means for, during the broadcast data period, the master broadcasting data and each of the plurality of Slaves listening for the broadcast data; means for, during each polled data period, the master polling an assigned Slave and the assigned Slave transmitting data to the master if it has data to send; means for, during the contention period, a new Slave, if present, transmitting to the master; means for, during the plurality of polled data periods, non-assigned Slaves optionally powering down their transmitters and receivers; and means for, during the contention period, the plurality of Slaves optionally powering down their transmitters and receivers.
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Specification