System and method for medium access control in a power-save network
First Claim
1. In a networked device having the capability to enter and exit a sleep state of a power-saving mode, a method for controlling access to a communication medium, the method comprising:
- exiting the sleep state of the power-saving mode;
acquiring control of the communication medium utilizing a contention-based medium access protocol; and
passing control of the communication medium to a second networked device, whereby the second networked device may communicate a plurality of information packets to the networked device without having to utilize the contention-based medium access protocol to access the communication medium.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for accessing, controlling and utilizing a network communication medium. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise a first networked device with power-save capability. The first networked device may acquire control of a communication medium utilizing a medium access protocol, which may be contention-based. The first networked device may utilize the communication medium to communicate information to a second networked device. The first networked device may transfer control of the communication medium to the second networked device, whereby the second networked device may control the communication medium without having to acquire control of the communication medium by utilizing the medium access protocol. The second networked device may utilize the communication medium to communicate information to the first networked device while maintaining control over the communication medium. The second networked device may have buffered such information for delayed delivery to the first networked device.
84 Citations
49 Claims
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1. In a networked device having the capability to enter and exit a sleep state of a power-saving mode, a method for controlling access to a communication medium, the method comprising:
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exiting the sleep state of the power-saving mode; acquiring control of the communication medium utilizing a contention-based medium access protocol; and passing control of the communication medium to a second networked device, whereby the second networked device may communicate a plurality of information packets to the networked device without having to utilize the contention-based medium access protocol to access the communication medium. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A communication module for utilization in a networked device, the networked device having the capability to enter and exit a sleep state of a power-save mode, the communication module comprising:
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a transceiver module; a power-save module that controls the networked device entering and exiting a power-save mode; and a medium access control (MAC) module communicatively coupled to the transceiver module and the power-save module, the medium access control module comprising; a first module that, after the power-save module causes the networked device to exit the sleep state of the power-save mode, utilizes the transceiver module to acquire control of a network communication medium utilizing a contention-based medium access protocol; and a second module that utilizes the transceiver module to transfer control of the communication medium to a second networked device, whereby the second networked device may communicate a plurality of information packets to the networked device over the communication medium without having to utilize the contention-based medium access protocol to access the communication medium. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. In a networked device having the capability to communicate with a second networked device over a communication medium, the second networked device having gained control over the communication medium by utilizing a contention-based medium access protocol after exiting from a sleep state of a power-save mode, a method for controlling access to a communication medium, the method comprising:
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receiving a message from the second networked device that passes control of the communication medium to the networked device, whereby the networked device may communicate a plurality of information packets to the second networked device without having to utilize the contention-based medium access protocol to access the communication medium; and communicating information to the second networked device while maintaining control over the communication medium. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A communication module for utilization in a networked device having the capability to communicate with a second networked device over a communication medium, the second networked device having gained control of the communication medium utilizing a contention-based medium access protocol after exiting from a sleep state of a power-save mode, the communication module comprising:
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a transceiver module; a medium access control (MAC) module communicatively coupled to the transceiver module, wherein the MAC module utilizes the transceiver module to receive a medium control passing message from the second networked device, after which the MAC module may take control of the communication medium for communicating a plurality of information packets to the second networked device without utilizing the contention-based medium access protocol; and a data communication module communicatively coupled to the transceiver module and the MAC module that utilizes the transceiver module to communicate information to the second networked device while maintaining control of the communication medium. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method for controlling access to a communication medium in a communication network, the method comprising:
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exiting a sleep state of a power-save mode by a first networked device; acquiring control of the communication medium by the first networked device utilizing a contention-based medium access protocol; and passing control of the communication medium from the first networked device to a second networked device, whereby the second networked device may communicate a plurality of information packets to the first networked device over the communication medium without having to utilize the contention-based medium access protocol to access the communication medium. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification