Handling broadcast and multicast traffic as unicast traffic in a wireless network

• US 7,593,417 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2005
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Wang, James, Nagy, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): Pérez-Gutiérrez; Rafael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arevalo; Joseph
• Application Number:
  US11/041,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20060165031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• Field of Search: 370/489, 370/331, 370/338, 370/465, 370/311, 370/328, 370/353, 370/341, 370/346, 370/360, 370/352, 370/412, 370/332, 370/248, 370/413, 370/343, 370/401, 370/480, 375/130, 342/457, 455/458, 455/562.1, 455/456.1, 455/519, 455/334, 455/513, 455/437, 455/343.2, 455/420, 455/574, 455/69, 455/427, 455/434, 455/41.1, 455/414.1, 455/518, 455/560, 713/501, 713/300, 713/320, 713/324
• US Class Current: 370/428
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/02 Power saving arrangements in wired systems H04L12/12; signaling of mobile application services, e.g. low battery notifications H04W4/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An access point is to handle received broadcast or multicast traffic as multiple instances of unicast traffic, where each instance is destined for a corresponding wireless client device associated with the access point. A client device may adjust its listen interval parameter according to predefined considerations, for example a charge level of a battery to power the client device and an expected usage model for the device. A client device may initiate a reassociation request to inform the access point of its adjusted listen interval parameter.

Claims

1. A method in a wireless local area network access point, the method comprising:

receiving broadcast or multicast traffic; and

generating multiple instances of unicast traffic, where data of said instances is identical to data of said broadcast or multicast traffic and where each of said instances is destined for a corresponding wireless client device associated with said wireless local area network access point;

transmitting any of said instances that is destined for a wireless client device in active mode; and

buffering any of said instances that is destined for a wireless client device in power save mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retaining any of said buffered instances that is destined for a wireless client device in power save mode for a period that is at least as long as a product of a beacon interval of said access point and a listen interval parameter of said wireless client device in power save mode.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

indicating in a traffic indication map the existence of each buffered instance that is destined for a wireless client device in power save mode.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

not indicating in any delivery traffic indication message that said broadcast or multicast traffic has been received, even if one or more of the wireless client devices associated with said access point is in power save mode; and

not transmitting said broadcast or multicast traffic.

5. A method in a wireless client device, the method comprising:

recognizing that a wireless local area network access point with which said device is associated handles received broadcast and multicast traffic by generating multiple instances of unicast traffic, where data of said instances is identical to data of said broadcast and multicast traffic and where said instances are destined for corresponding wireless client devices associated with said wireless local area network access point; and

setting a “

Receive DTIMs”

parameter in said device to false when entering power save mode while still associated with said wireless local area network access point.

6. A wireless local area network access point comprising:

a wireless local area network controller able to receive broadcast or multicast traffic;

a memory; and

a processor coupled to said wireless local area network controller and to said memory, said processor able to generate multiple instances of unicast traffic, where data of said instances is identical to data of said broadcast or multicast traffic and where each of said instances is destined for a corresponding wireless client device associate with said access point, and where said processor is able to control said network controller to transmit any of said instances that is destined for a wireless client device in active mode, and where said processor is able to buffer in said memory any of said instances that is destined for a wireless client device in power save mode.

7. The wireless local area network access point of claim 6, wherein said access point is to retain any of said buffered instances that is destined for a wireless client device in power save mode for a period that is at least as long as a product of a beacon interval and a listen interval parameter of said wireless client device in power save mode.

8. The wireless local area network access point of claim 6, wherein said wireless local area network access point uses an IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network standard.

9. The wireless local area network access point of claim 6, wherein said wireless local area network access point is to indicate in a traffic indication map the existence of each buffered instance that is destined for a wireless client device in power save mode.

10. The wireless local area network access point of claim 6, wherein said wireless local area network access point is not to indicate in any delivery traffic indication message that said broadcast or multicast traffic has been received, even if one or more of the wireless client devices associated with said wireless local area network access point is in power save mode, and wherein said wireless local area network access point is not to transmit said broadcast or multicast traffic.