Power saving in VoIP transmission apparatus, systems, and methods

• US 7,822,405 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Ginzburg, Boris, Alon, Ayelet
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro; Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chambers; Tangela T.
• Application Number:
  US11/393,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20070238439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,671 Days
• Field of Search: 455/343.2, 455/574, 455/522
• US Class Current: 455/343.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An apparatus, includes a wireless communication module (WCM) to communicatively couple to a wireless access point; and an automatic power-save delivery (APSD) state logic module to establish a dynamic configuration mechanism to change a U-APSD state affecting voice signaling traffic at a beginning of a voice stream and again at an end of the voice stream.

Claims

1. An apparatus, including:

a wireless communication module (WCM) to communicatively couple to a wireless access point;

a power logic module to control transmission power of the WCM;

a WCM transmitter coupled to the power logic module to transmit information to the wireless access point to disable an Automatic Power-Save Delivery (APSD) mode, the WCM transmitter to open a voice signal traffic stream as an uplink to the wireless access point, wherein the WCM transmitter is to transmit a voice stream on the uplink in an APSD mode;

a WCM receiver coupled to the power logic module to receive information on a downlink from the wireless access point,

wherein transmission of the voice signal traffic stream on the uplink triggers receipt of buffered voice packets on the downlink in a non-APSD mode; and

an APSD logic module to establish a dynamic configuration mechanism to change from between the APSD mode and the non-APSD mode affecting voice signaling traffic at a beginning of the receipt of the buffered voice packets,

wherein the WCM configures an access-category voice (AC-VO) for voice and an access-category IV (AC-IV) for signaling as trigger-enabled and delivery-enabled access categories in the APSD mode by transmitting an add traffic stream (ADDTS) control packet when opening the voice signal traffic stream, and

wherein upon ending of a voice call, the WCM configures both the AC-VO and the AC-IV in the non-APSD mode by transmitting a delete traffic stream (DELTS) control packet.

2. A method, including:

operating a wireless communication module (WCM) associated with a wireless portable electronic device (WPED) in an automatic power-save delivery (APSD) disabled mode, wherein the WCM is wirelessly associated with a wireless access point;

operating a power logic module to control transmission power of the WCM;

transmitting to the wireless access point to disable an APSD mode;

opening a voice signal traffic stream as an uplink to the wireless access point;

transmitting the voice signal traffic stream in the APSD disabled mode;

transmitting a voice stream on the uplink in the APSD enabled mode;

receiving information on a downlink from the wireless access point;

receiving buffered voice packets on the downlink in the APSD disabled mode in response to transmitting the voice signal traffic stream on the uplink;

upon sensing that a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) voice packet stream is ready for transmission from the WCM, operating the WCM in an APSD enabled mode; and

upon terminating the transmission of the VoIP voice packet stream, transitioning from the APSD enabled mode to a legacy power save mode until receipt of another VoIP packet stream for transmission,

wherein the WCM configures an access-category voice (AC-VO) for voice and an access-category IV (AC-IV) for signaling as trigger-enabled and delivery-enabled access categories in APSD enabled mode by transmitting an add traffic stream (ADDTS) control packet when opening the voice signal traffic stream, and

wherein upon ending of a voice call, the WCM configures both the AC-VO and the AC-IV in APSD disabled mode by transmitting a delete traffic stream (DELTS) control packet.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the WCM operates according to

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers standard 802.11E.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the APSD disabled mode comprises operating the WCM using a power saving mode that includes:

not delivering downlink voice signaling traffic in response to either uplink voice traffic or uplink voice signaling traffic;

not using the uplink voice signaling traffic to trigger a delivery of either downlink voice traffic or the downlink voice signaling traffic;

not delivering the downlink voice traffic in response to either the uplink voice traffic or the uplink voice signaling traffic; and

not using the uplink voice traffic to trigger a delivery of either the downlink voice traffic or the downlink voice signaling traffic.

5. The method of claim 2, further including:

sending at least one traffic stream specification (TSPEC) control packet from the WCM to the wireless access point to advise the wireless access point to operate in the APSD disabled mode, wherein an APSD bit associated with the TSPEC control packet is reset.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the APSD enabled mode comprises:

delivering downlink voice signaling traffic in response to uplink voice traffic;

not using uplink voice signaling traffic to trigger a delivery of either downlink voice traffic or the downlink voice signaling traffic;

delivering the downlink voice traffic in response to the uplink voice traffic; and

using the uplink voice traffic to trigger a delivery of at least one of the downlink voice traffic or the downlink voice signaling traffic.

7. The method of claim 2, further including:

sending at least one traffic stream specification (TSPEC) control packet from the WCM to the wireless access point to advise the wireless access point to operate in the APSD enabled mode, wherein an APSD bit associated with the TSPEC control packet is set.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the APSD enabled mode comprises an unscheduled APSD mode of operation.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the APSD enabled mode comprises disabling at least one of transmitter operation or receiver operation at the WCM for a sleep period if no traffic is pending transmission from either the WPED or from the wireless access point.