System and method for adjusting power used in transmission in a wireless packet network

• US 7,986,652 B1
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hui, Jonathan W, Culler, David E
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, ANTHONY S
• Application Number:
  US12/004,321
• Time in Patent Office: 1,315 Days
• Field of Search: 455/127.5, 4553431-3436, 455/522, 455572-574, 455/41.2, 455/127.1, 455/500, 455/502, 455/507, 455/515, 455/516, 713/320, 713/321, 713/323, 713/324, 340 732- 734, 340/7.36, 340/7.37, 370/241, 370/310, 370/311, 370/318, 370/328, 370/329, 370/338, 370346-348, 370/445, 370/448, 370/449
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method allows devices to send and receive packets while using power to do so in a manner that responds to events, such as receipt or other identification of different parameters that control how packets are sent and received.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein related to a broadcast of at least one data packet, the computer program product comprising computer-readable instructions configured to cause a computer system to:

receive information of an indication of an event;

provide a signal for causing a radio to draw power, for a first period of time, at a first level, the first level configured to be below a level that is used to receive at least one data packet;

cause the radio, at the end of the first period of time, to draw power at a second level, the second level configured to be higher than the first level;

cause the radio to attempt to receive a set of data following the end of the first period of time and during a second period of time;

determine whether the set of data corresponds to a first packet, the first packet comprising information associated with a third period of time, the first packet comprising a first chirp packet, wherein the first chirp packet is associated with a first data packet;

responsive to determining the set of data corresponds to the first packet, identify the third period of time associated with the first data packet;

responsive to identifying the third period of time, provide a communication for causing the radio to draw power, during the third period of time, at a level below a level that is used to receive at least one data packet; and

after the third period of time expires, enable the radio to receive the at least one data packet;

detect receipt of the at least one data packet; and

upon detecting receipt of the at least one data packet, enable the radio to continue to receive and send data packets for a period of time greater than a time for a back-off period, the back-off period being associated with an amount of time during which the radio does not attempt to transmit a data packet.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the event comprises a wireless receipt of at least one command to change at least one amount of time.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the event comprises a wireless receipt of a type indication.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the event comprises information for a detection of a characteristic.

5. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the characteristic is related to an operation configured to utilize a portable power source.

6. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the characteristic comprises information for at least a potential for an interruption in the power.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the event comprises a receipt of a message regarding a device from which messages are received.

8. A method for broadcasting a data packet in a network, the method comprising:

receiving information for an indication of an event, the event being associated with information for a power level of a network device in a network;

upon receiving the event, identifying at least one system parameter in the network based on the event;

determining a characteristic related to communicating a chirp packet from at least one of the network devices in the network, the characteristic being based on the at least one system parameter, the chirp packet comprising information corresponding to a period of time, wherein the chirp packet is associated with a data packet;

determining information for a time that the chirp packet is to be broadcasted to the network;

broadcasting the chirp packet to the network at the determined time the chirp packet is to be broadcasted to the network, wherein the broadcasted chirp packet includes information identifying the characteristic;

determining information for a time that the data packet is to be broadcasted to the network by adding the information for the period of time in the broadcasted chirp packet to the time the chirp packet was broadcasted to the network; and

after determining information for the time that the data packet is to be broadcasted to the network, broadcasting the data packet to the network at the determined time for when the data packet is to be broadcasted to the network after the chirp packet is broadcasted to the network,

wherein;

the chirp packet comprises information to lower a power level of at least one network device receiving the chirp packet,

the information to lower the power level of the at least one network device comprises information to lower the power level only for a duration of the time period indicated in the chirp packet, and

the chirp packet comprising information that, when the time occurs to receive the data packet, the at least one network device is configured to increase the power level from the level from the power level in the time period.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the system parameter comprises at least one of:

a sleep period for at least one of the network devices,

a chirp period for at least one of the network devices,

a chirp interval for at least one of the network devices,

a listening window for at least one of the network devices,

a channel information for at least one of the network devices, and

a communication threshold for at least one of the network devices.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the chirp packet contains information on a size of the data packet.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the chirp packet contains information on a length of the transmission time of the data packet.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the chirp packet contains a network address.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the chirp packet comprises information to enable at least one network device in the network to enter a sleep mode during a duration of the time period.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the chirp packet comprises information to enable at least one network device in the network to increase a level of power in order to receive the data packet at an end of the time period indicated in the chirp packet.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising lowering a power level of at least one network device receiving the chirp packet, wherein the at least one network device is configured to lower the power level only for a duration of the time period indicated in the chirp packet.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, when the time occurs to receive the data packet, increasing the power level of the at least one network device from the power level in the time period.

17. The method of claim 8, further comprising enabling at least one network device in the network that receives the chirp packet to enter a sleep mode during a duration of the time period.

18. A system comprising a non-transitory storage medium and a first processor, the non-transitory storage medium being configured to store instructions to cause the first processor to perform operations relating to broadcasting a data packet in a network, the operations comprising:

receiving information for an indication of an event, the event being associated with information for a power level of a network device in a network;

upon receiving the event, identifying at least one system parameter in the network based on the event;

determining a characteristic related to communicating a chirp packet from at least one of the network devices in the network, the characteristic being based on the at least one system parameter, the chirp packet comprising information corresponding to a period of time, wherein the chirp packet is associated with a data packet;

determining information for a time that the chirp packet is to be broadcasted to the network;

broadcasting the chirp packet to the network at the determined time the chirp packet is to be broadcasted to the network, wherein the broadcasted chirp packet includes information identifying the characteristic;

determining information for a time that the data packet is to be broadcasted to the network by adding the information for the period of time in the broadcasted chirp packet to the time the chirp packet was broadcasted to the network; and

after determining information for the time that the data packet is to be broadcasted to the network, broadcasting the data packet to the network at the determined time for when the data packet is to be broadcasted to the network after the chirp packet is broadcasted to the network; and

the system comprising a second processor on at least one network device receiving the chirp packet, where the second processor on the network device is configured to execute instructions to cause the second processor to perform operations comprising;

lowering a power level of at least one network device receiving the chirp packet, wherein the instructions for the at least one network device are to lower the power level only for a duration of the time period indicated in the chirp packet; and

increasing the power level of the at least one network device from the power level in the time period when the time occurs to receive the data packet.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a processor on at least one network device receiving the chirp packet, where the processor on the network device is configured to execute instructions to cause the processor to perform operations comprising entering a sleep mode on the network device during the duration of the time period.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the network device receiving the chirp packet is a radio that is configured to save an amount of power upon receiving the chirp packet.