Power management method for station in wireless LAN system and station that supports same

• US 8,451,761 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2010
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Seok, Yong Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Mesfin, Yemane
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUONG, CHRISTINE T
• Application Number:
  US13/124,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20110199952A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/311
• 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 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A power management method of a station in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system and the station supporting the method are provided. The method includes: transmitting to an access point (AP) a power save configuration (PSC) request frame for reporting that the STA intends to transition to a power save (PS) mode; receiving from the AP a PSC response frame in response to the PSC request frame; and after receiving the PSC response frame, entering the PS mode.

Claims

1. A power management method in a wireless local area network, the method performed by an access point (AP) that functions as a personal basic service set control point (PCP) and comprising:

receiving, from a second station, an information request frame for requesting a wakeup schedule of a first station, the information request frame including a target address indicating a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of the first station;

transmitting, to the second station, an information response frame including a wakeup schedule element in response to the information request frame; and

transmitting, to the second station, an unsolicited information response frame every time the first station changes its wakeup schedule with the AP, the unsolicited information response frame including a wakeup schedule element including information about an updated wakeup schedule of the first station,

wherein;

if the first station has an established wakeup schedule with the AP by exchanging a power save configuration request frame and a power save configuration response frame, the wakeup schedule element includes information about the established wakeup schedule; and

if the first station does not have an established wakeup schedule with the AP, a length of the wakeup schedule element is set to zero.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wakeup schedule element includes a start time field and a sleep interval field, the start time field indicating a start time offset of a next awake beacon interval and the sleep interval field indicating a time between two successive awake beacon intervals.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the awake beacon interval is defined as a beacon interval during which the first station is in the awake state for at least some period of time.

4. A wireless apparatus for power management in a wireless local area network, the wireless apparatus comprising:

a transceiver; and

a processor operably coupled with the transceiver and configured to;

instruct the transceiver to receive, from a second station, an information request frame for requesting a wakeup schedule of a first station, the information request frame including a target address indicating a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of the first station;

instruct the transceiver to transmit, to the second station, an information response frame including a wakeup schedule element in response to the information request frame; and

instruct the transceiver to transmit, to the second station, an unsolicited information response frame every time the first station changes its wakeup schedule with the wireless apparatus, the unsolicited information response frame including a wakeup schedule element including information about an updated wakeup schedule of the first station,

wherein;

if the first station has an established wakeup schedule with the wireless apparatus by exchanging a power save configuration request frame and a power save configuration response frame, the wakeup schedule element includes information about the established wakeup schedule; and

if the first station does not have an established wakeup schedule with the wireless apparatus, a length of the wakeup schedule element is set to zero.

5. The wireless apparatus of claim 4, wherein the wakeup schedule element includes a start time field and a sleep interval field, the start time field indicating a start time offset of a next awake beacon interval and the sleep interval field indicating a time between two successive awake beacon intervals.

6. The wireless apparatus of claim 5, wherein the awake beacon interval is defined as a beacon interval during which the first station is in the awake state for at least some period of time.