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

• US 9,078,209 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2013
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• 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): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): La, Phong
• Application Number:
  US13/871,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20130242835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 power management method comprising:

transmitting, by a second station, to an access point (AP) that functions as a personal basic service set control point (PCP), 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;

receiving, by the second station, from the AP, an information response frame including a first wakeup schedule element in response to the information request frame; and

receiving, by the second station, from the AP, an unsolicited information response frame every time the first station changes the wakeup schedule with the AP, the unsolicited information response frame including a second 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 first wakeup schedule element includes information about the established wakeup schedule, and

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

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first 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 next awake beacon interval is defined as a beacon interval during which the first station is in an awake state for at least a predetermined period of time.

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

a transceiver; and

a processor operably coupled with the transceiver and configured to;

instruct the transceiver to transmit, to an access point (AP) that functions as a personal basic service set control point (PCP), an information request frame for requesting a wakeup schedule of a station, the information request frame including a target address indicating a Medium Access Control (MAC) address of the station;

receive, from the AP, an information response frame including a first wakeup schedule element in response to the information request frame; and

receive, from the AP, an unsolicited information response frame every time the station changes the wakeup schedule with the AP, the unsolicited information response frame including a second wakeup schedule element including information about an updated wakeup schedule of the station,

wherein if the 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 first wakeup schedule element includes information about the established wakeup schedule, and

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

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the first 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 device of claim 5, wherein the next awake beacon interval is defined as a beacon interval during which the first station is in an awake state for at least a predetermined period of time.