Reducing power consumption in a wireless communication system

• US 9,226,233 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2012
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Liu, Yong, Banerjea, Raja
• Primary Examiner(s): Khajuria, Shripal
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choudhury, Faisal
• Application Number:
  US13/450,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20120263086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 370/311
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A network interface of an access point device is configured to transmit to one or more first client stations in a first basic service set (BSS) a first value of a first parameter that indicates a time duration during which the access point device will not dissociate a client station due to not receiving at least one frame from the client station, and transmit to one or more second client stations in a second BSS a second value of the first parameter. The first value of the first parameter is at least an order of magnitude larger than the second value of the first parameter.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

organizing, at an access point device, a first wireless local area network (WLAN) corresponding to a first basic service set (BSS) and a second WLAN corresponding to a second BSS, including

setting a value of a first parameter of the first WLAN that indicates a time duration during which the access point device will not dissociate first client stations in the first WLAN due to lack of communications from the first client stations, and

setting a value of a second parameter of the second WLAN that indicates a time duration during which the access point device will not dissociate second client stations in the second WLAN due to lack of communications from the second client stations,

wherein the value of the first parameter is at least an order of magnitude larger than the value of the second parameter;

transmitting, with the access point device, to one or more first client stations in the first WLAN the value of the first parameter; and

transmitting, with the access point device, to one or more second client stations in the second WLAN the value of the second parameter.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein

organizing the first WLAN and the second WLAN further includes

setting a value of a third parameter of the first WLAN that indicates a basic data rate utilized by the access point device when communicating with first client stations in the first WLAN, and

setting a value of a fourth parameter of the second WLAN that indicates a basic data rate utilized by the access point device when communicating with second client stations in the second WLAN,

wherein the value of the third parameter is different than the value of the fourth parameter;

and

the method further comprises;

transmitting, with the access point device, to the one or more first client stations in the first WLAN the third parameter, and

transmitting, with the access point device, to the one or more second client stations in the second WLAN the fourth parameter.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein

organizing the first WLAN and the second WLAN further includes

setting a value of a third parameter of the first WLAN that indicates an encryption mode utilized by the access point device when communicating with first client stations in the first WLAN, and

setting a value of a fourth parameter of the second WLAN that indicates an encryption mode utilized by the access point device when communicating with second client stations in the second WLAN,

wherein the value of the third parameter is different than the value of the fourth parameter;

and

the method further comprises;

transmitting, with the access point device, to the one or more first client stations in the first WLAN the third parameter, and

transmitting, with the access point device, to the one or more second client stations in the second WLAN the fourth parameter.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein

the value of the first parameter is greater than one hour, and

the value of the second parameter is less than one minute.

5. An access point device for use in a wireless communication network, the access point device comprising:

a network interface configured to

organize a first wireless local area network (WLAN) corresponding to a first basic service set (BSS) and a second WLAN corresponding to a second BSS, including

setting a value of a first parameter of the first WLAN that indicates a time duration during which the access point device will not dissociate first client stations in the first WLAN due to lack of communications from the first client stations, and

setting a value of a second parameter of the second WLAN that indicates a time duration during which the access point device will not dissociate second client stations in the second WLAN due to lack of communications from the second client stations,

wherein the value of the first parameter is at least an order of magnitude larger than the value of the second parameter;

wherein the network interface is further configured to;

transmit to one or more first client stations in the first WLAN the value of the first parameter and

transmit to one or more second client stations in the second WLAN the value of the second parameter.

6. An access point device according to claim 5, wherein the network interface is configured to:

set a value of a third parameter of the first WLAN that indicates a basic data rate utilized by the access point device when communicating with first client stations in the first WLAN, and

set a value of a fourth parameter of the second WLAN that indicates a basic data rate utilized by the access point device when communicating with second client stations in the second WLAN,

wherein the value of the third parameter is different than the value of the fourth parameter; and

the network interface is further configured to;

transmit to the one or more first client stations in the first WLAN the third parameter, and

transmit to the one or more second client stations in the second WLAN the fourth parameter.

7. An access point device according to claim 5, wherein the network interface is configured to:

set a value of a third parameter of the first WLAN that indicates an encryption mode utilized by the access point device when communicating with first client stations in the first WLAN, and

set a value of a fourth parameter of the second WLAN that indicates an encryption mode utilized by the access point device when communicating with second client stations in the second WLAN,

wherein the value of the third parameter is different than the value of the fourth parameter; and

the network interface is further configured to;

transmit to the one or more first client stations in the first WLAN the third parameter, and

transmit to the one or more second client stations in the second WLAN the fourth parameter.

8. An access point device according to claim 5, wherein

the value of the first parameter is greater than one hour, and

the value of the second parameter is less than one minute.