Target wake time flow identification in TWT acknowledgement

• US 9,363,752 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2014
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jafarian, Amin, Asterjadhi, Alfred, Tian, Bin
• Primary Examiner(s): LY, ANH VU H
• Application Number:
  US14/486,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20150189592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for generating a frame with timing information for a target wake time (TWT) and an identification of the TWT. An example method generally includes generating a frame generating a frame comprising timing information for a target wake time (TWT) and an identification of the TWT to which the timing information applies, and outputting the frame for transmission.

Claims

1. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

a processing system configured to;

generate a frame comprising timing information for a target wake time (TWT) and an identification of the TWT to which the timing information applies; and

an interface configured to output the frame for transmission, wherein the frame is output for transmission outside a previously indicated service period for the TWT identified by the identification.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the identification is provided via one or more bits of at least one of an address field, a timestamp field, or a field that carries timing information for a TWT in the frame.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the frame comprises a control response frame.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the control response frame comprises a TWT Acknowledgment (TACK) frame, a Short TWT Acknowledgment (STACK) frame, or a Block Acknowledgment TWT (BAT) frame.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the identification is provided via a field of the control response frame, wherein the field is dependent, at least in part, on a type of the control response frame.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the identification is provided in a TWT Flow Identifier subfield included in an A1 field in the control response frame.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the size of the field that carries the identification is at least 3 bits.

27. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an antenna, wherein the interface is configured to transmit the frame via the antenna, and, wherein the apparatus is configured as an access point.

8. A method for wireless communications, comprising:

generating a frame comprising timing information for a target wake time (TWT) and an identification of the TWT to which the timing information applies; and

outputting the frame for transmission, wherein the frame is output for transmission outside a previously indicated service period for the TWT identified by the identification.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the identification is provided via one or more bits of at least one of an address field, a timestamp field, or a field that carries timing information for a TWT in the frame.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the frame comprises a control response frame.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the control response frame comprises a TWT Acknowledgment (TACK) frame, a Short TWT Acknowledgment (STACK) frame, or a Block Acknowledgment TWT (BAT) frame.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the identification is provided via a field of the control response frame, wherein the field is dependent, at least in part, on a type of the control response frame.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the identification is provided in a TWT Flow Identifier subfield included in an A1 field in the control response frame.

14. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

an interface configured to receive a frame; and

a processing system configured to;

obtain, from the frame, timing information for a target wake time (TWT) and an identification of the TWT to which the timing information applies, and

update a wakeup period for the identified TWT based on the timing information obtained from the frame, wherein the frame is received outside a previously indicated service period for the TWT identified by the identification.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processing system is configured to obtain the identification via one or more bits of at least one of an address field, a timestamp field, or a field that carries timing information for a TWT in the frame.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the frame comprises a control response frame.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the control response frame comprises a TWT Acknowledgment (TACK) frame, a Short TWT Acknowledgment (STACK), or a Block Acknowledgment TWT (BAT) frame.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processing system is configured to obtain the identification via a field of the control response frame, wherein the field is dependent, at least in part, on a type of the control response frame.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processing system is configured to obtain the identification in a TWT Flow Identifier subfield included in an A1 field in the control response frame.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the size of the field that carries the identification is at least 3 bits.

28. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising an antenna, wherein the interface is configured to receive the frame via the antenna, and wherein the apparatus is configured as a user terminal.

21. A method for wireless communications, comprising:

receiving a frame;

obtaining, from the frame, timing information for a target wake time (TWT) and an identification of the TWT to which the timing information applies; and

updating a wakeup period for the identified TWT based on the timing information obtained from the frame, wherein the frame is received outside a previously indicated service period for the TWT identified by the identification.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the identification is obtained via one or more bits of at least one of an address field, a timestamp field, or a field that carries timing information for a TWT in the frame.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the frame comprises a control response frame.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the control response frame comprises a TWT Acknowledgment (TACK) frame, a Short TWT Acknowledgment (STACK), or a Block Acknowledgment TWT (BAT) frame.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the identification is obtained via a field of the control response frame, wherein the field is dependent, at least in part, on a type of the control response frame.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the identification is obtained in a TWT Flow Identifier subfield included in an A1 field in the control response frame.