Battery status indication within a Wi-Fi Beacon

• US 9,560,597 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2015
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gaja, Ajay Kumar, Jammula, Rahul, Verma, Ankit
• Primary Examiner(s): LY, ANH VU H
• Application Number:
  US14/617,728
• Publication Number:
  US 20160234786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/244 using a network of reference devices, e.g. beaconing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0206 in access points, e.g. base stations access point devices per se H04W88/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for transmitting battery status information within a Wi-Fi beacon from an access point. In some embodiments, a battery charge information element comprising battery status information may be included within a Wi-Fi beacon. In some other embodiments, the battery charge information element may be transmitted as part of a probe and response protocol. A station, in response to receiving the battery charge information element, may display a message to the user, search for another Wi-Fi network, or search for another network through a different network interface.

Claims

1. A method of operating a first wireless device as an access point, the method comprising:

determining a battery charge of a battery associated with the first wireless device; and

transmitting, using a transceiver of the first wireless device, a beacon frame containing a battery charge information element including at least an indication of the battery charge, wherein the battery charge information element comprises a field storing one or more flag bits indicating the battery charge is greater than or not greater than one or more corresponding threshold values.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the battery charge information element comprises one or more fields storing one or more values indicating a remaining percentage of the battery charge or a depleted percentage of the battery charge or a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the battery charge information element comprises a field storing a value indicating a remaining operation time of the first wireless device based, at least in part, on the determined battery charge.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting an action frame to a second wireless device in response to the determined battery charge being less than a threshold value, the action frame instructing the second wireless device to switch its association from the first wireless device to another wireless device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting an action frame to a second wireless device based, at least in part, on determining the second wireless device cannot decode the battery charge information element contained in the beacon frame, the action frame indicating the battery charge of the first wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reducing an output transmit power of the first wireless device in response to the battery charge being less than a threshold value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ceasing to add new stations to a network managed by the first wireless device in response to the determined battery charge being less than a threshold value.

8. A first wireless device, comprising:

a transceiver;

a battery;

a processor coupled to the transceiver and the battery; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the first wireless device to;

determine a battery charge of the battery; and

transmit, using a transceiver of the first wireless device, a beacon frame containing a battery charge information element including at least an indication of the battery charge, wherein the battery charge information element comprises a field storing one or more flag bits indicating the battery charge is greater than or not greater than one or more corresponding threshold values.

9. The first wireless device of claim 8, wherein the battery charge information element comprises one or more fields storing one or more values indicating a remaining percentage of the battery charge or a depleted percentage of the battery charge or a combination thereof.

10. The first wireless device of claim 8, wherein the battery charge information element comprises a field storing a value indicating a remaining operation time of the first wireless device based, at least in part, on the determined battery charge.

11. The first wireless device of claim 8, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the first wireless device to:

transmit an action frame to a second wireless device in response to the determined battery charge being less than a threshold value, the action frame instructing the second wireless device to switch its association from the first wireless device to another wireless device.

12. The first wireless device of claim 8, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the first wireless device to:

transmit an action frame to a second wireless device based, at least in part, on determining the second wireless device cannot decode the battery charge information element contained in the beacon frame, the action frame indicating the battery charge of the first wireless device or instructing the second wireless device to switch association.

13. The first wireless device of claim 8, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the first wireless device to:

reduce an output transmit power of the first wireless device in response to the battery charge being less than a threshold value.

14. The first wireless device of claim 8, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the first wireless device to:

cease to add new stations to a network managed by the first wireless device in response to the determined battery charge being less than a threshold value.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program instructions that, when executed by a processor of a first wireless device operating as an access point, causes the first wireless device to perform operations comprising:

determining a battery charge of a battery of the first wireless device; and

transmitting, using a transceiver of the first wireless device, a beacon frame containing a battery charge information element including at least an indication of the battery charge, wherein the battery charge information element comprises a field storing one or more flag bits indicating the battery charge is greater than or not greater than one or more corresponding threshold values.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the battery charge information element comprises one or more fields storing one or more values indicating a remaining percentage of the battery charge or a depleted percentage of the battery charge or a combination thereof.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the battery charge information element comprises a field storing a value indicating a remaining operation time of the first wireless device based, at least in part, on the determined battery charge.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the first wireless device to:

transmit an action frame to a second wireless device in response to the determined battery charge being less than a threshold value, the action frame instructing the second wireless device to switch its association from the first wireless device to another wireless device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the first wireless device to:

transmit an action frame to a second wireless device based, at least in part, on determining the second wireless device cannot decode the battery charge information element contained in the beacon frame, the action frame indicating the battery charge of the first wireless device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the first wireless device to:

reduce an output transmit power of the first wireless device in response to the battery charge being less than a threshold value.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the first wireless device to:

cease to add new stations to a network managed by the first wireless device in response to the determined battery charge being less than a threshold value.

22. A first wireless device, comprising:

means for determining a battery charge of a battery associated with the first wireless device; and

means for transmitting, using a transceiver of the first wireless device, a beacon frame containing a battery charge information element including at least an indication of the battery charge, wherein the battery charge information element comprises a field storing one or more flag bits indicating the battery charge is greater than or not greater than one or more corresponding threshold values.

23. The first wireless device of claim 22, wherein the battery charge information element comprises one or more fields storing one or more values indicating a remaining percentage of the battery charge or a depleted percentage of the battery charge or a combination thereof.

24. The first wireless device of claim 22, wherein the battery charge information element comprises a field storing a value indicating a remaining operation time of the first wireless device based, at least in part, on the determined battery charge.

25. The first wireless device of claim 22, further comprising:

means for transmitting an action frame to a second wireless device in response to the determined battery charge being less than a threshold value, the action frame instructing the second wireless device to switch its association from the first wireless device to another wireless device.

26. The first wireless device of claim 22, further comprising:

means for reducing an output transmit power of the first wireless device in response to the battery charge being less than a threshold value.