Wireless device, method, and computer readable media for synchronization in a wireless local-area network

• US 9,591,569 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2014
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel IP Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Kenney, Thomas J., Azizi, Shahrnaz, Stacey, Robert J., Li, Guoqing C., Perahia, Eldad
• Primary Examiner(s): ANWAR, MOHAMMAD S
• Application Number:
  US14/572,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20160050623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0082 at predetermined intervals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Wireless devices, methods, and computer readable media for synchronization in a wireless local-area network. A method on a wireless communication device may include tuning to a first subchannel based on a schedule received from an access point (AP) the schedule to indicate that the HEW device is assigned to the first subchannel. The method may further include determining a target beacon receive time and tuning to a second subchannel to receive the target beacon at the target beacon receive time. The method may further include receiving the target beacon on the second subchannel and tuning back to the first subchannel. A method on an AP for synchronization may include transmitting information that indicates a target beacon receive time on a subchannel. The method may include not transmitting to a wireless communication device operating on a second subchannel for a period of time before the target beacon receive time, and transmitting a target beacon on a first subchannel at the target beacon receive time.

Claims

1. A high-efficiency local-area wireless network (HEW) device, the HEW device comprising circuitry configured to:

tune to a first subchannel based on a schedule received from an access point (AP) the schedule to indicate that the HEW device is assigned to the first subchannel;

determine a target beacon receive time;

tune to a second subchannel to receive a target beacon at the target beacon receive time;

receive the target beacon on the second subchannel, wherein the target beacon includes a network timer;

synchronize a local timer with the network timer; and

tune back to the first subchannel to continue to operate on the assigned first subchannel.

2. The HEW device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

receive the target beacon and a new schedule on the second subchannel; and

tune to a third subchannel, wherein the third subchannel is indicated in the new schedule.

3. The HEW device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

receive information regarding the target beacon receive time from a system information element.

4. The HEW device of claim 1, wherein the system information element is contained in a previous beacon.

5. The HEW device of claim 1, wherein the first subchannel is a primary channel of a wireless local-area network (WLAN) and the second subchannel is a subchannel assigned to the wireless communication device by an access point (AP).

6. The HEW device of claim 5, wherein the circuitry is further configured to enter a power save mode after the tune to the second channel.

7. The HEW device of claim 6, wherein the circuitry is further configured to tune to the second subchannel after each power save mode.

8. The HEW device of claim 5, wherein the (AP) is configured to not transmit to the HEW device for a period of time based on the target beacon receive time.

9. The HEW device of claim 1, wherein the schedule further comprises a time duration, and wherein the circuitry is further configured to operate in accordance with orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) for the time duration, and operate in accordance with carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) after the time duration.

10. The HEW device of claim 9, wherein the circuitry is further configured to operate in accordance with 802.1 lax.

11. The HEW device of claim 1, wherein the first subchannel and second subchannel are each one from the following group:

1.25 MHz, 2.5 MHz, 5 MHz, 7.5 MHz, 10 MHz, 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, and 320 MHz.

12. The HEW device of claim 1, further comprising memory and a transceiver coupled to the processing circuitry.

13. The HEW device of claim 12, further comprising one or more antennas coupled to the transceiver.

14. A method performed by a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

tuning to a first subchannel based on a schedule received from an access point (AP) that indicates the wireless communication device is assigned to the first subchannel;

determining a target beacon receive time;

tuning to a second subchannel to receive a target beacon at the target beacon receive time;

receiving the target beacon on the second subchannel, wherein the target beacon includes a network timer;

synchronizing a local timer with the network timer; and

tuning back to the first subchannel to continue to operate on the assigned first subchannel.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving the target beacon and a new schedule on the second subchannel; and

tuning to a third subchannel, wherein the third subchannel is indicated in the new schedule.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the wireless communication device operates in accordance with 802.11ax.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by one or more processors to perform operations for synchronization on a wireless communication device, the operations to configure the wireless communication device to:

tune to a first subchannel based on a schedule received from an access point (AP) the schedule to indicate that the wireless communication device is assigned to the first subchannel;

determine a target beacon receive time;

tune to a second subchannel to receive a target beacon at the target beacon receive time;

receive the target beacon on the second subchannel, wherein the target beacon includes a network timer;

synchronize a local timer with the network timer; and

tune back to the first subchannel to continue to operate on the assigned first subchannel.