WGA STA power saving

• US 9,706,492 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2015
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics Incorporated (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics Incorporated (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Vlantis, George A., Chu, Liwen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chuong M
• Application Number:
  US14/965,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20160100363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/005 Routing actions in the presence of nodes in sleep or doze mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1263 Mapping of traffic onto schedule, e.g. scheduled allocation or multiplexing of flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/10 Small scale networks; Flat hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

This invention relates to switching power saving modes and rescheduling communication frames for various periods of a beacon interval (BI) defined under WGA Draft Specification 0.8 for the personal basic service set (PBSS) and infrastructure BSS to achieve further power savings and other advantages. Stations can be awake during a contention-based period (CBP) if it is in active state and can schedule frames during a service period (SP) to allow the assigned receiver to transmit to the assigned initiator. Stations in a group can schedule a group address frame to be sent during the CBP and group SP of a specific periodic BI. Stations in peer-to-peer connection may directly notify its peer stations of its power saving mode and wakeup schedule. Stations of an infrastructure basic service set (BSS) can also use the same power saving mechanism as stations of a PBSS noting a difference where each BI will be an access point'"'"'s (AP'"'"'s) awake BI.

Claims

1. A method of saving power for a station in a personal basic service set (PBSS) or infrastructure basic service set (BSS), comprising:

providing a control point having a data transfer time schedule including contention-based periods and service periods; and

providing a plurality of stations in communication with the control point, the plurality of stations having an awake mode and a doze mode, the plurality of stations being configured to

send a transmission from a first station to a second station during an assigned service period, the transmission including a more data bit, a selected value of the more data bit indicating to the second station that the transmission from the first station is complete and

during respective assigned service periods of active beacon intervals, send data to a group of other stations in the PBSS without sending an announcement message by sending a message comprising a group address field, each other station in the group of other stations being in the awake mode.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second station transmits information to the first station during the assigned service period after receiving the selected value of the more data bit.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the second station enters the doze mode during the remainder of the assigned service period after receiving the selected value of the more data bit.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the PBSS or infrastructure BSS comprises a mmWave network.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of stations can eliminate an Announcement Traffic Indication Message (ATIM) frame.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein stations in a peer-to-peer connection directly notify peer stations upon switching back to active mode after switching to doze mode of its wakeup schedule and power saving mode.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein stations of the infrastructure BSS use the same power saving mechanism as stations of a PBSS.

8. A method of saving power for a station in a personal basic service set (PBSS) or infrastructure basic service set (BSS), comprising:

providing a control point having a data transfer time schedule including contention-based periods and service periods; and

providing a plurality of stations in communication with the control point, the plurality of stations having a wakeup schedule for setting an awake mode and a doze mode, the plurality of stations being configured to

send a transmission from a first station to a second station during an assigned service period, the transmission including an action frame, the first station notifying the second station using the action frame that the wakeup schedule the first station has been changed, and

during respective assigned service periods of active beacon intervals, send data to a group of other stations in the PBSS without sending an announcement message by sending a message comprising a group address field, each other station in the group of other stations being in the awake mode.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the PBSS or infrastructure BSS comprises a mmWave network.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein at least one of the plurality of stations can eliminate an Announcement Traffic Indication Message (ATIM) frame.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein stations in a peer-to-peer connection directly notify peer stations upon switching back to active mode after switching to doze mode of its wakeup schedule and power saving mode.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein stations of the infrastructure BSS use the same power saving mechanism as stations of a PBSS.

13. A method of communicating using a personal basic service set (PBSS) or infrastructure basic service set (BSS), comprising:

operating a control point having a data transfer time schedule including contention-based periods and service periods; and

operating a plurality of stations in communication with the control point, the plurality of stations having an awake mode and a doze mode, the plurality of stations

sending a transmission from a first station to a second station during an assigned service period, the transmission including a more data bit, a selected value of the more data bit indicating to the second station that the transmission from the first station is complete, and

during respective assigned service periods of active beacon intervals, sending data to a group of other stations in the PBSS without sending an announcement message by sending a message comprising a group address field, each other station in the group of other stations being in the awake mode.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the second station transmits information to the first station during the assigned service period after receiving the selected value of the more data bit.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the second station enters the doze mode during the remainder of the assigned service period after receiving the selected value of the more data bit.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the PBSS or infrastructure BSS comprises a mmWave network.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein at least one of the plurality of stations eliminates an Announcement Traffic Indication Message (ATIM) frame.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein stations in a peer-to-peer connection directly notify peer stations upon switching back to active mode after switching to doze mode of its wakeup schedule and power saving mode.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein stations of the infrastructure BSS use the same power saving mechanism as stations of a PBSS.

20. A method of communicating using a personal basic service set (PBSS) or infrastructure basic service set (BSS), comprising:

operating a control point having a data transfer time schedule including contention-based periods and service periods; and

operating a plurality of stations in communication with the control point, the plurality of stations having a wakeup schedule for setting an awake mode and a doze mode, the plurality of stations

sending a transmission from a first station to a second station during an assigned service period, the transmission including an action frame, the first station notifying the second station using the action frame that the wakeup schedule the first station has been changed, and

during respective assigned service periods of active beacon intervals, sending data to a group of other stations in the PBSS without sending an announcement message by sending a message comprising a group address field, each other station in the group of other stations being in the awake mode.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the PBSS or infrastructure BSS comprises a mmWave network.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein at least one of the plurality of stations eliminate an Announcement Traffic Indication Message (ATIM) frame.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein stations in a peer-to-peer connection directly notify peer stations upon switching back to active mode after switching to doze mode of its wakeup schedule and power saving mode.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein stations of the infrastructure BSS use the same power saving mechanism as stations of a PBSS.