Polling beacon
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- receiving, by a wireless station (STA), a first information element and a second information element from a wireless first access point (AP), wherein the first information element indicates whether the first AP currently responds to beacon poll frames and the second information element indicates that the first AP is activating or deactivating a beacon-polling process;
identifying a transmission opportunity by the STA;
transmitting a beacon poll frame from the STA to the first AP during the identified transmission opportunity;
receiving, by the STA, a unicast beacon frame from the first AP, wherein the unicast beacon frame replaces a periodic broadcast beacon frame for the STA and is transmitted at a higher rate than the replaced periodic broadcast beacon frame; and
receiving, by the STA, at least one periodic broadcast beacon frame from a wireless second AP.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Beacon-poll frames are transmitted from a station (STA) to a wireless AP in an opportunistic manner. In response to receiving a beacon-poll frame, the wireless AP transmits a unicast beacon frame to the STA, thereby eliminating the need for the STA to periodically wake up to receive broadcast beacon frames from the AP. The wireless AP may transmit the unicast beacon frame at a higher speed than a conventional broadcast beacon frame. As a result, the time that the STA must be awake to receive the unicast beacon frame is significantly less than the time that the STA must be awake to receive a conventional broadcast beacon frame, thereby resulting in significant power savings within the STA. The wireless AP may aggregate downlink (DL) data packets to be transmitted to the STA with the unicast beacon frame, resulting in further power savings within the STA.
68 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving, by a wireless station (STA), a first information element and a second information element from a wireless first access point (AP), wherein the first information element indicates whether the first AP currently responds to beacon poll frames and the second information element indicates that the first AP is activating or deactivating a beacon-polling process; identifying a transmission opportunity by the STA; transmitting a beacon poll frame from the STA to the first AP during the identified transmission opportunity; receiving, by the STA, a unicast beacon frame from the first AP, wherein the unicast beacon frame replaces a periodic broadcast beacon frame for the STA and is transmitted at a higher rate than the replaced periodic broadcast beacon frame; and receiving, by the STA, at least one periodic broadcast beacon frame from a wireless second AP. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method comprising:
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transmitting, by a wireless first access point (AP), a first information element and a second information element, wherein the first information element indicates whether the first AP currently responds to beacon poll frames and the second information element indicates that the first AP is activating or deactivating a beacon-polling process; receiving by the first AP a beacon poll frame from a wireless station (STA) during an identified transmission opportunity for the STA; and in response to receiving the beacon poll frame, transmitting a unicast beacon frame from the first AP to the STA, wherein the unicast beacon frame replaces a periodic broadcast beacon frame for the STA and is transmitted at a higher rate than the replaced periodic broadcast beacon frame, the STA is configured to receive both higher rate unicast beacon frames from the first AP and periodic broadcast beacon frames from a wireless second AP. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A wireless station (STA) comprising:
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a receiver to receive a first information element and a second information element from a wireless first access point (AP), wherein the first information element indicates whether the first AP currently responds to beacon poll frames and the second information element indicates that the first AP is activating or deactivating a beacon-polling process; a controller to identify a transmission opportunity on a wireless medium; a transmitter to transmit a beacon poll frame from the STA to the first AP during the identified transmission opportunity; and wherein the receiver is further to receive a unicast beacon frame from the first AP, wherein the unicast beacon frame replaces a periodic broadcast beacon frame for the STA and is transmitted at a higher rate than the replaced periodic broadcast beacon frame, and to receive a periodic broadcast beacon frame from a wireless second AP. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A wireless first access point (AP) comprising:
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a transmitter to transmit a first information element and a second information element, wherein the first information element indicates whether the first AP currently responds to beacon poll frames and the second information element indicates that the first AP is activating or deactivating a beacon-polling process; a receiver to receive a beacon poll frame from a wireless station (STA) during an identified transmission opportunity of the STA; and wherein the transmitter is further to transmit a unicast beacon frame to the STA in response to the beacon poll frame, wherein the unicast beacon frame replaces a periodic broadcast beacon frame for the STA and is transmitted at a higher rate than the replaced periodic broadcast beacon frame, the STA is configured to receive both higher rate unicast beacon frames from the first AP and periodic broadcast beacon frames from a wireless second AP. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of implementing a beacon-polling process between a wireless station (STA) and a wireless first access point (AP), comprising
providing a frame in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 standard with the STA, the frame including a frame subtype field having a bit set to identify the frame as a beacon-polling frame; -
receiving, by the STA, a first information element and a second information element from the first AP, wherein the first information element indicates whether the first AP currently responds to beacon poll frames and the second information element indicates that the first AP is activating or deactivating a beacon-polling process; transmitting the frame from the STA to the first AP; receiving a unicast beacon frame by the STA, wherein the unicast beacon frame replaces a periodic broadcast beacon frame for the STA and is transmitted at a higher rate than the replaced periodic broadcast beacon frame; and receiving at least one periodic broadcast beacon frame from a wireless second AP by the STA. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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32. A method comprising:
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identifying a transmission opportunity by a wireless station (STA); transmitting a beacon poll frame from the STA to a wireless access point (AP) during the identified transmission opportunity; receiving by the STA a unicast beacon frame in response to the beacon poll frame, wherein the unicast beacon frame is from the AP and replaces a periodic broadcast beacon frame for the STA, wherein the unicast beacon frame comprises one of a regular beacon frame and a modified beacon frame, and wherein the STA is configured to receive both higher rate unicast beacon frames and periodic broadcast beacon frames from the AP; and receiving an information element by the STA, wherein the information element is from the AP and indicates whether the AP currently responds to beacon poll frames with the periodic broadcast beacon frame or the unicast beacon frame. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification