Methods and arrangements for short beacon frames in wireless networks
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- generating, by a medium access control sublayer logic, one or more short beacon frames between generation of each full beacon frame to reduce airtime consumed by transmission of the beacon frames, the one or more short beacon frames comprising a field indicative of a time interval to a subsequent transmission of a full beacon frame, wherein the one or more short beacon frames comprise a frame control field, wherein the frame control field comprises a type field with a type value indicative of one of multiple frame types and a subtype field with a subtype value, the multiple frame types to comprise a control frame type, a management frame type, a data frame type, and the one of the multiple frame types, each frame type to be associated with a set of subtype values, the subtype value being indicative of a short beacon frame based upon a corresponding value in a set of subtype values associated with the one of the multiple frame types; and
encapsulating, by a physical layer logic, the beacon frames with preambles to create physical layer protocol data units to transmit.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments provide a new short beacon frame format and its operation with full beacon frame transmissions for wireless communications devices. Many embodiments comprise a medium access control (MAC) sublayer logic to build frames comprising the short beacon frame for a first communications device. In some embodiments, the MAC sublayer may determine a frame control field comprising a type field indicative of an extension frame and a subtype indicative of a short beacon. In further embodiments, the frame control field may comprise a service set identifier (SSID) control field, and a reserved field. Some embodiments may store the short beacon frame or frame format in memory, in logic, or in another manner that facilitates transmission of the short beacon frames. Some embodiments may receive and detect communications with the short beacon frames. Further embodiments may generate and transmit a communication with the short beacon frames.
13 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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generating, by a medium access control sublayer logic, one or more short beacon frames between generation of each full beacon frame to reduce airtime consumed by transmission of the beacon frames, the one or more short beacon frames comprising a field indicative of a time interval to a subsequent transmission of a full beacon frame, wherein the one or more short beacon frames comprise a frame control field, wherein the frame control field comprises a type field with a type value indicative of one of multiple frame types and a subtype field with a subtype value, the multiple frame types to comprise a control frame type, a management frame type, a data frame type, and the one of the multiple frame types, each frame type to be associated with a set of subtype values, the subtype value being indicative of a short beacon frame based upon a corresponding value in a set of subtype values associated with the one of the multiple frame types; and encapsulating, by a physical layer logic, the beacon frames with preambles to create physical layer protocol data units to transmit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A device comprising:
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a memory; a processor coupled with the memory to generate a frame comprising a frame control field, the frame control field comprising a type field with a type value indicative of one of multiple frame types and a subtype field with a subtype value, the multiple frame types to comprise a control frame type, a management frame type, a data frame type, and the one of the multiple frame types, each frame type to be associated with a set of subtype values, the subtype value being indicative of a short beacon frame based upon a corresponding value in a set of subtype values associated with the one of the multiple frame types, and the frame further comprising a field indicative of a time interval to a subsequent transmission of a full beacon frame. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method comprising:
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receiving, by a medium access control sublayer logic, a frame comprising a field indicative of a time interval to a subsequent transmission of a full beacon frame, wherein the frame comprises a frame control field, wherein the frame control field comprises a type field with a type value indicative of one of multiple frame types and a subtype field with a subtype value, the multiple frame types to comprise a control frame type, a management frame type, a data frame type, and the one of the multiple frame types, each frame type to be associated with a set of subtype values, the subtype value being indicative of a short beacon frame based upon a corresponding value in a set of subtype values associated with the one of the multiple frame types; determining, by the medium access control sublayer logic, based upon the frame, the time interval to the subsequent transmission of the full beacon frame; entering a low power state for a time period based upon the time interval to the subsequent transmission of the full beacon frame; entering a second power state; and receiving, by the medium access control sublayer logic, the full beacon frame. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A device comprising:
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a memory; a processor coupled with the memory to receive a frame comprising a field indicative of a time interval to a subsequent transmission of a full beacon frame, wherein the frame comprises a frame control field, wherein the frame control field comprises a type field with a type value indicative of one of multiple frame types and a subtype field with a subtype value, the multiple frame types to comprise a control frame type, a management frame type, a data frame type, and the one of the multiple frame types, each frame type to be associated with a set of subtype values, the subtype value being indicative of a short beacon frame based upon a corresponding value in a set of subtype values associated with the one of the multiple frame types;
to determine, based upon the frame, the time interval to the subsequent transmission of the full beacon frame;
to enter a low power state to await transmission of the full beacon frame;
to enter a second power state to receive the full beacon frame; and
to receive the full beacon frame. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A machine-accessible product comprising:
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a non-transitory medium containing instructions, which, when executed by a processor of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations, wherein the operations comprise; generating, by a medium access control sublayer logic, a frame comprising a field control field, wherein the frame control field comprises a type field with a type value indicative of one of multiple frame types, a subtype field with a subtype value, the multiple frame types to comprise a control frame type, a management frame type, a data frame type, and the one of the multiple frame types, each frame type to be associated with a set of subtype values, the subtype value being indicative of a short beacon frame based upon a corresponding value in a set of subtype values associated with the one of the multiple frame types, the frame further comprising a field indicative of a time interval to a subsequent transmission of a full beacon frame. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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Specification