Beacons for wireless communication

• US 9,961,653 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2015
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sampath, Hemanth, Merlin, Simone, Abraham, Santosh Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US14/955,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20160192301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 370252, 370329, 370389, 370386
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method for wireless devices to efficiently receive communications by transmitting and receiving specialized beacon messages. Particularly, a wireless device may await reception of a synchronizing beacon message from a transmitting device. A relative position identifier within the synchronizing beacon message may then allow the wireless device to anticipate future beacon message transmissions and to synchronize its reception pattern with the transmitter. In this manner the wireless device need only receive and decode beacon messages germane to its operation.

Claims

1. A wireless device, comprising:

a processor configured to generate a wireless local area network (WLAN) beacon, wherein the WLAN beacon includes a service set identifier (SSID) hash; and

a WLAN transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit the WLAN beacon.

2. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the SSID hash precedes a checksum octet.

3. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the SSID hash follows a source address octet.

4. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the WLAN beacon is a synchronizing beacon.

5. The wireless device of claim 4, wherein the WLAN transmitter is configured to transmit the synchronizing beacon periodically.

6. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is a station.

7. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is an access point.

8. A wireless device, comprising:

a WLAN receiver configured to receive a wireless local area network (WLAN) beacon; and

a processor coupled to the WLAN receiver and configured to process the WLAN beacon, wherein the WLAN beacon includes a service set identifier (SSID) hash.

9. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the SSID hash precedes a checksum octet.

10. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the SSID hash follows a source address octet.

11. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the WLAN beacon is a synchronizing beacon.

12. The wireless device of claim 11, wherein the WLAN receiver is configured to receive the synchronizing beacon periodically.

13. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the wireless device is a station.

14. The wireless device of claim 8, wherein the wireless device is an access point.

15. A method for transmitting information, comprising:

forming a wireless local area network (WLAN) beacon, wherein the WLAN beacon includes a service set identifier (SSID) hash; and

transmitting the WLAN beacon with a WLAN transmitter.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the SSID hash precedes a checksum octet.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the SSID hash follows a source address octet.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the WLAN beacon is a synchronizing beacon.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the transmitting of the synchronizing beacon is performed periodically.

20. A method for receiving information, comprising:

receiving, with a wireless device, a wireless local area network (WLAN) beacon, wherein the WLAN beacon includes a service set identifier (SSID) hash; and

decoding the WLAN beacon.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the SSID hash precedes a checksum octet.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the SSID hash follows a source address octet.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the WLAN beacon is a synchronizing beacon.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the receiving of the synchronizing beacon is performed periodically.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising processor-executable instructions stored thereon configured to cause a processor to:

form a wireless local area network (WLAN) beacon, wherein the WLAN beacon includes a service set identifier (SSID) hash; and

transmit the WLAN beacon with a WLAN transmitter.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the SSID hash precedes a checksum octet.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the SSID hash follows a source address octet.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the WLAN beacon is a synchronizing beacon.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein to transmit the WLAN beacon, the processor-executable instructions are further configured to cause a processor to transmit the synchronizing beacon periodically.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising processor-executable instructions stored thereon configured to cause a processor to:

receive, with a wireless device, a wireless local area network (WLAN) beacon, wherein the WLAN beacon includes a service set identifier (SSID) hash; and

decode the WLAN beacon.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the SSID hash precedes a checksum octet.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the SSID hash follows a source address octet.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the WLAN beacon is a synchronizing beacon.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein to receive the WLAN beacon, the processor-executable instructions are further configured to cause a processor to receive the synchronizing beacon periodically.

35. A wireless device, comprising:

means for forming a wireless local area network (WLAN) beacon, wherein the WLAN beacon includes a service set identifier (SSID) hash; and

means for transmitting the WLAN beacon with a WLAN transmitter.

36. The wireless device of claim 35, wherein the SSID hash precedes a checksum octet.

37. The wireless device of claim 35, wherein the SSID hash follows a source address octet.

38. The wireless device of claim 35, wherein the WLAN beacon is a synchronizing beacon.

39. The wireless device of claim 38, wherein the means for transmitting the synchronizing beacon comprises means for transmitting the synchronizing beacon periodically.

40. The wireless device of claim 35, wherein the wireless device is a station.

41. The wireless device of claim 35, wherein the wireless device is an access point.

42. A wireless device, comprising:

means for receiving, with a wireless device, a wireless local area network (WLAN) beacon, wherein the WLAN beacon includes a service set identifier (SSID) hash; and

means for decoding the WLAN beacon.

43. The wireless device of claim 42, wherein the SSID hash precedes a checksum octet.

44. The wireless device of claim 42, wherein the SSID hash follows a source address octet.

45. The wireless device of claim 42, wherein the WLAN beacon is a synchronizing beacon.

46. The wireless device of claim 45, wherein the means for receiving the synchronizing beacon comprises means for receiving the synchronizing beacon periodically.

47. The wireless device of claim 42, wherein the wireless device is a station.

48. The wireless device of claim 42, wherein the wireless device is an access point.