Methods and arrangements for adaptively changing snoozing intervals of wireless devices

• US 20080261663A1
• Filed: 04/18/2007
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: James, Tsai, Park, Minyoung
• Granted Patent: US 7,787,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and arrangements for wireless communications are described. Embodiments include transformations, code, state machines or other logic to adaptively change a snoozing interval of a station. The embodiments may also include determining a timeout (TO) period for a station, examining network traffic of the station after a period of network traffic inactivity not less than the TO period, and determining a snoozing interval, the length of the snoozing interval based upon the examination of the network traffic. The embodiments may also include adjusting the length of the TO period. In some further embodiments, examining network traffic may include determining categories of network traffic. In other further embodiments, examining network traffic may include determining a size of a queue of network traffic for the station. The embodiments may also include redetermining a snoozing interval after returning to a normal power mode.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a timeout (TO) period for a station;

examining network traffic of the station after a period of network traffic inactivity not less than the TO period, the examining comprising determining a number of packets received in a period of time; and

determining a snoozing interval, the length of the snoozing interval based upon the examining.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the length of the TO period, the adjusting based upon the examining.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the examining comprises determining categories of network traffic of the station; and

the determining a snoozing interval and the adjusting comprise determining a snoozing interval and adjusting the length of the TO period based upon the categories of network traffic.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the examining comprises determining a size of a queue of network traffic for the station; and

the determining a snoozing interval and adjusting comprise determining a snoozing interval and adjusting the length of the TO period based upon the size of the queue.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the examining comprises determining an interpacket arrival time.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a target number of entries in a queue of network traffic for the station;

determining a number of entries in the queue after returning from a power savings mode to a normal power mode; and

adjusting the snoozing interval, the adjusting comprising;

increasing the snoozing interval if the determined number of entries is zero;

leaving the snoozing interval unchanged if the determined number of entries equals the target number of entries; and

decreasing the snoozing interval is the determined number of entries is greater than the target number of entries.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

increasing the snoozing interval comprises increasing the snoozing interval by a fixed amount; and

decreasing the snoozing interval comprises halving the snoozing interval.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the method further comprises determining the number m of consecutive times of awakening after a snoozing interval with the target number of elements equal to the determined number of entries;

increasing the snoozing interval comprises applying the formula;

SI=(1+1/m)SI where SI is the length of the snoozing interval and m is greater than 0; and

decreasing the snoozing interval comprises applying the formula;

SI=(m/1+m)SI where m is greater than 0.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the method further comprises determining the number m of consecutive times of awakening after a snoozing interval with the target number of elements in the queue;

increasing the snoozing interval comprises applying the formula;

SI=SI+(1/(m+1))Δ

SI;

and

decreasing the snoozing interval comprises applying the formula;

SI=SI−

(1/(m+1))Δ

SI;

where SI is the length of the snoozing interval, Δ

SI is a fraction of the snoozing interval, and m is greater than 0.

10. An apparatus for wireless communications, the apparatus comprising:

a communications module to process network traffic; and

a processor, responsive to the communications module, comprising;

a timeout interval determiner to determine a timeout (TO) period;

a queue information receiver to examine network traffic after a period of network traffic inactivity not less than the TO period, the examination to comprise the determination of a number of packets received in a period of time; and

a snoozing interval determiner to determine a snoozing interval, the length of the snoozing interval based upon the examination of the network traffic; and

a power module, responsive to the snoozing interval determiner, to place the apparatus in a power-savings mode and to return the apparatus from the power-savings mode.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor comprises a TO period adjuster to adjust the length of the TO period, the adjustment based upon the network traffic.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:

the queue information receiver comprises a classifier to determine categories of network traffic;

the snoozing interval determiner comprises a category adjuster to determine a snoozing interval based upon the categories of network traffic; and

the TO period adjuster comprises a category adjuster to adjust the length of the TO period based upon the categories of network traffic.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the snoozing interval determiner comprises a queue size adjuster to determine a snoozing interval based upon a size of a queue of network traffic for the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

the queue information receiver is to examine the network traffic after a return to a normal power mode from a power savings mode; and

the snoozing interval determiner is to determine a snoozing interval after the return, the determination of the snoozing interval to be based upon the examination of the network traffic after the return.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

the processor comprises a filter to smooth a count of the number of received packets; and

the snoozing interval, responsive to the filter, is to moderate adjustments to the snoozing interval.