METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR POWER SAVING IN PERSONAL AREA NETWORKS

• US 20100080156A1
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 6, LLC
• Original Assignee: Jennic Ltd. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: NICHOLS, Scott Christopher, CRAGIE, Robert, WARD, Adrian
• Granted Patent: US 8,638,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• 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

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method of reducing power consumption in a wireless network device, comprising determining a duration prior to a beacon being received by the device; comparing the duration against a predetermined value; and adjusting a duration of a sleep period in response to the comparison.

Claims

1. A method of reducing power consumption in a wireless network device, comprising:

determining a duration prior to a beacon being received by the device;

comparing the duration against a predetermined value; and

adjusting a duration of a sleep period in response to the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the duration prior to the beacon being received is determined from a time at which the device is capable of receiving the beacon.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the duration prior to the beacon being received is determined to the time at which the beacon is received.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the duration of the sleep period is increased in response to the duration prior to the beacon being received being determined to be longer than the predetermined value.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the duration of the sleep period is decreased in response to the duration prior to the beacon being received being determined to be shorter than the predetermined value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sleep period is adjusted by a predetermined duration in response to the comparison indicating that the duration is not equal to the predetermined value.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising waking from a sleep state, initialising a wireless receiving means for wirelessly receiving the beacon and determining when the wireless receiving means is operable to receive the beacon.

8. A wireless network apparatus, comprising:

receiving means for receiving a beacon periodically broadcast in a wireless network; and

processing means arranged to determine a duration prior to the start of the beacon being received, to compare the duration against a predetermined duration and to adjust a duration of a sleep period of the device in response thereto.

9. The wireless network apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing means is arranged to determine a duration from a time at which the device is capable of receiving the beacon.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing means is arranged to determine the duration prior to a start of the beacon being received.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing means is arranged to increase the duration of the sleep period in response to the duration prior to the beacon being received being determined to be longer than the predetermined value.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing means is arranged to decrease the duration of the sleep period in response to the duration prior to the beacon being received being determined to be shorter than the predetermined value.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing means is arranged to the sleep period by a predetermined duration in response to the comparison indicating that the duration is not equal to the predetermined value.

14. A method of reducing power consumption in a wireless network device, comprising:

determining sleep duration such that the device selectively receives a beacon broadcast by a network coordinator.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the sleep duration is longer than an interval between beacon broadcasts.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the sleep duration is determined such that the devices does not receive every beacon broadcast by the network coordinator.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the sleep duration is determined such that the device has a beacon receive ration of n:

1, wherein n>

1.

18. The method of claim 14, comprising:

waking from a sleep state to an operational state in response to an indication of an external event;

determining a sleep duration such that the device is operable to receive a next broadcast beacon;

sleeping for the determined sleep duration; and

waking from sleep state to receive the next broadcast beacon.

19. A wireless communication apparatus, comprising:

receiving means for receiving a beacon broadcast in a wireless network;

processing means arranged to determine a sleep duration of the device such that the receiving means selectively receives a beacon broadcast in the wireless network.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processing means is arranged to determine the sleep duration such that the device sleeps whilst one or more beacons are broadcast in the wireless network.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, comprising:

means operable by a user to wake the device from a sleep state;

wherein in response to the device being woken from the sleep state, the processing means is arranged to determine a sleep duration such that the receiving means is operable to receive a beacon next broadcast in the wireless network and to enter the sleep state for the determined duration.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the sleep duration is determined such that the receiving means is operable to receive selected beacons from amongst those broadcast in the wireless network.