Wireless wake-on-LAN power management

• US 7,792,066 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2004
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo (United States), Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Katoh, Naotaka, Fujii, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brandt; Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US10/874,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20050047356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,267 Days
• Field of Search: 370/311, 370/338, 370/127.1, 370/127.5, 370/343.1, 370/343.2, 370/343.5, 370/343.6, 455/574, 455/127.1, 455/127.5, 455/343.1, 455/343.2, 455/343.5, 455/343.6
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3246 by software initiated power-off
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof

Abstract

In a wireless LAN mini PCI module connected to a computer, an RF module receives through an antenna a broadcast frame and/or a multicast frame transmitted from a predetermined wireless access point in a state where a main power supply for a system main unit is not on, a magic packet included in the broadcast frame and/or the multicast frame is recognized, and a signal for turning on the main power supply is output from a base band processor to the system main unit.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless receiver that receives a beacon frame transmitted from a wireless access point when a main power supply for a system main unit coupled to the wireless receiver is not on;

the wireless receiver to set at least one parameter of the wireless receiver in response to receiving the beacon frame from the wireless access point, wherein the setting of the at least one parameter enables reception by the wireless receiver of a predetermined frame from the wireless access point without the wireless receiver transmitting a wireless frame to the wireless access point to handshake with the wireless access point, and wherein the predetermined frame is selected from the group consisting of a broadcast frame and a multicast frame;

the wireless receiver enabled by the setting of the at least one parameter to receive the predetermined frame from the wireless access point and to determine whether a magic packet addressed to the wireless receiver exists in the predetermined frame; and

the wireless receiver to supply a signal for turning on the main power supply for said system main unit to the system main unit if the magic packet exists in the predetermined frame.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the wireless receiver further enabled by the setting of the at least one parameter to periodically consume power to monitor for the predetermined frame from the wireless access point and to otherwise stay in a sleep mode in a reduced power consumption state according to a specified interval timing.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the specified interval timing corresponds to a specified interval timing of broadcasting of the predetermined frame by the wireless access point.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the specified interval timing is a delivery traffic indication map timing.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the wireless receiver periodically monitors by scanning a subset of at least one scanning channel of a larger plurality of channels.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the wireless receiver determines the wireless access point and the subset of the at least one scanning channel by analyzing a service set identification and a wired equivalent privacy key stored in a wireless profile of the apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the magic packet is a predetermined protocol for power-on instruction from a LAN using a wake-on-LAN function.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, the wireless access point further to receive a frame directed to a basic service set communication region of the access point and determine if

the received basic service set communication region frame is the predetermined frame;

if determined that the received basic service set communication region frame is the predetermined frame, the wireless access to determine if the magic packet exists in the predetermined frame;

if determined that the magic packet exists in the predetermined frame, the wireless access point to determine if transmission of the predetermined frame is enabled;

if determined that the transmission of the predetermined frame is enabled, the wireless access point to determine if the specified interval timing is enabled; and

if determined that the specified interval timing is enabled, the wireless access point to buffer the predetermined frame and transmit the buffered predetermined frame into the air on the subset of the at least one scanning channel when the wireless receiver periodically monitors for the predetermined frame from the wireless access point pursuant to the specified interval timing.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, the wireless access point to further check whether or not the magic packet exists in data in a unicast frame received by the access point;

and

transmit the unicast frame data in a broadcast frame into the air pursuant to the specified interval timing if the magic packet exists in the unicast data.

10. A method for managing wireless communication between a receiver and an access point, comprising:

receiving a beacon frame transmitted from a wireless access point when a main power supply for a system main unit coupled to a wireless receiver is not on;

setting at least one parameter of the wireless receiver in response to receiving the beacon frame from the wireless access point;

setting of the at least one parameter enabling reception by the wireless receiver of a predetermined frame from the wireless access point without requiring the wireless receiver to transmit a wireless frame to the wireless access point to handshake with the wireless access point, and wherein the predetermined frame is selected from the group consisting of a broadcast frame and a multicast frame;

the wireless receiver enabled by the setting of the at least one parameter receiving the predetermined frame from the wireless access point and determining whether a magic packet addressed to the wireless receiver exists in the predetermined frame; and

the wireless receiver supplying a signal for turning on the main power supply for said system main unit to the system main unit if determined that the magic packet exists in the predetermined frame.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

enabling the wireless receiver by the setting of the at least one parameter to periodically consume power to monitor for the predetermined frame from the wireless access point and to otherwise stay in a sleep mode in a reduced power consumption state according to a specified interval timing; and

the specified interval timing corresponding to a specified interval timing of broadcasting of the predetermined frame by the wireless access point.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the specified interval timing is a delivery traffic indication map timing.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining the wireless access point and a subset of the at least one scanning channel of a larger plurality of channels by analyzing a service set identification and a wired equivalent privacy key stored in a wireless profile of the apparatus; and

monitoring for the predetermined frame by scanning the subset of the at least one scanning channel.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the wireless access point:

receiving a frame directed to a basic'"'"' service set communication region of the access point and determining if the received basic service set communication region frame is the predetermined frame;

if determined that the received basic service set communication region frame is the predetermined frame, determining if the magic packet exists in the predetermined frame;

if determined that the magic packet exists in the predetermined frame, determining if transmission of the predetermined frame is enabled;

if determined that the transmission of the predetermined frame is enabled, determining if the specified interval timing is enabled; and

if determined that the specified interval timing is enabled, buffering the predetermined frame and transmitting the buffered predetermined frame into the air on the subset of the at least one scanning channel when the wireless receiver periodically monitors for the predetermined frame from the wireless access point pursuant to the specified interval timing.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the wireless access point:

checking whether or not the magic packet exists in data in a unicast frame received by the access point; and

transmitting the unicast frame data in a broadcast frame into the air pursuant to the specified interval timing if the magic packet exists in the unicast data.

16. A computer program product for managing wireless communication between a receiver and an access point, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to;

receive a beacon frame transmitted from a wireless access point when a main power supply for a system main unit coupled to a wireless receiver is not on;

set at least one parameter of the wireless receiver in response to the received beacon frame to enable reception by the wireless receiver of a predetermined frame from the wireless access point without requiring the wireless receiver to transmit a wireless frame to the wireless access point to handshake with the wireless access point, and wherein the predetermined frame is selected from the group consisting of a broadcast frame and a multicast frame;

enable the wireless receiver by the setting of the at least one parameter to receive the predetermined frame from the wireless access point and determine whether a magic packet addressed to the wireless receiver exists in the predetermined frame; and

supply a signal for turning on the main power supply for said system main unit to the system main unit if determined that the magic packet exists in the predetermined frame.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, the computer readable program code further configured to:

enable the wireless receiver by the setting of the at least one parameter to periodically consume power to monitor for the predetermined frame from the wireless access point and to otherwise stay in a sleep mode in a reduced power consumption state according to a specified interval timing, the specified interval timing corresponding to a specified interval timing of broadcasting of the predetermined frame by the wireless access point.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the specified interval timing is a delivery traffic indication map timing.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, the computer readable program code further configured to:

determine the wireless access point and a subset of the at least one scanning channel of a larger plurality of channels by analyzing a service set identification and a wired equivalent privacy key stored in a wireless profile of the apparatus; and

monitor for the predetermined frame by scanning the subset of the at least one scanning channel.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, the computer readable program code further configured to cause the wireless access point to:

receive a frame directed to a basic service set communication region of the access point and determine if the received basic service set communication region frame is the predetermined frame

if determined that the received basic service set communication region frame is the predetermined frame, determine if the magic packet exists in the predetermined frame;

if determined that the magic packet exists in the predetermined frame, determine if transmission of the predetermined frame is enabled;

if determined that the transmission of the predetermined frame is enabled, determine if the specified interval timing is enabled; and

if determined that the specified interval timing is enabled, buffer the predetermined frame and transmit the buffered predetermined frame into the air on the subset of the at least one scanning channel when the wireless receiver periodically monitors for the predetermined frame from the wireless access point pursuant to the specified interval timing.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, the computer readable program code further configured to cause the wireless access point to:

check whether or not the magic packet exists in data in a unicast frame received by the access point; and

transmit the unicast frame data in a broadcast frame into the air pursuant to the specified interval timing if the magic packet exists in the unicast data.