Methods and apparatus for reducing power consumption for mobile devices using broadcast-to-unicast message conversion

• US 7,953,457 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Sivasithambaresa, Arjuna, Milardovic, Matt, Salomone, Leonardo, Nagy, Tom
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): HU, RUI MENG
• Application Number:
  US11/413,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20070254619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,859 Days
• Field of Search: 455/574, 4553431-3435, 455/465, 455/503, 455/502, 455/525, 370/352, 370/311, 370/338, 370/449, 370/459, 370/473
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for use in reducing power consumption in battery-powered mobile communication devices in wireless local area networks (WLANs) are described. In one illustrative example, a mobile device in a WLAN is configured to normally refrain from receiving broadcast messages so that it may remain in a low power mode of operation. A network server is configured to convert broadcast messages into unicast messages for receipt by the mobile device only if the message or protocol type of the broadcast message is one in which the mobile device needs to process. As the mobile device is still configured to receive unicast messages, it will receive and decode such a unicast message and process the broadcast information within it accordingly. Advantageously, battery power is conserved at the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for use in reducing power consumption in a mobile communication device configured to communicate in a wireless communication network which includes one or more wireless access points, the method comprising the acts of:

sending, from the mobile communication device to a wireless communication network, a message which indicates a plurality of different protocol types of broadcast messages to be processed as broadcast-to-unicast messages for the mobile communication device during a low power mode of operation, said indicated protocol types including an Internet Protocol (IP) type, and wherein the protocol type of a given broadcast message is defined in a protocol identifier field of the broadcast message;

during the low power mode of operation;

controlling a wireless receiver of the mobile communication device to remain powered down during all broadcasts of broadcast messages from the one or more wireless access points of the wireless communication network; and

for each broadcast message of each said indicated protocol type as defined in the protocol identifier field which is broadcasted from the one or more wireless access points during the low power mode of operation;

monitoring to receive, through the wireless receiver, a unicast message from the wireless communication network, and identifying broadcast message information of the broadcast message within the unicast message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the acts of:

for each broadcast message of a protocol type that is different from any one of said indicated protocol types;

failing to receive any unicast message having broadcast message information of the broadcast message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a broadcast message of at least one of said indicated protocol types is to be processed at other mobile communication devices operating in the wireless communication network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of identifying the broadcast message information within the unicast message comprises the further act of decapsulating the unicast message to identify the broadcast message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the protocol type of a given broadcast message is defined in a protocol identifier field of a sub network access protocol (SNAP) header of the broadcast message, and wherein said indicated protocol types in the message are SNAP types.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the act of:

processing an instruction in response to the broadcast message information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile communication device operates in accordance with IEEE 802.11 and the wireless communication network comprises a wireless local, area network (WLAN).

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein the message comprises a registration message which includes said indicated protocol types within the message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said indicated protocol types in the message include an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) type.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the message having said indicated protocol types excludes an indication of a network basic input/output system (NetBIOS) type, and the act of controlling the wireless receiver comprises controlling the wireless receiver to remain powered down during all broadcasts of broadcast messages of the NetBIOS type.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the message having said indicated protocol, types excludes an indication of a network basic input/output system (NetBIOS) type, and the act of controlling the wireless receiver comprises controlling the wireless receiver to remain powered down during all broadcasts of broadcast messages of the NetBIOS type.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the message having said indicated protocol types excludes an indication of an Intel type, and the act of controlling the wireless receiver comprises controlling the wireless receiver to remain powered down during all broadcasts of broadcast messages of the Intel type.

13. A mobile communication device configured to communicate in a wireless communication network which includes one or more wireless access points, the mobile communication device comprising:

a wireless receiver;

a wireless transmitter;

one or more processors coupled to the wireless receiver and the wireless transmitter;

the one or more processors being operative to;

cause a message to be sent to the wireless communication network via the wireless transmitter, the message indicating a plurality of different protocol types of broadcast messages to be processed as broadcast-to-unicast messages for the mobile communication device during a low power mode of operation, said indicated protocol types including an Internet Protocol (IP) type, and wherein the protocol type of a given broadcast message is defined in a protocol identifier field of the broadcast message;

during the low power mode of operation;

controlling the wireless receiver to remain powered down during all broadcasts of broadcast messages from the one or more wireless access points of the wireless communication network; and

for each broadcast message of each said indicated protocol type as defined in the protocol identifier field which is broadcasted from the one or more wireless access points during the low power mode of operation;

receive, through the wireless receiver, a unicast message from the wireless communication network, and identify broadcast message information of the broadcast message within the unicast message.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to:

for each broadcast message of a protocol type that is different from any one of said indicated protocol types;

fail to receive any unicast message having broadcast message information of the broadcast message.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein a broadcast message of at least one of the indicated protocol types is to be processed at other mobile communication devices operating in the wireless communication network.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are operative to identify the broadcast message information within the unicast message by decapsulating the unicast message to identify the broadcast message.

17. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the protocol type of a given broadcast message is defined in a protocol identifier field of a sub network access protocol (SNAP) header of the broadcast message, and wherein said indicated protocol types in the message are SNAP types.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to process an instruction in response to the broadcast message information.

19. The mobile communication device of claim 13, which operates in accordance with IEEE 802.11 and wherein the wireless communication network comprises a wireless local area network (WLAN).

20. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further operative to set a DTIM period to infinity for the low power mode of operation.

21. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein said indicated protocol types in the message include an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) type.

22. The mobile communication device of claim 13, wherein the message having said indicated protocol types excludes an indication of a network basic input/output system (NetBIOS) type, and the one or more processors are further operative to control the wireless receiver by controlling the wireless receiver to remain powered down during all broadcasts of broadcast messages of the NetBIOS type.

23. The mobile communication device of claim 20, wherein the message comprises a registration message which includes said indicated protocol types within the message.