Apparatus and method for providing low-power mobile hotspot

An apparatus of a station in a wireless environment, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• a first transceiver for a proximity communication, operatively coupled to the at least one processor;
• and
• a second transceiver for a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication, operatively coupled to the at least one processor,
• wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
• transmit a message for indicating a presence of uplink traffic, to a mobile access point (AP), via a proximity communication path in low power connection state in which a mode of a hotspot is switchable between an idle mode and an active mode based on traffic information,
• receive a response message for the message from the mobile AP, via the proximity communication path, and
• transmit the uplink traffic to the mobile AP, via a path on the hotspot,
• wherein the response message for the message is transmitted in response to switching the mode of the hotspot of the mobile AP from the idle mode to the active mode, and
• wherein the path on the hotspot is generated based on information regarding a use of the hotspot transmitted to the station, via the proximity communication path.

An apparatus of a mobile access point (AP) in a wireless environment, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• a first transceiver for a proximity communication, operatively coupled to the at least one processor;
• and
• a second transceiver for a wireless local area network (WLAN) communication, operatively coupled to the at least one processor,
• wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
• receive a message for indicating a presence of uplink traffic, from a station, via a proximity communication path in low power connection state in which a mode of a hotspot is switchable between an idle mode and an active mode based on traffic information,
• in response to receiving the message, switch the mode of the hotspot from the idle mode to the active mode,
• in response to switching to the active mode, transmit a response message for the message to the station, via the proximity communication path,
• receive the uplink traffic from the station, via a path on the hotspot, and
• in response to detecting that another station that does not support a low power connection state accesses via another path on the hotspot, switch a connection state from the low power connection state to a normal power connection state,
• wherein the mode of the hotspot remains in the active mode in the normal power connection state.