Techniques for release assistance indication assertion

One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing program instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a node in a wireless network, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

• determining that there is data to be sent outside of the node;
• and
• during an open communication slot:
• sending, using a transmitter of the node, the data to a wireless transceiver of the node, wherein the wireless transceiver is separate from the one or more processors, and wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to send the data to a second node in the wireless network;
• and
• in response to determining that there is no additional data ready to be sent outside the node:
• waiting for a delay period;
• and
• after the delay period ends, commanding the wireless transceiver to end the open communication slot early and transition to a lower power mode.

A networking device comprising:

• a wireless radio configured to exchange information wirelessly with a second network device;
• and
• a computing system separate from the wireless radio, the computing system comprising:
• a transmitter coupled to the wireless radio;
• one or more processing devices;
• and
• one or more memories storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processing devices cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:
• identifying data to be transmitted over a wireless network;
• and
• while a data transmission window is open:
• transmitting, using the transmitter, the data to the wireless radio;
• and
• in response to a determination that there is no additional data to transmitted over the wireless network:
• waiting for a period of time;
• and
• after the period of time elapses, providing an instruction to the wireless radio to end the data transmission window early and switch to a lower power state.