Access point rotation for sharing power load
AssigneeMarvell World Trade Ltd.
InventorsRaja BANERJEA, Milind KOPIKARE, Paul A. LAMBERT, Robert FANFELLE
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Aspects of the disclosure provide a method for sharing power load in a network. The method includes identifying a first device to serve as an AP of the network in a next time interval, providing network information from a second device that presently serves as the AP to the first device. When the first device starts to serve as the AP of the network, the second device can be configured to enter into a power save state in order to reduce power consumption by the second device in the next time interval.
Claims20
A method for sharing power load in a network, comprising:
- identifying a first device to serve as a first point (AP) of the network in a next time interval based on one or more conditions, the first point enabling the network to communicate to other devices outside the network;
- providing network information from a second device that presently serves as the first point of the network to the first device, the network information including at least one of the other devices joining the network, wherein the first device starts to serve as the first point of the network in the next time interval;
- and
- configuring the second device to switch from a powered-un state to a power save state in order to reduce power consumption by the second device in the next time interval;
- wherein the first device changes an associated Media Access Control (MAC) address with a MAC address of a master-access point (AP), and starts to send messages that include the MAC address of the master-AP.
A wireless device in a network, comprising:
- a wireless interface configured to transmit and receive wireless signals;
- and
- a controller configured to identify a next device to serve as a first point of the network in a next time interval based on one or more conditions, the first point enabling the network to communicate to other devices outside the network, inform the wireless interface to transmit network information to the next device when the wireless device presently serves as the first point of the network, the network information including at least one of the other devices joining the network, and switch the wireless device into a power save state from a powered-up state after the next device starts to serve as the first point of the network in the next time interval;
- wherein the controller is further configured to change an associated Media Access Control (MAC) address with a MAC address of a master-access point (AP), and inform the wireless interface to send messages that include the MAC address of the master-AP, when the wireless device presently serves as the first point of the network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.