# US 2021/0176705 A1 · Energy efficient network connectivity maximization > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0176705 A1 - Document ID: US20210176705A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/122,882 - Filed: 2020-12-15 - Published: 2021-06-10 - Earliest claimed: 2012-02-28 - Assignees: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Applicants: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Inventors: Ranveer Chandra; John Charles Krumm; Xia Zhou; Stefan Saroiu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210176705A1 ## CPC - H04W 52/028: {switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks} - H04W 52/0229: {where the received signal is a wanted signal} - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract The minimization of the amount of power consumed by an electronic device in acquiring or maintaining network connectivity with a network may extend the battery life of the electronic device. When the electronic device has established a communication connection with a wireless access point, the electronic device cycles a network interface controller of the electronic device between a power on state and a power off state without terminating the communication connection. Accordingly, the electronic device powers on a main processor of the electronic device when the network interface controller detects a beacon during the power on state that indicates the wireless access point has a buffered data frame for the electronic device. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 -20. (canceled) ### Claim 21 An electronic device comprising: a main processor; a network interface controller (NIC) that includes a NIC processor and NIC memory; and a main memory that includes machine-readable instructions, which when executed by the electronic device, configures the electronic device to: select, by the main processor, a wireless access point (WAP) identifier of a WAP for inclusion in a list of WAP identifiers and populate the NIC memory with the list of WAP identifiers; and while the electronic device is connected to a WAP in the list of WAP identifiers, power off the main processor and the NIC processor in response to population of the NIC memory with the list of WAP identifiers. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The electronic device of claim 21, wherein each WAP identifier in the list of WAP identifiers is one of a Service Set Identifier (SSID) or a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) of a corresponding WAP. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the NIC is configured to, while the main processor is powered off and the electronic device is connected to the WAP, periodically cycle the NIC between a power on state and a power off state, the NIC processor configured to perform a scan for a beacon that indicates a WAP has a buffered data frame for the electronic device while in the power on state. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the NIC is configured to power on the main processor at least when the NIC detects a particular WAP that matches a corresponding WAP identifier in the NIC memory. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The electronic device of claim 24, wherein the NIC is configured to power on the main processor when (1) the NIC detects the particular WAP that matches the corresponding WAP identifier; and (2) the NIC establishes a communication connection with the particular WAP. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The electronic device of claim 24, wherein the NIC is further configured to power on the main processor to select another list of WAP identifiers based at least on contextual data related to the electronic device when a number of performed scans in which the NIC fails to detect a matching WAP reaches a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The electronic device of claim 26, wherein the contextual data includes appointment or schedule data provided by an application on the electronic device. ### Claim 28 (depends on 21) The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the NIC is configured to: insert data representing a set of WAP identifiers into the NIC memory and determine, using a hash function, a match between a wireless access point and one of the WAP identifiers in the set is probable, wherein an amount of WAP identifiers in the data representing the set of WAP identifiers is greater than a number of identifier slots available in the NIC memory. ### Claim 29 (depends on 21) The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the machine-readable instructions, which when executed by the electronic device, further configure the electronic device to populate the list of WAP identifiers with at least one of an identifier of a WAP that previously connected with the electronic device. ### Claim 30 (depends on 21) The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed by the electronic device, further configure the electronic device to, while the main processor is powered on, calculate an adaptive sleep interval for the NIC processor, the adaptive sleep interval including time intervals that vary according to a robustness of the communication connection between the WAP and the electronic device and cycle the NIC processor between the power on state and the power off state based on the calculated adaptive sleep interval. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The electronic device of claim 30, wherein the NIC processor is configured to perform a scan for a beacon that indicates a WAP has a buffered data frame for the electronic device while in the power on state. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The electronic device of claim 31, wherein the robustness of the communication connection includes a signal strength of a communication received at the electronic device from the WAP. ### Claim 33 (depends on 31) The electronic device of claim 31, wherein the robustness of the communication connection includes a proportion of data beacons transmitted by the WAP that failed to reach the electronic device. ### Claim 34 A method of performing operations on an electronic device, the electronic device including a main processor, main memory, and a network interface controller (NIC), the NIC including a NIC processor and a NIC memory, the method comprising: selecting a wireless access point (WAP) identifier for inclusion in a list of WAP identifiers based at least on contextual data related to the electronic device; populating the list of WAP identifiers with the selected WAP identifier; and powering off the main processor and the NIC processor of the electronic device in response to population of the NIC memory with the list of WAP identifiers. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The method of claim 34, wherein each WAP identifier in the list of WAP identifiers is one of a Service Set Identifier (SSID) or a Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID) of a corresponding WAP. ### Claim 36 (depends on 34) The method device of claim 34, further comprising: while the main processor is powered off and the electronic device is connected to the WAP, periodically cycling the NIC between a power on state and a power off state; and scanning, by the NIC processor, for a beacon that indicates a WAP has a buffered data frame for the electronic device while in the power on state. ### Claim 37 (depends on 34) The method of claim 34, further comprising, powering on the main processor when the NIC detects a particular WAP that matches a corresponding WAP identifier in the NIC memory. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37, further comprising powering on the main processor when (1) the NIC detects the particular WAP that matches the corresponding WAP identifier; and (2) the NIC establishes a communication connection with the particular WAP. ### Claim 39 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37, further comprising powering on the main processor to select another list of WAP identifiers based at least on contextual data related to the electronic device when a number of performed scans in which the NIC fails to detect a matching WAP reaches a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 40 (depends on 34) The method of claim 34, further comprising: while the main processor is powered on, calculating an adaptive sleep interval for the NIC processor, the adaptive sleep interval including time intervals that vary according to a robustness of the communication connection between the WAP and the electronic device; and cycling the NIC processor between the power on state and the power off state based on the calculated adaptive sleep interval.