US 8,526,346 B1Granted

Power save communication mechanism for wireless communication systems

AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated

InventorXiangyang Liu

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Abstract

A power saving communication mechanism can be implemented on an access point and on a connected WLAN device in a wireless communication network so that the connected WLAN device transmits uplink data frames in response to receiving a trigger frame from the access point. The access point determines a number of connected wireless network devices in the wireless communication network and a number of power save intervals to be implemented in each beacon interval. Additionally, the access point can vary a trigger frame transmission sequence according to which trigger frames are transmitted to connected WLAN devices. The access point transmits the trigger frame to each connected WLAN device to request transmission of uplink data frames based on the trigger frame transmission sequence. The power saving communication mechanism can improve throughput, facilitate conservation of radio resources, and reduce power consumption.

Claims32

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

determining, at an access point in a wireless communication system, that a plurality of wireless network devices of the wireless communication system are communicatively connected to the access point;
determining a number of power save intervals to implement in each beacon interval during a power save communication mode of the wireless communication system based, at least in part, on a number of wireless network devices that are communicatively connected to the access point, each of the power save intervals providing opportunities for the wireless network devices to receive trigger frames from the access point requesting transmission of uplink data frames;
determining a trigger frame transmission sequence for each of the power save intervals, the trigger frame transmission sequence indicating an order according to which the access point communicates with each of the plurality of wireless network devices communicatively connected to the access point during each of the power save intervals, wherein a first trigger frame transmission sequence for a first power save interval is different than a second trigger frame transmission sequence for a second power save interval;
and
transmitting a beacon frame to initiate a beacon interval, the beacon frame comprising an indication of a duration of each of the power save intervals;
transmitting, in accordance with the trigger frame transmission sequence for a current power save interval, a trigger frame to at least a first wireless network device of the plurality of wireless network devices to request transmission of uplink data frames from the first wireless network device.

3 more elements

A method of comprising:

receiving, at an access point in a wireless communication system, a management frame from a first wireless network device that indicates initiation of management operations between the first wireless network device and the access point;
reading, from the management frame, power save parameters associated with the first wireless network device, wherein the power save parameters comprise a power save communication mode status and a duration of each of a number of power save intervals in each beacon interval during a power save communication mode;
determining whether the power save parameters associated with the first wireless network device match power save parameters associated with the access point;
indicating success of the management operations between the first wireless network device and the access point in response to determining that the power save parameters associated with the first wireless network device match the power save parameters associated with the access point;
and
indicating failure of the management operations between the first wireless network device and the access point in response to determining that the power save parameters associated with the first wireless network device do not match the power save parameters associated with the access point.

3 more elements

A method comprising:

receiving, at a wireless network device of a wireless communication system, a trigger frame from an access point of the wireless communication system, the trigger frame comprising an indication of a request for transmission of uplink data frames from the wireless network device to the access point and an indication of a maximum transmission duration allocated to the wireless network device for said transmission of the uplink data frames;
in response to said receiving the trigger frame from the access point:
determining that an uplink data frame is available for transmission from the wireless network device to the access point;
determining, prior to transmitting the uplink data frame, whether the uplink data frame can be transmitted during the maximum transmission duration based upon whether a transmission time associated with transmitting the uplink data frame is less than the maximum transmission duration allocated to the wireless network device for said transmission of the uplink data frames;
and
transmitting the uplink data frame to the access point in response to determining that the uplink data frame can be transmitted during the maximum transmission duration.

3 more elements

An access point of a wireless communication system, the access point comprising:

a data communication unit operable to:
determine that a plurality of wireless network devices of the wireless communication system are communicatively connected to the access point;
a power saving unit operable to:
determine a number of power save intervals to implement in each beacon interval during a power save communication mode of the wireless communication system based, at least in part, on a number of wireless network devices that are communicatively connected to the access point, each of the power save intervals providing opportunities for the wireless network devices to receive trigger frames from the access point requesting transmission of uplink data frames;
determine a trigger frame transmission sequence for each of the power save intervals, the trigger frame transmission sequence indicating an order according to which the access point communicates with each of a plurality of wireless network devices communicatively connected to the access point during each of the power save intervals, wherein a first trigger frame transmission sequence for a first power save interval is different than a second trigger frame transmission sequence for a second power save interval;
the data communication unit further operable to:
transmit a beacon frame to initiate a beacon interval, the beacon frame comprising an indication of a duration of each of the power save intervals;
and
transmit, in accordance with the trigger frame transmission sequence for a current power save interval, a trigger frame to at least a first wireless network device of the plurality of wireless network devices to request transmission of uplink data frames from the first wireless network device.

6 more elements

A wireless network device of a wireless communication system, the wireless network device comprising:

a processor device;
a network interface communicatively coupled to the processor device;
and
a data communication unit communicatively coupled to the network interface and the processor device, the data communication unit operable to:
receive a trigger frame from an access point of the wireless communication system, the trigger frame comprising an indication of a request for transmission of uplink data frames from the wireless network device to the access point and an indication of a maximum transmission duration allocated to the wireless network device for said transmission of the uplink data frames;
in response to the data communication unit receiving the trigger frame from the access point:
determine that an uplink data frame is available for transmission to the access point;
determine, prior to transmitting the uplink data frame, whether the uplink data frame can be transmitted during the maximum transmission duration based upon whether a transmission time associated with transmitting the uplink data frame is less than the maximum transmission duration allocated to the wireless network device for said transmission of the uplink data frames;
and
transmit the uplink data frame to the access point in response to the data communication unit determining that the uplink data frame can be transmitted during the maximum transmission duration.

7 more elements

A method comprising:

receiving, at a wireless network device of a wireless communication system, a trigger frame from an access point of the wireless communication system, the trigger frame comprising an indication of a request for transmission of uplink data frames from the wireless network device to the access point and an indication of a maximum transmission duration allocated to the wireless network device for said transmission of the uplink data frames;
in response to said receiving the trigger frame from the access point:
determining that an uplink data frame is available for transmission from the wireless network device to the access point;
determining whether a transmission time associated with transmitting the uplink data frame is less than the maximum transmission duration allocated to the wireless network device for said transmission of the uplink data frames;
transmitting the uplink data frame in response to determining that the transmission time associated with transmitting the uplink data frame is less than the maximum transmission duration allocated to the wireless network device;
and
transmitting a value in a null data frame to indicate that the wireless network device will not transmit the uplink data frame in response to determining that the transmission time associated with transmitting the uplink data frame is greater than the maximum transmission duration allocated to the wireless network device.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.