Partial power save mode for access points during device discovery
AssigneeMarvell World Trade Ltd.
InventorsMilind Kopikare, Raja Banerjea, Paul A. Lambert, Robert Fanfelle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An access point includes a beacon module and a control module. The access point transmits a beacon during a beacon interval. The beacon module determines a first portion of the beacon interval and a second portion of the beacon interval. The access point operates in a normal mode during the first portion of the beacon interval. The control module operates the access point in a power save mode during the second portion of the beacon interval. The control module operates the access point in the power save mode in response to a client station not communicating with the access point during the first portion of the beacon interval.
Claims24
An access point to transmit a beacon during a beacon interval, the access point comprising:
- a beacon module to determine a first portion of the beacon interval and a second portion of the beacon interval, wherein the access point operates in a normal mode during the first portion of the beacon interval;
- and
- a control module to operate the access point in a power save mode during the second portion of the beacon interval in response to a client station not communicating with the access point during the first portion of the beacon interval,
- wherein the second portion of the beacon interval is less than a scan time of the client station, where the scan time includes an amount of time that the client station scans a first channel to search for the access point prior to scanning a second channel in response to the access point not being detected on the first channel.
A method comprising:
- determining a first portion and a second portion of a beacon interval of an access point;
- operating the access point in a normal mode during the first portion of the beacon interval;
- operating the access point in a power save mode during the second portion of the beacon interval in response to a client station not communicating with the access point during the first portion of the beacon interval;
- and
- determining that the second portion of the beacon interval is less than a scan time of the client station,
- wherein the scan time includes an amount of time that the client station scans a first channel to search for the access point prior to scanning a second channel in response to the access point not being detected on the first channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.