Multicast transmission for power management in an ad-hoc wireless system

A first wireless network device of a first plurality of wireless network devices in a first wireless network, the first wireless network device comprising:

• a processor;
• a network interface in communication with the processor;
• and
• a connection management unit in communication with the processor and to the network interface, the connection management unit to:
• identify a second wireless network device that should remain in an active power state, wherein the second wireless network device is of the first plurality of wireless network devices;
• determine a first network identifier associated with the second wireless network device;
• transmit a first multicast message to the first plurality of wireless network devices, wherein the first multicast message comprises a header indicating the first network identifier, the first multicast message to cause the second wireless network device to remain in the active power state;
• receive a first beacon frame via a second wireless network having a second plurality of wireless network devices:
• determine whether to join the second wireless network,
• determine a second network identifier associated with the first wireless network device based, at least in part, on network identifiers associated with the second plurality of wireless network devices;
• and
• transmit a second beacon frame to the second plurality of wireless network devices, the second beacon frame comprising the second network identifier to indicate the first wireless network device has joined the second wireless network;
• wherein the connection management unit is to:
• determine whether the first wireless network device will disconnect from the first wireless network;
• transmit, to a third wireless network device in the first wireless network, in a third beacon frame an indication that the first wireless network device has disconnected from the first wireless network if determined that the first wireless network device will disconnect from the first wireless network;
• and
• transmit, to the third wireless network device, the first network identifier in the third beacon frame if determined that that the first wireless network device will remain connected to the first wireless network.

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, having instructions stored therein, which when executed by at least one processor of a first wireless network device causes the at least one processor to perform operations that comprise:

• identifying a second wireless network device that should remain in an active power state, wherein the first wireless network device and the second wireless network device are of a first plurality of wireless network devices in a first wireless network;
• determining a first network identifier associated with the second wireless network device;
• transmitting a multicast message to the first plurality of wireless network devices, wherein the multicast message comprises a header indicating the first network identifier, the multicast message to cause the second wireless network device to remain in the active power state;
• receiving a first beacon frame via a second wireless network having a second plurality of wireless network devices;
• determining whether to join the second wireless network;
• determining a second network identifier associated with the first wireless network device based, at least in part, on determining on network identifiers associated with the second plurality of wireless network devices;
• transmitting a second beacon frame to the second plurality of wireless network devices the second beacon frame comprising the second network identifier to indicate the first wireless network device has joined the second wireless network;
• determining whether the first wireless network device will disconnect from the first wireless network;
• transmitting, to a third wireless network device in the first wireless network, in a third beacon frame an indication that the first wireless network device has disconnected from the first wireless network if determined that the first wireless network device will disconnect from the first wireless network;
• and
• transmitting, to the third wireless network device, the first network identifier in the third beacon frame if determined that the first wireless network device will remain connected to the first wireless network.