Wake-up radio assisted WLAN power saving technology

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a wake-up radio assisted WLAN power saving technology, and specifically provides a dual-radio AP including both a high-power (e.g., Wi-Fi) radio and a low-power (e.g., BLE) radio, which can support an assisted wake-up service for a power-limited dual-radio mobile device (STA). The power-limited STA can register for an assisted wake-up service with the AP, and then disable its Wi-Fi radio (or otherwise initiate a low-power mode). The power-limited STA can receive a BLE communication indicating that the AP has a pending Wi-Fi transmission or update for the power-limited STA. In response, the power-limited STA can turn on its Wi-Fi radio and receive the pending transmission or update from the AP. If the AP does not include a low-power radio, a high-power / low-power dual-radio STA that is not power-limited can be used as an assisted wake-up service agent. The agent can scan and track Wi-Fi beacons from the AP and generate BLE communications to the power-limited STA on behalf of the AP.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese patent application 201710608716.3, whose application date is July 25, 2017 and whose invention name is “Wake-up Radio Assisted WLAN Power Saving Technology”.

[0002] Priority Information

[0003] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62 / 366,445, filed on July 25, 2016, by Yong Liu et al., entitled “Wake-Up RadioAssisted WLAN Power Saving Technologies,” the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if fully and completely set forth herein. Technical Field

[0004] The present disclosure relates to wireless communications, including techniques related to assisted wake-up services in dual-radio WLAN systems, such as IEEE 802.11 / Bluetooth low energy wireless systems. Background Art

[0005] The use of wireless communication systems is growing rapidly. In addition, there are many different wireless communication technologies and standards. Some examples of wireless communication standards include GSM, UMTS (e.g., associated with WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, Advanced LTE (LTE-A), HSPA, 3GPP2CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), IEEE 802.11 (WLAN or Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), Bluetooth, etc.

[0006] Wireless communications can be useful for a wide range of device classes, including relatively simple (e.g., possibly inexpensive) devices that may have limited functionality to relatively complex (e.g., possibly more expensive) devices that may have greater functionality. In particular, some simple, small, and / or lightweight device classes (such as wearable devices) may have more stringent battery constraints than other wireless communication devices. Therefore, it is desirable to provide improved power efficiency in wireless communications with various types of mobile devices, including power-limited devices. Summary of the invention

[0007] This document describes, among other things, methods for implementing assisted wake-up services in dual-radio WLAN devices, such as devices that include both an IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) radio and a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio or other radios, and describes wireless devices configured to implement the methods.

[0008] A dual-radio AP that includes both a high-power (e.g., Wi-Fi) radio and a low-power (e.g., BLE) radio can support an assisted wake-up service for a power-limited dual-radio mobile device (STA). A power-limited STA can register for an assisted wake-up service with the AP and then turn on its high-power radio. The power-limited STA can receive a low-power radio communication indicating that the AP has a pending high-power radio transmission or update for the power-limited STA. In response, the power-limited STA can turn on its high-power radio and receive a pending transmission or update from the AP. If the AP does not include a low-power radio, a high-power / low-power dual-radio STA that is not power-limited can be used as an assisted wake-up service agent. The agent can scan and track high-power radio beacons from the AP and generate low-power radio communications to the power-limited STA on behalf of the AP.

[0009] A wireless communication device (e.g., a power-limited STA) is disclosed, comprising a high-power communication module configured to communicate according to a first communication protocol (e.g., a Wi-Fi protocol); a low-power communication module configured to communicate according to a different second communication protocol (e.g., a BLE protocol); and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the high-power communication module and the low-power communication module. The wireless communication device may be configured to receive a first communication (e.g., a low power update (LPU) message) via the low-power communication module according to the second communication protocol when the high-power communication module is in an inactive state. The wireless device may also be configured to determine that the first communication includes an indication that the access point has data that can be sent to the wireless communication device according to the first protocol (e.g., a traffic indication map (TIM)). In response to receiving the determination, the wireless communication device may convert the high-power communication module from an inactive state (e.g., a sleep state) to an active state (e.g., a wake-up state). The wireless communication device may then receive a second communication (e.g., a data message) including data via the high-power communication module when the high-power communication module is in an active state.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first communication may be received from an access point. In other embodiments, the first communication may be received from a proxy device that is not an access point.

[0011] In some embodiments, the low power communication module may be configured to periodically transition from an inactive state to an active state to scan for the first communication. In some embodiments, the low power communication module may be configured to determine that the first communication indicates that the access point has data available for transmission to the wireless communication device according to the first protocol, and to cause the high power communication module to transition from the inactive state to the active state. In some embodiments, the low power communication module is configured to transmit a notification message, wherein the first communication is a response to the notification message.

[0012] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may also be configured to, when the high-power communication module is in an inactive state, convert the low-power communication module from an inactive state to an active state, and transmit a notification message via the low-power communication module according to a second communication protocol. The wireless communication device may then respond to the notification message to determine whether a scan request message is received via the low-power communication module within a predetermined amount of time after the transmission of the notification message. In response to determining that a scan request message is not received within a predetermined amount of time, the wireless communication device may convert the low-power communication module from an active state to an inactive state. In response to determining that a scan request message is received within a predetermined amount of time, the wireless communication device may transmit a scan response message via the low-power communication module, the scan response message indicating that the wireless communication device will scan for further communications according to the second communication protocol, wherein the first communication is a response to the scan response message.

[0013] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may be further configured to receive a first beacon from an access point according to a first communication protocol and to receive a second beacon from an access point according to a second communication protocol. At least one of the first beacon or the second beacon may indicate that the access point is capable of including in a first communication according to the second communication protocol an indication that the access point has data available for transmission to the wireless communication device according to the first protocol. In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may be further configured to instruct the access point to include in a first communication according to the second communication protocol an indication that the access point has data available for transmission to the wireless communication device according to the first protocol, and then to cause the high power communication module to enter an inactive state following the indication.

[0014] A wireless communication device (e.g., an assisted wake-up service agent) is disclosed, comprising a high-power communication module configured to communicate according to a first communication protocol (e.g., a Wi-Fi protocol); a low-power communication module configured to communicate according to a different second communication protocol (e.g., a BLE protocol); and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the high-power communication module and the low-power communication module. The wireless communication device may be configured to receive a first communication (e.g., a beacon message) via a high-power radio (e.g., from an access point), the first communication including an indication that the access point has data available for transmission to a receiving device according to the first communication protocol (e.g., a TIM). The wireless device may also be configured to transmit a second communication (e.g., an LPU message) to a receiving device via a low-power radio, the second communication including at least a portion of an indication that the access point has data available for transmission to a receiving device according to the first communication protocol (e.g., a TIM).

[0015] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may be further configured to receive an indication from the access point that the access point supports the assisted wake-up service, and provide the indication to the recipient device that the wireless communication device supports the assisted wake-up service. The wireless communication device may also be configured to receive a request from the recipient device to implement the assisted wake-up service, wherein implementing the assisted wake-up service includes transmitting the second communication via the low-power radio.

[0016] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may be further configured to determine that the TIM includes an identifier block of devices registered for the assisted wake-up service, the identifier block including an identifier of the recipient device. At least a portion of the TIM included in the second communication may include an identifier block allocated to devices registered for the assisted wake-up service.

[0017] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may be further configured to receive, prior to receiving the first communication, an instruction from the recipient device to forward to the recipient device an indication according to the second communication protocol that the access point has data available for transmission to the recipient device according to the first communication protocol.

[0018] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may be further configured to receive an announce message from a recipient device according to a second communication protocol, wherein transmitting the second communication is in response to the announce message.

[0019] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may also be configured to receive an announcement message from a recipient device via a low power radio according to a second communication protocol. The announcement message may indicate that the recipient device is ready to receive communications according to the second communication protocol. In response to the announcement message, the wireless communication device may transmit a scan request message via the low power radio, the scan request message indicating that the recipient device scans for further communications according to the second communication protocol. The wireless communication device may receive a scan response message via the low power radio in response to the scan request message. The scan response message may confirm that the recipient device will scan for further communications according to the second communication protocol. Transmitting the second communication may be a response to the scan response message.

[0020] In some embodiments, the second communication may also include an indication of the time until the next multicast transmission by the access point and a beacon update sequence number. The indication of the time and the beacon update sequence number may be derived from the first communication.

[0021] The techniques described herein may be implemented in and / or used with many different types of devices, including, but not limited to, cellular telephones, portable media players, portable gaming devices, tablet computers, wearable computing devices, remote controls, wireless speakers, set-top box devices, television systems, and computers.

[0022] This summary is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the topics described in this document. Therefore, it should be understood that the above features are only examples and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or essence of the topics described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the topics described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] A better understanding of the presently disclosed subject matter may be obtained when the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments is considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0024] Figure 1 to Figure 2 An exemplary (and simplified) wireless communication system according to some embodiments is shown;

[0025] Figure 3 shows a block diagram of an exemplary wireless device according to some embodiments;

[0026] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method for implementing an assisted wake-up service for a high power / low power dual radio STA using a high power / low power dual radio AP according to some embodiments;

[0027] Figure 5 is a signal flow diagram illustrating aspects of a method for implementing a passive assisted wake-up service using a high power / low power dual radio AP with passive scanning by STAs according to some embodiments;

[0028] Figure 6 is a signal flow diagram illustrating aspects of a method for implementing active assisted wake-up service using a high power / low power dual radio AP with active advertising by STAs according to some embodiments;

[0029] Fig. 7A is a flow chart illustrating a method for implementing an assisted wake-up service for a high power / low power dual radio STA using a high power radio AP and a high power / low power dual radio assisted wake-up service agent according to some embodiments;

[0030] Figure 7B is a flow chart illustrating a method for a high power / low power dual radio assisted wake-up service agent to implement an assisted wake-up service for a high power / low power dual radio STA using a high power radio AP according to some embodiments;

[0031] Figure 8 is a signal flow diagram illustrating aspects of a method for implementing a passive assisted wake-up service using a high power AP and a high power / low power dual radio proxy for passive scanning by a STA according to some embodiments; and Fig. 9is a signal flow diagram illustrating aspects of a method for implementing active assisted wake-up service using a high power AP and a high power / low power dual radio proxy that actively advertises via STAs according to some embodiments.

[0032] Although the features described herein are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and detailed description thereof are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the subject matter defined by the appended claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Incorporation by Reference

[0034] The following documents are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety as if fully and completely set forth herein:

[0035] IEEE Std 802.11-2012.

[0036] the term

[0037] The following is a glossary of terms used in this disclosure:

[0038] Memory medium – Any of various types of non-transitory computer-accessible memory devices or storage devices. The term “memory medium” is intended to include installation media, such as CD-ROMs, floppy disks, or tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory, such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; non-volatile memory, such as flash memory, magnetic media, such as hard disks or optical storage; registers, or other similar types of memory elements, etc. The memory medium may also include other types of non-transitory memory or combinations thereof. In addition, the memory medium may be located in a first computer system executing a program, or may be located in a different second computer system connected to the first computer system via a network, such as the Internet. In the latter case, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer for execution. The term “memory medium” may include two or more memory media that may reside in different locations, such as different computer systems connected via a network. The memory medium may store program instructions (e.g., embodied as a computer program) that may be executed by one or more processors.

[0039] Carrier Medium—storage media as described above, as well as physical transmission media such as a bus, network, and / or other physical transmission media that convey signals such as electrical, electromagnetic or digital signals.

[0040] Programmable hardware element – ​​A variety of hardware devices that include any of a number of programmable function blocks connected via a programmable interconnect. Examples include FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), PLDs (programmable logic devices), FPOAs (field programmable object arrays), and CPLDs (complex PLDs). Programmable function blocks can range from fine-grained (combinational logic or lookup tables) to coarse-grained (arithmetic logic units or processor cores). Programmable hardware elements may also be referred to as "reconfigurable logic".

[0041] Computer system – Any of various types of computing or processing systems, including a personal computer system (PC), a mainframe computer system, a workstation, a network appliance, an Internet appliance, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal communication device, a smart phone, a television system, a grid computing system, or any other device or combination of devices. In general, the term "computer system" may be broadly defined to include any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0042] Mobile Device – Any of various types of computer system devices that are mobile or portable and that perform wireless communications using WLAN communications. Examples of mobile devices include mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhone-based TM 、Android TM phones) and tablets such as iPads TM 、Samsung Galaxy TM If various other types of devices include cellular and Wi-Fi communication capabilities, such as laptop computers (e.g., MacBooks TM ), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS TM , PlayStation Portable TM 、Gameboy Advance TM ), portable Internet devices and other handheld devices, and wearable devices (such as watches, headphones, pendants, earpieces, etc.), they will fall into this category. In general, the term "mobile device" can be broadly defined to include any electronic device, computing device, and / or telecommunication device (or combination of devices) that a user can easily transfer and that can use WLAN for wireless communication.

[0043] Access Point - The term "access point" has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning and includes at least a wireless communication device that provides connectivity to a wireless local area network (WLAN), such as a Wi-Fi network.

[0044] Wireless Device – Any of various types of computer system devices that perform wireless communications using WLAN communications. As used herein, the term “wireless device” may refer to a mobile device as defined above or a fixed device such as a wireless base station. For example, a wireless device may be any type of wireless station of an 802.11 system, such as an access point (AP) or a client station (STA).

[0045] WLAN – The term “WLAN” has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning and includes at least a wireless communication network or RAT that is served by WLAN access points and provides connectivity to the Internet through these access points. Most modern WLANs are based on the IEEE 802.11 standard and are based on Wi-Fi. TM WLAN networks are different from cellular networks.

[0046] Link budget limited – includes the full breadth of its ordinary meaning and includes at least the following characteristics of a wireless device: it exhibits limited communication capabilities or limited power relative to devices that are not link budget limited or relative to devices for which a radio access technology (RAT) standard has been developed. A link budget limited wireless device may experience relatively limited reception and / or transmission capabilities, which may be due to one or more factors, such as device design, device size, battery size, antenna size or design, transmission power, reception power, current transmission medium conditions, and / or other factors. Such devices may be referred to herein as "link budget limited" (or "link budget limited") devices. Due to the size of the device, battery power, and / or transmission / reception power, a device may be inherently link budget limited. For example, a smart watch that communicates with an access point via a WLAN may be inherently link budget limited due to its reduced transmission / reception power and / or antenna reduction. Wearable devices such as smart watches are typically link budget limited devices. Alternatively, a device may not be inherently link-budget limited, e.g., may have sufficient size, battery power, and / or transmit / receive power for normal communication over a WLAN, but may be temporarily link-budget limited due to current communication conditions (e.g., a smartphone is located at the edge of a WLAN coverage area, etc.) It should be noted that the term "link-budget limited" includes or encompasses power limitations, and thus a power-limited device may be considered a link-budget limited device.

[0047] Processing Element – ​​refers to various elements or combinations of elements. Processing elements include, for example, circuits such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), portions or circuits of individual processor cores, entire processor cores, individual processors, programmable hardware devices such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and / or larger portions of systems including multiple processors.

[0048] Automatic – refers to an action or operation performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by a computer system) or device (e.g., circuit, programmable hardware element, ASIC, etc.) without user input directly specifying or executing the action or operation. Thus, the term “automatic” is in contrast to an operation manually performed or specified by a user, in which the user provides input to directly perform the operation. An automatic process may be initiated by input provided by a user, but the subsequent “automatically” performed actions are not specified by the user, i.e., are not “manually” performed, where the user specifies each action to be performed. For example, a user filling out an electronic form by selecting each field and providing input specifying information (e.g., by typing in information, selecting checkboxes, radio selections, etc.) is manually filling out the form, but the computer system must update the form in response to the user action. The form may be automatically filled out by a computer system, where the computer system (e.g., software executed on the computer system) analyzes the fields of the form and fills out the form without any user input specifying the answers to the fields. As indicated above, a user may invoke automatic filling out of a form, but not participate in the actual filling out of the form (e.g., the user does not manually specify the answers to the fields but they are automatically completed). This specification provides various examples of operations that are automatically performed in response to actions taken by a user.

[0049] IEEE 802.11 - refers to technologies based on IEEE 802.11 wireless standards such as 802.11a, 802.11.b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11-2012, 802.11ac, and / or other IEEE 802.11 standards. IEEE 802.11 technologies may also be referred to as "Wi-Fi" and may be included in the term "wireless local area network (WLAN)" technologies.

[0050] Figure 1 to Figure 2 -Communication system

[0051] Figure 1 An exemplary (and simplified) wireless communication system 100 is shown according to some embodiments. It should be noted that Figure 1 The system 100 is merely one example of a possible system, and embodiments may be implemented in any of a variety of systems as desired. For example, it is noted that although Figure 1 The illustrated exemplary wireless communication system 100 is shown as including four wireless devices, but aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented in wireless communication systems having a greater or lesser number (ie, any number) of wireless devices.

[0052] As shown, the exemplary wireless communication system 100 includes multiple wireless devices 102-108 communicating via a transmission medium. Some or all of the wireless devices may be substantially mobile devices ("stations" or "STAs"). Alternatively or additionally, some or all of the wireless devices may be substantially fixed.

[0053] Wireless devices 102-108 may communicate via a wireless transmission medium to form a wireless network. The wireless network may be an IEEE 802.11 "infrastructure mode" network provided by a dedicated access point (e.g., wireless device 102); alternatively, the wireless network may be an "ad hoc" or peer-to-peer based network. Note that a wireless network may include one or more "hidden nodes"; for example, as shown, wireless device 108 may be within the communication range of wireless device 102, but may not be able to detect (and / or be detected by) wireless devices 104 and 106. Wireless devices 102-108 may be configured to perform automatic generation detection in wireless communications in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0054] One or more of the wireless devices may be equipped to communicate with one or more external networks. For example, as shown, wireless device 102 is communicatively coupled to network 110. The external network may be any of various types of networks, such as a core network of a cellular service provider (e.g., via a cellular base station), the Internet, or an intranet of an organization, among other possible networks.

[0055] It should be noted that one or more of the wireless devices 102-108 may be capable of communicating using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, one or more of the wireless devices 102-108 may be configured to communicate using at least one wireless network protocol (e.g., Wi-Fi) and at least one peer wireless communication protocol (e.g., BT, BLE, Wi-Fi peer, etc.) and / or at least one cellular communication protocol (e.g., GSM, UMTS, LTE, Advanced LTE (LTE-A), 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc.). Any or all of the wireless devices 102-108 may also or alternatively be configured to communicate using one or more global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) (e.g., GPS, GLONASS, or COMPASS), one or more mobile television broadcast standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H or DVB-H), and / or any other wireless communication protocol if desired. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0056] Any or all of the wireless devices 102-108 may be configured to perform any of the method implementations described herein, or any portion of any of the method implementations described herein, including, for example, implementing any of the various assisted wake-up services.

[0057] Figure 2 An exemplary wireless communication system 200 is shown in accordance with some embodiments, wherein Figure 1 100. As shown in the illustrated system, the wireless device 106 may be a mobile station (STA) 106, and the wireless device 102 may be an access point 102 (also referred to as an "AP," or alternatively a "base station" or "BS"). The STA 106 may be a user device with WLAN (e.g., Wi-Fi) communication capabilities, such as a mobile phone, a handheld device, a wearable device, a computer, or a tablet, or substantially any type of wireless device. The AP 102 may be an access point device with WLAN (e.g., Wi-Fi) communication capabilities, such as a wireless router or other wireless access point. Either or both of the AP 102 and the STA 106 may further have communication capabilities via additional RATs, such as Bluetooth or Bluetooth LE.

[0058] Either or both of the AP 102 and the STA 106 may include a processor configured to execute program instructions stored in a memory. Either or both of the AP 102 and the STA 106 may perform any of the method implementations described herein, for example by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or in addition, a programmable hardware element (such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array)) configured to perform any of the method implementations described herein or any portion of any of the method implementations described herein may be included as part of the AP 102 and / or the STA 106.

[0059] Figure 3 - Example block diagram of a wireless device

[0060] Figure 3An exemplary block diagram of a wireless device 300 according to some embodiments is shown, which may be configured to be used in combination with various aspects of the present disclosure. Device 300 may be any of various types of devices, and may be configured to perform any of various types of functions. For example, device 300 may be substantially a portable device (mobile device), such as a mobile phone, a personal productivity device, a computer or tablet computer, a handheld game console, a portable media player, etc. Alternatively, if necessary, device 300 may be substantially a fixed device, such as a television, a subwoofer, a speaker or other audio presentation device, a wireless access point, a set-top box, etc. Wireless device 300 may include an AP or a mobile device (such as, any one of wireless devices 102-108) or be included in an AP or a mobile device.

[0061] As shown, device 300 may include processing element 304. Processing element 304 may include or be coupled to one or more local and / or system memory elements, such as memory 302. Memory 302 may include any of various types of memory and may serve any of a variety of functions. For example, memory 302 may be RAM used as system memory for processing element 304. Other types and functions are also possible.

[0062] The device 300 may also include high-power wireless communication circuitry 306. The high-power wireless communication circuitry 306 may include analog and / or digital circuit components and may alternatively be referred to as a "radio component" or "module". Typically, the radio component may include any combination of a baseband processor, analog RF signal processing circuitry (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.), and / or digital processing circuitry (e.g., for digital modulation and other digital processing). Similarly, the radio component may implement one or more receive and transmit chains using the aforementioned hardware. For example, the wireless device 300 may share one or more portions of the receive and / or transmit chains between multiple wireless communication technologies (such as those discussed above). The high-power wireless communication circuitry may include or be coupled to one or more antennas 308.

[0063] Note that, if desired, high power wireless communication circuitry 306 may include discrete processing elements in addition to processing element 304; for example, processing element 304 may be an "application processor" while high power wireless communication circuitry 306 may include its own "baseband processor". High power wireless communication circuitry 306 may include discrete memory elements in addition to memory 302. The discrete memory elements of high power wireless communication circuitry 306 may include any of various types of memory and may, for example, store firmware or other software for execution by the discrete processing elements of high power wireless communication circuitry 306 (e.g., by a baseband processor). Alternatively (or in addition), processing element 304 may provide processing capabilities for high power wireless communication circuitry 306. Device 300 may be capable of communicating via high power wireless communication circuitry 306 and antenna 308 using any of a variety of high power wireless communication technologies. "High power" wireless communication technologies may include any full power or standard power wireless communication technology, such as (but not limited to) Wi-Fi or any of a variety of cellular RATs.

[0064] Device 300 may also include low power wireless communications circuitry 310. Low power wireless communications circuitry 310 may include components similar to those of high power wireless communications circuitry 306. Low power wireless communications circuitry may include or be coupled to one or more antennas 312.

[0065] Device 300 may be capable of communicating using any of a variety of low-power wireless communication technologies via low-power wireless communication circuitry 310 and antenna 312. "Low-power" wireless communication technologies may include, for example, communication technologies developed for or adapted for use in power-saving or power-limited devices, such as (but not limited to) Bluetooth Low Energy ("Bluetooth LE" or "BLE").

[0066] In some embodiments, high power wireless communication circuitry 306 and low power wireless communication circuitry 310 may share a single antenna or set of antennas (such as antenna 308), and antenna 312 may be omitted. In some embodiments, various portions of one or more receive and / or transmit chains, baseband processors, and / or memory may be shared between high power wireless communication circuitry 306 and low power wireless communication circuitry 310.

[0067] Depending on the intended functionality of device 300, device 300 may additionally include any of a variety of other components (not shown) for implementing device functionality, which components may further include processing and / or memory elements, one or more power supply elements (which may rely on battery power and / or external power), user interface elements (e.g., a display, speakers, microphones, cameras, keyboards, mice, touch screens, etc.), additional communication elements (e.g., antennas for wireless communication, I / O ports for wired communication, communication circuits / controllers, etc.), and / or any of a variety of other components.

[0068] Components of device 300 (such as processing element 304, memory 302, high power wireless communication circuit 306, antenna 308, low power wireless communication circuit 310 and antenna 312) may be operably coupled via one or more intra-chip or inter-chip interconnect interfaces, which may include any of various types of interfaces, possibly including a combination of multiple types of interfaces. As an example, a USB high-speed inter-chip (HSIC) interface may be provided for inter-chip communication between processing element 304 and wireless communication circuit 306. Alternatively (or in addition), any of a universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART) interface, a serial peripheral interface (SPI), an inter-integrated circuit (I2C), a system management bus (SMBus) and / or various other communication interfaces may be used for communication between processing element 304, memory 302, wireless communication circuit 306 and / or any of various other device components. Other types of interfaces (e.g., peripheral device interfaces for communicating with peripheral components within or outside device 300, etc.) may also be provided as part of device 300.

[0069] As described herein, device 300 may include hardware and software components for implementing any of a variety of assisted wake-up services.

[0070] Figures 4 to 6 -Assisted wake-up service using high-power / low-power dual-radio AP

[0071] Low-power Wi-Fi devices (such as smart watches and Wi-Fi sensors) may consume a large amount or most of the power to scan and / or track Wi-Fi beacons from APs. By tracking Wi-Fi beacons, low-power Wi-Fi devices can obtain, for example, pending unicast transmissions from APs, operating parameter changes, and downlink multicast transmissions from APs.

[0072] To reduce Wi-Fi power consumption, low-power Wi-Fi devices may extend their beacon tracking period (e.g., 100 ms (typical beacon interval) to 300 ms (typical multicast interval), or even longer. However, this may have negative consequences, including, for example, increased latency in receiving downlink unicast transmissions, lack of updated operating parameters, and lack of multicast transmissions from the AP.

[0073] Therefore, improvements are needed to significantly reduce Wi-Fi power consumption while eliminating or reducing the negative consequences caused by increasing beacon tracking periods. Low-power wireless communication devices may also experience similar disadvantages when utilizing high-power radio technologies other than Wi-Fi. It should be understood that any method or apparatus disclosed herein with respect to Wi-Fi may also (or alternatively) be implemented for such other high-power radio technologies.

[0074] According to some embodiments, a dual radio AP may include both a high power radio and a low power radio (and be configured to communicate via both the high power radio and the low power radio). For example, an AP may include both a Wi-Fi radio and a BLE radio. The following discussion relates to an exemplary embodiment including a Wi-Fi / BLE dual radio AP. However, this is merely exemplary, and it should be understood that the methods and apparatus discussed may also be applied to APs using different high power radios (e.g., high power radios configured to implement communication protocols other than Wi-Fi) and / or different low power radios (e.g., low power radios configured to implement communication protocols other than BLE).

[0075] In some embodiments, a Wi-Fi / BLE (or other high power / low power) dual radio AP may support assisted wake-up services. The AP may indicate this capability in periodic beacons via its high power radio (e.g., Wi-Fi beacons) and / or its low power radio (e.g., BLE advertising messages).

[0076] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for a high power / low power (e.g., Wi-Fi / BLE) dual radio STA to use a high power / low power (e.g., Wi-Fi / BLE) dual radio AP to utilize such assisted wake-up services according to some embodiments. In addition to other devices, Figure 4 The method shown is used with any of the computer systems or devices shown in the above figures. Some of the method elements shown may be performed simultaneously or in a different order than shown, or may be omitted. Additional method elements may also be performed as needed.

[0077] At 402, a power-limited dual-radio STA may, for example, discover an AP in both Wi-Fi and BLE interfaces, and in response, may register with the AP for an assisted wake-up service at 404. Once registered, the power-limited STA may disable its Wi-Fi radio at 406 (e.g., place the Wi-Fi radio in an inactive mode or otherwise initiate a low-power mode) and rely on the BLE radio to communicate with the AP to determine if there is a pending Wi-Fi transmission or update from the AP. For example, the power-limited STA may receive a BLE communication from the AP at 408 indicating that the AP has a pending Wi-Fi transmission or update applicable to the power-limited STA. In response, the STA may activate the Wi-Fi radio at 410 (e.g., transition the Wi-Fi radio from an inactive state to an active state). At 412, the STA may receive a pending Wi-Fi transmission or update from the AP.

[0078] Since Wi-Fi (or other high-power communications) generally has a greater range than BLE (or other low-power communications), in some scenarios, a power-limited STA may exceed the BLE range of an AP but remain within the Wi-Fi range of the AP. Therefore, if a power-limited STA does not receive any BLE message from an AP for a long time (e.g., a predetermined period), it may activate its Wi-Fi radio and perform Wi-Fi discovery (e.g., passively scan for Wi-Fi beacons or actively transmit probe request frames), and start tracking the Wi-Fi beacon of the AP.

[0079] Figure 5 is a signal flow diagram illustrating aspects of an exemplary method for implementing a passive assisted wake-up service using a high power / low power (e.g., Wi-Fi / BLE) dual radio AP with passive scanning by STAs in accordance with some embodiments. Figure 5 Provides information on Figure 4 In particular, Figure 5 An example signal flow for an embodiment is shown in which a STA receives Wi-Fi activity information from an AP using passive scanning of low-power messages such as BLE advertising messages. As shown, an AP such as AP 102 can communicate with a mobile device such as STA 106. AP 102 can include a Wi-Fi module (or other high-power radio component) 570 and a BLE module (or other low-power radio component) 572. STA 106 can include a Wi-Fi module (or other high-power radio component) 592 and a BLE module (or other low-power radio component) 590. STA 106 can be a power-limited STA.

[0080] For example, whenever there is a new LPU message available, the AP's Wi-Fi module 570 may provide a Wi-Fi low power update (LPU) message 502 to the AP's BLE module 572. The Wi-Fi LPU message 502 may include, for example, any or all of the following information:

[0081] The BSSID of the AP or a shortened BSSID, such as BSS Color.

[0082] · Handle unicast and multicast transmissions, such as 802.11 Traffic Indication Maps (TIMs). In some scenarios, AP 102 may assign an Association Identifier (AID) in a dedicated Association Identifier (AID) block to each STA that registers for assisted wake-up service. In some embodiments, the LPU message may include only the TIM for the dedicated AID block in order to reduce the size of the included TIM.

[0083] A counter that counts down to the next multicast transmission.

[0084] Wi-Fi beacon update sequence number, such as the 802.11 check beacon field.

[0085] The BLE module 572 of the AP 102 may periodically transmit BLE advertising messages 504. The BLE module 572 may include the Wi-Fi LPU message 502 in one or more such BLE advertising messages. For example, in some embodiments, the BLE advertising message 504 may include the most recently received Wi-Fi LPU message. In other embodiments, the BLE advertising message 504 may include a Wi-Fi LPU message 502 received only after the previous BLE advertising message.

[0086] For example, in response to registering an assisted wake-up service with an AP, the STA 106 may operate in a passive assisted wake-up service mode. Specifically, when operating in a passive assisted wake-up service mode, the STA 106 may disable (e.g., invoke a low power state or mode) its Wi-Fi module 592. The BLE module 590 may also be in a sleep mode (or other power reduction mode) and may periodically wake up (e.g., enter an active mode) to scan for BLE advertising messages 504. Upon receiving a BLE advertising message 504 from the AP 102, the BLE module 590 (or other components of the STA 106) may check for the included Wi-Fi LPU message 502. If the Wi-Fi LPU message 502 indicates that the AP 102 has a pending Wi-Fi transmission or operational update for the STA 106 (e.g., if the TIM included in the LPU message 502 indicates that the AP 102 has frames buffered for the STA 106), the BLE module 590 (or other components of the STA 106) may provide a notification 506 to the Wi-Fi module 592.

[0087] In response to the notification 506, the Wi-Fi module 592 of the STA 106 may be turned on (e.g., enter active mode) and request pending transmissions or operational updates from the AP 102. For example, once in the active state, the Wi-Fi module 592 may receive the Wi-Fi beacon 508 from the Wi-Fi module 570 of the AP 102; transmit the trigger 510 to the Wi-Fi module 570; and transmit and / or receive data via traditional Wi-Fi data communication 512. In some scenarios, the Wi-Fi module 592 may be turned on in time to receive the next multicast transmission, as shown in the Wi-Fi LPU. Upon completion of the Wi-Fi data communication 512, the STA 106 may again disable the Wi-Fi module 592 and return to the assisted wake-up service mode.

[0088] When a new Wi-Fi LPU message becomes available, it can be repeated Figure 5 The signal flow before .

[0089] Figure 6 is a signal flow diagram illustrating aspects of an exemplary method for implementing active assisted wake-up service using a high power / low power (e.g., Wi-Fi / BLE) dual radio AP with active advertising by STAs in accordance with some embodiments. Figure 6 Provides information on Figure 4 In particular, Figure 6An example signal flow for an implementation scheme is shown, in which the STA does not passively scan for BLE advertising messages from the AP, but actively advertises requests for BLE advertising messages that may include Wi-Fi updates. As shown, an AP such as AP 102 can communicate with a mobile device such as STA 106. AP 102 may include a Wi-Fi module (or other high-power radio component) 670 and a BLE module (or other low-power radio component) 672. STA 106 may also include a Wi-Fi module (or other high-power radio component) 692 and a BLE module (or other low-power radio component) 690. STA 106 may be a power-limited STA.

[0090] For example, whenever there is a new LPU message available, the AP's Wi-Fi module 670 may provide a Wi-Fi low power update (LPU) message 602 to the AP's BLE module 672. The Wi-Fi LPU 602 message may be similar to Figure 5 The BLE module 672 of the AP 102 may periodically transmit a BLE advertisement message 604. Figure 5 Similar to the method of BLE 672, the Wi-Fi LPU message 602 may be included in one or more such BLE advertising messages.

[0091] However, in Figure 6 In the method, STA 106 may not receive BLE advertising message 604. Specifically, for example, in response to registering for assisted wake-up service with the AP, STA 106 may operate in active assisted wake-up service mode. Specifically, when operating in active assisted wake-up service mode, STA 106 may disable its Wi-Fi module 692. BLE module 690 may also be in sleep mode (or other power reduction mode) and not in use with the AP. Figure 5 Unlike the passive assisted wake-up service mode of the STA 106, it may not wake up periodically to scan for BLE advertising messages 604. Instead, the BLE module 690 may wake up periodically to transmit its own BLE advertising message 606. The BLE advertising message 606 may include, for example, the MAC address and / or AID of the STA 106.

[0092] The BLE module 672 of the AP 102 may scan (e.g., continuously) for BLE advertising messages from a STA, such as the STA 106. Upon receiving the BLE advertising message 606 from the BLE module 690 of the STA 106, the BLE module 672 may transmit a scan request message 608 to the STA 106. If the BLE module 672 of the AP 102 has a new Wi-Fi LPU 602 for the STA 106, the scan request message 608 may include an indication that upon receiving the scan response message 610 from the BLE module 690 of the STA 106, the BLE module 672 will transmit one or more additional BLE advertising messages 612. If the BLE module 672 of the AP 102 does not have a new Wi-Fi LPU 602 for the STA 106, the scan request message 608 may simply indicate to the STA 106 that the AP 102 is still within the BLE range of the STA 106. Alternatively, if the BLE module 672 of the AP 102 does not have the new Wi-Fi LPU 602 for the STA 102 , the AP 102 may not transmit the scan request message 608 .

[0093] If the STA 106 does not receive a scan request message 608 indicating that the BLE module 672 will transmit one or more additional BLE advertising messages 612 within a predetermined time, the BLE module 690 may return to sleep mode. It should be understood that some communication protocols may be defined so that the STA 106 may expect a predetermined response, such as a scan request message 608, in response to the BLE advertising message 612. In addition, some communication protocols may be defined so that the predetermined time for receiving the scan request message 608 is very short. For these or other reasons, the AP may not immediately transmit the Wi-Fi LPU 602 in response to receiving the BLE advertising message 606, but may first exchange the scan request message 608 and the scan response message 610.

[0094] In some embodiments, the BLE module 672 of the AP 102 may use a BLE scanner filter to capture and process BLE advertisement messages from STAs registered for the active assisted wake-up service and transmit scan request messages only to those STAs.

[0095] In response to receiving the scan request message 608, the BLE module 690 may transmit a scan response message 610, which may indicate that the BLE module 690 will be available to receive additional BLE advertisement messages 612. In some embodiments, the BLE module 690 of the STA 106 may use a BLE advertisement filter to capture and process only scan request messages from the AP 102, and transmit scan response messages only to the AP.

[0096] Upon receiving the scan response message 610 , the BLE module 672 may transmit additional BLE advertising messages 612 , which may include the Wi-Fi LPU message 602 .

[0097] Upon receiving the additional BLE advertisement message 612 from the AP 102, the BLE module 690 (or other components of the STA 106) may examine the included Wi-Fi LPU message 602. If the Wi-Fi LPU message 602 indicates that the AP 102 has a pending Wi-Fi transmission or operational update for the STA 106 (e.g., if the TIM included in the LPU message 602 indicates that the AP 102 has a frame buffered for the STA 106), the BLE module 690 (or other components of the STA 106) may provide a notification 614 to the Wi-Fi module 692.

[0098] In response to the notification 614, the Wi-Fi module 692 of the STA 106 may turn on (e.g., enter active mode) and request pending transmissions or operational updates from the AP 102. For example, the Wi-Fi module 692 of the STA 106 and the Wi-Fi module 670 of the AP 102 may perform the same Figure 5 Steps 508-512 are similar steps.

[0099] In some scenarios, the active assisted wake-up service is more convenient for STA 106 than Figure 5 The passive assisted wake-up service may be more efficient. For example, in the active assisted wake-up service mode, the BLE module 690 does not need to wake up to receive each BLE advertisement message from the AP 102. Instead, the BLE module 690 may request BLE advertisement messages during its selection cycle and may receive additional BLE advertisement messages only when new Wi-Fi LPU messages are available. The active assisted wake-up service may be less efficient for the AP 102. However, in typical use cases, the AP 102 may have less stringent power constraints than the STA 106, especially when the STA 106 is power limited.

[0100] Figure 7 to Fig. 9 -Assisted wake-up service agent

[0101] Many typical high-power APs (e.g., many Wi-Fi APs) do not include a low-power radio (e.g., a BLE radio). To address this deficiency, a high-power / low-power (e.g., Wi-Fi / BLE) dual-radio STA with less stringent power constraints than a power-limited STA can be used as an auxiliary wake-up service agent.

[0102] Fig. 7Ais a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for a high power / low power (e.g., Wi-Fi / BLE) dual radio STA to utilize such assisted wake-up service using a high power (e.g., Wi-Fi) radio AP and a high power / low power (e.g., Wi-Fi / BLE) dual radio assisted wake-up service agent according to some embodiments. Figure 7B is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary supplemental method for an assisted wake-up service agent to participate in an assisted wake-up service. Fig. 7A and Figure 7B The method shown in the can be used with any of the computer systems or devices shown in the above figures. Some of the method elements shown can be performed simultaneously or in a different order than shown, or can be omitted. Other method elements can also be performed as needed.

[0103] At 701, the assisted wake-up service agent may receive an indication from an AP via its Wi-Fi radio that the AP supports (e.g., is capable of performing, is configured to perform, etc.) an assisted wake-up service. A power-limited STA (also referred to as a "receiving device") may also receive a similar indication from the AP at 702. As described above, such an indication may be included in a Wi-Fi beacon from the AP. In response to receiving the indication at 701, the assisted wake-up service agent may provide an indication to the power-limited STA (e.g., via a BLE beacon) at 703 that the agent also supports the assisted wake-up service.

[0104] In response to receiving an indication that the AP and the proxy support assisted wake-up service at 702 and / or 704, the power-limited STA may register for assisted wake-up service at the assisted wake-up service proxy and / or AP, for example, by transmitting a Wi-Fi request / instruction to the AP, and / or transmitting a Wi-Fi or BLE request / instruction to the proxy at 706. The proxy may receive the registration at 707, and in response may register with the AP at 709 to act as an assisted wake-up service proxy for power-limited STAs.

[0105] The power-limited STA may disable its Wi-Fi radio at 708 (e.g., placing the Wi-Fi radio in an inactive mode or otherwise initiating a low power mode) and rely on the BLE radio to communicate with the assisted wake-up service agent to determine whether there are pending Wi-Fi transmissions or updates from the AP.

[0106] For example, the assisted wake-up service agent may scan and track Wi-Fi beacons from the AP and generate Wi-Fi LPUs on behalf of the AP. The assisted wake-up service agent may utilize the Wi-Fi LPU to periodically transmit BLE advertising messages. Specifically, in response to receiving a Wi-Fi communication (e.g., a beacon) from the AP indicating that the AP has pending Wi-Fi transmissions or updates for a power-limited STA at 711, the agent may include the Wi-Fi LPU in subsequent BLE advertising messages at 713.

[0107] When the low power STA detects a pending Wi-Fi transmission or update from the AP via the assisted wake-up service agent at 714, the low power STA may activate its Wi-Fi radio (e.g., transition the Wi-Fi radio to an active state) at 716. The low power STA may then receive the pending Wi-Fi transmission or update from the AP at 718.

[0108] In some scenarios, a power-limited STA may be out of the BLE range of the proxy but remain in the Wi-Fi range of the AP, or the proxy may be out of the Wi-Fi range of the AP, thereby becoming ineligible to continue to serve as an assisted wake-up service proxy. Therefore, if a power-limited STA does not receive any BLE message from the proxy for a long time (e.g., a predetermined period), it may activate its Wi-Fi radio and perform Wi-Fi discovery (e.g., passively scanning for Wi-Fi beacons or actively transmitting probe request frames), and start tracking the AP's Wi-Fi beacon.

[0109] Figure 8 is a signal flow diagram illustrating various aspects of an exemplary method for implementing a passive assisted wake-up service using a high-power (e.g., Wi-Fi) AP and a high-power / low-power (e.g., Wi-Fi / BLE) dual radio agent that performs passive scanning via a STA in accordance with some embodiments. Figure 8 Provides information on Fig. 7A and Figure 7B In particular, Figure 8An example signal flow for an implementation scheme is shown, in which a STA uses passive scanning of a BLE advertising message to receive Wi-Fi activity information from a proxy. As shown, an AP such as AP 102 may communicate with a mobile device such as STA 106 and an auxiliary wake-up service agent via Wi-Fi (or other high-power communication), and the auxiliary wake-up service agent may also be a mobile device or other wireless device, such as STA 104. STA 106 may communicate with agent 104 via BLE (or other low-power communication). AP 102 may include a Wi-Fi module (or other high-power radio component) 870. Auxiliary wake-up service agent 104 may include a Wi-Fi module (or other high-power radio component) 880 and a BLE module (or other low-power radio component) 882. STA 106 may also include a Wi-Fi module (or other high-power radio component) 892 and a BLE module (or other low-power radio component) 890. STA 106 may be a power-limited STA.

[0110] The Wi-Fi module 870 of the AP may periodically transmit a Wi-Fi beacon 802, which may include, for example, any or all of the following information:

[0111] The BSSID of the AP or a shortened BSSID, such as BSS Color.

[0112] Handle unicast and multicast transmissions, such as 802.11 Traffic Indication Maps (TIMs). In some scenarios, the AP 102 may assign an AID in a dedicated AID block to each STA that registers for assisted wake-up service. In some embodiments, the Wi-Fi beacon 802 may include only the TIM for the dedicated AID block in order to reduce the size of the included TIM.

[0113] A counter that counts down to the next multicast transmission.

[0114] Wi-Fi beacon update sequence number, such as the 802.11 check beacon field.

[0115] Upon receiving Wi-Fi beacon 802, Wi-Fi module 880 of proxy 104 may provide Wi-Fi LPU message 804 to proxy BLE module 882. Wi-Fi LPU message 804 may include some or all of the information included in Wi-Fi beacon 802, such as the information listed above.

[0116] The BLE module 882 of the agent 104 may periodically transmit BLE advertising messages 806. The BLE module 882 includes the Wi-Fi LPU message 804 in one or more such BLE advertising messages. For example, in some embodiments, the BLE advertising message 806 may include the most recently received Wi-Fi LPU message. In other embodiments, the BLE advertising message 806 may include a Wi-Fi LPU message 804 received only after the previous BLE advertising message.

[0117] For example, in response to registering an assisted wake-up service with an AP and / or a proxy, the STA 106 may operate in a passive assisted wake-up service mode. Specifically, when operating in a passive assisted wake-up service mode, the STA 106 may disable (e.g., invoke a low power state or mode) its Wi-Fi module 892. The BLE module 890 may also be in a sleep mode (or other power reduction mode) and may periodically wake up (e.g., enter an active mode) to scan for BLE advertising messages 806. Upon receiving a BLE advertising message 806 from the proxy 104, the BLE module 890 (or other components of the STA 106) may check for included Wi-Fi LPU messages 804. If the Wi-Fi LPU message 804 indicates that the AP 102 has a pending Wi-Fi transmission or operational update for the STA 106 (e.g., if the TIM included in the LPU message 804 indicates that the AP 102 has frames buffered for the STA 106), the BLE module 890 (or other components of the STA 106) may provide a notification 808 to the Wi-Fi module 892.

[0118] In response to the notification 808, the Wi-Fi module 892 of the STA 106 may turn on (e.g., enter active mode) and request pending transmissions or operational updates from the AP 102. For example, once in the active state, the Wi-Fi module 892 may receive Wi-Fi beacons 810 from the Wi-Fi module 870 of the AP 102; transmit triggers 812 to the Wi-Fi module 870; and transmit and / or receive data via traditional Wi-Fi data communications 814. Upon completion of the Wi-Fi data communications 814, the STA 106 may again disable the Wi-Fi module 892 and return to the assisted wake-up service mode.

[0119] When AP 102 transmits a new Wi-Fi beacon message, it may repeat Figure 8 The signal flow before .

[0120] Fig. 9is a signal flow diagram illustrating various aspects of an exemplary method for implementing active assisted wake-up service using a high-power (e.g., Wi-Fi) AP and a high-power / low-power (e.g., Wi-Fi / BLE) dual radio agent that actively advertises via a STA according to some embodiments. Fig. 9 Provides information on Fig. 7A and Figure 7B In particular, Fig. 9 An example signal flow for an implementation scheme is shown, in which the STA does not passively scan for BLE advertising messages from the agent, but actively advertises a request for BLE advertising messages that may include Wi-Fi updates. As shown, an AP such as AP 102 can communicate with a mobile device such as STA 106 and an auxiliary wake-up service agent via Wi-Fi (or other high-power communication), and the auxiliary wake-up service agent can also be a mobile device or other wireless device, such as STA104. STA 106 can communicate with agent 104 via BLE (or other low-power communication). AP 102 may include a Wi-Fi module (or other high-power radio component) 970. Auxiliary wake-up service agent 104 may include a Wi-Fi module (or other high-power radio component) 980 and a BLE module (or other low-power radio component) 982. STA 106 may include a Wi-Fi module (or other high-power radio component) 992 and a BLE module (or other low-power radio component) 990. STA 106 may be a power-limited STA.

[0121] The Wi-Fi module 970 of the AP may periodically transmit a Wi-Fi beacon 902, which may be Figure 8 Upon receiving Wi-Fi beacon 902, Wi-Fi module 980 of proxy 104 may provide Wi-Fi LPU message 904 to BLE module 982 of proxy. Wi-Fi LPU message 904 may include some or all of the information included in Wi-Fi beacon 902.

[0122] The BLE module 982 of the agent 104 may periodically transmit a BLE advertising message 906. Figure 8 Similar to the method of BLE module 982, the BLE module 982 may include the Wi-Fi LPU message 904 in one or more such BLE advertising messages.

[0123] However, in Fig. 9In the method, STA 106 may not receive BLE advertising message 906. Specifically, for example, in response to registering for assisted wake-up service with AP 102 and / or proxy 104, STA 106 may operate in active assisted wake-up service mode. Specifically, when operating in active assisted wake-up service mode, STA 106 may disable its Wi-Fi module 992. BLE module 990 may also be in sleep mode (or other power reduction mode) and not in use with AP 102 and / or proxy 104. Figure 8 Unlike the passive assisted wake-up service mode of STA 106, it may not wake up periodically to scan for BLE advertising messages 906. Instead, BLE module 990 may wake up periodically to transmit its own BLE advertising message 908. BLE advertising message 908 may include the MAC address and / or AID of STA 106.

[0124] The BLE module 982 of the proxy 104 may scan (e.g., continuously) for BLE advertising messages from a STA, such as the STA 106. Upon receiving the BLE advertising message 908 from the BLE module 990 of the STA 106, the BLE module 982 may transmit a scan request message 910 to the STA 106. If the BLE module 982 of the proxy 104 has a new Wi-Fi LPU 904 for the STA 106, the scan request message 910 may include an indication that upon receiving the scan response message 912 from the BLE module 990 of the STA 106, the BLE module 982 will transmit one or more additional BLE advertising messages 914. If the BLE module 982 of the proxy 104 does not have a new Wi-Fi LPU 904 for the STA 106, the scan request message 910 may simply indicate to the STA 106 that the proxy 104 is still within the BLE range of the STA 106. Alternatively, if the BLE module 982 of the proxy 104 does not have the new Wi-Fi LPU 904 for the STA 106 , the proxy 104 may not transmit the scan request message 910 .

[0125] If the STA 106 does not receive a scan request message 910 indicating that the BLE module 990 will transmit one or more additional BLE advertisement messages 914 within a predetermined time, the BLE module 990 may return to sleep mode.

[0126] In some embodiments, the BLE module 982 of the proxy 104 may use a BLE scanner filter to capture and process BLE advertisement messages from STAs registered for the active assisted wake-up service and transmit scan request messages only to those STAs.

[0127] In response to receiving the scan request message 910, the BLE module 990 may transmit a scan response message 912, which may indicate that the BLE module 990 will be available to receive additional BLE advertisement messages 914. In some embodiments, the BLE module 990 of the STA 106 may use a BLE advertisement filter to capture and process only scan request messages from the agent 104, and transmit scan response messages only to that device.

[0128] Upon receiving the scan response message 912 , the BLE module 982 may transmit additional BLE advertising messages 914 , which may include the Wi-Fi LPU message 904 .

[0129] Upon receiving the additional BLE advertisement message 914 from the proxy 104, the BLE module 990 (or other components of the STA 106) may examine the included Wi-Fi LPU message 904. If the Wi-Fi LPU message 904 indicates that the AP 102 has a pending Wi-Fi transmission or operational update for the STA 106 (e.g., if the TIM included in the LPU message 904 indicates that the AP 102 has a frame buffered for the STA 106), the BLE module 990 (or other components of the STA 106) may provide a notification 916 to the Wi-Fi module 992.

[0130] In response to the notification 916, the Wi-Fi module 992 of the STA 106 may turn on (e.g., enter active mode) and request pending transmissions or operational updates from the AP 102. For example, the Wi-Fi module 992 of the STA 106 and the Wi-Fi module 970 of the AP 102 may perform the same Figure 8 Steps 810-814 are similar steps.

[0131] As described above, in some scenarios, the active assisted wake-up service is more effective for STA 106 than for Figure 8 The passive assisted wake-up service may be more efficient. For example, in the active assisted wake-up service mode, the BLE module 990 does not need to wake up to receive each BLE announcement message from the agent 104. The active assisted wake-up service may be less efficient for the agent 104. However, this may be acceptable in some scenarios, such as when the STA 106 is a power-limited device and the agent 104 is a less power-limited device. For example, in some scenarios, if the STA 104 is a mobile device, then the STA 104 can be used as a wake-up service agent and / or can be used as an active wake-up service agent only when connected to an external (e.g., non-depleting) power supply (e.g., an indication can be provided at 703).

[0132] The embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, some embodiments may be implemented as computer-implemented methods, computer-readable storage media, or computer systems. Other embodiments may be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. Other additional embodiments may be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.

[0133] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be configured such that it stores program instructions and / or data, wherein if the program instructions are executed by a computer system, the computer system is caused to perform a method, such as any one of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset of any one of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of such subsets.

[0134] In some embodiments, a device (e.g., a STA) may be configured to include a processor (or a group of processors) and a memory medium, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, wherein the processor is configured to read and execute the program instructions from the memory medium, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement any of the various method embodiments described herein (or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of such subsets). The device may be implemented in any of various forms.

[0135] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to encompass all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device, comprising: a high power radio configured to communicate according to a first communication protocol; a low power radio configured to communicate according to a second communication protocol; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the high power radio and the low power radio, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute software instructions to cause the wireless communication device to: receiving, from an access point, an indication that the access point supports an assisted wake-up service; providing, to a recipient device, an indication that the wireless communication device supports the assisted wake-up service; receiving a request from the recipient device to perform the auxiliary wake-up service; receiving, via the high power radio, a beacon message, the beacon message including a traffic indication map TIM indicating that the access point has data available for transmission to the recipient device according to the first communication protocol; as well as and transmitting a low power update (LPU) message to the recipient device via the low power radio, the LPU message including at least a portion of the TIM indicating that the access point has data available for transmission to the recipient device according to the first communication protocol, wherein implementing the assisted wake-up service includes transmitting the LPU message to the recipient device via the low power radio. 2 . The wireless communication device according to claim 1 , wherein the first communication protocol is a Wi-Fi protocol, and the second communication protocol is a Bluetooth low energy protocol.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the beacon message is received from the access point.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute software instructions to further cause the wireless communication device to: Determine that the TIM includes an identifier block of devices registering for an assisted wake-up service, the identifier block including an identifier of the recipient device; The at least a portion of the TIM includes the identifier block allocated to the device registering for the assisted wake-up service.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute software instructions to further cause the wireless communication device to: Prior to receiving the beacon message, an instruction is received from the recipient device to forward the at least a portion of the TIM to the recipient device according to the second communication protocol.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute software instructions to further cause the wireless communication device to: An announce message is received from the recipient device according to the second communication protocol, wherein transmitting the LPU message is in response to the announce message.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute software instructions to further cause the wireless communication device to: receiving, via the low power radio, an announce message from the recipient device according to the second communication protocol, the announce message indicating that the recipient device is ready to receive communications according to the second communication protocol; in response to the announce message, transmitting via the low power radio a scan request message, the scan request message instructing the recipient device to scan for further communications according to the second communications protocol; In response to the scan request message, a scan response message is received via the low power radio, the scan response message confirming that the recipient device will scan for further communications according to the second communication protocol, wherein transmitting the LPU message is in response to the scan response message.

8. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the LPU message further comprises an indication of a time until the access point makes a next multicast transmission and a beacon update sequence number, wherein the indication of the time and the beacon update sequence number are derived from the beacon message.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software instructions executable by a processor of a wireless communication device to cause the wireless communication device to: receiving a first communication according to a first communication protocol, the first communication comprising a traffic indication map TIM indicating that an access point has data available for transmission to a recipient device according to the first communication protocol; and Transmitting a second communication to the recipient device according to a second communication protocol, the second communication comprising: indicating at least a portion of the TIM that the access point has data available for transmission to the recipient device according to the first communication protocol, an indication of the time until the next multicast transmission by the access point, and A beacon update sequence number, wherein the indication of time and the beacon update sequence number are derived from the first communication.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the software instructions are further executable to cause the wireless communication device to: Determine that the TIM includes an identifier block of devices registering for an assisted wake-up service, the identifier block including an identifier of the recipient device; The at least a portion of the TIM includes the identifier block allocated to the device registering for the assisted wake-up service.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the software instructions are further executable to cause the wireless communication device to: receiving, from the access point, an indication that the access point supports an assisted wake-up service; providing, to the recipient device, an indication that the wireless communication device supports the assisted wake-up service; and A request is received from the recipient device to implement the assisted wake-up service, wherein implementing the assisted wake-up service includes transmitting the second communication according to the second communication protocol.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the software instructions are further executable to cause the wireless communication device to: Prior to receiving the first communication, an instruction is received from the recipient device to forward the at least a portion of the TIM to the recipient device according to the second communication protocol.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the software instructions are further executable to cause the wireless communication device to: An announce message is received from the recipient device according to the second communication protocol, wherein transmitting the second communication is in response to the announce message.

14. A wireless communication device, comprising: a high power radio configured to communicate according to a first communication protocol; a low power radio configured to communicate according to a second communication protocol; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the high power radio and the low power radio, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute software instructions to cause the wireless communication device to: receiving a first communication according to the first communication protocol, the first communication comprising a traffic indication map TIM indicating that an access point has data available for transmission to a recipient device according to the first communication protocol; as well as transmitting a second communication to the recipient device according to the second communication protocol, the second communication comprising: indicating at least a portion of the TIM that the access point has data available for transmission to the recipient device according to the first communication protocol, an indication of the time until the next multicast transmission by the access point, and A beacon update sequence number, wherein the indication of time and the beacon update sequence number are derived from the first communication.

15. A method for performing an auxiliary wake-up service, the method comprising: By wireless communication equipment: receiving a first communication according to a first communication protocol, the first communication comprising a traffic indication map TIM indicating that an access point has data available for transmission to a recipient device according to the first communication protocol; Determine that the TIM includes an identifier block of devices registering for an assisted wake-up service, the identifier block including an identifier of the recipient device; as well as transmitting a second communication to the recipient device according to a second communication protocol, the second communication comprising at least a portion of the TIM indicating that the access point has data available for transmission to the recipient device according to the first communication protocol, wherein the at least a portion of the TIM comprises the identifier block assigned to devices registering for an assisted wake-up service, The second communication includes: an indication of the time until the access point performs the next multicast transmission and a beacon update sequence number, wherein the indication of the time and the beacon update sequence number are derived from the first communication.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: receiving, from the access point, an indication that the access point supports an assisted wake-up service; providing, to the recipient device, an indication that the wireless communication device supports the assisted wake-up service; as well as A request is received from the recipient device to implement the assisted wake-up service, wherein implementing the assisted wake-up service includes transmitting the second communication according to the second communication protocol.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: Prior to receiving the first communication, an instruction is received from the recipient device to forward the at least a portion of the TIM to the recipient device according to the second communication protocol.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: An announce message is received from the recipient device according to the second communication protocol, wherein transmitting the second communication is in response to the announce message.

19. A wireless communication device, comprising: a high power radio configured to communicate according to a first communication protocol; a low power radio configured to communicate according to a second communication protocol; and At least one processor communicatively coupled to the high power radio and the low power radio, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute software instructions to cause the wireless communication device to perform the method of any one of claims 15-18.

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