Electronic device supporting TWT mode or power saving mode and operating method thereof

Abstract

An electronic device and an operation method of the electronic device are provided, the electronic device including: a communication circuit that transmits or receives data through at least one link generated between the electronic device and an external electronic device; and a processor. The processor may be configured to: identify a time interval between packets transmitted or received over the at least one link; identifying a proportion of at most a specified value of the time intervals; selecting a target wake-up time (TWT) mode in which the communication circuit is switched to an active state at each specified time based on the ratio or a power saving mode in which the communication circuit is switched to an inactive state when the packet is not transmitted or received during the specified time; and controlling the communication circuit based on the selected mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an electronic device and a method of operating the electronic device, and more particularly, to a wireless communication technology supporting a TWT mode or a power saving mode. Background Art

[0002] The proliferation of various electronic devices has led to significant speed improvements in wireless communications, which in turn enables various electronic devices to take full advantage of it. Among the wireless communications supported by recent electronic devices, wireless local area networks (WLANs) or Wi-Fi that comply with the IEEE 802.11 standard enable high-speed wireless connections across various electronic devices. While the first implementation of Wi-Fi can support transmission rates of up to 1 to 9 Mbps, Wi-Fi 6 technology (or IEEE 802.11 ax) can support transmission rates of up to about 10 Gbps.

[0003] Electronic devices may support various services using relatively large amounts of data (eg, UHD quality video streaming services, augmented reality (AR) services, virtual reality (VR) services, and / or mixed reality (MR) services) using wireless communications supporting high transmission rates.

[0004] The IEEE 802.11 ax standard has introduced a target wake time (TWT) function to improve battery performance of various electronic devices connected to an access point (AP). The TWT function may be a function of sending or receiving data between an electronic device and an AP within a specified time (target wake duration). The electronic device may send or receive data during the specified time, and may not send or receive data during a time other than the specified time. The TWT function appears as a function that can reduce power consumption of short-range wireless communications in electronic devices.

[0005] In addition, the IEEE 802.11 be (or Wi-Fi 7) standard is expected to introduce technology that supports multi-link operation (MLO) to increase speed and reduce latency in data transmission and reception. Electronic devices that support multi-link operation are expected to achieve relatively high transmission rates and low latency by allowing data to be sent or received over multiple links. Summary of the invention

[0006] Technical issues

[0007] The electronic device can activate the communication circuit supporting short-range wireless communication within the specified time (or TWT duration), receive data sent by an external electronic device (or AP), or send data to an external electronic device. The electronic device can deactivate the communication circuit outside the specified time. Electronic devices supporting TWT mode can reduce power consumption by deactivating the communication circuit outside the specified time.

[0008] The electronic device may support a power saving mode in which, when transmission or reception of a packet is completed, a communication circuit supporting short-range wireless communication is switched to an idle state (or a deactivated state, a nap state) in the case where no transmission or reception of a packet occurs within a specified time. By switching the communication circuit to the idle state, the electronic device may reduce power consumption caused by keeping the communication circuit in an active state even when no transmission or reception of a packet occurs.

[0009] In a situation where the time intervals between packets sent or received are relatively long (or a relatively large amount of intermittent traffic occurs), the electronic device may incur relatively high power consumption when operating in TWT mode by switching the communication circuitry to an active state even when there are no packets to send or receive.

[0010] Solution to the problem

[0011] An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include a communication circuit configured to send or receive data through at least one link generated between an external electronic device and the electronic device. The electronic device may include a processor. The processor may identify a time interval between packets sent or received on at least one link. The processor may identify a ratio of time intervals in the time interval that are equal to or less than a specified value. The processor may select one of a target wake time (TWT) mode and a power saving mode, in which the communication circuit switches to an active state at each specified time based on the ratio, and in which the communication circuit switches to an inactive state in a power saving mode when no transmission or reception of packets occurs during a specified time. The processor may be configured to control the communication circuit based on the selected mode.

[0012] The method of operating an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include: identifying a time interval between packets sent or received through at least one link generated between an external electronic device and the electronic device. The method may include identifying a ratio of a time interval among time intervals that is equal to or less than a specified value to a time interval among time intervals that is equal to or greater than a specified value. The method may include selecting one of a target wake time (TWT) mode and a power saving mode, in which the communication circuit of the electronic device switches to an active state at each specified time based on the ratio, and in which the communication circuit switches to an inactive state when no packet is sent or received during a specified time. The method may include controlling the communication circuit based on the selected mode.

[0013] Advantageous Effects of the Invention

[0014] The electronic device and the operating method of the electronic device can select the TWT mode or the power saving mode based on the ratio of the time intervals of packets sent or received on at least one link that are equal to or less than a specific value.

[0015] By selecting a power saving mode when the ratio of time intervals of packets sent or received on at least one link that are equal to or less than a specific value is equal to or greater than a specified size, an electronic device can achieve higher power efficiency compared to a TWT mode in which the communication circuit is activated at each specified time period.

[0016] An electronic device can achieve higher power efficiency by selecting TWT mode when the ratio of time intervals of packets sent or received on at least one link that is equal to or less than a specific value is equal to or less than a specified size, compared to a power saving mode in which an inactive mode is not entered due to relatively frequent packet sending or receiving. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating a procedure according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment in which an electronic device and an external electronic device operate in a multi-link operation (MLO) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 4A is a diagram illustrating an embodiment in which an electronic device controls a communication circuit based on a target wake time (TWT) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 4B is a diagram illustrating an embodiment in which an electronic device and an external electronic device perform a TWT operation according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 4C is a diagram illustrating an embodiment in which an electronic device controls a communication circuit based on a power saving mode according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 4D is a diagram illustrating an embodiment in which an electronic device controls a communication circuit based on one of a TWT mode or a power saving mode according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 5 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] Fig. 6Ais a diagram illustrating an embodiment of selecting any one of a power saving mode and a TWT mode based on a ratio of a time interval in a packet that is equal to or less than a specified value in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 6B is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of selecting any one of a power saving mode and a TWT mode based on a ratio of a time interval in a packet that is equal to or less than a specified value in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] Fig. 7A is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of sending and / or receiving packets through multiple links in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 7B It is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of selecting either a power saving mode or a TWT mode based on a ratio of time intervals of packets sent or received on multiple links being equal to or less than a specified value in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] Fig. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Figure 1 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device 101 in a network environment 100 according to various embodiments. Figure 1, the electronic device 101 in the network environment 100 may communicate with the electronic device 102 via the first network 198 (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or communicate with at least one of the electronic device 104 or the server 108 via the second network 199 (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may communicate with the electronic device 104 via the server 108. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may include a processor 120, a memory 130, an input module 150, a sound output module 155, a display module 160, an audio module 170, a sensor module 176, an interface 177, a connection terminal 178, a haptic module 179, a camera module 180, a power management module 188, a battery 189, a communication module 190, a user identification module (SIM) 196, or an antenna module 197. In some embodiments, at least one of the above components (e.g., the connection terminal 178) may be omitted from the electronic device 101, or one or more other components may be added to the electronic device 101. In some embodiments, some of the above-described components (eg, sensor module 176 , camera module 180 , or antenna module 197 ) may be implemented as a single integrated component (eg, display module 160 ) 11 .

[0032] The processor 120 may run, for example, software (e.g., program 140) to control at least one other component (e.g., hardware component or software component) of the electronic device 101 connected to the processor 120, and may perform various data processing or calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing or calculation, the processor 120 may store a command or data received from another component (e.g., sensor module 176 or communication module 190) in the volatile memory 132, process the command or data stored in the volatile memory 132, and store the resultant data in the non-volatile memory 134. According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may include a main processor 121 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) or an application processor (AP)) or an auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor (CP)) that is independent of or combined with the main processor 121 in operation. For example, when the electronic device 101 includes a main processor 121 and an auxiliary processor 123, the auxiliary processor 123 may be adapted to consume less power than the main processor 121, or adapted to be dedicated to a specific function. The auxiliary processor 123 may be implemented separately from the main processor 121, or as part of the main processor 121.

[0033] When the main processor 121 is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, the auxiliary processor 123 (rather than the main processor 121) may control at least some of the functions or states related to at least one component among the components of the electronic device 1011 (e.g., the display module 160, the sensor module 176, or the communication module 190), or when the main processor 121 is in an active state (e.g., running an application), the auxiliary processor 123 may control at least some of the functions or states related to at least one component among the components of the electronic device 101 (e.g., the display module 160, the sensor module 176, or the communication module 190) together with the main processor 121. According to an embodiment, the auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as part of another component (e.g., a camera module 180 or a communication module 190) that is functionally related to the auxiliary processor 123. According to an embodiment, the auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., a neural processing unit) may include a hardware structure dedicated to artificial intelligence model processing. The artificial intelligence model may be generated through machine learning. For example, such learning may be performed by the electronic device 101 where the artificial intelligence is executed or via a separate server (e.g., server 108). The learning algorithm may include, but is not limited to, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning, for example. The artificial intelligence model may include multiple artificial neural network layers. The artificial neural network may be a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recurrent deep neural network (BRDNN), or a deep Q network or a combination of two or more thereof, but is not limited thereto. Additionally or optionally, the artificial intelligence model may include a software structure in addition to a hardware structure.

[0034] The memory 130 may store various data used by at least one component of the electronic device 101 (e.g., the processor 120 or the sensor module 176). The various data may include, for example, software (e.g., the program 140) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory 130 may include a volatile memory 132 or a nonvolatile memory 134.

[0035] The program 140 may be stored as software in the memory 130 , and may include, for example, an operating system (OS) 142 , middleware 144 , or applications 146 .

[0036] The input module 150 may receive commands or data to be used by other components (e.g., the processor 120) of the electronic device 101 from outside (e.g., a user) of the electronic device 101. The input module 150 may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus).

[0037] The sound output module 155 can output sound signals to the outside of the electronic device 101. The sound output module 155 may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes such as playing multimedia or playing records. The receiver can be used to receive incoming calls. Depending on the embodiment, the receiver can be implemented as a separate part from the speaker, or as part of the speaker.

[0038] The display module 160 may visually provide information to the outside of the electronic device 101 (e.g., a user). The display device 160 may include, for example, a display, a holographic device, or a projector, and a control circuit for controlling a corresponding one of the display, the holographic device, and the projector. According to an embodiment, the display module 160 may include a touch sensor adapted to detect a touch or a pressure sensor adapted to measure the strength of a force caused by a touch.

[0039] The audio module 170 may convert sound into an electrical signal, or vice versa. According to an embodiment, the audio module 170 may obtain sound via the input module 150, or output sound via the sound output module 155 or an earphone of an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device 102) directly (e.g., wired) or wirelessly connected to the electronic device 101.

[0040] The sensor module 176 may detect an operating state (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device 101 or an environmental state (e.g., a state of a user) outside the electronic device 101, and then generate an electrical signal or a data value corresponding to the detected state. According to an embodiment, the sensor module 176 may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illumination sensor.

[0041] The interface 177 may support one or more specific protocols to be used to connect the electronic device 101 directly (e.g., wired) or wirelessly with an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102). According to an embodiment, the interface 177 may include, for example, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a secure digital (SD) card interface, or an audio interface.

[0042] The connection end 178 may include a connector, wherein the electronic device 101 can be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102) via the connector. According to an embodiment, the connection end 178 may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0043] The haptic module 179 may convert the electric signal into mechanical stimulation (eg, vibration or motion) or electric stimulation that can be recognized by the user via his sense of touch or kinesthetic sense. According to an embodiment, the haptic module 179 may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electric stimulator.

[0044] The camera module 180 may capture still images or moving images. According to an embodiment, the camera module 180 may include one or more lenses, an image sensor, an image signal processor, or a flash.

[0045] The power management module 188 may manage power supply to the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the power management module 188 may be implemented as, for example, at least a part of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0046] The battery 189 may power at least one component of the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the battery 189 may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0047] The communication module 190 may support establishing a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device 101 and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device 102, electronic device 104, or server 108), and perform communication via the established communication channel. The communication module 190 may include one or more communication processors capable of operating independently from the processor 120 (e.g., an application processor (AP)) and supporting direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to an embodiment, the communication module 190 may include a wireless communication module 192 (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module 194 (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module or a power line communication (PLC) module). A corresponding one of these communication modules can communicate with an external electronic device via a first network 198 (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) Direct, or Infrared Data Association (IrDA)) or a second network 199 (e.g., a long-range communication network such as a traditional cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or a wide area network (WAN))). These various types of communication modules may be implemented as a single component (e.g., a single chip), or may be implemented as multiple components (e.g., multiple chips) separated from each other. The wireless communication module 192 may identify and authenticate the electronic device 101 in a communication network (such as the first network 198 or the second network 199) using user information (e.g., an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)) stored in the user identification module 196.

[0048] The wireless communication module 192 may support 5G networks after 4G networks and next generation communication technologies (e.g., new radio (NR) access technologies). NR access technologies may support enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine type communications (mMTC), or ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC). The wireless communication module 192 may support high frequency bands (e.g., millimeter wave bands) to achieve, for example, high data transmission rates. The wireless communication module 192 may support various technologies for ensuring performance on high frequency bands, such as, for example, beamforming, massive multiple input multiple output (massive MIMO), full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, or massive antennas. The wireless communication module 192 may support various requirements specified in the electronic device 101, an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device 104), or a network system (e.g., a second network 199). According to an embodiment, the wireless communication module 192 may support a peak data rate for implementing eMBB (e.g., 20 Gbps or greater), loss coverage for implementing mMTC (e.g., 164 dB or less), or U-plane delay for implementing URLLC (e.g., 0.5 ms or less for each of the downlink (DL) and uplink (UL), or 1 ms or less for a round trip).

[0049] The antenna module 197 may transmit or receive a signal or power to or from the outside of the electronic device 101 (e.g., an external electronic device). According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 may include an antenna including a radiation element formed of a conductive material or a conductive pattern formed in or on a substrate (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB)). According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication scheme used in a communication network (such as the first network 198 or the second network 199) may be selected from the plurality of antennas by, for example, the communication module 190 (e.g., the wireless communication module 192). A signal or power may then be transmitted or received between the communication module 190 and the external electronic device via the selected at least one antenna. According to an embodiment, another component (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) other than the radiation element may be additionally formed as a part of the antenna module 197.

[0050] According to various embodiments, the antenna module 197 may form a millimeter wave antenna module. According to an embodiment, the millimeter wave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., array antennas), wherein the RFIC is disposed on a first surface (e.g., bottom surface) of the printed circuit board, or adjacent to the first surface and capable of supporting a designated high frequency band (e.g., millimeter wave band), and the plurality of antennas are disposed on a second surface (e.g., top surface or side surface) of the printed circuit board, or adjacent to the second surface and capable of transmitting or receiving signals of the designated high frequency band.

[0051] At least some of the above components may be connected to each other via an inter-peripheral communication scheme (e.g., a bus, general purpose input output (GPIO), a serial peripheral interface (SPI), or a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)) and communicatively transmit signals (e.g., commands or data) therebetween.

[0052] According to an embodiment, a command or data may be sent or received between the electronic device 101 and the external electronic device 104 via the server 108 connected to the second network 199. Each of the electronic device 102 or the electronic device 104 may be a device of the same type as the electronic device 101, or a device of a different type from the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, all or some operations to be executed in the electronic device 101 may be executed in one or more of the external electronic device 102, the external electronic device 104, or the server 108. For example, if the electronic device 101 should automatically execute a function or service or should execute a function or service in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device 101 may request the one or more external electronic devices to execute at least part of the function or service instead of executing the function or service, or the electronic device 101 may request the one or more external electronic devices to execute at least part of the function or service in addition to executing the function or service. The one or more external electronic devices receiving the request may execute at least part of the requested function or service, or execute another function or another service related to the request, and send the result of the execution to the electronic device 101. The electronic device 101 may provide the result as at least a partial reply to the request with or without further processing the result. To this end, cloud computing technology, distributed computing technology, mobile edge computing (MEC) technology, or client-server computing technology, for example, may be used. The electronic device 101 may use, for example, distributed computing or mobile edge computing to provide ultra-low latency services. In another embodiment, the external electronic device 104 may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server 108 may be an intelligent server using machine learning and / or neural networks. According to an embodiment, the external electronic device 104 or the server 108 may be included in the second network 199. The electronic device 101 may be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart homes, smart cities, smart cars, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology or IoT-related technologies.

[0053] Figure 2 2 is a block diagram 200 showing a program 140 according to various embodiments. According to an embodiment, the program 140 may include an operating system (OS) 142 for controlling one or more resources of the electronic device 101, middleware 144, or an application 146 that may be executed in the OS 142. The OS 142 may include, for example, an Android TM 、iOS TM , Windows TM , Symbian TM 、Tizen TM or Bada TMFor example, at least a portion of program 140 may be preloaded onto electronic device 101 during manufacturing, or may be downloaded from an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device 102 or electronic device 104, or server 108) or updated by an external electronic device during user use.

[0054] OS 142 may control management (e.g., allocation or deallocation) of one or more system resources (e.g., processes, memory, or power) of electronic device 101. Additionally or alternatively, OS 142 may include one or more drivers for driving other hardware devices of electronic device 101 (e.g., input module 150, sound output module 155, display module 160, audio module 170, sensor module 176, interface 177, haptic module 179, camera module 180, power management module 188, battery 189, communication module 190, user identification module 196, or antenna module 197).

[0055] The middleware 144 may provide various functions to the application 146 so that the application 146 can use functions or information provided from one or more resources of the electronic device 101. The middleware 144 may include, for example, an application manager 201, a window manager 203, a multimedia manager 205, a resource manager 207, a power manager 209, a database manager 211, a package manager 213, a connection manager 215, a notification manager 217, a location manager 219, a graphic manager 221, a security manager 223, a telephony manager 225, or a voice recognition manager 227.

[0056] The application manager 201 may, for example, manage the life cycle of the application 146. The window manager 203 may, for example, manage one or more graphical user interface (GUI) resources used on the screen. The multimedia manager 205 may, for example, identify one or more formats to be used for playing a media file, and may encode or decode a corresponding media file among the media files using a codec suitable for a corresponding format selected from the one or more formats. The resource manager 207 may, for example, manage the source code of the application 146 or the storage space of the memory 130. The power manager 209 may, for example, manage the capacity, temperature, or power of the battery 189, and may determine or provide relevant information to be used for the operation of the electronic device 101 based at least in part on the corresponding information of the capacity, temperature, or power of the battery 189. According to an embodiment, the power manager 209 may work in conjunction with a basic input / output system (BIOS) (not shown) of the electronic device 101.

[0057] The database manager 211 may, for example, generate, search for, or change a database to be used by the application 146. The package manager 213 may, for example, manage the installation or update of applications distributed in the form of package files. The connection manager 215 may, for example, manage a wireless connection or a direct connection between the electronic device 101 and an external electronic device. The notification manager 217 may, for example, provide a function for notifying a user of the occurrence of a specific event (e.g., an incoming call, message, or alarm). The location manager 219 may, for example, manage location information about the electronic device 101. The graphic manager 221 may, for example, manage one or more graphic effects to be provided to the user or a user interface related to the one or more graphic effects.

[0058] The security manager 223 may, for example, provide system security or user authentication. The phone manager 225 may, for example, manage a voice call function or a video call function provided by the electronic device 101. The voice recognition manager 227 may, for example, send the user's voice data to the server 108, and receive from the server 108 a command corresponding to a function that runs on the electronic device 101 based at least in part on the voice data or text data converted at least in part on the voice data. According to an embodiment, the middleware 144 may dynamically delete some existing components or add new components. According to an embodiment, at least a portion of the middleware 144 may be included as a part of the OS 142, or at least a portion of the middleware 144 may be implemented as another software separated from the OS 142.

[0059] Applications 146 may include, for example, a home page 251, a dialer 253, a short message service (SMS) / multimedia message service (MMS) 255, an instant message (IM) 257, a browser 259, a camera 261, an alarm 263, a contact 265, a voice recognition 267, an email 269, a calendar 271, a media player 273, an album 275, a watch 277, a health 279 (e.g., for measuring exercise level or bio-information (such as blood sugar)) or an environmental information 281 (e.g., for measuring air pressure, humidity or temperature information) application. According to an embodiment, application 146 may also include an information exchange application (not shown) capable of supporting information exchange between the electronic device 101 and an external electronic device. The information exchange application may, for example, include a notification forwarding application suitable for sending specified information (e.g., a call, message or alarm) to an external electronic device or a device management application suitable for managing an external electronic device. The notification forwarding application may send notification information corresponding to a specific event (e.g., receiving an email) occurring in another application (e.g., email application 269) of the electronic device 101 to the external electronic device. Additionally or alternatively, the notification forwarding application may receive notification information from the external electronic device and provide the notification information to the user of the electronic device 101.

[0060] The device management application may control the power (e.g., turning on or off) or functions (e.g., adjustment of brightness, resolution, or focus) of the external electronic device or some components of the external electronic device (e.g., a display module or a camera module of the external electronic device). Additionally or alternatively, the device management application may support installation, deletion, or updating of applications running on the external electronic device.

[0061] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment in which an electronic device and an access point (AP) operate in a multi-link operation (MLO) according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0062] refer to Figure 3 , the wireless LAN system 300 may include an electronic device 310 and / or an external electronic device 320. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 310 may perform wireless communication with the external electronic device 320 through short-range wireless communication. Wireless communication may refer to various communication methods that both the electronic device 310 and / or the external electronic device 320 can support. For example, the wireless communication may be Wi-Fi. The external electronic device 320 may be used as a base station that provides wireless communication to at least one electronic device 310 located within a communication radius of the wireless LAN system 300. As an example, the external electronic device 320 may include an access point (AP) that complies with the IEEE 802.11 standard. The electronic device 310 may include a station (STA) that complies with the IEEE 802.11 standard.

[0063] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device 310 and / or the external electronic device 320 may support a multi-link operation (MLO). The multi-link operation may be an operation mode in which data is sent or received on multiple links (e.g., the first link 331 and the second link 332). The multi-link operation may be an operation mode in which data is sent or received on multiple links based on multiple frequency bands or channels.

[0064] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device 310 may include multiple communication circuits (e.g., a first communication circuit 311 and / or a second communication circuit 312) to support multi-link operation. The first communication circuit 311 may send data to the external electronic device 320 via the first link 331, or receive data sent by the external electronic device 320 via the first link 331. The first communication circuit 311 may output or receive a signal in a frequency band corresponding to the first link 331 via the first antenna 313. The second communication circuit 312 may send data to the external electronic device 320 via the second link 332, or may receive data sent by the external electronic device 320 via the second link 332. The second communication circuit 312 may output or receive a signal in a frequency band corresponding to the second link 332 via the second antenna 314. The first communication circuit 311 and / or the second communication circuit 312 may be implemented to be integrated into a single communication circuit.

[0065] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the external electronic device 320 may include multiple communication circuits (e.g., a third communication circuit 321 and / or a fourth communication circuit 322) to support multi-link operation. The third communication circuit 321 may send data to the electronic device 310 via the first link 331, or receive data sent by the electronic device 310 via the first link 331. The third communication circuit 321 may output or receive a signal in a frequency band corresponding to the first link 331 via the third antenna 323. The fourth communication circuit 322 may send data to the electronic device 310 via the second link 332, or may receive data sent by the electronic device 310 via the second link 332. The fourth communication circuit 322 may output or receive a signal in a frequency band corresponding to the second link 332 via the fourth antenna 324. The third communication circuit 321 and / or the fourth communication circuit 322 may be implemented to be integrated into a single communication circuit.

[0066] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the frequency band of the first link 331 and the frequency band of the second link 333 may be different. For example, the first link 331 may have a frequency band of 2.5 GHz, and the second link 332 may have a frequency band of 5 GHz or 6 GHz.

[0067] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the first link 331 and the second link 332 may utilize an electronic device other than the electronic device 310. The electronic device 310 may support a carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA / CA) scheme to prevent the electronic device 310 and another electronic device from simultaneously sending or receiving data through the same link. The CSMA / CA scheme may be a scheme for sending data when a specific link is in an idle state. The electronic device 310 supporting CSMA / CA may detect whether another electronic device is sending data through a specific link, and in the case where the electronic device 310 detects that data is being sent by another electronic device, the electronic device 310 may wait and postpone sending data through a specific link. In response to detecting that another electronic device is not sending data on a specific link, the electronic device 310 supporting CSMA / CA may send data on a specific link in a specified manner (e.g., by activating a timer and sending data when the timer expires). As described above, the electronic device 310 may use a specific link to perform data transmission and / or reception without conflicting with other electronic devices.

[0068] According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the first link 331 and / or the second link 332 supported by the multi-link operation may independently support CSMA / CA.

[0069] The electronic device 310 supporting the CSMA / CA scheme may identify whether a specific link is in an idle state before transmitting data. The electronic device 310 may transmit data through the specific link in the idle state.

[0070] The electronic device 310 may determine whether the first link 331 is in an idle state based on information related to the idle state of the first link 331 included in the data transmitted by the external electronic device 320. The information related to the idle state of the first link 331 may include a clear channel assessment (CCA) state field and / or a network allocation vector (NAV) configuration field. The information related to the idle state of the first link 331 may be included in a request to send (RTS) message requesting permission for data transmission through the first link 331, and a clear to send (CTS) message indicating that data reception through the first link 331 is ready. The electronic device 310 may refer to the clear channel assessment (CCA) state field and / or the network allocation vector (NAV) configuration field to identify whether a specific link is in an idle state. The electronic device 310 may determine whether the first link 331 is physically in an idle state by referring to the CCA state field, and determine whether the first link 331 is logically in an idle state by referring to the NAV configuration field. In response to determining that the first link 331 is in an idle state, when a designated time expires, the electronic device 310 may activate a timer and transmit data to the external electronic device 320 through the first link 331 .

[0071] The electronic device 310 may identify whether the second link 332 is in an idle state based on information related to the idle state of the second link 332 included in the data sent by the external electronic device 320. The information related to the idle state of the second link 332 may include a clear channel assessment (CCA) state field and / or a network allocation vector (NAV) configuration field. The information related to the idle state of the second link 332 may be included in a request to send (RTS) message requesting permission for data transmission through the second link 332, and a clear to send (CTS) message indicating that data reception through the second link 332 is ready. The electronic device 310 may refer to the clear channel assessment (CCA) state field and / or the network allocation vector (NAV) configuration field to determine whether a specific link is in an idle state. The electronic device 310 may determine whether the second link 332 is physically in an idle state by referring to the CCA state field, and determine whether the second link 332 is logically in an idle state by referring to the NAV configuration field. In response to determining that the specific link is in the idle state, the electronic device 310 may activate a timer and transmit data to the external electronic device 320 through the second link 332 when a designated time expires.

[0072] Figure 4Ais a diagram illustrating an embodiment in which an electronic device controls a communication circuit based on a target wake time (TWT).

[0073] Electronic devices (e.g. Figure 3 The electronic device 310 in FIG. 1 may support a target wake time (TWT), in which the electronic device receives and / or transmits data at a designated time and does not receive and / or transmit data during other times.

[0074] TWT is a function proposed in the IEEE 802.11 standard that allows electronic devices to send and / or receive data through short-range wireless communication during a specified time and reduce the power consumed in performing short-range wireless communication by switching to an idle state (or inactive state) outside the specified time.

[0075] When the electronic device 310 is connected to the external electronic device 320, it can negotiate with the external electronic device 320 to enable the TWT function and configure the TWT parameters. The TWT parameters may be parameters required to perform the TWT function. According to an embodiment, the TWT parameters may include at least one of the following: a target wake-up time 411, which indicates a time point of activation of data transmission and / or reception; TWT duration (or TWT service period (SP)) 412-a, 412-b and 412-c, each indicating a duration in which data transmission and / or reception can be performed; and / or TWT wake-up intervals 413-a and 413-b, each indicating an interval between a time point of activation of data transmission and / or reception and a time point of next activation of data transmission and / or reception.

[0076] The electronic device 310 may send the generated TWT parameters to the external electronic device 320 during the negotiation process related to the activation of the TWT function. The external electronic device 320 may send data to the electronic device 310 within a specific time period (e.g., 412-a, 412-b, and / or 412-c) based on the TWT parameters.

[0077] The electronic device 310 may transmit data to the external electronic device 320 within a specific time period (e.g., 412-a, 412-b, and / or 412-c). The electronic device 310 may activate the communication circuit (e.g., Figure 3 The first communication circuit 311 and / or the second communication circuit 312 in the communication circuit 314 are activated, and the communication circuits 311 and 312 are deactivated in different time periods (for example, 414-a and / or 414-b). Thus, the power consumption of the communication circuits 311 and 312 can be reduced.

[0078] Support for multiple links (e.g. Figure 3The electronic device 310 that sends and / or receives data on the first link 331 and / or the second link 332 in the communication network may configure a TWT function for each link. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 310 may send and / or receive data using all of the multiple links during the same time period, wherein the TWT functions of the multiple links are activated.

[0079] Figure 4B is a diagram showing an embodiment in which an electronic device performs a TWT operation.

[0080] Electronic device 310 (eg, Figure 3 The electronic device 310 in the embodiment is connected to the external electronic device 320 (for example, Figure 3 When the electronic device 310 receives an external electronic device 320 in the electronic device 310, it can negotiate with the external electronic device 320 to activate the TWT function and configure the TWT parameters. The electronic device 310 may send a TWT request message 421 requesting TWT negotiation to the external electronic device 320 to activate the TWT function. The TWT request message 421 may include TWT parameters generated by the electronic device 310. The TWT parameters may be parameters required to perform the TWT function. According to an embodiment, the TWT parameters may include at least one of the following: a target wake-up time 423, which indicates an activation time point for data transmission and / or reception; TWT duration (or TWT service period (SP)) 424 and 427, each indicating a duration in which data transmission and / or reception can be performed; and / or TWT wake-up intervals 426 and 429, each indicating an interval between an activation time point for data transmission and / or reception and a next activation time point for data transmission and / or reception.

[0081] The external electronic device 320 can receive a TWT request message 421, modify the TWT parameters included in the TWT request message 421 (or keep the TWT parameters unchanged), and send a TWT response message 422 including the modified TWT parameters (or the same as the TWT parameters included in the TWT request message 421) to the electronic device 310.

[0082] The electronic device 310 may perform operations based on the TWT parameters included in the TWT response message.

[0083] The electronic device 310 may transmit data (311) to the external electronic device 320 during the specific time periods 424 and 427. The electronic device 310 may activate the communication circuit (eg, Figure 1 The wireless communication module 192 in the communication circuit 192 is activated, and the communication circuit 192 is deactivated during another time period 425 and 428, thereby reducing the power consumed by the communication circuit 192.

[0084] Figure 4Cis a diagram showing an embodiment in which an electronic device controls a communication circuit based on a power saving mode.

[0085] Electronic devices (e.g. Figure 3 The electronic device 310 in the embodiment may support a power saving mode in which a communication circuit supporting short-range wireless communication is switched to an idle state (or a deactivated state, a doze state) when no packet transmission or reception occurs within a specified period of time after the completion of the transmission or reception of the packet. By switching the communication circuit to the idle state, the electronic device 310 may also reduce power consumption caused by maintaining the communication circuit in an active state even when no packet transmission or reception occurs.

[0086] The electronic device 310 may activate a counter that may count the designated time 433 upon completion of transmission or reception of the packet 431. The electronic device 310 may identify (or monitor) whether transmission or reception of the packet occurs during the designated time 433. The electronic device 310 may keep the communication circuit active (or not switch to the idle state) until the designated time 433 expires.

[0087] refer to Figure 4C , the electronic device 310 may detect that the transmission or reception of the packet 434 occurs after the predetermined time 432 when the transmission or reception of the packet 431 is completed. The predetermined time 432 may be less than the specified time 433 assigned to the counter. The electronic device 310 may keep the communication circuit active and / or deactivate the counter, and transmit or receive the packet 434.

[0088] The electronic device 310 may reactivate the counter upon completion of transmission or reception of the packet 434 and identify (or monitor) whether the transmission or reception of the packet occurs during the designated time 435 .

[0089] The electronic device 310 may determine that no transmission or reception of packets occurred during the specified time 435 assigned to the counter and may switch the communication circuit to an idle state based on the expiration of the specified time 435. The electronic device 310 may reduce power consumption by switching the communication circuit to an idle state.

[0090] The electronic device 310 may switch the communication circuit back to the active state and perform transmission or reception of the packet based on detecting that the transmission or reception of the packet occurs.

[0091] The electronic device 310 may identify a signal included in a signal received by an external electronic device (eg, Figure 3The communication circuit is switched back to the active state and receives packets from the external electronic device 320, in response to a traffic indication map (TIM) element in a beacon sent by the external electronic device 320 and indicating the presence of packets to be sent by the external electronic device 320 to the electronic device 310.

[0092] Figure 4D is a diagram showing an embodiment in which an electronic device controls a communication circuit based on a TWT mode or a power saving mode.

[0093] Electronic devices (e.g. Figure 3 The electronic device 310) can be used Figure 4B The TWT mode shown in the figure or Figure 4C The power saving mode shown in the figure is used to send or receive packets.

[0094] In the case 443 where the time interval between packets sent or received is relatively short, it is possible for the electronic device 310 to send or receive packets using the TWT mode to achieve relatively low power consumption compared to the electronic device 310 sending or receiving packets using the power saving mode. In the case where the electronic device 310 operates in the power saving mode with a relatively short time interval between packets, the electronic device 310 can send or receive packets before the counter in the power saving mode expires, thereby preventing the communication circuit from entering an idle state.

[0095] In a situation 441 where the time interval between packets sent or received is relatively long (or where a relatively large amount of intermittent traffic occurs), the use of a power save mode by the electronic device 310 to send or receive packets can achieve relatively lower power consumption than using a TWT mode to send or receive packets. In a situation where the time interval between packets sent or received is relatively long, the electronic device 310, when operating in a TWT mode, may incur relatively higher power consumption by switching the communication circuit to an active state even when there is no transmission or reception of packets.

[0096] Hereinafter, embodiments are described in which high power efficiency can be achieved by selecting a TWT mode or a power saving mode based on a time interval of packets sent or received.

[0097] Figure 5 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0098] Electronic devices (e.g. Figure 3 The electronic device 310 in the embodiment may include a communication circuit 510 (eg, Figure 4B The first communication circuit 311 or the second communication circuit 312 in the embodiment of the present invention) and / or the processor 520 (for example, Figure 1 Processor 120 in the processor).

[0099] The communication circuit 510 may include various circuit structures for modulation and / or demodulation of signals within the electronic device 310. For example, the communication circuit 510 may modulate a signal in a baseband into a signal in a radio frequency (RF) band to output through an antenna (not shown), or demodulate a signal in an RF band received through an antenna into a signal in a baseband to send to the processor 520.

[0100] The communication circuit 510 can receive a signal from an external electronic device (eg, Figure 3 The packet may be sent by the external electronic device 320 , or the packet may be sent to the external electronic device 320 .

[0101] The communication circuit 510 may also support multi-link operation (MLO). In the case where the communication circuit 510 supports MLO, the communication circuit 510 may communicate with the user via a first link (e.g., Figure 3 The first link 331 in the embodiment sends a plurality of packets to an external electronic device (eg, Figure 3 The communication circuit 510 may receive data sent by the external electronic device 320 via the second link (eg, Figure 3 The communication circuit 510 may transmit a packet to the external electronic device 320 via the second link 332 in the first link 331, or may receive a packet transmitted by the external electronic device 320 via the second link 332. The communication circuit 510 may output or receive a signal in a frequency band corresponding to the first link 331 through an antenna (not shown), and may output or receive a signal in a frequency band corresponding to the second link 332 through an antenna (not shown). The frequency band of the first link 331 and the frequency band of the second link 333 may be different. For example, the first link 331 may have a frequency band of 2.5 GHz, and the second link 332 may have a frequency band of 5 GHz or 6 GHz.

[0102] The communication circuit 510 may support a TWT mode and / or a power saving mode. The TWT mode may be one in which the communication circuit 510 may support a TWT mode and / or a power saving mode. Figure 4B The target wake-up time 423 in FIG. 4A activates the communication circuit 510 and keeps the communication circuit 510 active for a specified duration (e.g., Figure 4B The power saving mode can be a mode in which packets are sent or received during the TWT service periods (SPs) 424 and 427). Figure 4C The communication circuit 510 is switched to an inactive mode when no packet is sent or received within a specified time 433 in FIG. The communication circuit 510 may operate in a TWT mode or a power saving mode based on the control of the processor 520 .

[0103] The processor 520 may perform operations to generate a signal for receiving a signal received by an application processor (eg, Figure 1 The processor 520 may be defined as a processor included in a communication module (eg, Figure 1 According to an embodiment, the processor 520 may be based on the communication processor of the wireless communication module 192 in the application processor (e.g., Figure 1 The invention also provides a method for performing channel coding on data sent by an application processor 120 in the external electronic device 320 to generate a packet, identifying whether at least a portion of the data sent by the external electronic device 320 is erroneous, or performing an operation for repairing the error (e.g., hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ)) in the event of an error.

[0104] The processor 520 operatively coupled to the communication circuit 510 may control the operation of the communication circuit 510. The processor 520 may receive data transmitted by the application processor 120 and select a link for transmitting or receiving a packet corresponding to the data based on characteristics of a service included in the data.

[0105] The processor 520 may use any one of the TWT mode and the power saving mode to control the communication circuit 510. When selecting any one of the TWT mode and the power saving mode, the processor 520 may select any one of the TWT mode and the power saving mode based on the time interval between packets sent or received on at least one link (e.g., the first link 331).

[0106] The processor 520 may identify a time interval between packets sent or received on at least one link (eg, the first link 331 ).

[0107] The time interval between packets may refer to an interval between a first time point substantially equal to a time point at which transmission or reception of a packet is completed and a second time point substantially equal to a time point at which transmission or reception of the next packet starts.

[0108] The processor 520 may identify a time interval having a value equal to or less than (or smaller than) a specified value among the time intervals between packets.

[0109] The specified magnitude is a value generated based on a value assigned to a timer activated in the power saving mode, and may be the same as or similar to the value assigned to the timer.

[0110] In the case where the time interval between packets is greater than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode, using the power saving mode to control the communication circuit 510 may achieve higher power efficiency than using the TWT mode to control the communication circuit 510.

[0111] In a situation where the time interval between packets is less than the value assigned to the timer configured in the TWT mode, using the TWT mode to control the communication circuit 510 may achieve higher power efficiency than using the power saving mode to control the communication circuit 510.

[0112] The processor 520 may identify a ratio of time intervals having a value equal to or less than (or less than) a specified size among time intervals between packets.

[0113] The ratio of the time intervals may be a ratio of the sum of the time intervals of the specified size to the sum of the time intervals between packets. Alternatively, the ratio of the time intervals may be a ratio of the number of time intervals of the specified size to the number of time intervals between packets.

[0114] The processor 520 may select any one of the TWT mode and the power saving mode based on the identified ratio.

[0115] The processor 520 may select the TWT mode based on determining that the identified ratio is equal to (or greater than) a specified value (e.g., 0.5). The situation in which the identified ratio is equal to or greater than (or greater than) the specified value may refer to the relatively frequent occurrence of a state in which the time interval between packets is less than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode. And in the situation in which the state in which the time interval between packets is less than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode occurs relatively frequently, using the TWT mode to control the communication circuit 510 can achieve higher power efficiency than using the power saving mode to control the communication circuit 510.

[0116] The processor 520 may select the power saving mode based on identifying that the identified ratio is equal to or less than (or less than) a specified value (e.g., 0.5). The situation where the identified ratio is equal to or less than (or less than) the specified value may refer to the relatively frequent occurrence of a state in which the time interval between packets is greater than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode. And in the case where the state in which the time interval between packets is greater than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode occurs relatively frequently, higher power efficiency can be achieved by controlling the communication circuit 510 using the power saving mode compared to using the TWT mode to control the communication circuit 510.

[0117] Processor 520 may control communication circuit 510 based on the selected mode.

[0118] According to an embodiment, the processor 520 may select the TWT mode based on recognizing that the identified ratio is equal to or greater than (or greater than) a specified value (for example, 0.5), and control the communication circuit 510 to operate in the TWT mode.

[0119] The processor 520 may execute communication with an external electronic device (eg, Figure 3 The TWT negotiation of the external electronic device 320 in the example embodiment supports a target wake time (TWT) function.

[0120] The processor 520 may generate TWT parameters during the TWT negotiation process. According to an embodiment, the processor 520 may generate TWT parameters based on the state of the electronic device 310. The state of the electronic device 310 may include at least any one of the amount of data (or traffic) to be sent or received by the electronic device 310, the quality of service (QoS) requirement, or the contention level of at least any one of the multiple links.

[0121] The processor 520 may generate TWT parameters including at least one of the following: a target wake-up time (eg, Figure 4A 411 in ), which indicates the time point of activating data transmission and / or reception; TWT duration (for example, Figure 4A 412 - a , 412 - b , and 412 - c ), each indicating a duration in which data transmission and / or reception may be performed; and / or a TWT wake-up interval (e.g., Figure 4A 413 - a and 413 - b ), each indicating an interval between a time point of activation of data transmission and / or reception and a time point of next activation of data transmission and / or reception.

[0122] The processor 520 may generate a TWT duration with a relatively long length and / or a TWT wake-up interval with a relatively short length based on the execution of a service that requires a relatively high data transmission volume and a relatively low latency. Alternatively, the processor 520 may generate a TWT duration with a relatively short length and / or a TWT wake-up interval with a relatively long length based on the execution of a service that does not require a relatively small data transmission volume and a relatively low latency.

[0123] The processor 520 may transmit a TWT negotiation message including the generated TWT parameters to the external electronic device 320 .

[0124] The processor 520 may select the power saving mode based on determining that the identified ratio is equal to or less than (or less than) a specified value (eg, 0.5), and control the communication circuit 510 to operate in the power saving mode.

[0125] The processor 520 may control the communication circuit 510 to send information indicating that the electronic device 310 is operating in the power saving mode to the external electronic device 320 when operating in the power saving mode. When operating in the power saving mode, the processor 520 may activate the communication circuit 510 for a period of time to receive data (or beacons) sent by the external electronic device 320. In response to receiving the information indicating that the electronic device 310 is operating in the power saving mode, the external electronic device 320 may store the packet to be sent to the electronic device 310 in a buffer implemented inside the external electronic device 320. The external electronic device 320 may send to the electronic device 310 an information beacon or an action frame including information indicating that there is a packet to be sent to the electronic device 310. Upon receiving the beacon or action frame including information indicating that there is a packet to be sent, the electronic device 310 may transition to an active state of the communication circuit 510 (or maintain the active state of the communication circuit 510), and the communication circuit 510 is active for a duration of time.

[0126] The situation where the identified ratio is equal to or less than (or less than) the specified value may refer to the relatively frequent occurrence of a state in which the time interval between packets is greater than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode. And in the case in which the state in which the time interval between packets is greater than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode occurs relatively frequently, using the power saving mode to control the communication circuit 510 can achieve higher power efficiency than using the TWT mode to control the communication circuit 510.

[0127] The processor 520 achieves lower power consumption by selecting an appropriate mode of the TWT mode or the power saving mode depending on the situation using the above-described operations.

[0128] The processor 520 may continuously monitor the ratio and adjust the operating mode based on changes in conditions related to the ratio being equal to or greater than (or greater than) a specified value. For example, when the processor 520 identifies that the ratio decreases from a value equal to or greater than a specified value (e.g., 0.5) to a value equal to or less than the specified value, the processor 520 may control the communication circuit 510 to switch from the TWT mode to the power saving mode.

[0129] Alternatively, the processor 520 may receive information indicating the operating mode from the application processor 120, and select the TWT mode or the power saving mode based on the information indicating the operating mode. According to an example, the application processor 120 may monitor packets sent to the processor 520. The application processor 120 may identify the ratio of time intervals having a value equal to or less than (or less than) a specified size in the time intervals between packets sent to the processor 520. When the condition related to whether the identified ratio is equal to or greater than (or greater than) the specified value changes, the application processor 120 may change the operating mode. For example, the application processor 510 may send information instructing the processor 520 to switch from the TWT mode to the power saving mode when the application processor 510 identifies that the ratio decreases from a value equal to or greater than a specified value (e.g., 0.5) to a value equal to or less than the specified value. The processor 520 may control the communication circuit 510 to switch from the TWT mode to the power saving mode in response to receiving the information instructing the processor 520 to switch from the TWT mode to the power saving mode. For example, when the application processor 510 recognizes that the ratio increases from a value equal to or less than a specified value (e.g., 0.5) to a value equal to or greater than the specified value, the application processor 510 may send information instructing the processor 520 to switch from the power saving mode to the TWT mode. The processor 520 may control the communication circuit 510 to switch from the power saving mode to the TWT mode in response to receiving the information instructing the processor 520 to switch from the power saving mode to the TWT mode.

[0130] With regard to the above-mentioned embodiment, the processor 520 may determine whether to perform an operation of selecting either the TWT mode or the power saving mode based on the percentage of time intervals having a value equal to or less than a specified size among time intervals between packets sent or received based on a service type running on the electronic device 500.

[0131] According to an embodiment, the processor 520 can determine the operation of selecting either the TWT mode or the power saving mode based on the percentage of time intervals having a value equal to or less than a specified size among the time intervals between packets sent or received in response to identifying that the service type running on the electronic device 500 is a specified service type.

[0132] The service type may refer to a service type determined by a traffic identifier (TID) as defined in the IEEE 802.11 standard. According to one embodiment, the service type may include a first type (e.g., a voice data type (AC_VO), a video data type (AC_VI)) that requires a relatively high transmission rate or low latency (e.g., real-time) and / or a second type (e.g., background (AC_BK) and / or best effort (AC_BE)), the second type being a service type that can be performed at a relatively low transmission rate or high latency compared to the first type.

[0133] According to an example, the processor 520 may receive information indicating a service type from the application processor 120. The application processor 120 may identify the service type running on the electronic device 500 based on the type of protocol used to send or receive a packet (e.g., User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)), information about a port used to send or receive a packet, and / or identification information about an application that sends a packet. The processor 520 may receive the information indicating the service type sent by the application processor 120, and identify whether the service type running on the electronic device 500 is the first type or the second type.

[0134] According to an embodiment, the processor 520 may determine to perform an operation of selecting either the TWT mode and the power saving mode based on the percentage of time intervals having a value equal to or less than a specified size among the time intervals between packets sent or received when the service type running on the electronic device 500 is the second type.

[0135] According to an embodiment, the processor 520 may determine not to perform an operation of selecting either the TWT mode and the power saving mode based on the percentage of time intervals having a value equal to or less than a specified size among time intervals between packets sent or received when the type of service running on the electronic device 500 is the first type. The processor 520 may control the communication circuit 510 using the TWT mode based on recognizing that the type of service running on the electronic device 500 is the first type, regardless of the ratio of the time intervals.

[0136] According to an embodiment, the processor 520 may perform an operation of selecting either the TWT mode and the power saving mode based on the percentage of time intervals having a value equal to or less than a specified size among the time intervals between packets sent or received, regardless of the type of service running on the electronic device 500.

[0137] Although the above embodiments show the use of time intervals for packets sent or received via a single link, the embodiments may also be applicable to the case where the electronic device 500 supports sending or receiving packets via multiple links (or the case where the electronic device 500 supports the MLO mode). Fig. 7A and Figure 7B An embodiment of utilizing the time intervals of packets sent or received via multiple links is described in.

[0138] Fig. 6A is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of selecting any one of a power saving mode and a TWT mode based on a ratio of a time interval in a packet below a predetermined value in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0139] Fig. 6A The diagram shows that at least one link (e.g., Figure 3 Packets 601, 602, 603, 604 and 605 sent or received on the first link 331).

[0140] Electronic devices (e.g. Figure 5 The electronic device 310 in the embodiment may use the TWT mode or the power saving mode to control the communication circuit (eg, Figure 5 When selecting the TWT mode or the power saving mode, the electronic device 310 may select the TWT mode or the power saving mode based on the time intervals 611, 612, 613 and 614 between the packets 601, 602, 603, 604 and 605 sent or received on at least one link 331.

[0141] The processor 520 may identify time intervals 611 , 612 , 613 , and 614 between packets 601 , 602 , 603 , 604 , 605 sent or received on at least one link 331 .

[0142] For ease of explanation, assume that time intervals 611, 613 and 614 among time intervals 611, 612, 613 and 614 are equal to or less than a specified value (for example, a specified value assigned to a counter activated in power saving mode), time interval 612 is equal to or greater than a specified value, and the sum of the lengths of time intervals 611, 613 and 614 is greater than the length of time interval 612.

[0143] The processor 520 may identify that a ratio of the time intervals 611 , 612 , 613 , and 614 between the packets 601 , 602 , 603 , 604 , and 605 to the time intervals 611 , 613 , and 614 is equal to or less than (or less than) a specified size.

[0144] The ratio of the time intervals may be a ratio of the sum of the time intervals 611, 613, and 614 of the specified size to the sum of the time intervals 611, 612, 613, and 614 between the packets 601, 602, 603, 604, and 605. Alternatively, the ratio of the time intervals may be a ratio of the number of time intervals 611, 613, and 614 of the specified size to the number of time intervals 611, 612, 613, and 614 between the packets 601, 602, 603, 604, and 605.

[0145] The electronic device 310 may select any one of the TWT mode and the power saving mode based on the ratio of the identified time intervals.

[0146] The electronic device 310 may select the TWT mode based on recognizing that the identified ratio is equal to (or greater than) a specified value (e.g., 0.5). The situation in which the identified ratio is equal to or greater than (or greater than) the specified value may refer to a state in which the time intervals 611, 612, 613, and 614 between packets 601, 602, 603, 604, and 605 are less than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode relatively frequently. And in a situation in which the time intervals 611, 612, 613, and 614 between packets 601, 602, 603, 604, and 605 are less than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode relatively frequently occurs, using the TWT mode to control the communication circuit 510 can achieve higher power efficiency than using the power saving mode to control the communication circuit 510.

[0147] According to an embodiment, the electronic device 310 may select the TWT mode based on recognizing that the identified ratio is equal to or greater than (or greater than) a specified value (for example, 0.5), and control the communication circuit 510 to operate in the TWT mode.

[0148] The electronic device 310 may perform communication with an external electronic device (eg, Figure 3 The TWT negotiation of the external electronic device 320 in the example embodiment supports a target wake time (TWT) function.

[0149] The electronic device 310 may generate TWT parameters during the TWT negotiation process. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 310 may generate TWT parameters based on the state of the electronic device 310. The state of the electronic device 310 may include at least any one of the amount of data (or traffic) to be sent or received by the electronic device 310, quality of service (QoS) requirements, or a contention level of at least any one of the multiple links.

[0150] The electronic device 310 may generate a TWT parameter including at least one of the following: a target wake-up time (eg, Figure 4A 411 in ), which indicates the time point of activation of data transmission and / or reception; TWT duration (for example, Figure 4A 412 - a , 412 - b , and 412 - c ), each indicating a duration in which data transmission and / or reception may be performed; and / or a TWT wake-up interval (e.g., Figure 4A 413 - a and 413 - b ), each indicating an interval between a time point of activation of data transmission and / or reception and a time point of next activation of data transmission and / or reception.

[0151] The electronic device 310 may generate a TWT duration with a relatively long length and / or a TWT wake-up interval with a relatively short length based on executing a service that requires a relatively high data transmission volume and a relatively low latency. Alternatively, the electronic device 310 may generate a TWT duration with a relatively short length and / or a TWT wake-up interval with a relatively long length based on executing a service that does not require a relatively high data transmission volume and a relatively low latency.

[0152] Figure 6B is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of selecting any one of a power saving mode and a TWT mode based on a ratio of a time interval below a predetermined value in a packet in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0153] Figure 6B The diagram shows that at least one link (e.g., Figure 3 Packets 621, 622, 623 and 624 sent or received on the first link 331).

[0154] Electronic devices (e.g. Figure 5 The electronic device 310 in the embodiment may use the TWT mode or the power saving mode to control the communication circuit (eg, Figure 5 When selecting the TWT mode or the power saving mode, the electronic device 310 may select the TWT mode or the power saving mode based on the time intervals 631, 632 and 633 between the packets 621, 622, 623 and 624 sent or received on at least one link 331.

[0155] The processor 520 may identify time intervals 631 , 632 , and 633 between packets 621 , 622 , 623 , and 624 transmitted or received via at least one link 331 .

[0156] For ease of explanation, assume that time intervals 631 and 633 among time intervals 631, 632, and 633 are equal to or greater than a specified value (for example, a specified value assigned to a counter activated in power saving mode), time interval 632 is equal to or less than a specified value, and the sum of the lengths of time intervals 631 and 633 is greater than the length of time interval 632.

[0157] The processor 520 may identify a ratio of the time intervals 631 , 632 , and 633 between the packets 621 , 622 , 623 , and 624 that are equal to or smaller than (or smaller than) a specified size to the time interval 632 .

[0158] The ratio of the time intervals may be a ratio of the sum of the time intervals 632 of the specified size and the sum of the time intervals 631, 632, and 633 between the packets 621, 622, 623, and 624. Alternatively, the ratio of the time intervals may be a ratio of the number of time intervals 632 of the specified size and the number of time intervals 631, 632, and 633 between the packets 621, 622, 623, and 624.

[0159] The electronic device 310 may select any one of the TWT mode and the power saving mode based on the ratio of the identified time intervals.

[0160] The electronic device 310 may select the power saving mode based on recognizing that the ratio of the identified time intervals is equal to or less than (or less than) a specified value (eg, 0.5), and control the communication circuit 510 to operate in the power saving mode.

[0161] The electronic device 310 may control the communication circuit 510 to send information indicating that the electronic device 310 is operating in the power saving mode to the external electronic device 320 when operating in the power saving mode. When operating in the power saving mode, the electronic device 310 may activate the communication circuit 510 for a period of time to receive data (or beacons) sent by the external electronic device 320. In response to receiving the information indicating that the electronic device 310 is operating in the power saving mode, the external electronic device 320 may store packets to be sent to the electronic device 310 in a buffer implemented inside the external electronic device 320. The external electronic device 320 may send a beacon or an action frame including information indicating that there is a packet to be sent to the electronic device 310 to the electronic device 310. When receiving the beacon or action frame including information indicating that there is a packet to be sent, the electronic device 310 may transition to an active state of the communication circuit 510 (or maintain the active state of the communication circuit 510) while the communication circuit 510 is active for a duration of time.

[0162] Fig. 7A is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of sending and / or receiving packets through multiple links in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0163] Electronic devices (e.g. Figure 5 The electronic device 310 in may support multi-link operation (MLO), in which the transmission or reception of packets occurs on multiple links.

[0164] The electronic device 310 can communicate with the user through a first link 701 (eg, Figure 3 , the first link 331 in the example), the second link 703 (for example, Figure 3 The second link 332 in the example) and / or the third link 705 to an external electronic device (eg, Figure 3external electronic device 320) to send packets to or from an external electronic device (e.g., Figure 3 The external electronic device 320) receives the packet.

[0165] refer to Fig. 7A , the electronic device 310 may send and / or receive a first packet 711 and a second packet 712 to / from the external electronic device 320 via the first link 701. The electronic device 310 may send or receive a third packet 713 to / from the external electronic device 320 via the second link 703. The electronic device 310 may send or receive a fourth packet 714 to / from the external electronic device 320 via the third link 705.

[0166] For ease of explanation, assume that the first packet 711 is received or sent before the third packet 713 , the third packet 713 is received or sent before the fourth packet 714 , and the fourth packet 714 is received or sent before the second packet 712 .

[0167] The electronic device 310 may identify a time interval of packets transmitted or received through the first link 701, the second link 703, and / or the third link 705. The electronic device 310 may select the TWT mode or the power saving mode based on a ratio of time intervals having a value equal to or less than a specified value and control the communication circuit 510 to allow the link as an identification target to operate in the selected mode.

[0168] The electronic device 310 may select the TWT mode based on the ratio of the identified time intervals being equal to or greater than (or greater than) the specified size. The electronic device 310 may select the power saving mode based on the ratio of the identified time intervals being equal to or less than (or less than) the specified size. Figure 7B A detailed example is described in .

[0169] Figure 7B is a diagram showing an embodiment of selecting any one of a power saving mode and a TWT mode based on a ratio of time intervals of packets transmitted or received on a plurality of links that is lower than a predetermined value in an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0170] Electronic devices (e.g. Figure 5 The electronic device 310 in the embodiment may identify the time intervals of packets sent or received via the first link 701 , the second link 703 , and / or the third link 705 .

[0171] The electronic device 310 may identify a time interval 721 between a first packet 711 transmitted or received via the first link 701 and a third packet 713 transmitted or received via the second link 703 .

[0172] The time interval 721 between the first packet 711 and the third packet 713 may refer to the time interval between a first time substantially equal to an end time point of sending or receiving the first packet 711 and a second time substantially equal to a start time point of sending or receiving the third packet 713 .

[0173] The electronic device 310 may identify whether a time interval 721 between the first packet 711 and the third packet 713 is equal to or less than (or smaller than) a specified size.

[0174] The designated size is a value generated based on a value assigned to a timer activated in the power saving mode, and may be the same as or similar to the value assigned to the timer.

[0175] The electronic device 310 may identify a time interval 723 between a third packet 713 transmitted or received via the second link 703 and a fourth packet 714 transmitted or received via the third link 705 .

[0176] The time interval 723 between the third packet 713 and the fourth packet 714 may refer to the time interval between a third time substantially equal to the end time point of sending or receiving the third packet 713 and a fourth time substantially equal to the start time point of sending or receiving the fourth packet 714.

[0177] The electronic device 310 may identify whether a time interval 723 between the third packet 713 and the fourth packet 714 is equal to or less than (or smaller than) a specified size.

[0178] The electronic device 310 may identify a time interval 725 between the fourth packet 714 transmitted or received via the third link 705 and the second packet 712 transmitted or received via the first link 701 .

[0179] The time interval 725 between the fourth packet 714 and the second packet 712 may refer to the time interval between a fifth time substantially equal to the end time point of sending or receiving the fourth packet 714 and a sixth time substantially equal to the start time point of sending or receiving the second packet 712.

[0180] The electronic device 310 may identify whether a time interval 725 between the fourth packet 714 and the second packet 712 is equal to or less than (or smaller than) a specified size.

[0181] The electronic device 310 can select the TWT mode or the power saving mode based on the ratio of the time interval to the time interval having a value equal to or less than the specified value and can control the communication circuit 510 to allow the link as the identification target to operate in the selected mode.

[0182] The electronic device 310 may select the TWT mode based on the ratio of the identified time intervals being equal to or greater than (or greater than) a specified size. The electronic device 310 may select the power saving mode based on the ratio of the identified time intervals being equal to or less than (or less than) a specified size.

[0183] The electronic device 310 may select the TWT mode based on identifying that the ratio of the identified time intervals is equal to (or greater than) a specified value (e.g., 0.5). The situation in which the identified ratio is equal to or greater than (or greater than) the specified value may refer to a state in which the time interval between packets is less than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode occurs relatively frequently. And in a situation in which the time interval between packets is less than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode occurs relatively frequently, using the TWT mode to control the communication circuit 510 can achieve higher power efficiency than using the power saving mode to control the communication circuit 510.

[0184] The electronic device 310 may select the power saving mode based on identifying that the identified ratio is equal to or less than (or less than) a specified value (e.g., 0.5). The situation in which the identified ratio is equal to or less than (or less than) the specified value may mean that a state in which the time interval between packets is greater than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode occurs relatively frequently. And in a situation in which a state in which the time interval between packets is greater than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode occurs relatively frequently, higher power efficiency may be achieved by controlling the communication circuit 510 using the power saving mode compared to controlling the communication circuit 510 using the TWT mode.

[0185] According to an embodiment, the electronic device 310 may select the TWT mode based on recognizing that the identified ratio is equal to or greater than (or greater than) a specified value (for example, 0.5), and control the communication circuit 510 to operate in the TWT mode.

[0186] The electronic device 310 may perform communication with an external electronic device (eg, Figure 3 The TWT negotiation of the external electronic device 320 in the example embodiment supports a target wake time (TWT) function.

[0187] The electronic device 310 may generate TWT parameters during the TWT negotiation process. According to an embodiment, the processor 520 may generate TWT parameters based on the state of the electronic device 310. The state of the electronic device 310 may include at least any one of the amount of data (or traffic) to be sent or received, quality of service (QoS) requirements, or a contention level of at least any one of the multiple links.

[0188] The electronic device 310 may generate a TWT parameter including at least one of the following: a target wake-up time (eg, Figure 4A411 in ), which indicates the time point of activation of data transmission and / or reception; TWT duration (for example, Figure 4A 412 - a , 412 - b , and 412 - c ), each indicating a duration in which data transmission and / or reception may be performed; and / or a TWT wake-up interval (e.g., Figure 4A 413 - a and 413 - b ), each indicating an interval between a time point of activation of data transmission and / or reception and a time point of next activation of data transmission and / or reception.

[0189] The electronic device 310 may generate a TWT duration with a relatively long length and / or a TWT wake-up interval with a relatively short length based on the execution of a service that requires a relatively high data transmission volume and a relatively low latency. Alternatively, the processor 520 may generate a TWT duration with a relatively short length and / or a TWT wake-up interval with a relatively long length based on the execution of a service that does not require a relatively high data transmission volume and a relatively low latency.

[0190] The electronic device 310 may add information indicating a link to be operated in the TWT mode to a message (or beacon) including TWT parameters. A link operating in the TWT mode may include a link on which a packet identified as a target in a time interval is sent or received.

[0191] exist Figure 7B In the present invention, the first link 701, the second link 703, and / or the third link 705 may be links on which packets identified as targets in a time interval are sent or received, and the message including the TWT parameter may include information indicating that the first link 701, the second link 703, and / or the third link 705 are links operating in TWT mode.

[0192] For another example, in the case where the packet identified as the target in the time interval is sent or received on the first link 701 and / or the second link 703, the message including the TWT parameter may include information indicating that the first link 701 and / or the second link 703 is operating in the TWT mode. Since the packet identified as the target in the time interval is not sent or received on the link 705, the message including the TWT parameter may not include information indicating that the third link 705 is operating in the TWT mode.

[0193] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0194] In operation 810, an electronic device (eg, Figure 5 The electronic device 310 in the embodiment may identify a time interval between packets sent or received via at least one link.

[0195] The time interval between packets may refer to an interval between a first time point substantially equal to a time point at which transmission or reception of a packet is completed and a second time point substantially equal to a time point at which transmission or reception of the next packet starts.

[0196] In operation 820 , the electronic device 310 may identify a ratio of time intervals that are equal to or less than a designated value among the time intervals.

[0197] The designated size is a value generated based on a value assigned to a timer activated in the power saving mode, and may be the same as or similar to the value assigned to the timer.

[0198] In a situation where the time interval between packets is greater than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode, higher power efficiency may be achieved using the power saving mode to control the communication circuit 510 compared to using the TWT mode to control the communication circuit 510.

[0199] In a situation where the time interval between packets is less than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode, higher power efficiency may be achieved by controlling the communication circuit 510 using the TWT mode compared to controlling the communication circuit 510 using the power saving mode.

[0200] The electronic device 310 may identify a ratio of time intervals having a value equal to or less than (or smaller than) a specified size among time intervals between packets.

[0201] The ratio of the time intervals may be a ratio of the sum of the time intervals of the specified size to the sum of the time intervals between packets. Alternatively, the ratio of the time intervals may be a ratio of the number of time intervals of the specified size to the number of time intervals between packets.

[0202] In operation 830 , the electronic device 310 may select a target wake time (TWT) mode or a power saving mode based on the ratio of the identified time intervals.

[0203] The electronic device 310 may select the TWT mode based on identifying that the ratio of the identified time intervals is equal to or greater than (or greater than) a specified value (e.g., 0.5). The situation where the identified ratio is equal to or greater than (or greater than) the specified value may mean that a state where the time interval between packets is less than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode occurs relatively frequently. And in the situation where the time interval between packets is less than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode occurs relatively frequently, using the TWT mode to control the communication circuit 510 can achieve higher power efficiency than using the power saving mode to control the communication circuit 510.

[0204] The electronic device 310 may select a power saving mode based on identifying that a ratio of the identified time intervals is equal to or less than (or less than) a specified value (e.g., 0.5). The situation in which the identified ratio is equal to or less than (or less than) the specified value may mean that a state in which the time interval between packets is greater than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode occurs relatively frequently. And in a situation in which a state in which the time interval between packets is greater than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode occurs relatively frequently, higher power efficiency may be achieved by controlling the communication circuit 510 using the power saving mode compared to controlling the communication circuit 510 using the TWT mode.

[0205] In operation 840 , the electronic device 310 may control the communication circuit 510 using the selected mode.

[0206] According to an embodiment, the processor 520 may select the TWT mode based on recognizing that the ratio of the identified time intervals is equal to or greater than (or greater than) a specified value (eg, 0.5), and control the communication circuit 510 to operate in the TWT mode.

[0207] The electronic device 310 may perform communication with an external electronic device (eg, Figure 3 The TWT negotiation of the external electronic device 320 in the example embodiment supports a target wake time (TWT) function.

[0208] The electronic device 310 may generate TWT parameters during the TWT negotiation process. According to an embodiment, the processor 520 may generate TWT parameters based on the state of the electronic device 310. The state of the electronic device 310 may include at least any one of the amount of data (or traffic) to be sent or received, quality of service (QoS) requirements, or a contention level of at least any one of the multiple links.

[0209] The electronic device 310 may generate a TWT parameter including at least one of the following: a target wake-up time (eg, Figure 4A 411 in ), which indicates the time point of activation of data transmission and / or reception; TWT duration (for example, Figure 4A 412 - a , 412 - b , and 412 - c ), each indicating a duration in which data transmission and / or reception may be performed; and / or a TWT wake-up interval (e.g., Figure 4A 413 - a and 413 - b ), each indicating an interval between a time point of activation of data transmission and / or reception and a time point of next activation of data transmission and / or reception.

[0210] The electronic device 310 may generate a TWT duration with a relatively long length and / or a TWT wake-up interval with a relatively short length based on the execution of a service that requires a relatively high data transmission volume and a relatively low latency. Alternatively, the processor 520 may generate a TWT duration with a relatively short length and / or a TWT wake-up interval with a relatively long length based on the execution of a service that does not require a relatively high data transmission volume and a relatively low latency.

[0211] The electronic device 310 may transmit a TWT negotiation message including the generated TWT parameters to the external electronic device 320 .

[0212] The electronic device 310 may select the power saving mode based on recognizing that the ratio of the identified time intervals is equal to or less than (or less than) a specified value (eg, 0.5), and control the communication circuit 510 to operate in the power saving mode.

[0213] The electronic device 310 may control the communication circuit 510 to send information indicating that the electronic device 310 is operating in the power saving mode to the external electronic device 320 when operating in the power saving mode. When operating in the power saving mode, the electronic device 310 may activate the communication circuit 510 for a period of time to receive data (or beacons) sent by the external electronic device 320. In response to receiving the information indicating that the electronic device 310 is operating in the power saving mode, the external electronic device 320 may store packets to be sent to the electronic device 310 in a buffer implemented inside the external electronic device 320. The external electronic device 320 may send a beacon or an action frame including information indicating that there is a packet to be sent to the electronic device 310 to the electronic device 310. When receiving the beacon or action frame including information indicating that there is a packet to be sent, the electronic device 310 may transition to an active state of the communication circuit 510 (or maintain the active state of the communication circuit 510) while the communication circuit 510 is active for a duration of time.

[0214] The situation where the identified ratio is equal to or less than (or less than) the specified value may mean that a state where the time interval between packets is greater than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode occurs relatively frequently. And in the case where the time interval between packets is greater than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode occurs relatively frequently, higher power efficiency can be achieved by controlling the communication circuit 510 using the power saving mode compared to controlling the communication circuit 510 using the TWT mode.

[0215] Fig. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a method of operating an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0216] In operation 910, an electronic device (eg, Figure 5The electronic device 310 in the embodiment may identify a time interval between packets sent or received via at least one link.

[0217] The time interval between packets may refer to an interval between a first time point substantially equal to a time point at which transmission or reception of a packet is completed and a second time point substantially equal to a time point at which transmission or reception of the next packet starts.

[0218] In operation 920 , the electronic device 310 may identify a ratio of time intervals that are equal to or less than a designated value among the time intervals.

[0219] The designated size is a value generated based on a value assigned to a timer activated in the power saving mode, and may be the same as or similar to the value assigned to the timer.

[0220] In a situation where the time interval between packets is greater than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode, higher power efficiency may be achieved using the power saving mode to control the communication circuit 510 compared to using the TWT mode to control the communication circuit 510.

[0221] In a situation where the time interval between packets is less than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode, higher power efficiency may be achieved by controlling the communication circuit 510 using the TWT mode compared to controlling the communication circuit 510 using the power saving mode.

[0222] The electronic device 310 may identify a ratio of time intervals having a value equal to or less than (or smaller than) a specified size among time intervals between packets.

[0223] The ratio of the time intervals may be a ratio of the sum of the time intervals of the specified size to the sum of the time intervals between packets. Alternatively, the ratio of the time intervals may be a ratio of the number of time intervals of the specified size to the number of time intervals between packets.

[0224] In operation 930 , the electronic device 310 may determine whether to activate a target wake time (TWT) mode based on the identified ratio.

[0225] The electronic device 310 may determine that the TWT mode is to be activated based on recognizing that the identified ratio is equal to or greater than (or greater than) a specified value (e.g., 0.5). The situation in which the identified ratio is equal to or greater than (or greater than) the specified value may mean that a state in which the time interval between packets is less than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode occurs relatively frequently. And in the situation in which the time interval between packets is less than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode occurs relatively frequently, using the TWT mode to control the communication circuit 510 can achieve higher power efficiency than using the power saving mode to control the communication circuit 510.

[0226] The electronic device 310 may determine not to activate the TWT mode (or disable the TWT mode) based on recognizing that the identified ratio is equal to or less than (or less than) a specified value (e.g., 0.5). In a case where the TWT mode is not activated, the electronic device 310 may operate in a power saving mode. The case where the identified ratio is equal to or less than (or less than) the specified value may refer to a state where a time interval between packets is greater than a value assigned to a timer configured in the power saving mode occurs relatively frequently. And in a case where a state where a time interval between packets is greater than a value assigned to a timer configured in the power saving mode occurs relatively frequently, higher power efficiency may be achieved by using the power saving mode to control the communication circuit 510 compared to using the TWT mode to control the communication circuit 510.

[0227] In operation 940 , the electronic device 310 may control the communication circuit 510 based on whether the TWT mode is activated.

[0228] According to an embodiment, the processor 520 may activate the TWT mode based on recognizing that the ratio of the identified time intervals is equal to or greater than (or greater than) a specified value (e.g., 0.5), and control the communication circuit 510 to operate in the TWT mode.

[0229] The electronic device 310 may perform communication with an external electronic device (eg, Figure 3 The TWT negotiation of the external electronic device 320 in the example embodiment supports a target wake time (TWT) function.

[0230] The electronic device 310 may generate TWT parameters during the TWT negotiation process. According to an embodiment, the processor 520 may generate TWT parameters based on the state of the electronic device 310. The state of the electronic device 310 may include at least any one of the amount of data (or traffic) to be sent or received, quality of service (QoS) requirements, or a contention level of at least any one of the multiple links.

[0231] The electronic device 310 may generate a TWT parameter including at least one of the following: a target wake-up time (eg, Figure 4A 411 in ), which indicates the time point of activation of data transmission and / or reception; TWT duration (for example, Figure 4A 412 - a , 412 - b , and 412 - c ), each indicating a duration in which data transmission and / or reception may be performed; and / or a TWT wake-up interval (e.g., Figure 4A 413 - a and 413 - b ), each indicating an interval between a time point of activation of data transmission and / or reception and a time point of next activation of data transmission and / or reception.

[0232] The electronic device 310 can generate a TWT duration with a relatively long length and / or a TWT wake-up interval with a relatively short length based on the execution of services that require relatively high data transmission volume and relatively low latency. Alternatively, the processor 520 can generate a TWT duration with a relatively short length and / or a TWT wake-up interval with a relatively long length based on the execution of services that do not require relatively high data transmission volume and relatively low latency.

[0233] The electronic device 310 may transmit a TWT negotiation message including the generated TWT parameters to the external electronic device 320 .

[0234] The electronic device 310 may select the power saving mode based on recognizing that the identified ratio is equal to or less than (or less than) a specified value (eg, 0.5), and control the communication circuit 510 to operate in the power saving mode.

[0235] The electronic device 310 may control the communication circuit 510 to send information indicating that the electronic device 310 is operating in the power saving mode to the external electronic device 320 when it is determined that the TWT mode is not activated (or the TWT mode is disabled). When operating in the power saving mode, the electronic device 310 may activate the communication circuit 510 for a period of time to receive data (or beacons) sent by the external electronic device 320. In response to receiving the information indicating that the electronic device 310 is operating in the power saving mode, the external electronic device 320 may store the packet to be sent to the electronic device 310 in a buffer implemented inside the external electronic device 320. The external electronic device 320 may send a beacon or an action frame to the electronic device 310, the beacon or action frame including information indicating that there is a packet to be sent to the electronic device 310. When receiving a beacon or an action frame including information indicating that there is a packet to be sent, the electronic device 310 may switch to the active state of the communication circuit 510 (or maintain the active state of the communication circuit 510), while the communication circuit 510 is active for a duration.

[0236] The situation in which the ratio of the identified time intervals is equal to or less than (or less than) the specified value may mean that a state in which the time interval between packets is greater than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode occurs relatively frequently. And in the case in which a state in which the time interval between packets is greater than the value assigned to the timer configured in the power saving mode occurs relatively frequently, higher power efficiency can be achieved by controlling the communication circuit 510 using the power saving mode compared to controlling the communication circuit 510 using the TWT mode.

[0237] The electronic device according to the embodiment may include a communication circuit configured to send or receive data through at least one link generated between an external electronic device and the electronic device. The electronic device may include a processor. The processor may identify a time interval between packets sent or received on at least one link. The processor may identify a ratio of time intervals in the time interval that is equal to or less than a specified value. The processor may select one of a target wake time (TWT) mode and a power saving mode, in which the communication circuit switches to an active state at each specified time based on the ratio, and in the power saving mode, the communication circuit switches to an inactive state when no transmission or reception of packets occurs during the specified time. The processor may be configured to control the communication circuit based on the selected mode.

[0238] In the electronic device according to the embodiment, the processor may be configured to select the TWT mode based on the ratio being equal to or greater than a designated size.

[0239] In the electronic device according to the embodiment, the processor may be configured to select the power saving mode based on the ratio being equal to or smaller than a designated size.

[0240] In the electronic device according to the embodiment, the ratio may be a ratio of a length of a time interval equal to or smaller than a designated value to a length of a time interval equal to or larger than the designated value.

[0241] In the electronic device according to the embodiment, the ratio may be a ratio of the number of time intervals equal to or smaller than a specified value to the number of time intervals equal to or larger than the specified value.

[0242] In the electronic device according to the embodiment, the designated value may be configured to be equal to the designated time of the power saving mode.

[0243] In the electronic device according to the embodiment, the processor may be configured to determine whether to perform an operation of identifying a time interval between packets transmitted or received through at least one link based on a service type running on the electronic device.

[0244] In an electronic device according to an embodiment, when a processor sends or receives packets with an external electronic device through multiple links, the processor can identify the time intervals between packets sent or received through at least some of the multiple links. The processor can identify the ratio of the length of the time intervals that are equal to or less than a specified value among the time intervals to the length of the time intervals that are equal to or greater than the specified value among the time intervals. The processor can select one of a target wake time (TWT) mode and a power saving mode based on the ratio of the time intervals. The processor can be configured to control the communication circuit to allow at least some links to operate in the selected mode.

[0245] In the electronic device according to the embodiment, when the ratio is equal to or greater than the specified size, the processor may select the TWT mode. The processor may send a negotiation message of the TWT mode to the external electronic device. The negotiation message of the TWT mode may be configured to include information indicating the at least some links.

[0246] In the electronic device according to the embodiment, the processor may be configured to select the power saving mode when the ratio is equal to or less than a specified size.

[0247] A method for operating an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: identifying a time interval between packets sent or received through at least one link generated between an external electronic device and the electronic device. The method may include identifying a ratio of a time interval among time intervals that is equal to or less than a specified value to a time interval among time intervals that is equal to or greater than a specified value. The method may include selecting one of a target wake time (TWT) mode and a power saving mode, in which a communication circuit of the electronic device switches to an active state at each specified time based on the ratio, and in the power saving mode, the communication circuit switches to an inactive state when no transmission or reception of a packet occurs during a specified time. The method may include controlling the communication circuit based on the selected mode.

[0248] In the method of operating an electronic device according to the embodiment, selecting a mode may include selecting the TWT mode when the ratio is equal to or greater than a designated size.

[0249] In the method of operating an electronic device according to an embodiment, selecting a mode may include selecting the power saving mode when the ratio is equal to or less than a designated size.

[0250] In the method of operating an electronic device according to the embodiment, the ratio may be a ratio of a length of a time interval equal to or less than a specified value to a length of a time interval equal to or greater than the specified value.

[0251] In the method of operating an electronic device according to the embodiment, the ratio may be a ratio of the number of time intervals equal to or smaller than a specified value to the number of time intervals equal to or larger than the specified value.

[0252] In the method of operating an electronic device according to an embodiment, the designated value may be configured to be equal to a designated time of the power saving mode.

[0253] The method of operating an electronic device according to an embodiment may further include determining whether to perform an operation of identifying a time interval between packets transmitted or received through at least one link based on a service type running on the electronic device.

[0254] When sending or receiving packets with an external electronic device through multiple links, the method of operating an electronic device according to an embodiment also includes: identifying the time interval between packets sent or received through at least some of the multiple links. The method of operating an electronic device may include identifying the ratio of the length of a time interval among the time intervals that is equal to or less than a specified value to the length of a time interval among the time intervals that is equal to or greater than a specified value. The method of operating an electronic device may include: selecting one of a target wake time (TWT) mode for each specified time and a power saving mode for the specified time based on the ratio. The method of operating an electronic device may also include controlling the communication circuit to allow at least some of the links to operate in the selected mode.

[0255] The method for operating an electronic device according to an embodiment may further include selecting a TWT mode when the ratio is equal to or greater than a specified size. The method for operating an electronic device may further include sending a negotiation message of the TWT mode to an external electronic device. The negotiation message of the TWT mode may include information indicating at least some of the links.

[0256] The method of operating an electronic device according to an embodiment may further include selecting a power saving mode based on the ratio being equal to or less than a designated size.

[0257] The electronic device according to various embodiments may be one of various types of electronic devices. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smart phone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a household appliance. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device is not limited to those electronic devices described above.

[0258] It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present disclosure and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features set forth herein to specific embodiments, but include various changes, equivalent forms or alternative forms for the corresponding embodiments. For the description of the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to refer to similar or related elements. It will be understood that the nouns in the singular form corresponding to the term may include one or more things unless the relevant context clearly indicates otherwise. As used herein, each of the phrases such as "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B or C", "at least one of A, B and C" and "at least one of A, B or C" may include any one or all possible combinations of the items listed together with the corresponding one of the multiple phrases. As used herein, terms such as "1st" and "2nd" or "first" and "second" may be used to simply distinguish the corresponding component from another component, and do not limit the component in other aspects (e.g., importance or order). It will be understood that if an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to as being “coupled with another element (e.g., the second element)”, “coupled to another element (e.g., the second element)”, “connected with another element (e.g., the second element)”, or “connected to another element (e.g., the second element)” with or without the terms “operably” or “communicatively” being used, it means that the element may be directly (e.g., wired) connected to the other element, wirelessly connected to the other element, or connected to the other element via a third element.

[0259] As used in connection with various embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "module" may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with other terms (e.g., "logic," "logic block," "portion," or "circuit"). A module may be a single integrated component adapted to perform one or more functions or a minimum unit or portion of the single integrated component. For example, according to an embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0260] The various embodiments described herein may be implemented as software (e.g., program 140) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory 136 or external memory 138) that can be read by a machine (e.g., electronic device 101). For example, under the control of a processor, a processor (e.g., processor 120) of the machine (e.g., electronic device 101) may call at least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage medium and execute the at least one instruction with or without the use of one or more other components. This enables the machine to operate to perform at least one function according to the at least one instruction called. The one or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code that can be executed by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Among them, the term "non-transitory" only means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not include signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), but the term does not distinguish between data being semi-permanently stored in the storage medium and data being temporarily stored in the storage medium.

[0261] According to an embodiment, the method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be included and provided in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program product may be released in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or may be downloaded via an application store (e.g., Play Store TM ) the computer program product may be published (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) online, or the computer program product may be distributed (e.g., downloaded or uploaded) directly between two user devices (e.g., smart phones). If published online, at least part of the computer program product may be temporarily generated, or at least part of the computer program product may be at least temporarily stored in a machine-readable storage medium (such as a memory of a manufacturer's server, a server of an application store, or a forwarding server).

[0262] According to various embodiments, each of the above-mentioned components (e.g., a module or a program) may include a single entity or multiple entities, and some of the multiple entities may be separately arranged in different components. According to various embodiments, one or more of the above-mentioned components may be omitted, or one or more other components may be added. Alternatively or additionally, multiple components (e.g., a module or a program) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, according to various embodiments, the integrated component may still perform the one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as a corresponding one of the multiple components performing one or more functions before integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by a module, a program or another component may be performed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly or in a heuristic manner, or one or more of the operations may be run or omitted in a different order, or one or more other operations may be added.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising: a communication circuit configured to send or receive data via at least one link established between an external electronic device and the electronic device; and The processor is configured as: identifying a time interval between packets sent or received on the at least one link; identifying a ratio of time intervals among the time intervals that are equal to or less than a specified value; selecting a target wake time (TWT) mode or a power saving mode based on the ratio, wherein in the TWT mode the communication circuit is switched to an active state at each designated time, and wherein in the power saving mode the communication circuit is switched to an inactive state if the packet is not sent or received during the designated time; and The communication circuit is controlled based on the selected mode.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The processor is configured to select the TWT mode when the ratio is equal to or greater than a specified size.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The processor is configured to select the power saving mode when the ratio is equal to or less than a specified size.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The ratio is a ratio of the length of the time interval that is equal to or smaller than the specified value to the length of the time interval that is equal to or larger than the specified value.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The ratio is a ratio of the number of time intervals that are equal to or smaller than the specified value to the number of time intervals that are equal to or larger than the specified value.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The designated value is equal to the designated time of the power saving mode.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: The processor is configured to determine whether to perform an operation of identifying a time interval between packets sent or received via the at least one link based on a type of service running on the electronic device.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein: When the processor sends or receives packets with the external electronic device through multiple links, the processor is configured to: identifying time intervals between packets sent or received on at least a portion of the plurality of links; identifying a ratio of the length of time intervals among the time intervals that are equal to or less than the specified value to the length of time intervals among the time intervals that are equal to or greater than the specified value; selecting the TWT mode or the power saving mode based on the ratio; and Controlling the communication circuitry allows the at least portion of the link to operate in the selected mode.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein: The processor is configured to select the TWT mode when the ratio is equal to or greater than a specified size, and to send a negotiation message of the TWT mode to the external electronic device, and Therein, the negotiation message of the TWT mode includes information indicating at least part of the link.

10. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein: The processor is configured to select the power saving mode when the ratio is equal to or less than a specified size.

11. A method for operating an electronic device, the method comprising: identifying a time interval between packets sent or received via at least one link established between an external electronic device and the electronic device; identifying a ratio of time intervals among the time intervals that are equal to or less than a specified value to time intervals among the time intervals that are equal to or greater than the specified value; selecting a target wake-up time (TWT) mode or a power saving mode based on the ratio, wherein in the TWT mode the communication circuit of the electronic device is switched to an active state at each designated time, and wherein in the power saving mode the communication circuit is switched to an inactive state if no transmission or reception of the packet occurs during the designated time; and The communication circuit is controlled based on the selected mode.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The selecting includes selecting the TWT mode when the ratio is equal to or greater than a specified size.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The selecting includes selecting the power saving mode when the ratio is equal to or less than a specified size.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The ratio is a ratio of the length of the time interval that is equal to or smaller than the specified value to the length of the time interval that is equal to or larger than the specified value.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The ratio is a ratio of the number of time intervals that are equal to or smaller than the specified value to the number of time intervals that are equal to or larger than the specified value.

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