Reducing power consumption of battery powered devices using selective communication schemes

Abstract

Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, articles of manufacture, methods, and / or computer program product embodiments and / or combinations and sub-combinations thereof for establishing a communication link between a battery powered device and a WAP to reduce the power consumption burden of the battery powered device. In an embodiment, a communication context of a battery powered device and a WAP is determined, for example, by determining whether there is at least one intermediary device having a wired power source via which the battery powered device is capable of communicating with the WAP. For example, a communication scheme of the plurality of different communication schemes is selected by selecting a communication scheme of the plurality of different communication schemes that imparts a lowest power consumption burden on the battery powered device and is also supported by a communication context. At least one of the battery powered device or the WAP is configured to communicate between the battery powered device and the WAP using the selected communication scheme.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to techniques for reducing power consumption. Background Art

[0002] A data communications network may include various hubs, switches, routers, and other network devices that are interconnected and configured to process data as it passes through the network. Data and / or commands originating from a source network device may be relayed via other network devices until it reaches a destination network device, such as a wireless access point (WAP). While WAPs are typically connected to an external power source, other network devices, such as certain Internet of Things (IoT) devices, are battery powered. Such network devices may implement various power management modes to extend battery life. Such management modes may include a power saving (or sleep) mode in which a network device turns off its radio when it is not in use. While in a power saving mode, a network device may periodically wake up and activate its radio to detect a beacon signal, which may indicate that the network device is about to transition to a powered-on state and perform a specific action, such as sending or receiving data. It has been observed that this technique, while energy-efficient, still results in significant power consumption and affects the overall life of the battery. Summary of the invention

[0003] Provided herein are system, apparatus, device, method and / or computer program product embodiments and / or combinations and sub-combinations thereof for establishing a communication link between a battery-powered device and a wireless access point (WAP). The battery-powered device and the WAP may be configured to communicate between the battery-powered device and the WAP using one of a plurality of different communication schemes, each of which imposes a different power consumption burden on the battery-powered device. The plurality of different communication schemes include one or more schemes in which the battery-powered device communicates directly with the WAP and one or more schemes in which the battery-powered device communicates indirectly with the WAP through at least one intermediate device with a wired power supply. In an embodiment, for example, the communication context of the battery-powered device and the WAP is determined by determining whether there is at least one intermediate device with a wired power supply, and the battery-powered device can communicate with the WAP via the at least one intermediate device. For example, a communication scheme in a plurality of different communication schemes is selected by selecting a communication scheme that imposes the lowest power consumption burden on the battery-powered device and is also supported by the communication context. At least one of the battery-powered device or the WAP is configured to communicate between the battery-powered device and the WAP using the selected communication scheme.

[0004] In an embodiment, determining the communication context of a battery-powered device and a WAP includes: determining that there is at least one intermediate device with a wired power supply, the battery-powered device is able to communicate with the WAP via the at least one intermediate device, wherein the at least one intermediate device and the battery-powered device communicate via a first wireless communication protocol; and determining that the at least one intermediate device and the battery-powered device support a second wireless communication protocol, which second wireless communication protocol imposes a relatively lower power consumption burden on the battery-powered device compared to the first wireless communication protocol, wherein selecting a communication scheme from a plurality of different communication schemes includes: selecting a communication scheme in which the at least one intermediate device and the battery-powered device communicate via the second wireless communication protocol.

[0005] In another embodiment, the first wireless communication protocol comprises a Wi-Fi based communication protocol, and the second wireless communication protocol comprises a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) long range based communication protocol.

[0006] In yet another embodiment, determining the communication context of a battery-powered device and a WAP includes: determining the presence of at least one intermediate device with a wired power source, the battery-powered device being able to communicate with the WAP via the at least one intermediate device, wherein the at least one intermediate device and the battery-powered device communicate via a mesh network; and selecting a communication scheme from a plurality of different communication schemes includes: selecting a communication scheme in which one or more parameters of the mesh network are updated to reduce a power consumption burden on the battery-powered device.

[0007] In another embodiment, the one or more parameters include a transmission traffic indication map (DTIM) interval setting associated with at least one of the battery powered device or the at least one intermediate device.

[0008] In another embodiment, determining the communication context of a battery-powered device and a WAP includes: determining that there is no intermediate device and that the battery-powered device communicates directly with the WAP, wherein the WAP and the battery-powered device communicate via a first wireless communication protocol; and determining that both the battery-powered device and the WAP support a second wireless communication protocol, which imposes a relatively lower power consumption burden on the battery-powered device compared to the first wireless communication protocol; and wherein selecting a communication scheme from a plurality of different communication schemes includes: selecting a communication scheme in which the WAP and the battery-powered device communicate via the second wireless communication protocol.

[0009] In yet another embodiment, the first wireless communication protocol includes a communication protocol based on Wi-Fi 5, and the second wireless communication protocol includes a communication protocol based on Wi-Fi 6.

[0010] In another embodiment, determining a communication context of a battery-powered device and a WAP includes: determining that there is no intermediate device and that the battery-powered device communicates directly with the WAP, wherein the WAP and the battery-powered device support a single wireless communication protocol and communicate via a first transmission traffic indication map (DTIM) interval; and determining that a DTIM interval setting is configurable at one or more of the battery-powered device or the WAP; and wherein selecting a communication scheme from a plurality of different communication schemes includes: selecting a communication scheme that uses a second DTIM interval for one or more of the WAP or the battery-powered device, wherein the second DTIM interval imposes a relatively lower power consumption burden on the battery-powered device compared to the first DTIM interval. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The accompanying drawings are incorporated herein and constitute a part of the specification.

[0012] Figure 1 A block diagram of a multimedia environment is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0013] Figure 2 A block diagram of a streaming media device according to some embodiments is shown.

[0014] Figure 3 A block diagram of a system for reducing power consumption of a battery-powered device is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0015] Figure 4A is a block diagram for establishing a communication link according to some embodiments.

[0016] Figure 4B is a block diagram of a system for establishing a relay-based communication link according to some embodiments.

[0017] Figure 5 is a flow chart of a method for establishing a communication link between a battery powered device and a wireless access point (WAP) according to an embodiment.

[0018] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a method for establishing a communication link between a battery-powered device and a WAP via an intermediary device according to an embodiment.

[0019] Figure 7 is a flow chart of a method for establishing a communication link between a battery-powered device and a WAP via an intermediary device according to another embodiment.

[0020] Figure 8 is a flow chart of a method for establishing a direct communication link between a battery powered device and a WAP according to an embodiment.

[0021] Fig. 9is a flow chart of a method for establishing a direct communication link between a battery-powered device and a WAP according to another embodiment.

[0022] Fig.10 An example computer system is shown that can be used to implement various embodiments.

[0023] In the drawings, like reference numbers generally refer to like or similar elements. Also, generally, in the drawings, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the drawing in which the reference number first appears. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The embodiments described herein can solve some or all of the above-mentioned problems associated with battery-powered devices. For example, a communication link can be established between a battery-powered device and a WAP using a communication scheme that reduces the power consumption burden of the battery-powered device. In order to establish a communication link, the techniques described herein can determine whether an intermediate device powered via a wired power source can be used to establish a communication link. Characteristics of the battery-powered device and the intermediate device can be analyzed to determine one or more communication schemes supported by the battery-powered device and the WAP. Based on these characteristics, a communication scheme that imposes the lowest power consumption burden on the battery-powered device can be selected, and the battery-powered device and / or the WAP can be configured accordingly.

[0025] For example, in an embodiment, the communication context of the battery-powered device and the WAP may be determined, for example, by determining whether there is at least one intermediate device with a wired power supply, through which the battery-powered device can communicate with the WAP. The communication scheme among the multiple different communication schemes may be selected, for example, by selecting a communication scheme that imposes the lowest power consumption burden on the battery-powered device and is also supported by the communication context. At least one of the battery-powered device or the WAP may be configured to communicate between the battery-powered device and the WAP using the selected communication scheme.

[0026] By determining and using the communication scheme that imposes the lowest power consumption burden, the amount of power consumed by a battery-powered device and its battery life is greatly improved (e.g., by 50%). Thus, the techniques described herein improve the functionality of devices (e.g., Internet of Things (IoT) devices) because these devices are able to operate longer due to the extended battery life.

[0027] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may use Figure 1The illustrated multimedia environment 102 is implemented and / or may be a part of the multimedia environment 102. However, it should be noted that the multimedia environment 102 is for illustration purposes only and is not limiting. As one or more persons skilled in the relevant art will appreciate based on the teachings contained herein, embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using and / or may be a part of an environment different from and / or in addition to the multimedia environment 102. An example of the multimedia environment 102 will now be described.

[0028] Multimedia Environment

[0029] Figure 1 A block diagram of a multimedia environment 102 according to some embodiments is shown. In a non-limiting example, the multimedia environment 102 can be for streaming media. However, the present disclosure is applicable to any type of media (instead of or in addition to streaming media), and any mechanism, means, protocol, method and / or process for distributing media.

[0030] The multimedia environment 102 may include one or more media systems 104. The media system 104 may represent a family room, kitchen, backyard, home theater, school classroom, library, car, boat, bus, airplane, movie theater, stadium, auditorium, park, bar, restaurant, or any other location or space where streaming media content needs to be received and played. One or more users 132 may operate with the media system 104 to select and consume content.

[0031] Each media system 104 may include one or more media devices 106, each of which is coupled to one or more display devices 108. It should be noted that unless otherwise specified herein, terms such as "coupled," "connected to," "attached," "linked," "combined," and similar terms may refer to physical connections, electrical connections, magnetic connections, logical connections, etc.

[0032] The media device 106 may be a streaming device, a DVD or BLU-RAY device, an audio / video playback device, a cable box, and / or a digital video recording device, to name a few examples. The display device 108 may be a monitor, a television (TV), a computer, a smart phone, a tablet, a wearable device (such as a watch or glasses), an appliance, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and / or a projector, to name a few examples. In some embodiments, the media device 106 may be part of, integrated with, operably coupled to, and / or connected to its corresponding display device 108.

[0033] Each media device 106 can be configured to communicate with a network 118 via a communication device 114. The communication device 114 may include, for example, a cable modem or a satellite television transceiver. The media device 106 can communicate with the communication device 114 via a link 116, which may include a wireless connection (e.g., WiFi) and / or a wired connection.

[0034] In various embodiments, the network 118 may include, but is not limited to, a wired and / or wireless intranet, extranet, Internet, cellular, Bluetooth, infrared and / or any other short-range, long-range, local, regional, global communication mechanism, means, method, protocol and / or network, and any one or more combinations thereof.

[0035] The media system 104 may include a remote control 110. The remote control 110 may be any component, part, means, and / or method for controlling the media device 106 and / or the display device 108, such as a remote control, a tablet, a laptop, a smartphone, a wearable device, an on-screen control, integrated control buttons, audio controls, or any combination thereof, to name a few examples. In an embodiment, the remote control 110 communicates wirelessly with the media device 106 and / or the display device 108 using cellular, Bluetooth, infrared, etc., or any combination thereof. The remote control 110 may include a microphone 112, which will be further described below.

[0036] The multimedia environment 102 may include a plurality of content servers 120 (also referred to as content providers, channels, or sources 120). Figure 1 Only one content server 120 is shown in the figure, but in practice, the multimedia environment 102 may include any number of content servers 120. Each content server 120 may be configured to communicate with the network 118.

[0037] Each content server 120 may store content 122 and metadata 124. Content 122 may include any combination of music, videos, movies, television programs, multimedia, images, still pictures, text, graphics, game applications, advertisements, program content, public service content, government content, local community content, software, and / or any other content or data object in electronic form.

[0038] In some embodiments, metadata 124 includes data about content 122. For example, metadata 124 may include associated or auxiliary information indicating or relating to writers, directors, producers, composers, artists, actors, summaries, chapters, productions, history, years, trailers, alternate versions, related content, applications, and / or any other information related to or associated with content 122. Metadata 124 may also or alternatively include links to any such information related to or associated with content 122. Metadata 124 may also or alternatively include one or more indexes to content 122.

[0039] The multimedia environment 102 may include one or more system servers 126. The system servers 126 may operate to support the media devices 106 from the cloud. It should be noted that the structural and functional aspects of the system servers 126 may reside in whole or in part in the same or different ones of the system servers 126.

[0040] The system server 126 may include a communication scheme determiner component 128. The communication scheme determiner component 128 may be configured to determine a communication scheme for a device such as a media device 106 and a WAP. The communication scheme imposes a relatively low power consumption burden on the device. An indication of the communication scheme may be provided to the device via the network 118. One or more media devices 106 may communicate with the WAP according to the communication scheme. Additional details regarding the communication scheme determiner component 128 will be described below with respect to the communication scheme determiner 312, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 shown.

[0041] The system server 126 may also include an audio command processing module 130. As described above, the remote control 110 may include a microphone 112. The microphone 112 may receive audio data from a user 132 (as well as other sources such as a display device 108). In some embodiments, the media device 106 may be audio responsive, and the audio data may represent spoken commands from the user 132 to control the media device 106 as well as other components in the media system 104, such as the display device 108.

[0042] In some embodiments, audio data received by microphone 112 in remote control 110 is sent to media device 106 and then forwarded to audio command processing module 130 in system server 126. Audio command processing module 130 may operate to process and analyze the received audio data to identify spoken commands of user 132. Audio command processing module 130 may then forward the spoken commands back to media device 106 for processing.

[0043] In some embodiments, the audio data may alternatively or additionally be processed and analyzed by the audio command processing module 216 in the media device 106 (see Figure 2 The media device 106 and the system server 126 may then collaborate to select one of the spoken commands for processing (either the spoken command recognized by the audio command processing module 130 in the system server 126 or the spoken command recognized by the audio command processing module 216 in the media device 106).

[0044] Figure 2 A block diagram of an example media device 106 is shown in accordance with some embodiments. The media device 106 may include a streaming module 202, a processing module 204, a storage / buffer 208, and a user interface module 206. The user interface module 206 may include an audio command processing module 216, as described above.

[0045] The media device 106 may also include one or more audio decoders 212 and one or more video decoders 214 .

[0046] Each audio decoder 212 can be configured to decode audio in one or more audio formats, such as, but not limited to, AAC, HE-AAC, AC3 (Dolby Digital), EAC3 (Dolby Digital Enhanced), WMA, WAV, PCM, MP3, OGG GSM, FLAC, AU, AIFF, and / or VOX, to name just a few examples.

[0047] Similarly, each video decoder 214 can be configured to decode video in one or more video formats, such as, but not limited to, MP4 (mp4, m4a, m4v, f4v, f4a, m4b, m4r, f4b, mov), 3GP (3gp, 3gp2, 3g2, 3gpp, 3gpp2), OGG (ogg, oga, ogv, ogx), WMV (wmv, wma, asf), WEBM, FLV, AVI, QuickTime, HDV, MXF (OP1a, OP-Atom), MPEG-TS, MPEG-2PS, MPEG-2TS, WAV, Broadcast WAV, LXF, GXF and / or VOB, just to name a few examples. Each video decoder 214 may include one or more video codecs, such as, but not limited to, H.263, H.264, H.265, AVI, HEV, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG-TS, MPEG-4, Theora, 3GP, DV, DVCPRO, DVCPRO, DVCProHD, IMX, XDCAM HD, XDCAM HD422 and / or XDCAM EX, to name just a few examples.

[0048] Now refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the user 132 may interact with the media device 106 via, for example, the remote control 110. For example, the user 132 may interact with the user interface module 206 of the media device 106 using the remote control 110 to select content, such as movies, television programs, music, books, applications, games, etc. The streaming module 202 of the media device 106 may request the selected content from one or more content servers 120 via the network 118. The one or more content servers 120 may send the requested content to the streaming module 202. The media device 106 may send the received content to the display device 108 for playback to the user 132.

[0049] In streaming embodiments, the streaming module 202 may send content to the display device 108 in real time or near real time as such content is received from one or more content servers 120. In non-streaming embodiments, the media device 106 may store content received from one or more content servers 120 in the memory / buffer 208 for later playback on the display device 108.

[0050] Reducing power consumption in battery-powered devices using selective communication schemes

[0051] like Figure 2 As further shown, the media system 106 may include a beacon measurer module 218. The beacon measurer module 218 may be configured to perform beacon measurements for one or more other media devices and / or WAPs to determine various characteristics thereof based on beacon signals received from the one or more other media devices and / or WAPs. The determined characteristics may be provided to the communication scheme determiner component 128 via the network 118. As described herein, the communication scheme determiner component 128 may be configured to determine a communication scheme for a device such as the media device 106 and a WAP. Figure 3 As shown, additional details of the beacon measurer module 218 will be described in detail below with respect to the beacon measurer 320.

[0052] Figure 3 2 is a block diagram of a system 300 for reducing power consumption of a battery powered device according to some embodiments. Figure 3 As shown, system 300 includes multiple IoT devices 302, 304, and 306, a wireless access point (WAP) 308, a mobile device 310, and a communication scheme determiner 312. Although only three IoT devices are shown for the sake of illustration, it should be understood that system 300 can include any number of IoT devices, including dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of IoT devices.

[0053] As used herein, the term "IoT device" is intended to broadly encompass any device capable of digitally communicating with another device. For example, a device that can digitally communicate with another device may include an IoT device as the term is used herein, even if such communication does not occur over the Internet.

[0054] Each of the IoT devices 302, 304, and 306 may include a device such as a smartphone (e.g., mobile device 310), a laptop, a notebook, a tablet, a netbook, a desktop computer, a video game console, a set-top box, an OTT streaming player, or a media device 106. In addition, each of the IoT devices 302, 304, and 306 may include a so-called "smart home" device, such as a smart light bulb, a smart switch, a smart refrigerator, a smart washing machine, a smart dryer, a smart coffee machine, a smart alarm clock, a smart smoke alarm, a smart carbon monoxide detector, a smart security sensor, a smart doorbell camera, a smart indoor or outdoor camera, a smart door lock, a smart thermostat, a smart window sensor, a smart motion sensor, a smart plug, a smart TV, a smart speaker, a smart remote control, or a voice controller. In addition, each of the IoT devices 302, 304, and 306 may include a wearable device such as a watch, a fitness tracker, a health monitor, a smart pacemaker, or an extended reality headset. However, these are merely examples and are not meant to be limiting.

[0055] IoT devices 302, 304, and 306 may be communicatively connected to a local area network (LAN) 314 via suitable wired and / or wireless connections. In an embodiment, LAN 314 is implemented using a hub-and-spoke topology or a star topology. For example, according to such an embodiment, each of IoT devices 302, 304, and 306 may be connected to a router via a corresponding Ethernet cable, a WAP 308, or an IoT device hub. The router may include a modem that enables the router to act as an interface between an entity connected to LAN 314 and an external wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet. In an alternative embodiment, LAN 314 is implemented using a mesh network topology. For example, according to such an embodiment, one or more of IoT devices 302, 304, and 306 may be directly linked to two other IoT devices, so that it may communicate directly with the other two IoT devices using unassociated media access control (MAC) frames without a router or WAP 308. An unassociated MAC frame may be a MAC frame that is not associated with the WAP 308 (i.e., such a MAC frame does not specify a basic service set (BSS) identifier (ID) of the WAP 308) and is locally managed (i.e., a universal / local (U / L) bit of a MAC address included in the MAC frame may be set to a value of 1), for example, during setup of a mesh network, by a user or network administrator. However, these are merely examples, and other techniques for implementing the LAN 314 may be used.

[0056] One or more devices included in system 300 may be powered by a battery, while one or more other devices in system 300 may be powered via a wired connection to a power source. Figure 3 As shown, IoT devices 302 and 304 may be powered by batteries, and IoT device 306 and WAP 308 may be powered via one or more wired power sources 316. One or more wired power sources 316 may include any power source that connects IoT device 306 and WAP 308 to an alternating current (AC) power supply of a premises (e.g., a house, an office building, etc.) or a direct current (DC) power supply of a vehicle via one or more wires. Examples of one or more wired power sources 316 include, but are not limited to, wall sockets, light bulb sockets, etc.

[0057] like Figure 3As further shown, the IoT device 302 may include a frame generator 318, a beacon measurer 320, and one or more wireless interfaces 326. The frame generator 318 may be configured to generate various types of MAC frames. For example, the frame generator 318 may be configured to generate a beacon MAC frame (also referred to herein as a beacon or beacon signal). Each beacon signal may be generated periodically, or may be generated in response to a specific event (e.g., a change in the power state or operation of the IoT device 302). The beacon signal may uniquely identify the IoT device 302 (e.g., uniquely identifying the IoT device 302 via a unique MAC address assigned to it), and may be broadcast to multiple other IoT devices (e.g., IoT devices 304 and 306) and / or WAP 308. The IoT device (e.g., IoT device 304 and / or 306) and / or WAP 308 may use the beacon signal to discover the IoT device 302 and / or determine whether the IoT device 302 is running. The payload of the beacon signal may also include data indicating one or more specific states of the IoT device 302 (e.g., power state, operating state, etc.), one or more wireless communication protocols supported by the IoT device 302, and an indication of the power source used by the IoT device 302 (e.g., whether the IoT device 302 is battery powered or powered via one or more wired power sources 316).

[0058] Another type of MAC frame that can be generated by the frame generator 318 is a group broadcast frame. A group broadcast frame can be configured to deliver commands and / or any other type of data to a group of IoT devices at the same time. Such a MAC frame can specify a group of MAC addresses corresponding to multiple IoT devices included in the group.

[0059] Another type of MAC frame that can be generated by the frame generator 318 is a unicast MAC frame. A unicast MAC frame can be reliably delivered to a specific destination MAC address. The receiving device can acknowledge such a frame via the PHY-ACK protocol. Such a MAC frame can specify a MAC address that uniquely identifies a single device (e.g., an IoT device or WAP 308) to which the unicast MAC frame is directed.

[0060] The beacon measurer 320 can be configured to perform beacon measurements for other IoT devices (e.g., IoT devices 304 and / or 306) and / or the WAP 308 that are communicatively coupled to the IoT device 302 to determine various characteristics based on the beacon signals received by the IoT device 302. For example, the beacon measurer 320 can determine the modulation coding scheme (MCS) used by the IoT device 302, the signal strength received by the IoT device 302 based on the beacon MAC frames received by the IoT device 302, the signal-to-noise ratio of the beacon MAC frames received by the IoT device 302, the error rate and / or loss frequency based on the beacon MAC frames received by the IoT device 302, etc. The beacon measurer 320 can also record the received beacon MAC frames. For example, the beacon measurer 320 can maintain an identifier of the device from which the beacon MAC frame is received and a timestamp of the received beacon MAC frame. The beacon measurer 320 may also determine other characteristics of the IoT devices 304 and / or 306 and / or the WAP 308 based on the beacon measurements, including, but not limited to, an identifier (e.g., a MAC address) associated with the IoT devices 304 and / or 306 and / or the WAP 308 included in one or more beacon signals received from the IoT devices 304 and / or 306 and / or the WAP 308, respectively, information included in the one or more beacon signals identifying the functionality of the IoT devices 304 and / or 306 and / or the WAP 308, respectively, whether the IoT devices 304 and / or 306 and / or the WAP 308 are battery powered or powered via a wired power source, etc. Indications of the above characteristics may be stored in a memory of the IoT device 302 and / or may be provided to the communication scheme determiner 312 (e.g., provided to the communication scheme determiner 312 via a MAC frame via the one or more wireless interfaces 326).

[0061] In an embodiment, the beacon measurer 320 may be configured to periodically perform beacon measurements to determine the above characteristics. In another embodiment, the beacon measurer 320 may be configured to perform beacon measurements before switching to the standby state. Each time the beacon measurer 320 performs a beacon measurement operation, an indication of the characteristic may be stored in a memory. This may be performed to detect any changes in the environment in which the IoT device 302 is located. These changes may include whether an IoT device previously detected via beacon measurements has been powered off and / or is no longer present in the environment.

[0062] One or more wireless interfaces 326 include components suitable for enabling the IoT device 302 to wirelessly communicate with other devices via corresponding wireless protocols. For example, as described above, one or more wireless interfaces 326 can be configured to send and / or receive MAC frames. One or more wireless interfaces 326 can include, for example, but not limited to, one or more of the following: a Wi-Fi interface that enables the IoT device 302 to wirelessly communicate with the WAP 308 or other devices with long-range Wi-Fi capabilities according to one or more wireless network protocols based on the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11 family of standards; a cellular interface that enables the IoT device 302 to wirelessly communicate with remote devices via one or more cellular networks; a Bluetooth interface (e.g., a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) remote interface) that enables the IoT device 302 to wirelessly communicate with other Bluetooth-enabled devices; or a Zigbee interface that enables the IoT device 302 to wirelessly communicate with other Zigbee-enabled devices.

[0063] Each of the IoT devices 304 and 306 may include components similar to those shown for the IoT device 302. Thus, for example, each of the IoT devices 304 and 306 may include a frame generator, a beacon measurer, one or more plug-ins, or one or more wireless interfaces.

[0064] The WAP 308 may be configured to broadcast beacon MAC frames to devices communicatively coupled thereto (e.g., one or more IoT devices in IoT devices 302, 304, and 306 and mobile device 310). Such beacon MAC frames may identify the WAP 308 and / or various features or performances of the WAP 308. The beacon MAC frame may also include information about packet services queued for different devices communicatively coupled to the WAP 308. Such information may be specified via a service indication map. The transmission of the beacon MAC frame may be periodic. The periodicity is set in multiples of a transmit unit (TU). Each TU may be equivalent to 1024 microseconds. 100 TUs (approximately 100 milliseconds) may be set as the default beacon transmission time. The time at which the beacon is expected to be broadcast may be referred to as the target beacon transmission time (TBTT). The time interval between two TBTTs may be referred to as a beacon interval. A subset of the beacon MAC frames transmitted by the WAP 308 may be a delivery traffic indication map (DTIM) beacon MAC frame. The interval at which the DTIM beacon MAC frame is sent (i.e., the DTIM interval) may be a multiple of the beacon interval. The DTIM interval may be configurable. For example, if the beacon interval is 100 milliseconds and the DTIM interval is set to 3, every third beacon MAC frame sent by the WAP 308 is a DTIM beacon MAC frame. The DTIM beacon MAC frame may indicate to the IoT devices 302, 304, and / or 306 that the data queued at the WAP 308 will be broadcast to the IoT devices 302, 304, and / or 306 immediately after the DTIM beacon MAC frame is sent. The beacon MAC frame sent by the WAP 308 may indicate the DTIM interval used by the WAP 308 and / or whether the DTIM interval is configurable. The IoT devices 302, 304, and / or 306 may utilize the DTIM interval to determine when to wake up and listen to the broadcast. The longer the DTIM interval, the fewer IoT devices need to be woken up, resulting in longer battery life.

[0065] An event at one IoT device may cause another IoT device to be activated. For example, consider a scenario where IoT device 304 is a smart doorbell or smart motion sensor and IoT device 302 is a smart camera. Upon activation, IoT device 304 may provide commands to IoT device 302 directly (via MAC frames), or indirectly via another IoT device (e.g., IoT device 306) or via WAP 308 to activate and provide a video stream.

[0066] In another scenario, the mobile device 310 can cause the IoT device 302 to be activated. For example, the mobile device 310 can include an application 324 configured to activate the IoT device 302. For example, the application 324 can be a home security application that enables a user to activate a camera via one or more user interface elements (e.g., a button). Upon activating such one or more user interface elements, the application 324 can provide a command to the IoT device 302. The command can be included in a MAC frame sent via one or more wireless interfaces 328 of the mobile device 310. The one or more wireless interfaces 328 can send the MAC frame to the WAP 308, and the WAP 308 can send the MAC frame to the IoT device 304.

[0067] By way of example only and not limitation, mobile device 310 may include a smartphone, a laptop, a notebook, a tablet, a netbook, a handheld video game console, a wearable device (e.g., a smart watch, an extended reality headset), or a remote control.

[0068] The one or more wireless interfaces 328 include components suitable for enabling the mobile device 310 to wirelessly communicate with other devices (e.g., IoT devices 302, 304, and / or 306 and / or WAP 308) via corresponding wireless protocols. The one or more wireless interfaces 328 may include, for example, but not limited to, one or more of the following: a Wi-Fi interface that enables the mobile device 304 to wirelessly communicate with an access point or other device with long-range Wi-Fi capabilities according to one or more wireless network protocols based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards; a cellular interface that enables the mobile device 304 to wirelessly communicate with remote devices via one or more cellular networks; or a Bluetooth interface that enables the mobile device 304 to perform short-range wireless communications with other Bluetooth-enabled devices.

[0069] The communication scheme determiner 312 may be configured to determine, for a battery-powered IoT device, a communication scheme that imposes the lowest power consumption burden on the battery-powered IoT device. Figure 3 As shown, the communication scheme determiner 312 may include a context determiner 330, a WAP-based scheme selector 332, an IoT-based scheme selector 334, and a data storage device 336 storing a plurality of different communication schemes. Each of the different communication schemes may impose a different power consumption burden on the battery-powered IoT device. For example, one communication scheme may cause the battery-powered IoT device to consume less power than another communication scheme.

[0070] The context determiner 330 may be configured to determine a communication context between one or more battery-powered IoT devices (e.g., IoT devices 302 and 304) and one or more devices powered via a wired power source (e.g., WAP 308, IoT device 306, and / or one or more intermediate (e.g., relay) devices coupled therebetween). For example, for each battery-powered IoT device, the context determiner 330 may analyze features obtained by the beacon measurer 320 of the device. In an example of determining a communication context for IoT device 302, the context determiner 330 may analyze one or more identifiers of devices from which IoT device 302 receives a beacon signal, and performance information included in such beacon signals, including, but not limited to, whether such a device is battery-powered or powered via a wired power source. In some aspects, the communication scheme determiner 312 may maintain a mapping that associates a device identifier (e.g., a MAC address) of a particular device with its capabilities. Such capabilities may include an indication of whether the device is battery-powered or powered via a wired power source or whether the device is a WAP 308. The mapping may be generated by the manufacturer of the device in which the communication scheme determiner 312 is incorporated and may be updated via software updates and / or may be configurable by a user.According to such aspects, such capabilities may not be communicated via beacon signals because the capabilities may be determined via the mapping.

[0071] In the case where the context determiner 330 determines that the IoT device 302 communicates only with an intermediate device, the context determiner 330 may analyze the characteristics obtained by the beacon measurer 320 of the intermediate device to determine whether the intermediate device communicates directly with the WAP 308 or with another intermediate device. The context determiner 330 may continue to perform the above analysis to determine the relay path through which the IoT device 302 can communicate with the WAP 308. In the case where more than one relay path is determined, the context determiner 330 may analyze the reliability characteristics of the beacon signals (obtained by the beacon measurer 320) sent between the devices in the relay path. Such reliability characteristics include, but are not limited to, the received signal strength, signal-to-noise ratio, error rate, and / or loss frequency of the beacon MAC frames received by the devices in the relay path. The context determiner 330 may utilize the devices in the relay path that send and / or receive beacon MAC frames with the greatest signal reliability (e.g., signal reliability that reaches or exceeds a specific threshold).

[0072] The context determiner 330 may determine whether the IoT device 302 is communicating directly with the WAP 308 or indirectly communicating with the WAP 308 via an intermediate device with a wired power source based on an analysis of the device identifier and / or the above-mentioned performance information. In response to determining that the IoT device 302 is communicating directly with the WAP 308, the context determiner 330 may provide a first indication to the WAP-based solution selector 332. The context determiner 330 may also provide the performance information of the IoT device 302 and / or the WAP 308 to the WAP-based solution selector 332. In response to determining that the IoT device 302 is communicating indirectly with the WAP 308 via an intermediate device, the context determiner 330 may provide a second indication to the intermediate device-based solution selector 334. The context determiner 330 may also provide the performance information of the IoT device 302 and / or the intermediate device to the intermediate device-based solution selector 334.

[0073] The data storage device 336 can store multiple WAP-based communication schemes and multiple intermediate device-based communication schemes. Examples of WAP-based communication schemes include, but are not limited to: using a first specific DTIM interval longer than the default DTIM interval to send a DTIM beacon MAC frame, using a second specific DTIM interval longer than the first specific DTIM interval to send a DTIM beacon MAC frame; or, using a different wireless communication protocol (e.g., a communication protocol based on Wi-Fi 6) that imposes a relatively low power consumption burden compared to another wireless communication protocol (e.g., a communication protocol based on Wi-Fi 5). In an example, a Wi-Fi 6-based communication protocol can be used to impose a relatively low power consumption burden by using a target wake-up time (TWT) feature, which enables the device to decide the time and frequency of waking up the device to receive or send data to save power. Each WAP-based communication scheme can be ranked based on power consumption burden. In an example, using the first specific DTIM interval can produce the highest power consumption burden, using the second specific DTIM interval can produce the second highest power consumption burden, and using different wireless communication protocols can produce the lowest power consumption burden of the WAP-based communication scheme. Examples of middleware-based solutions include, but are not limited to: using middleware included in the mesh network to relay data to WAP 308; or, using a different wireless communication protocol (e.g., a BLE remote-based communication protocol) that imposes a relatively low power consumption burden compared to another wireless communication protocol (e.g., a Wi-Fi-based communication protocol). Each middleware-based power communication can be ranked based on power consumption burden. In an example, using middleware included in the mesh network can produce the highest power consumption burden, and using different wireless communication protocols can produce the lowest power consumption burden of the middleware-based communication solution.

[0074] In response to receiving the first indication, the WAP-based scheme selector 332 may select a WAP-based communication scheme from the data storage device 336. The WAP-based communication scheme may be selected based on the performance of the IoT device 302 and / or the WAP 308. If the IoT device 302 and / or the WAP 308 supports more than one communication scheme, the WAP-based scheme selector 332 may select a WAP-based communication scheme that imposes the lowest power consumption burden on the IoT device 302. For example, if the performance information indicates that the IoT device 302 and / or the WAP 308 supports a configurable DTIM interval but does not support different wireless communication protocols, the WAP-based scheme selector 332 may select a WAP-based communication scheme that uses the longest DTIM interval. In another example, if the performance information indicates that both the IoT device 302 and the WAP 308 support a Wi-Fi 6-based communication protocol, the WAP-based scheme selector 332 may select a WAP-based communication scheme that supports Wi-Fi 6-based communication. The WAP-based scheme selector 332 may accordingly configure the IoT device 302 and / or the WAP 308. For example, the WAP-based scheme selector 332 may set the DTIM interval used by the WAP 308 and / or the IoT device 302 according to the selected scheme, or provide commands to the IoT device 302 and the WAP 308 to use a communication protocol according to the selected scheme.

[0075] In response to receiving the second indication, the intermediate device-based scheme selector 334 may select an intermediate device-based communication scheme from the data storage device 336. The intermediate device-based communication scheme may be selected based on the performance of the IoT device 302 and the intermediate device (e.g., IoT device 306). If the IoT device 302 and the intermediate device support more than one communication scheme, the intermediate device-based scheme selector 334 may select an intermediate device-based communication scheme that imposes the lowest power consumption burden on the IoT device 302. For example, if the performance information indicates that the IoT device 302 and the intermediate device are part of a mesh network but do not support different wireless communication protocols, the intermediate device-based scheme selector 334 may select an intermediate device-based communication scheme that uses power optimization (e.g., configurable DTIM settings) available via the mesh network. In another example, if the performance information indicates that both the IoT device 302 and the intermediate device support a BLE remote-based communication protocol, the intermediate device-based scheme selector 334 may select an intermediate device-based communication scheme that supports BLE remote-based communication.

[0076] In order to configure the IoT device 302 and / or the WAP 308 using the selected solution, the WAP-based solution selector 332 and the middleware-based solution selector may provide one or more plug-ins (shown as one or more plug-ins 338 and one or more plug-ins 340), which, when executed, cause the IoT device 302 and / or the WAP 308 to implement the configuration. The one or more plug-ins 338 and the one or more plug-ins 340 may include code and / or data that may be implemented and / or executed by software (e.g., an operating system) executing on the IoT device 302 and / or the WAP 308.

[0077] In some aspects, the communication scheme can be used for certain operations at the IoT device 302. For example, the communication scheme can indicate that a different communication protocol or DTIM interval will be used to send and receive only DTIM beacon MAC frames. After the IoT device 302 wakes up and receives the DTIM beacon MAC frame, the IoT device 302 can return to using its original communication scheme and perform its intended function, such as providing a video stream. In other aspects, the communication scheme is not specific to the operation. In this aspect, the IoT device 302 can continue to use the different communication scheme to perform its intended function.

[0078] In some aspects, the communication scheme determiner 312 may use machine learning-based techniques to determine whether to use a specific intermediate device to establish a communication link between the IoT device 302 and the WAP 508 and / or determine which communication scheme to use. For example, a machine learning model may analyze historical data collected from multiple different IoT devices and WAPs. Such data may include signal reliability features associated with beacon MAC frames sent and received from such devices via each communication scheme described herein, timestamps for sending and / or receiving such beacon MAC frames via each communication scheme described herein, and the like. Based on such data, the machine learning model may learn thresholds for when to use each communication scheme, as well as learn when a specific intermediate device should be used.

[0079] During the inference process, the machine learning model can receive such signal reliability characteristics and such timestamps determined by the beacon measurer 320 as inputs and output one or more recommended intermediate devices (if applicable) and a recommended communication scheme for establishing a communication link between the IoT device 302 and the WAP 308. In some aspects, the recommended communication scheme can be time-specific. For example, the machine learning model can determine that one communication scheme should be used during the day and another communication scheme should be used at night.

[0080] In some aspects, the machine learning model can analyze the timestamp of the IoT device 302 receiving the beacon MAC frame and determine the periodicity of receiving the beacon MAC frame (e.g., whether the beacon MAC frame is received every hour, every day, every week, etc.). Based on the aforementioned characteristics, the machine learning model can determine the operational behavior of such devices from which the beacon MAC frame is received (e.g., whether the device is powered on, powered off, or performing a specific operation, or a usage pattern indicating when (e.g., times and / or days) the device is powered on, powered off, or performing a specific operation). Based on the analysis of the timestamp, the machine learning model can determine the intermediate device to be used based on the time of day or based on whether a specific intermediate device is turned on or off. Therefore, in some cases, a first intermediate device can be used to relay a signal from a battery-powered device to the WAP 308, while in other cases, a second intermediate device can be used to relay a signal from the same battery-powered device to the WAP 308.

[0081] In some aspects, the machine learning model may recommend placing an intermediate device powered by a wired power source at a specific location based on an analysis of signal reliability characteristics. For example, the machine learning model may determine that the signal reliability between the IoT device 302 and the intermediate device may improve if the intermediate device is placed at a closer distance. In response to such a determination, the communication scheme determiner 312 may provide a prompt to the user to indicate that the IoT device 302 may experience better battery life if the specific intermediate device is placed within a specific distance of the IoT device 302. In another example, the intermediate device may include a robot or other device capable of self-movement. In such an example, the communication scheme determiner 312 may provide a command to such a device to cause such a device to automatically move to a location recommended by the machine learning model.

[0082] In some aspects, the communication scheme determiner 312 may include a map of the location where the IoT devices 302, 304, and 306, the WAP 308, and / or the mobile device 310 are located. The map may be generated based on sensing technology, where sensors (e.g., cameras or other optical sensors, microphones, radar systems, LiDAR systems, Wi-Fi sensing systems, proximity sensors, infrared sensors, radio frequency (RF) based sensing systems, etc.) are used to generate a map of the location. Based on the map, the machine learning model may determine that a particular object is causing an obstacle between the IoT device 302, the intermediate device, and / or the WAP 308, and recommend (e.g., via a prompt to the user) that the object be removed to improve the battery life of the IoT device 302.

[0083] The communication scheme determiner 312 may be implemented by a device (e.g., a server) that is remote from the location of the IoT devices 302, 304, and 306 but is communicatively connected to at least one of the IoT devices 302, 304, and 306 via the WAP 308. Alternatively, the communication scheme determiner 312 may be implemented by a device within the location of the IoT devices 302, 304, and 306, for example, by one or more of the IoT devices 302, 304, and 306.

[0084] Figure 4A is a block diagram of a system 400 for establishing a communication link according to some embodiments. Figure 4A As shown, system 400 may include an IoT device 402 (e.g., a smart camera) and a WAP 404. As shown in FIG. 4 , IoT device 402 has established a communication link with WAP 404. Context determiner 330 may determine that IoT device 402 has established a communication link with WAP 404 based on the characteristics provided by beacon measurer 320, and may provide a first indication to WAP-based scheme selector 332 accordingly. WAP-based scheme selector 332 may determine whether IoT device 402 and / or WAP 404 support a configurable DTIM interval. In response to determining that IoT device 402 and / or WAP 404 support a configurable DTIM interval, WAP-based scheme selector 332 may select a conversation scheme using a DTIM interval that imposes the lowest power consumption burden on IoT device 402.

[0085] At some point, the user may use another IoT device that may act as an intermediary (or relay) device for relaying data between the IoT device 402 and the WAP 404. For example, Figure 4B is a block diagram of a system 405 for establishing a relay-based communication link according to some embodiments. Figure 4B As shown, system 405 may include IoT device 402, IoT device 406 (e.g., a smart light bulb), and WAP 404. IoT device 406 may be powered via a wired power source (e.g., a light bulb socket). Context determiner 330 may determine, based on characteristics provided by IoT device 406 and / or beacon measurer 320 of 406, that IoT device 402 has established a communication link with IoT device 406, that IoT device 406 is powered via a wired power source, and that IoT device 406 has established a communication link with WAP 404. Context determiner 330 may determine whether signal reliability is higher via such communication links or via a wireless communication link such as a wireless communication link. Figure 4AThe signal reliability of the direct communication link with WAP 404 is shown to be higher. If the signal reliability via the communication link with IoT device 406 is higher, the context determiner 330 can provide an indication to the intermediate device-based scheme selector 334 accordingly. The intermediate device-based scheme selector 334 can determine whether IoT device 402 and IoT device 406 each support multiple wireless communication protocols, and select a communication scheme using a specific wireless communication protocol among the multiple wireless communication protocols that imposes the lowest power consumption burden on IoT device 402. If IoT device 402 and IoT device 406 do not support such wireless communication protocols, the intermediate device-based scheme selector 334 can determine whether IoT device 402 and IoT device 404 are included in the same mesh network. If IoT device 402 and IoT device 404 are included in the same mesh network, the intermediate device-based scheme selector 334 can select a communication scheme using power optimization (e.g., configurable DTIM settings) available via the mesh network. If signal reliability is higher via a direct communication link with WAP 404 and / or no middleware-based solution is available, it may be determined not to use IoT device 406 to relay the signal to WAP 404, and a WAP-based solution may be used instead.

[0086] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a method 500 for establishing a communication link between a battery-powered device and a WAP according to an embodiment. The battery-powered device and the WAP may be configured to use one of a plurality of different communication schemes for communication between the battery-powered device and the WAP, each of the plurality of different communication schemes imposing a different power consumption burden on the battery-powered device. The plurality of different communication schemes may include one or more schemes for the battery-powered device to communicate directly with the WAP and one or more schemes for the battery-powered device to communicate indirectly with the WAP through at least one intermediate device having a wired power source. Method 500 is capable of being executed by processing logic, which processing logic may include hardware (e.g., circuits, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (e.g., instructions executed on a processing device), or a combination thereof. It should be understood that not all steps may be required to perform the disclosure provided herein. In addition, as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, some of the steps may be performed simultaneously, or in a sequential manner. Figure 5 The order shown in the figure is different from the order in which it is executed.

[0087] Method 500 will refer to Figure 3 The communication scheme determiner 312 in FIG. Figure 3 The communication scheme determiner 312 in is one example of a communication scheme determiner. However, the method 500 is not limited to this example embodiment.

[0088] In 502, the context determiner 330 can determine the communication context of the battery-powered device (e.g., the IoT device 302) and the WAP 308, wherein determining the communication context includes at least determining whether there is at least one intermediate device (e.g., the IoT device 306) with a wired power source (e.g., one or more wired power sources 316), and the battery-powered device can communicate with the WAP 308 via the at least one intermediate device.

[0089] In 504, the WAP-based scheme selector 332 or the intermediate device-based scheme selector 334 can select a communication scheme from a plurality of different communication schemes (e.g., the communication scheme of the data storage device 336), wherein the selection includes selecting a communication scheme from the plurality of different communication schemes that imposes the lowest power consumption burden on the battery-powered device and is also supported by the communication context.

[0090] In 506 , the WAP-based scheme selector 332 or the intermediate device-based scheme selector 334 may configure at least one of the battery-powered device or the WAP 308 to communicate between the battery-powered device and the WAP 308 using the selected communication scheme.

[0091] Figure 6 6 is a flow chart of a method 600 for establishing a communication link between a battery-powered device and a WAP via an intermediate device according to an embodiment. The method 600 can be performed by processing logic, which can include hardware (e.g., circuits, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (e.g., instructions executed on a processing device), or a combination thereof. It should be understood that not all steps may be required to perform the disclosure provided herein. In addition, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, some of the steps may be performed simultaneously, or in parallel. Figure 6 The order shown in the figure is different from the order in which it is executed.

[0092] Method 600 will refer to Figure 3 The communication scheme determiner 312 in FIG. Figure 3 The communication scheme determiner 312 in is one example of a communication scheme determiner. However, the method 600 is not limited to this example embodiment.

[0093] In 602, the context determiner 330 can determine that there is at least one intermediate device (e.g., the IoT device 306) with a wired power source (e.g., one or more wired power sources 316), and the battery-powered device (e.g., the IoT device 302) is able to communicate with the WAP 308 via the at least one intermediate device, wherein the at least one intermediate device and the battery-powered device communicate via a first wireless communication protocol.

[0094] In 604 , the intermediate device based scheme selector 334 may determine that the at least one intermediate device and the battery powered device support a second wireless communication protocol that imposes a relatively lower power consumption burden on the battery powered device than the first wireless communication protocol.

[0095] In 606, the intermediate device-based scheme selector 334 may select a communication scheme for the at least one intermediate device and the battery-powered device to communicate via a second wireless communication protocol. For example, as described herein, the first wireless communication protocol includes a Wi-Fi-based communication protocol, and the second wireless communication protocol includes a BLE long-range-based communication protocol.

[0096] Figure 7 7 is a flow chart of a method 700 for establishing a communication link between a battery-powered device and a WAP via an intermediate device according to another embodiment. The method 700 can be performed by processing logic, which can include hardware (e.g., circuits, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (e.g., instructions executed on a processing device), or a combination thereof. It should be understood that not all steps may be required to perform the disclosure provided herein. In addition, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, some of the steps may be performed simultaneously or in parallel. Figure 7 The order shown in the figure is different from the order in which it is executed.

[0097] Method 700 will refer to Figure 3 The communication scheme determiner 312 in FIG. Figure 3 The communication scheme determiner 312 in is one example of a communication scheme determiner. However, the method 700 is not limited to this example embodiment.

[0098] In 702, the context determiner 330 may determine that there is at least one intermediate device (e.g., IoT device 306) with a wired power source (e.g., one or more wired power sources 316), and the battery-powered device (e.g., IoT device 302) may communicate with the WAP 308 via the at least one intermediate device, wherein the at least one intermediate device and the battery-powered device communicate via a mesh network. In an example, the intermediate device-based scheme selector 334 may determine that the at least one intermediate device and the battery-powered device communicate via a mesh network.

[0099] At 704, the intermediate device-based scheme selector 334 may select a communication scheme in which one or more parameters of the mesh network are updated to reduce the power consumption burden of the battery-powered device. For example, as described herein, the one or more parameters may include a DTIM interval setting associated with at least one of the battery-powered device or the at least one intermediate device.

[0100] Figure 8 8 is a flow chart of a method 800 for establishing a direct communication link between a battery powered device and a WAP according to an embodiment. The method 800 can be performed by processing logic, which can include hardware (e.g., circuits, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (e.g., instructions executed on a processing device), or a combination thereof. It should be understood that not all steps may be required to perform the disclosure provided herein. In addition, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, some of the steps may be performed simultaneously or in parallel. Figure 8 The order shown in the figure is different from the order in which it is executed.

[0101] Method 800 will refer to Figure 3 The communication scheme determiner 312 in FIG. Figure 3 The communication scheme determiner 312 in is one example of a communication scheme determiner. However, the method 800 is not limited to this example embodiment.

[0102] In 802 , the context determiner 330 may determine that there are no intermediary devices and that the battery-powered device (eg, the IoT device 302 ) communicates directly with the WAP 308 , wherein the WAP 308 and the battery-powered device communicate via a first wireless communication protocol.

[0103] In 804 , the WAP-based scheme selector 332 may determine that both the battery-powered device and the WAP 308 support a second wireless communication protocol that imposes a relatively lower power consumption burden on the battery-powered device than the first wireless communication protocol.

[0104] At 806, the WAP-based scheme selector 332 may select a communication scheme for the WAP 308 and the battery-powered device to communicate via a second wireless communication protocol. For example, as described herein, the first wireless communication protocol includes a Wi-Fi 5-based communication protocol, and the second wireless communication protocol includes a Wi-Fi 6-based communication protocol.

[0105] Fig. 9 900 is a flow chart of a method 900 for establishing a direct communication link between a battery powered device and a WAP according to another embodiment. The method 900 can be performed by processing logic, which can include hardware (e.g., circuits, dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (e.g., instructions executed on a processing device), or a combination thereof. It should be understood that not all steps may be required to perform the disclosure provided herein. In addition, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, some of the steps may be performed simultaneously or in parallel. Fig. 9 The order shown in the figure is different from the order in which it is executed.

[0106] Method 900 will refer to Figure 3 The communication scheme determiner 312 in FIG. Figure 3 The communication scheme determiner 312 in is one example of a communication scheme determiner. However, the method 900 is not limited to this example embodiment.

[0107] In 902, the context determiner 330 can determine that there are no intermediate devices and the battery-powered device (e.g., the IoT device 302) communicates directly with the WAP 308, wherein the WAP 308 and the battery-powered device support a single wireless communication protocol and communicate via a first DTIM interval. For example, the WAP-based scheme selector 332 can determine that the WAP 308 and the battery-powered device support a single wireless communication protocol and communicate via a first DTIM interval.

[0108] At 904 , the WAP-based scheme selector 332 may determine that a DTIM interval setting is configurable at one or more of the battery-powered device or the WAP 308 .

[0109] At 906 , the WAP-based scheme selector 332 may select a communication scheme using a second DTIM interval for one or more of the WAP 308 or the battery-powered device, wherein the second DTIM interval imposes a relatively lower power consumption burden on the battery-powered device than the first DTIM interval.

[0110] Example Computer System

[0111] For example, one or more well-known computer systems (e.g., Fig.10 1000) to implement various embodiments. For example, a combination or sub-combination of computer system 1000 can be used to implement media device 106, remote control 110, one or more content servers 120, one or more system servers 126, communication scheme determiner component 128, beacon measurer module 218, IoT devices 302, 304 and 306, WAP 308, mobile device 310, communication scheme determiner 312, frame generator 318, beacon measurer 320, application 324, one or more wireless interfaces 326, one or more wireless interfaces 328, context determiner 330, WAP-based scheme selector 332, middleware-based scheme selector 334, one or more plug-ins 338, one or more plug-ins 340, IoT devices 402 and 406, and WAP 404. In addition or alternatively, for example, one or more computer systems 1000 can be used to implement any of the embodiments discussed herein and combinations or sub-combinations thereof.

[0112] Computer system 1000 may include one or more processors (also referred to as central processing units or CPUs), such as processor 1004. Processor 1004 may be connected to a communication infrastructure or bus 1006.

[0113] The computer system 1000 may also include one or more user input / output devices 1003 such as a monitor, keyboard, pointing device, etc. The one or more user input / output devices 1003 may communicate with the communication infrastructure 1006 via one or more user input / output interfaces 1002 .

[0114] One or more of the processors 1004 may be a graphics processing unit (GPU). In an embodiment, a GPU may be a processor that is an electronic circuit specifically designed to process mathematically intensive applications. A GPU may have a parallel structure that efficiently processes large blocks of data in parallel, such as mathematically intensive data commonly found in computer graphics applications, images, videos, etc.

[0115] The computer system 1000 may also include a main memory or primary storage 1008, such as a random access memory (RAM). The main memory 1008 may include one or more levels of cache. The main memory 1008 may store control logic (ie, computer software) and / or data.

[0116] The computer system 1000 may also include one or more secondary storage devices or memories 1010. The secondary storage 1010 may include, for example, a hard disk drive 1012 and / or a removable storage device or drive 1014. The removable storage drive 1014 may be a floppy disk drive, a tape drive, an optical drive, an optical storage device, a tape backup device, and / or any other storage device / drive.

[0117] The removable storage drive 1014 can interact with a removable storage unit 1018. The removable storage unit 1018 may include a computer usable or readable storage device having computer software (control logic) and / or data stored thereon. The removable storage unit 1018 may be a floppy disk, a magnetic tape, an optical disk, a DVD, an optical storage disk, and / or any other computer data storage device. The removable storage drive 1014 can read from and / or write to the removable storage unit 1018.

[0118] Secondary memory 1010 may include other means, devices, components, tools, or other methods for allowing computer system 1000 to access computer programs and / or other instructions and / or data. For example, such means, devices, components, tools, or other methods may include a removable storage unit 1022 and an interface 1020. Examples of removable storage unit 1022 and interface 1020 may include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (such as a program cartridge and cartridge interface in a video game device), a removable memory chip (such as an EPROM or PROM) and an associated slot, a memory stick and a USB or other port, a memory card and an associated memory card slot, and / or any other removable storage unit and associated interface.

[0119] The computer system 1000 may also include a communication or network interface 1024. The communication interface 1024 may enable the computer system 1000 to communicate and interact with any combination of external devices, external networks, external entities, etc. (individually and collectively referenced by reference numeral 1028). For example, the communication interface 1024 may allow the computer system 1000 to communicate with an external or remote device 1028 via a communication path 1026, which may be wired and / or wireless (or a combination of both) and may include any combination of a LAN, a WAN, the Internet, etc. Control logic and / or data may be transmitted to and from the computer system 1000 via the communication path 1026.

[0120] Computer system 1000 may also be a personal digital assistant (PDA), a desktop workstation, a laptop or notebook computer, a netbook, a tablet computer, a smartphone, a smart watch or other wearable device, an appliance, part of the IoT, and / or an embedded system, to name a few non-limiting examples, or any combination thereof.

[0121] Computer system 1000 can be a client or server that accesses or hosts any application and / or data through any delivery paradigm (including but not limited to remote or distributed cloud computing solutions); local or on-premises software ("on-premises" cloud-based solutions); "as a service" model (e.g., content as a service (CaaS), digital content as a service (DCaaS), software as a service (SaaS), hosted software as a service (MSaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), desktop as a service (DaaS), framework as a service (FaaS), backend as a service (BaaS), mobile backend as a service (MBaaS), infrastructure as a service (IaaS), etc.); and / or a hybrid model including any combination of the foregoing examples or other services or delivery paradigms.

[0122] Any suitable data structures, file formats, and schemas in computer system 1000 may be obtained from standards including, but not limited to, JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), Extensible Markup Language (XML), Yet Another Markup Language (YAML), Extensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML), Wireless Markup Language (WML), MessagePack, XML User Interface Language (XUL), or any other functionally similar representations, alone or in combination. Alternatively, proprietary data structures, formats, or schemas may be used alone or in combination with known or open standards.

[0123] In some embodiments, a tangible, non-transitory device or article of manufacture including a tangible, non-transitory computer usable or readable medium having control logic (software) stored thereon may also be referred to herein as a computer program product or program storage device. The tangible, non-transitory device or article of manufacture includes, but is not limited to, computer system 1000, main memory 1008, auxiliary memory 1010, and removable storage unit 1018 and removable storage unit 1022, as well as tangible articles of manufacture embodying any combination of the foregoing. Such control logic, when executed by one or more data processing devices (e.g., computer system 1000 or one or more processors 1004), may cause such data processing devices to operate as described herein.

[0124] Based on the teachings contained in this disclosure, how to use Fig.10 It will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art that data processing devices, computer systems, and / or computer architectures other than those shown can be used to make and use the embodiments of the present disclosure. In particular, the embodiments can operate with software, hardware, and / or operating system implementations other than those described herein.

[0125] in conclusion

[0126] It should be understood that the detailed description (but not any other part) is intended to be used to interpret the claims. The other parts may set forth one or more but not all exemplary embodiments contemplated by the inventors, and therefore, the other parts are in no way intended to limit the present disclosure or the appended claims.

[0127] Although the present disclosure describes exemplary embodiments of exemplary fields and applications, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Other embodiments and modifications thereof are also possible and fall within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. For example, without limiting the generality of this paragraph, the embodiments are not limited to the software, hardware, firmware, and / or entities shown in the drawings and / or described herein. In addition, the embodiments (whether or not explicitly described herein) have important utility for fields and applications other than the examples described herein.

[0128] Embodiments are described herein with the aid of functional building blocks that illustrate implementations of specified functions and relationships thereof. For ease of description, the boundaries of these functional building blocks are arbitrarily defined herein. Alternative boundaries may be defined as long as the specified functions and relationships (or their equivalents) are properly performed. In addition, alternative embodiments may perform functional blocks, steps, operations, methods, etc., in an order different from that described herein.

[0129] References to "one embodiment," "embodiment," "example embodiment," or similar phrases herein illustrate that the described embodiments may include specific features, structures, or characteristics, but each embodiment may not necessarily include specific features, structures, or characteristics. In addition, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, when describing specific features, structures, or characteristics in conjunction with an embodiment, a person skilled in the relevant art will incorporate such features, structures, or characteristics into other embodiments, regardless of whether or not explicitly mentioned or described herein. In addition, some embodiments may be described using the expressions "coupled" and "connected" and their derivatives. These terms are not necessarily synonymous with each other. For example, some embodiments may be described using the terms "connected" and / or "coupled" to illustrate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other. However, the term "coupled" may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but still cooperate or interact with each other.

[0130] The breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for establishing a communication link between a battery-powered device and a wireless access point (WAP), the battery-powered device and the WAP being configurable to communicate between the battery-powered device and the WAP using one of a plurality of different communication schemes, each of the plurality of different communication schemes imposing a different power consumption burden on the battery-powered device, wherein: The plurality of different communication schemes include one or more schemes in which the battery-powered device directly communicates with the WAP and one or more schemes in which the battery-powered device indirectly communicates with the WAP via at least one intermediate device having a wired power source, and the method includes: Determining a communication context of the battery-powered device and the WAP, wherein determining the communication context comprises at least determining whether there is at least one intermediate device with a wired power source, and the battery-powered device is able to communicate with the WAP via the at least one intermediate device; selecting a communication scheme from among the plurality of different communication schemes, wherein the selecting comprises selecting a communication scheme from among the plurality of different communication schemes that imposes a lowest power consumption burden on the battery-powered device and that is also supported by the communication context; and At least one of the battery-powered device or the WAP is configured to communicate between the battery-powered device and the WAP using the selected communication scheme.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein: Determining the communication context of the battery powered device and the WAP comprises: determining that there is at least one intermediate device having a wired power source, the battery-powered device being able to communicate with the WAP via the at least one intermediate device, wherein the at least one intermediate device and the battery-powered device communicate via a first wireless communication protocol; and determining that the at least one intermediate device and the battery-powered device support a second wireless communication protocol, the second wireless communication protocol imposing a relatively lower power consumption burden on the battery-powered device than the first wireless communication protocol; Wherein, selecting a communication scheme from among the plurality of different communication schemes comprises: selecting a communication scheme in which the at least one intermediate device and the battery-powered device communicate via the second wireless communication protocol.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein: The first wireless communication protocol includes a Wi-Fi based communication protocol, and the second wireless communication protocol includes a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) based communication protocol.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein: Determining the communication context of the battery-powered device and the WAP includes: determining that there is at least one intermediate device with a wired power source, the battery-powered device is able to communicate with the WAP via the at least one intermediate device, wherein the at least one intermediate device and the battery-powered device communicate via a mesh network; and Selecting a communication scheme from among the plurality of different communication schemes includes selecting a communication scheme in which one or more parameters of the mesh network are updated to reduce a power consumption burden on the battery-powered device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein: The one or more parameters include a transmission traffic indication map (DTIM) interval setting associated with at least one of the battery powered device or the at least one intermediate device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein: Determining the communication context of the battery powered device and the WAP comprises: determining that no intermediary device is present and that the battery-powered device is in direct communication with the WAP, wherein the WAP and the battery-powered device communicate via a first wireless communication protocol; and determining that both the battery-powered device and the WAP support a second wireless communication protocol that imposes a relatively lower power consumption burden on the battery-powered device than the first wireless communication protocol; and Wherein, selecting a communication scheme from among the multiple different communication schemes comprises: selecting a communication scheme in which the WAP and the battery-powered device communicate via the second wireless communication protocol.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein: The first wireless communication protocol includes a communication protocol based on Wi-Fi 5, and the second wireless communication protocol includes a communication protocol based on Wi-Fi 6.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein: Determining the communication context of the battery powered device and the WAP comprises: determining that no intermediate device is present and that the battery-powered device is in direct communication with the WAP, wherein the WAP and the battery-powered device support a single wireless communication protocol and communicate via a first transmission traffic indication map (DTIM) interval; and determining that a DTIM interval setting is configurable at one or more of the battery powered device or the WAP; and Wherein, selecting a communication scheme from the multiple different communication schemes includes: selecting a communication scheme using a second DTIM interval for one or more of the WAP or the battery-powered device, wherein the second DTIM interval imposes a relatively lower power consumption burden on the battery-powered device compared to the first DTIM interval.

9. A system for establishing a communication link between a battery-powered device and a wireless access point (WAP), the battery-powered device and the WAP being configurable to communicate between the battery-powered device and the WAP using one of a plurality of different communication schemes, each of the plurality of different communication schemes imposing a different power consumption burden on the battery-powered device, wherein: The plurality of different communication schemes include one or more schemes in which the battery-powered device directly communicates with the WAP and one or more schemes in which the battery-powered device indirectly communicates with the WAP via at least one intermediate device having a wired power source, and the system includes: one or more memories; and at least one processor, each processor coupled to at least one of the one or more memories and configured to perform operations comprising: Determining a communication context of the battery-powered device and the WAP, wherein determining the communication context comprises at least determining whether there is at least one intermediate device with a wired power source, and the battery-powered device is able to communicate with the WAP via the at least one intermediate device; selecting a communication scheme from among the plurality of different communication schemes, wherein the selecting comprises selecting a communication scheme from among the plurality of different communication schemes that imposes a lowest power consumption burden on the battery-powered device and that is also supported by the communication context; and At least one of the battery-powered device or the WAP is configured to communicate between the battery-powered device and the WAP using the selected communication scheme.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein: Determining the communication context of the battery powered device and the WAP comprises: determining that there is at least one intermediate device having a wired power source, the battery-powered device being able to communicate with the WAP via the at least one intermediate device, wherein the at least one intermediate device and the battery-powered device communicate via a first wireless communication protocol; and determining that the at least one intermediate device and the battery-powered device support a second wireless communication protocol, the second wireless communication protocol imposing a relatively lower power consumption burden on the battery-powered device than the first wireless communication protocol; Wherein, selecting a communication scheme from among the plurality of different communication schemes comprises: selecting a communication scheme in which the at least one intermediate device and the battery-powered device communicate via the second wireless communication protocol.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein: The first wireless communication protocol includes a Wi-Fi based communication protocol, and the second wireless communication protocol includes a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) based communication protocol.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein: Determining the communication context of the battery-powered device and the WAP includes: determining that there is at least one intermediate device with a wired power source, the battery-powered device is able to communicate with the WAP via the at least one intermediate device, wherein the at least one intermediate device and the battery-powered device communicate via a mesh network; and Selecting a communication scheme from among the plurality of different communication schemes includes selecting a communication scheme in which one or more parameters of the mesh network are updated to reduce a power consumption burden on the battery-powered device.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein: The one or more parameters include a transmission traffic indication map (DTIM) interval setting associated with at least one of the battery powered device or the at least one intermediate device.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein: Determining the communication context of the battery powered device and the WAP comprises: determining that no intermediary device is present and that the battery-powered device is in direct communication with the WAP, wherein the WAP and the battery-powered device communicate via a first wireless communication protocol; and determining that both the battery-powered device and the WAP support a second wireless communication protocol that imposes a relatively lower power consumption burden on the battery-powered device than the first wireless communication protocol; and Wherein, selecting a communication scheme from among the multiple different communication schemes comprises: selecting a communication scheme in which the WAP and the battery-powered device communicate via the second wireless communication protocol.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein: The first wireless communication protocol includes a communication protocol based on Wi-Fi 5, and the second wireless communication protocol includes a communication protocol based on Wi-Fi 6.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein: Determining the communication context of the battery powered device and the WAP comprises: determining that no intermediate device is present and that the battery-powered device is in direct communication with the WAP, wherein the WAP and the battery-powered device support a single wireless communication protocol and communicate via a first transmission traffic indication map (DTIM) interval; and determining that a DTIM interval setting is configurable at one or more of the battery powered device or the WAP; and Wherein, selecting a communication scheme from the multiple different communication schemes includes: selecting a communication scheme using a second DTIM interval for one or more of the WAP or the battery-powered device, wherein the second DTIM interval imposes a relatively lower power consumption burden on the battery-powered device compared to the first DTIM interval.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by at least one computing device, cause the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising: determining a communication context of a battery-powered device and a wireless access point (WAP), the battery-powered device and the WAP being configurable to communicate between the battery-powered device and the WAP using one of a plurality of different communication schemes, each of the plurality of different communication schemes imposing a different power consumption burden on the battery-powered device, wherein the plurality of different communication schemes include one or more schemes in which the battery-powered device communicates directly with the WAP and one or more schemes in which the battery-powered device communicates indirectly with the WAP via at least one intermediate device having a wired power source, and wherein determining the communication context includes at least determining whether there is at least one intermediate device having a wired power source, via which the battery-powered device is able to communicate with the WAP; selecting a communication scheme from among the plurality of different communication schemes, wherein the selecting comprises selecting a communication scheme from among the plurality of different communication schemes that imposes a lowest power consumption burden on the battery-powered device and that is also supported by the communication context; and At least one of the battery-powered device or the WAP is configured to communicate between the battery-powered device and the WAP using the selected communication scheme.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein: Determining the communication context of the battery powered device and the WAP comprises: determining that there is at least one intermediate device having a wired power source, the battery-powered device being able to communicate with the WAP via the at least one intermediate device, wherein the at least one intermediate device and the battery-powered device communicate via a first wireless communication protocol; and determining that the at least one intermediate device and the battery-powered device support a second wireless communication protocol, the second wireless communication protocol imposing a relatively lower power consumption burden on the battery-powered device than the first wireless communication protocol; Wherein, selecting a communication scheme from among the plurality of different communication schemes comprises: selecting a communication scheme in which the at least one intermediate device and the battery-powered device communicate via the second wireless communication protocol.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein: The first wireless communication protocol includes a Wi-Fi based communication protocol, and the second wireless communication protocol includes a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) based communication protocol.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein: Determining the communication context of the battery-powered device and the WAP includes: determining that there is at least one intermediate device with a wired power source, the battery-powered device is able to communicate with the WAP via the at least one intermediate device, wherein the at least one intermediate device and the battery-powered device communicate via a mesh network; and Selecting a communication scheme from among the plurality of different communication schemes includes selecting a communication scheme in which one or more parameters of the mesh network are updated to reduce a power consumption burden on the battery-powered device.

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