Access Point Disengagement Detection in Power Saving Mode

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

In wireless communication systems, access points in power-saving mode cannot immediately detect disengagement from terminal apparatuses, leading to user unfriendliness, especially in mobile devices like laptops or smartphones, as they cannot receive disengagement messages during sleep mode.

Innovation Solution

An access point with a control unit that switches between active and power-saving modes, includes a check unit to request responses from connected devices upon entering active mode, confirming connections and outputting confirmation results, allowing immediate detection of disengagement and network disconnection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If the access point operates in power saving mode to reduce power consumption, then energy efficiency is improved, but the ability to detect disengagement of terminal apparatuses deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumption of access pointVSAvoiddetection of disengagement state

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The access point performs a disengagement detection operation immediately upon transitioning from power saving mode to active mode, before normal communication operations begin. This preliminary check ensures that any disengagements occurring during the power saving period are detected without delay, resolving the contradiction by maintaining reliability at the critical transition point while still allowing power saving operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If the access point continuously monitors connection status to ensure accurate detection, then detection precision is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection state detection accuracyVSAvoidpower consumption of access point

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of continuous monitoring, the access point performs disengagement detection periodically at specific intervals - specifically immediately upon transitioning from power saving mode to active mode. This periodic approach maintains detection precision at critical moments while significantly reducing power consumption compared to continuous monitoring, as the wireless communication unit remains dormant during power saving periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Use of energy by moving object

If the access point enters sleep mode to save power, then energy efficiency is improved, but response time to detect network changes deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumption of access pointVSAvoiddetection delay of disengagement

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The access point performs disengagement detection as a preliminary action immediately upon waking from power saving mode, before resuming normal operations. This ensures that even though the access point was sleeping, any disengagements are detected without significant delay - the detection occurs at the very first opportunity when the system becomes operational again, minimizing the effective detection delay.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8837339B2Access point and control method thereof

Publication Date: 2014.09.16 CANON KK

AI summary

A communication apparatus confirms a connection state with a terminal apparatus, the information about which is stored in a storage unit, when the communication apparatus is switched from a power saving communication mode to a normal communication mode. When the communication apparatus confirms that all of the terminal apparatuses have disengaged from a network, the communication apparatus ends its operations as a base station, and notifies a user of the disengagement.