Access Point Identifier Segmentation for Wireless Station Battery Conservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless sensor networks, large numbers of battery-powered devices require frequent updates, leading to extended wake-up periods and reduced battery life due to lengthy lists of unique identifiers broadcast by access points.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where access points transmit explicit lists of association identifiers when the number of buffered data is low and ranges of identifiers when high, along with skip-rate and offset values to optimize wake-up times and sleep intervals, allowing devices to conserve battery power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If access points broadcast lists of unique identifiers for all wireless stations with buffered data, then all stations can be notified of available data, but battery-powered devices must remain awake for extended periods reducing battery life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the population of wireless stations into multiple groups, each identified by a group identifier. Instead of broadcasting individual station identifiers, the access point transmits traffic indication messages containing group identifiers and abbreviated identifiers for stations within those groups. This segmentation reduces the total number of identifiers that need to be transmitted and processed, allowing battery-powered devices to quickly determine if they have buffered data and return to sleep mode sooner.
2Use of energy by moving object
If access points use segmented groups with abbreviated identifiers, then battery life is improved, but the complexity of managing multiple groups and identifier mappings increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses abbreviated identifiers that are simplified copies or representations of the full unique station identifiers. Each wireless station is assigned an abbreviated identifier within its group that is easier to transmit and process. The access point maintains mappings between these abbreviated identifiers and the full unique identifiers, allowing efficient notification while reducing the complexity of broadcasting complete identifier sets to all stations.
3Reliability
If wireless stations stay awake longer to check for buffered data, then data delivery reliability improves, but the opportunity for battery conservation during low-power mode is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic traffic indication messages broadcast by the access point at regular intervals. Wireless stations wake up at these periodic intervals to check for their group identifier in the broadcast message. This periodic approach allows stations to remain in low-power mode between checks while ensuring they are notified of buffered data when available, balancing reliability with battery conservation through structured periodic wake-up cycles.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed are methods for delivering data (212) to a wireless station (102). An access point (104), or any other suitable device or system, receives a plurality of association requests (204) from a plurality of wireless stations (102) and transmits a different association identifier (208) to each of the plurality of wireless stations (102). The access point (104) buffers data (212) for a subset of the wireless stations (102). If the number of wireless stations (102) with buffered data (212) at the access point (104) is less than a threshold, then the access point (104) transmits a list of association identifiers indicating that buffered data (212) are held for each wireless station (102) identified by the list. If the number of wireless stations (102) with buffered data (212) at the access point (104) is not less than the threshold, then the access point (104) transmits data indicative of a range of association identifiers indicating that buffered data (212) are held for at least one wireless station (102) identified by the range.