Access Point Power-Save Slot Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing IEEE 802.11 standards lack a power-save mode for access points, leading to unnecessary high-power consumption and limited operational flexibility, as they assume access points are always active, hindering the incorporation of energy-saving features.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of management frames and power-save mode schedules that include sequences of temporal slots and associated channel information, allowing access points to transition into lower-power modes or perform alternative activities, compatible with IEEE 802.11 communication protocols, enabling selective power conservation and additional operational degrees of freedom.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If access points stay active all the time to ensure continuous communication availability, then communication reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The access point operates in periodic intervals by defining a sequence of temporal slots that alternate between active communication periods and power-save periods. During active slots, the access point communicates with recipient devices; during power-save slots, it transitions to lower-power modes. This periodic operation pattern enables the access point to reduce overall power consumption while maintaining communication availability during designated active periods.
2Ease of operation
If access points remain in higher-power-consumption mode to be always available for communication, then ease of operation is improved, but use of energy worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The access point dynamically adjusts its operational state by transitioning between different power modes based on the current temporal slot. The system implements a dynamic power management mechanism where the access point can switch from high-power active mode during communication slots to low-power sleep mode during non-communication slots, optimizing the balance between operational availability and energy consumption.
3Adaptability or versatility
If access points are assumed to always be available in IEEE 802.11 standards, then backwards compatibility is maintained, but adaptability worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The communication timeline is segmented into distinct temporal slots, with each slot designated for specific activities such as communication or power-saving. This segmentation allows the access point to implement power-save modes by simply skipping or entering low-power state during designated power-save slots, while maintaining compatibility with legacy devices during communication slots. The segmentation approach enables power management without requiring fundamental protocol changes.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device (such as an access point) may provide a management frame, intended for at least a recipient electronic device, that includes slotted-operation information corresponding to a power-save mode of the electronic device for communication with at least the recipient electronic device. The slotted-operation information may include a sequence of temporal slots and associated channel information for the temporal slots. When a channel for a temporal slot comprises a null value, the power-save mode may include transitioning the electronic device into a lower-power-consumption mode during the temporal slot. Alternatively, when a channel for a temporal slot is different than a null value, the power-save mode may include performing another activity than communicating with the recipient electronic device during the temporal slot.