Access Point Utility Messages for Station Power Save
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems face challenges in managing power consumption for devices operating in power save mode, particularly in scenarios with a large number of low-power devices, as they often require frequent wake-ups to check for buffered data, leading to increased energy usage and reduced battery life.
Innovation Solution
An access point device transmits regular beacon messages with a first indication of buffered data and utility messages between beacon transmissions, which include a second indication for stations in power save mode, allowing them to determine if data is available without constantly listening for beacons, enabling them to quickly enter a Doze state when no data is buffered.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If stations in power save mode wake up periodically to check for buffered data by listening to beacon messages, then they can receive buffered data, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The access point performs preliminary action by sending a second indication in utility messages before the scheduled beacon transmission, allowing stations to determine in advance whether buffered data exists. This enables stations to skip unnecessary wake-ups and remain in doze state, thereby reducing power consumption while ensuring reliable data reception when data is actually available
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously providing buffered data status information through utility messages between beacon transmissions. Stations receive real-time feedback about data availability, allowing them to dynamically adjust their wake-up behavior and remain in low-power state when no data is buffered, thus resolving the contradiction between reliable data reception and power consumption
2Loss of time
If stations wake up frequently to check for buffered data, then data can be received promptly, but battery life is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The access point sends preliminary indication of buffered data status in utility messages before the actual beacon transmission time. This allows stations to determine data availability in advance and avoid unnecessary wake-ups, thereby extending battery life while ensuring that stations wake up promptly when data is actually available, minimizing delivery delay
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic utility messages between beacon transmissions to provide buffered data status updates. This periodic feedback mechanism allows stations to maintain accurate information about data availability without requiring continuous monitoring, thus extending battery life while ensuring timely data reception when data becomes available
3Reliability
If stations listen to every beacon message to check for buffered data, then no data is lost, but energy efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the buffered data status indication from the periodic beacon messages and places it in utility messages that are sent more frequently. This allows stations to obtain the critical buffered data status information without needing to wake up for every beacon, thereby improving energy efficiency while maintaining data completeness through the extracted status indicator
Solution Approach 2:
The second indication in utility messages acts as an intermediary that conveys buffered data status information between the access point and stations. This intermediary mechanism allows stations to determine data availability without directly processing every beacon message, reducing energy consumption while ensuring no data is lost by providing accurate status information
Data Source
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AI summary
An access point device comprising a transceiver configured to receive and send messages on a communication channel, and a controller configured to cause the transceiver to transmit beacon messages regularly on the communication channel is disclosed. The beacon messages include a first indication that data, for one or more stations arranged to communicate with the access point device over the communication channel, is buffered in a buffer associated with the access point device when data is buffered in the buffer. The transceiver is arranged to transmit at least one utility message, transmitted over the communication channel between transmissions of the beacon messages, wherein the at least one utility message comprises a second indication for at least one of the one or more stations as to whether an upcoming beacon message comprises the first indication that data for the at least one of the one or more stations is buffered in the buffer. The station is arranged to communicate over the communication channel with the access point device, and arranged to apply a power save mode including a Doze state and an Awake state, wherein, when the station is in the Doze state, the station occasionally enters the Awake state for determining whether data for the station is buffered in the buffer and then re-enters the Doze state if no data for the station is indicated to be buffered in the buffer. The station is arranged to perform the re-entering to the Doze state at the first found one of the first indication and the second indication that indicates that no data for the station is buffered in the buffer. Methods and computer programs for the station and the access point device are also disclosed.