AP MLD Power-Save Protocols for Minimal-Latency Wake-Up
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless access points (APs) in multi-link networks consume significant power, leading to increased maintenance costs and ecological footprint, as power consumption increases linearly with the number of APs and links, without adequate consideration for power efficiency.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a power save protocol that allows APs to operate in a lower power mode with minimal receive and transmit functionality, transitioning to a higher power mode upon request from associated stations (STAs) with minimal delay, while maintaining basic communication links.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If APs operate in higher power mode continuously, then service quality and throughput are improved, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic power mode switching for APs based on real-time traffic conditions and STA requests. The AP can transition between lower power mode and higher power mode, adjusting its operational state dynamically rather than remaining static. This resolves the contradiction by enabling the AP to maintain high performance only when necessary while conserving energy during low-activity periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the AP by introducing different power modes with distinct characteristics. The AP can switch between a lower power mode (with reduced functionality) and a higher power mode (with full functionality), allowing the system to optimize the balance between service quality and power consumption based on current network conditions.
2Reliability
If APs transition from lower power mode to higher power mode, then service capability is improved, but transition delay occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a preliminary action mechanism where the AP enters a medium power mode in advance before full higher power mode is needed. This intermediate state allows the AP to perform preliminary activations of radio resources, reducing the actual transition delay when a STA requests service on a previously disabled link.
3Use of energy by moving object
If APs disable links to save power, then power consumption is reduced, but communication availability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the AP's links into different operational states independently. Each link can be disabled or enabled based on specific traffic conditions and STA requests, rather than forcing the entire AP to operate in a single power mode. This allows selective activation of communication channels, maintaining availability where needed while saving power where possible.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure provides methods and devices for introducing a power save protocol (for example, a lower power mode) for a multi-link devices (MLDs). Some aspects more specifically relate to reducing power consumption in an access point (AP) MLD, and more particularly, to a power save protocol (or a lower power mode) for an AP MLD. In some aspects, an AP MLD may initiate a lower power mode to save power for as long as possible while still maintaining minimal receive (RX) and transmit (TX) functionality. When requested by an associated station (STA), the AP MLD may then transition from the lower power mode to a higher power mode with full RX and TX functionality with a minimal delay. The described techniques may also account for trade-offs and constraints which arise due to different use cases and scenarios as well as different device configurations.