Access Point Proxy for Multicast Power Saving
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current 802.11v standard for directed multicast service (DMS) does not allow clients in sleep mode to join multicast streams efficiently, leading to wasted bandwidth and power consumption, as clients must wake up at DTIM intervals to receive IGMP queries and join multicast groups, and lacks integration with IGMP to optimize bandwidth usage.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method where an access point acts as a proxy for clients, sending IGMP joins on their behalf, allowing clients to sleep through DTIM intervals and receive multicast traffic as unicast, and dropping IGMP queries if no other clients are subscribed, thereby conserving bandwidth and power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If clients wake up at DTIM intervals to receive IGMP queries and join multicast groups, then multicast traffic can be received, but power consumption increases and bandwidth is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The access point acts as an intermediary by sending IGMP joins on behalf of sleeping clients to the multicast source. This allows clients to remain in power-saving mode while the access point maintains their multicast group membership, ensuring continuous traffic reception without requiring client wake-ups.
Solution Approach 2:
The access point performs preliminary actions by pre-joining multicast groups and buffering traffic before clients need it. Clients can then wake up less frequently or remain asleep longer since the access point has already secured their position in the multicast group and can forward traffic when clients are ready to receive it.
2Quantity of substance
If multicast streams are sent to all clients including sleeping ones, then all clients can potentially receive traffic, but bandwidth is wasted on clients that cannot process it
Solution Approach 1:
The access point serves as a mediator that receives multicast traffic from the source and selectively forwards it to awake clients. This prevents bandwidth waste by not transmitting multicast frames to sleeping clients while maintaining compatibility with the multicast protocol structure and source.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the multicast delivery process into two parts: the access point handles group management and traffic reception, while individual clients handle traffic processing only when awake. This segmentation allows efficient bandwidth utilization by decoupling group membership management from actual traffic reception.
3Ease of operation
If clients send IGMP joins themselves, then they can control their own multicast group membership, but they must wake up frequently increasing power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The access point acts as a proxy intermediary that performs IGMP join operations on behalf of clients. Clients maintain control by configuring the access point as their proxy and specifying which groups to join, while the access point executes the actual join operations, eliminating the need for clients to wake up for IGMP queries.
Solution Approach 2:
The access point provides self-service by automatically managing IGMP group membership for its clients without requiring client intervention. Once clients configure their proxy settings, the access point autonomously handles join/leave operations based on client wake patterns and traffic requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a transmitter for communicating with a client, a receiver, and a controller coupled with the transmitter and receiver, wherein the controller is operable to receive a proxy from the client for traffic from a source and transmit a join to the source on behalf of the client.