Beacon Segmentation for Wireless Power Conservation

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Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing size of WiFi beacons leads to significant airtime occupation and power consumption in non-Access Point Stations, which are required to stay awake to receive the entire beacon, limiting their power-saving capabilities and potentially making them obsolete with future WiFi standard updates.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a follow-on beacon (FoB) system where the Access Point Station transmits a first beacon, followed by a second beacon indicating feature information, and a first follow-on beacon that supplements the feature information, allowing non-Access Point Stations to selectively receive only the necessary information and reducing power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the Access Point Station transmits complete beacon information to maintain backward compatibility, then existing non-Access Point Stations can receive all necessary information, but the beacon occupies significant air time and causes considerable power consumption in non-Access Point Stations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebackward compatibilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The beacon information is segmented into two parts: a first beacon containing essential information for all stations, and a second beacon containing feature information that supplements the first beacon. Non-AP STAs can receive the first beacon and determine whether they need the second beacon based on their capabilities, thus avoiding unnecessary power consumption while maintaining backward compatibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The first beacon is transmitted preliminarily to provide essential information to all stations before the second beacon is transmitted. This allows non-AP STAs to make informed decisions about whether to stay awake and receive the second beacon, reducing their power consumption while ensuring they have the necessary information for basic operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of information

If non-Access Point Stations stay awake to receive the entire beacon, then they can obtain all feature information, but they consume considerable power and cannot utilize power-saving capabilities

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefeature information completenessVSAvoidpower-saving capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The beacon information is divided into a first beacon with essential information and a second beacon with supplementary feature information. Non-AP STAs can receive the first beacon, determine their information needs, and selectively receive the second beacon only if necessary, thus obtaining complete feature information only when needed while enabling power-saving capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Non-AP STAs perform partial action by receiving only the first beacon when they do not need the supplementary feature information in the second beacon. This partial reception is sufficient for their operational needs, allowing them to enter power-saving mode without losing essential information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Adaptability or versatility

If the beacon size increases to include all Information Elements, then backward compatibility is maintained, but non-Access Point Stations may become obsolete with future WiFi standard updates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebackward compatibilityVSAvoidfuture-proof capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The beacon information is segmented into a first beacon containing stable, essential information and a second beacon containing feature information that can be updated for future WiFi standards. This segmentation allows non-AP STAs to maintain backward compatibility with the first beacon while being able to adapt to future updates through the second beacon, preventing obsolescence.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The second beacon provides a dynamic mechanism for updating feature information without changing the structure of the first beacon. This allows the system to adapt to future WiFi standard updates by modifying only the second beacon, maintaining backward compatibility while enabling future-proof capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS12284596B2System and method for managing growing beacon size in a wireless network

Publication Date: 2025.04.22 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A system and method for managing beacon size. In some embodiments, the method includes: transmitting, by an Access Point Station (AP STA) a first beacon; transmitting, by the AP STA, a second beacon indicating feature information; and transmitting, by the AP STA, a first follow-on beacon, the first follow-on beacon supplementing the feature information indicated in the second beacon.