Beacon Transmission Optimization for Wireless Network Power Savings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication protocols face inefficiencies in beacon transmission, leading to increased power consumption and reduced bandwidth availability for data transmission due to the recurring and frequent nature of beacon intervals, especially in high-throughput networks like IEEE 802.11ad, where beacons often include unnecessary information elements (IEs) for both associated and unassociated stations.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a selective beacon transmission logic where the control point (CP) transmits beacons with associated-station IEs only to sectors with associated STAs and omits them for sectors without associated STAs, thereby reducing the duration and payload of beacon intervals, and pseudo-randomly rotating beacon transmission sequences to minimize interference and optimize resource usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If beacons are transmitted frequently and include all information elements for both associated and unassociated stations, then network coverage and information completeness are improved, but power consumption increases and bandwidth availability for data transmission decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating beacon content based on receiver type: associated stations receive beacons with complete information elements including association status and QoS parameters, while unassociated stations receive beacons with only essential information elements. This selective information inclusion reduces overall beacon size and transmission power requirements while maintaining necessary network coverage and reliability for each station type.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes unnecessary information elements from beacons transmitted to unassociated stations. Specifically, information elements such as association status, QoS parameters, and other detailed network state information are omitted for unassociated stations, keeping only essential elements like beacon interval and basic network identification. This extraction reduces beacon payload size and transmission energy consumption.
2Loss of information
If beacons include all information elements for both associated and unassociated stations, then information completeness is improved, but bandwidth availability for data transmission decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by providing different levels of information completeness in beacons based on the receiver's association status. Associated stations receive beacons with full information elements including association status, QoS parameters, and network state information. Unassociated stations receive beacons with a subset of essential information elements only. This differentiation ensures each station receives appropriate information completeness while reducing overall bandwidth consumption for beacon transmissions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes redundant information elements from beacons intended for unassociated stations. Information elements such as association status indicators, QoS parameter sets, and detailed network state information are excluded for unassociated receivers. This extraction maintains essential network information while significantly reducing beacon payload size, thereby increasing available bandwidth for data transmission.
3Use of energy by moving object
If beacon intervals are extended to reduce transmission frequency, then power consumption and bandwidth usage are improved, but timing synchronization accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by optimizing the beacon interval duration to a specific value that balances power consumption and timing synchronization requirements. The beacon interval is set to provide frequent enough updates for accurate timing synchronization while being long enough to reduce transmission frequency and power consumption. Additionally, the patent changes the information content parameter by including compressed or differential information elements that maintain synchronization accuracy with reduced transmission overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
A control point, such as a laptop, phone, wireless access point, or other device, transmits beacons to receiving stations in a wireless network. The control point may reduce power and bandwidth consumption by transmitting beacons with smaller payloads and/or less frequently to sectors with no associated stations. The stations, which may include laptops, phones, or other devices may reduce power consumption be powering on their antennas when beacons may be transmitted to their sectors.