Broadcast-to-Unicast Conversion for Mobile Device Power Saving
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Solution Overview
Problem
Battery-powered mobile communication devices in wireless local area networks (WLANs) consume excessive battery power by switching out of low power mode to decode unnecessary broadcast messages, as they receive all broadcast messages regardless of relevance.
Innovation Solution
A network server converts relevant broadcast messages into unicast messages, allowing mobile devices to remain in low power mode and only process messages they need, using a Broadcast-to-Unicast (BtU) server that identifies and converts specific message types for each device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If mobile devices receive all broadcast messages in WLAN, then complete information is obtained, but battery power is excessively consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary broadcast message types that the mobile device needs to receive, while filtering out unnecessary broadcast messages. The device configures itself to selectively accept specific message types (e.g., beacon frames, probe responses) while ignoring others, thereby obtaining essential information without consuming power on irrelevant messages.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by making the message reception behavior device-specific and context-dependent. Each mobile device can independently configure which broadcast message types it needs based on its specific requirements, allowing different devices to have different reception profiles optimized for their individual needs rather than a uniform approach for all devices.
2Ease of operation
If mobile devices switch out of low power mode to decode broadcast messages, then message processing is enabled, but battery power is wasted on unnecessary messages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and processes only the specific broadcast message types that are relevant to the mobile device's function and configuration. By filtering out unnecessary message types at the reception level, the device avoids switching out of low power mode for irrelevant messages, thereby eliminating energy waste while maintaining full processing capability for needed messages.
3Loss of information
If mobile devices monitor all broadcast messages, then no information is lost, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and retains only the essential broadcast message information that the mobile device requires for its operation. By configuring the device to selectively monitor specific message types (such as beacon frames for network discovery, probe responses for connection management), the system retains necessary information while avoiding the power consumption associated with monitoring all broadcast messages.
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile device sends to a message a wireless network. The message indicates a plurality of different protocol types of broadcast messages to be processed as broadcast-to-unicast messages during a low power mode of operation of the mobile device. The protocol type of a given broadcast message is identifiable in a protocol identifier field of the broadcast message. The mobile device maintains its wireless receiver in a powered down state during the low power mode of operation while broadcast messages are broadcasted from the wireless network. For each broadcast message of each said indicated protocol type provided in the message sent to the wireless network, the mobile device monitors to receive via the wireless receiver a unicast message from the wireless network. The mobile device identifies broadcast message information of the broadcast message within the unicast message.