Group Owner Power Management via Dynamic Client Traffic Windows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks lack efficient power management mechanisms, leading to high power consumption as devices remain active for extended periods, which hinders battery life and energy efficiency.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an opportunistic power save method that includes client traffic windows (CT windows) where the group owner operates in active mode during CT windows and transitions to sleep mode between them, allowing for reduced power usage by adjusting CT window lengths and frequencies based on network activity and battery charge levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If network devices remain active for extended periods to maintain network discovery and communication capabilities, then network availability and responsiveness are improved, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic client traffic windows where the group owner alternates between active and sleep modes. During these periodic windows, the group owner wakes up to handle client traffic and perform network discovery, then returns to sleep mode. This periodic operation pattern allows the system to maintain necessary network functionality while significantly reducing power consumption compared to continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the group owner's operational state based on network conditions and traffic requirements. The system transitions between different power states (active and sleep modes) rather than remaining static, allowing optimal balance between power savings and network performance. The group owner can wake up from sleep mode when needed to maintain network discovery and communication capabilities.
2Loss of energy
If the group owner frequently transitions between active and sleep modes to save power, then energy efficiency is improved, but network discovery responsiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements client traffic windows that are scheduled in advance, allowing the group owner to know when it will be awake and available for network discovery. Other devices can prepare to send discovery requests during these predetermined windows, eliminating the need for immediate response and allowing the group owner to wake up in advance to handle traffic, thus maintaining responsiveness while saving power.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback mechanisms where devices monitor the group owner's activity patterns and adjust their discovery request timing accordingly. When the group owner is in sleep mode, devices can detect this state and defer non-critical discovery requests until the next client traffic window, ensuring that power-saving operations do not critically impact network functionality.
3Reliability
If the group owner remains in active mode continuously, then network communication reliability is improved, but battery life deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a periodic duty cycle where the group owner operates in active mode during client traffic windows and transitions to sleep mode during intervals between windows. This periodic operation maintains communication reliability during active periods while extending battery life through reduced overall power consumption, achieving approximately 90% power savings compared to continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the group owner, specifically the duration and frequency of active periods versus sleep periods. By adjusting the client traffic window timing and duration, the system optimizes the balance between communication reliability and battery life, allowing the group owner to remain functional when needed while conserving energy during idle periods.
Data Source
AI summary
A first device includes a physical-layer device, an adjusting module, and a power module. The physical-layer device transmits, during each of first windows, a request signal from the first device to discover one or more network devices. The first windows occur during a first period of time. The physical-layer device receives responses to the request signal from network devices. Each of the responses is received during a respective one of the first windows. The adjusting module, based on the responses to the request signal, determines whether to adjust lengths of second windows or a number of the second windows to occur during a second period of time. The second period of time occurs subsequent to and is a same length as the first period of time. The power module, during each of the second windows, transitions the first device between being powered ON and being at least partially powered OFF.