Multi-Link Device Traffic Indication Map for Power Saving
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in efficiently notifying multi-link devices about buffered data across multiple links, leading to inefficient power usage and flexibility in data retrieval.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a method where an access point transmits a traffic indication map (TIM) to multi-link devices, indicating association identifiers and traffic identifiers, allowing devices to determine which links have buffered units and activate receivers accordingly, enabling efficient data retrieval and power saving.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If traditional notification methods are used for multi-link devices, then all links must be monitored for buffered data indications, but this increases power consumption and reduces operational flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data notification mechanism by TID, allowing the non-AP MLD to selectively activate receivers for specific TIDs rather than monitoring all links. This segmentation enables power saving by focusing monitoring efforts only on relevant data streams while maintaining reliable notification for each TID independently through the AID indication mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic link activation where the non-AP MLD can flexibly activate or deactivate receivers based on which links contain buffered units for specific TIDs. This dynamic approach allows the device to adapt its monitoring behavior to current network conditions, reducing power consumption when fewer links are active while maintaining reliability when data is present.
2Adaptability or versatility
If selective link activation is implemented based on TID mapping, then power saving and flexibility are improved, but the complexity of determining which links to activate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-establishing the mapping relationship between TIDs and links before data transmission occurs. The non-AP MLD maintains knowledge of which links are associated with which TIDs in advance, allowing it to quickly determine which links to activate when notified of buffered units without performing complex real-time analysis, thus reducing operational complexity while maintaining flexibility.
3Productivity
If buffered unit indications are provided per link without TID specificity, then the notification system is simpler, but the efficiency of data retrieval and power saving is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing buffered unit indications with TID-specific information rather than generic per-link notifications. Each indication is tailored to the specific TID and its associated link(s), allowing the non-AP MLD to precisely determine which receivers to activate. This localized information quality improves data retrieval efficiency by enabling targeted activation while the AID indication mechanism keeps the overall system complexity manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure provides methods, devices and systems for communicating over multiple links, for example, indicating buffered units (BUs) per traffic identifier (TID) for transmission to multi-link devices (MLDs). One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a method for wireless communication. The method can be performed, for example, by a non-access point (non-AP) MLD. The non-AP MLD can receive an indication of an association identifier (AID) associated with the non-AP MLD, wherein the indication of the AID indicates whether an AP has BUs for the non-AP MLD, determine one or more links associated with one or more TIDs based on a mapping of a plurality of TIDs, including the one or more TIDs, to a plurality of links, including the one or more links, receive the BUs associated with the one or more TIDs from the AP on the determined links.