Multi-Link Wireless Power Management With Coordinated Sleep Timing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication systems with multi-link operation (MLO) lack efficient power management techniques, leading to suboptimal energy consumption and performance in wireless stations and access points.
Innovation Solution
Implement enhanced power management techniques involving signaling with timing information and power management mode indicators to transition non-AP stations between active and power-saving modes, utilizing cross-link information exchange and synchronization functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multi-link operation is implemented to improve system performance and throughput, then productivity increases, but device complexity increases due to multiple simultaneous links requiring coordinated power management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines power management control across multiple links by having the AP MLD coordinate PS mode transitions for all STAs. The centralization of power management decisions at the AP MLD level merges what would otherwise be independent per-link power control functions, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining multi-link operation benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary timing synchronization where the AP MLD provides timing information to STAs before PS mode transitions occur. This advance notification allows STAs to prepare for coordinated power saving across all links simultaneously, preventing the complexity of real-time synchronization while maintaining productivity gains from multi-link operation.
2Reliability
If stations remain in active mode to maintain real-time communication readiness, then reliability improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic power saving cycles where STAs alternate between active and PS modes across all links simultaneously. By using periodic PS mode transitions coordinated through timing synchronization, the system maintains communication readiness reliability while dramatically reducing average power consumption compared to continuous active operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The AP MLD provides feedback timing information to STAs that indicates when PS mode transitions should occur. This feedback mechanism allows STAs to reliably know when to switch modes, maintaining communication readiness while enabling energy savings through coordinated power management across multiple links.
3Adaptability or versatility
If per-link power management is implemented independently, then adaptability improves, but loss of time increases due to separate signaling overhead on each link
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges power management signaling across all links by having the AP MLD send single coordinated PS mode commands to STAs that apply to all links simultaneously. This eliminates the need for separate per-link signaling, reducing time loss while maintaining adaptability through the ability to control each link's power state independently when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The AP MLD implements universal power management control that can simultaneously manage all STAs across all links through a single signaling mechanism. This multi-functional approach allows the system to adapt to different power management needs while avoiding the time penalty of separate per-link signaling for each STA.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
A method can include establishing at least two wireless links with an access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) comprising at least a first AP and a second AP and receiving, from the AP MLD, signaling comprising first timing information. The method can include determining, based on the first timing information, second timing information and transmitting a frame comprising a link identifier (ID) associated with at least one of the at least two wireless links, a power management (PM) mode indicator, and the second timing information. Additionally, the method can include receiving an acknowledgement (ACK) frame, wherein subsequent to receiving the ACK frame and based on the link ID and the PM mode indicator, one or more non-AP stations (STAs) of a non-AP MLD are transitioned, at a time associated with the second timing information, to a power saving (PS) mode.