Multicast Transmission Segmentation for Wireless Sensor Resource Efficiency

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Solution Overview

Problem

In 802.11ah scenarios, sensor stations (STAs) waste resources as they receive all multicast information after a beacon frame, even though they only need specific information, leading to inefficient power consumption and resource utilization.

Innovation Solution

The proposed method uses a DTIM beacon frame to indicate multicast groups, allowing the access point (AP) to send multicast information at specific intervals based on the value order of multicast IDs, ensuring STAs receive only the relevant information at corresponding receiving intervals, thereby reducing resource waste.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If STAs receive all multicast information after a beacon frame, then they can obtain complete information, but resource waste increases and power consumption rises

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation completenessVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments multicast information transmission by introducing group IDs and dividing multicast groups into multiple subgroups. Each STA only needs to receive information related to its specific subgroup, rather than all multicast information. This segmentation approach maintains information completeness for relevant data while eliminating the waste of receiving unrelated multicast information, thus resolving the contradiction between information completeness and power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of information

If STAs receive all multicast information, then they ensure no information is missed, but resource utilization efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation completenessVSAvoidresource utilization efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting multicast information into group-specific and subgroup-specific transmissions, the patent enables STAs to efficiently receive only necessary information. This segmentation improves resource utilization efficiency by eliminating redundant reception of unrelated multicast data while ensuring STAs obtain all relevant information through the structured transmission approach.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Use of energy by stationary object

If FMS mode is used to reduce beacon frame listening times, then power consumption decreases, but STAs still receive all multicast information and resource waste occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidresource waste
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by stationary objectVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enhances the FMS mode by introducing group ID-based segmentation. STAs in FMS mode can continue to reduce beacon frame listening times to save power, while the segmented multicast information transmission ensures they only receive relevant subgroup information. This combination resolves the contradiction by maintaining the power-saving benefit of FMS while eliminating the resource waste of receiving all multicast information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by making multicast information transmission targeted and specific to each STA's subgroup. Instead of uniform transmission to all STAs, the system provides localized information delivery based on group and subgroup memberships. This allows STAs to operate in FMS mode with reduced listening times while receiving only the specific multicast information relevant to their local context, eliminating resource waste.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Adaptability or versatility

If multicast information is sent to all STAs, then all STAs can receive the information, but unnecessary resource consumption increases for STAs not needing the information

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation delivery coverageVSAvoidresource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments multicast information delivery by group ID and subgroup ID, enabling targeted transmission to specific STA subsets. This segmentation maintains adaptability by ensuring all STAs that need information can receive it through their designated groups, while eliminating unnecessary resource consumption by STAs not belonging to those groups. The segmented approach allows flexible, scalable information delivery coverage without universal broadcasting waste.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2955942B1Multicast information transmission method and device
Publication Date: 2020.02.05 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP2955942B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2955942B1 patent drawingFigure 2b~2c
  • EP2955942B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention provide a multicast information transmission method and a device. Sending, by an access point AP, a multicast association identifier MID of a multicast group to a station STA, where one multicast group has one or more MIDs, and each MID corresponds to one multicast group and a receiving period of a STA in the multicast group; sending, by the AP, a delivery traffic indication map DTIM beacon frame to the STA, where the DTIM beacon frame includes the MID and is used for indicating a multicast group that has multicast information to be sent to the STA; and sending, by the AP, the multicast information of the multicast group, where the multicast information carries information about the MID or information associated with the MID, and the multicast information is received by the STA. The technical solutions of the present invention reduce resource waste of a STA.