Multi-Link Wi-Fi Sleep Signaling for Power Saving and Sync
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Wi-Fi technologies face challenges in power consumption during multi-link communication, particularly in the next generation IEEE802.11be standard, where efficient power saving methods are needed to maintain communication efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A device power saving method and apparatus that utilize an identifier information bit in message frames to indicate and confirm or reject the entry of a sleep mode in candidate links during multi-link communication, allowing devices to enter a sleep mode while maintaining synchronous communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If devices enter sleep mode in multi-link communication, then power consumption is reduced, but communication reliability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the multi-link communication into individual links, allowing each link to independently enter or remain in sleep mode based on its specific traffic conditions. This enables selective power saving per link rather than shutting down all links, thus reducing overall power consumption while maintaining communication reliability on active links.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic sleep mode management where links can transition between sleep and active states based on real-time traffic conditions and communication needs. The system dynamically adjusts which links remain active and which enter sleep mode, optimizing the balance between power saving and communication reliability.
2Loss of energy
If sleep mode is implemented in multi-link communication, then power saving is achieved, but time synchronization difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs feedback mechanisms where awake links provide time synchronization information to sleeping links. The sleeping link uses this feedback to maintain its internal clock synchronization without needing to be fully active, thus achieving power saving while maintaining time synchronization accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary time synchronization actions before entering sleep mode, where active links establish and share time reference information with sleeping links in advance. This preliminary action ensures that when links wake up or need to synchronize, they can do so quickly and accurately without significant time drift.
3Loss of energy
If all links enter sleep mode simultaneously, then power consumption is minimized, but communication efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sleep mode activation across different links based on their individual traffic patterns and communication requirements. Not all links enter sleep mode simultaneously or even at the same time, allowing some links to remain active for continued communication while others save power, thus balancing power consumption and communication efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of shutting down all links completely, the patent applies partial action by keeping certain links in a lighter sleep state or partially active state. This partial approach maintains some communication capability while achieving significant power saving, avoiding the excessive action of completely isolating all links.
Data Source
AI summary
A device power saving method, and the method includes: generating a first message frame; sending the first message frame to the second device in one or more links associated with the second device; receiving a second message frame fed back by the second device in the one or more links associated with the second device, determining whether to enter a sleep mode in a sleep-mode-candidate link indicated by the identifier information bit based on the second message frame, and determining that the first device enters a sleep mode in all links with the second device, and then monitoring a downlink frame in one of the one or more links associated with the second device and obtaining time synchronization information for maintaining synchronous communication with the second device while all the plurality of links with the second device are in the power saving mode.