Traffic Announcement Scheduling in Neighbor Aware Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
In neighbor aware networks (NANs), electronic devices continuously monitor wireless mesh networks for data transmissions, leading to unnecessary power consumption as they cannot predict when data will be sent, especially when they are not intended recipients.
Innovation Solution
Electronic devices in a data link of a NAN synchronize internal clocks using synchronization beacons and coordinate times to announce traffic, allowing them to transition to active or low-power modes based on whether they are identified as recipients in traffic announcements, thereby reducing power usage during transmission windows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electronic devices continuously monitor wireless mesh networks for data transmissions, then devices can detect when data is being sent, but power consumption increases unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
Devices transition between active monitoring mode and low-power sleep mode periodically. During active mode, devices monitor for traffic announcements and data transmissions. During sleep mode, devices conserve power while still able to wake up for scheduled transmissions or incoming traffic announcements, thus reducing overall power consumption while maintaining detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
Devices send traffic announcements in advance to notify recipients of upcoming data transmissions. Recipient devices can then wake up or remain active only during the scheduled transmission window, avoiding continuous monitoring and reducing power consumption while ensuring they are ready to receive data when it arrives
2Speed
If devices remain in active mode to monitor for data transmissions, then they can immediately receive data, but power consumption increases during transmission windows when no data is sent
Solution Approach 1:
Sender devices publish traffic announcements in advance specifying when data will be transmitted. Recipient devices use this information to wake up or activate their receivers only during the scheduled transmission windows, ensuring they are ready to receive data immediately while avoiding continuous active monitoring
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses traffic announcement messages as feedback to coordinate between senders and recipients. Recipients can determine their active periods based on received announcements, allowing them to optimize their monitoring schedule and reduce power consumption while maintaining readiness for data reception
3Loss of information
If devices monitor the network continuously, then they can detect all data transmissions, but unnecessary monitoring occurs when devices are not intended recipients
Solution Approach 1:
Sender devices publish traffic announcements in advance that identify intended recipient devices. Recipient devices can filter these announcements to determine if they are the intended recipients before activating full monitoring mode, avoiding unnecessary energy expenditure on monitoring transmissions not meant for them
Solution Approach 2:
Devices adjust their monitoring behavior locally based on their specific role and intended data transmissions. Instead of uniform continuous monitoring across all devices, each device monitors selectively based on its identified recipients and scheduled transmissions, reducing overall network energy consumption while maintaining awareness of relevant data transmissions
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes generating a first traffic announcement message at a first electronic device of a data link. The first traffic announcement message indicates first data is to be transmitted from the first electronic device to a second electronic device of the data link. The method also includes transmitting the first traffic announcement message to one or more electronic devices of the data link during a first paging window.