Playback Device Wake-Up Packets for Mesh Network Standby Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing media playback systems in ad-hoc or mesh networks face challenges in waking up devices from standby mode efficiently due to indirect routes and the need for direct communication in conventional Wake-on-LAN (WOL) or Wake-on-Wireless (WoW) techniques.
Innovation Solution
A networked media playback system using a wake-up packet mechanism that employs a broadcast or unicast MAC address to wake up media playback devices from standby mode, allowing for indirect routing and network participation in ad-hoc or mesh networks, enabling efficient wake-up of individual or groups of devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If media playback devices remain in standby mode to conserve energy, then energy consumption is reduced, but the ability to quickly access and play digital media is deteriorated
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by maintaining a minimal network listening state in standby mode, allowing devices to be quickly activated when needed. The wake-up packet mechanism is prepared in advance, enabling rapid transition from standby to active state without full power-on sequencing delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts device states between standby and active modes based on playback requirements. Devices can transition between these states rapidly, optimizing energy consumption during idle periods while ensuring quick availability when media playback is requested, creating a dynamic balance between power savings and accessibility.
2Reliability
If direct communication routes are required between devices, then communication reliability is improved, but network configuration complexity increases in ad-hoc or mesh networks
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces wake-up packets as intermediary signals that can be routed through any available path in the mesh network. These packets serve as mediators to trigger device activation without requiring pre-established direct communication routes, simplifying network configuration while maintaining reliable device activation through multi-hop routing capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The wake-up packet mechanism is designed to be universally applicable across all device types and network configurations in the mesh network. A single wake-up packet can target multiple devices or propagate through the entire network, eliminating the need for device-specific or path-specific configuration while ensuring reliable activation regardless of network topology.
3Reliability
If wake-up packets are broadcast to all devices, then device activation reliability is improved, but network traffic overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by allowing wake-up packets to be selectively targeted at specific devices or device groups based on playback requirements. Instead of uniform broadcasting to all devices, the network can route wake-up packets only to relevant devices or zones, reducing unnecessary network traffic while ensuring reliable activation of needed devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements partial action by sending wake-up packets to only the necessary subset of devices rather than all devices in the network. This selective approach reduces network traffic overhead while maintaining sufficient activation reliability for the required playback scenario, avoiding the excessive energy consumption of full-network broadcasting.
Data Source
AI summary
An example implementation involves a first playback device maintaining a list of MAC addresses. While one or more components of the first playback device are disabled, the first playback device may receive a data packet that comprises a payload associated with a MAC address. The MAC address may correspond to a network interface of a second playback device. The first playback device may identify the MAC address in the list of MAC addresses, and based on identifying the MAC address in the list of MAC addresses, enable at least one of the one or more components of the first playback device.