Restricted TWT Service Period Early Termination

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

During restricted Target Wake Time (TWT) operation in wireless local area networks, there is a tradeoff between channel utilization and fairness, with channel under-utilization occurring when a station (STA) finishes transmitting latency-sensitive packets early and has no downlink packets, leading to unfairness among scheduled STAs.

Innovation Solution

Implement methods and apparatuses for early termination of restricted TWT service periods (SPs) based on the absence of latency-sensitive traffic, allowing latency-tolerant traffic and ensuring fairness by signaling between access points (APs) and STAs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If restricted TWT service period is extended to ensure fairness among STAs, then channel utilization decreases due to idle time when latency-sensitive traffic is complete

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovefairnessVSAvoidchannel utilization
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The service period duration is made dynamic rather than fixed. The AP monitors traffic conditions and adjusts the TWT service period termination time based on whether latency-sensitive traffic is still present, allowing the period to end early when appropriate while maintaining fairness when needed

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where the AP monitors uplink and downlink traffic status for each STA and uses this information to make intelligent decisions about service period termination, balancing fairness and channel utilization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If restricted TWT service period is terminated early to improve channel utilization, then fairness deteriorates among scheduled STAs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechannel utilizationVSAvoidfairness
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The AP continuously monitors traffic status of all scheduled STAs and uses this feedback to determine optimal termination points that balance channel utilization with fairness, terminating early only when appropriate based on real-time conditions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the operational parameters of the TWT service period dynamically, adjusting termination timing based on traffic conditions to optimize both channel utilization and fairness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If Quiet interval is extended to protect restricted TWT SP, then channel access opportunity for non-member STAs decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotected service periodVSAvoidchannel access opportunity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The Quiet interval duration is made dynamic, adjusted based on the actual needs of the restricted TWT service period. The interval is extended only when necessary to protect latency-sensitive traffic and reduced or eliminated when not needed, improving overall channel access opportunities

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4701313A2Fairness for restricted TWT operation
Publication Date: 2026.02.25 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP4701313A2 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4701313A2 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP4701313A2 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

The present disclosure provides a station, STA, including at least one transceiver; at least one processor operably coupled to at least one transceiver; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause to the STA to transmit traffic during a target wake time, TWT, service period, SP; transmit, to an access point, AP, a first indication that the STA does not have additional traffic to be delivered during the TWT SP; receive, from the AP, a second indication of whether the TWT SP is terminated for the STA; and determine whether to terminate the TWT SP based on the second indication..