Short Beacon Frame Format for Wireless Network Power Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication protocols consume excessive power and airtime due to frequent full beacon frame transmissions, which is inefficient for low-data-rate operations in devices like sensors and smart grids, especially in IEEE 802.11ah systems.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a short beacon frame format that includes a type field, subtype field, SSID field, timestamp field, short beacon to full beacon interval field, capability field, and change sequence field, allowing devices to enter a low power state until the next full beacon transmission, thereby reducing power consumption and airtime usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If full beacon frames are transmitted frequently to maintain network synchronization and information distribution, then network reliability and information freshness are improved, but power consumption and airtime usage increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The beacon frame is segmented into two types: full beacon frames containing complete network information and short beacon frames containing only essential synchronization information. This segmentation allows devices to receive minimal synchronization data frequently without the overhead of complete beacon frames, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining network synchronization reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic transmission of short beacon frames at reduced intervals compared to full beacon frames. This periodic action ensures that devices receive frequent synchronization updates with minimal power expenditure, while full beacon frames are transmitted less frequently to provide complete network information when needed.
2Loss of information
If full beacon frames are transmitted frequently to ensure complete network information is available, then information completeness is improved, but airtime consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Network information is segmented into essential synchronization data (transmitted in every short beacon frame) and complete network information (transmitted in periodic full beacon frames). This segmentation allows the network to maintain information completeness by periodically transmitting full beacons while minimizing airtime usage through frequent transmission of compact short beacons containing only critical synchronization data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic transmission of full beacon frames interspersed with more frequent short beacon frames. This periodic action ensures that complete network information is available at regular intervals while the majority of the time, efficient short beacons are transmitted, thereby reducing overall airtime consumption while maintaining information completeness.
3Use of energy by moving object
If short beacon frames are used to reduce power consumption and airtime usage, then energy efficiency is improved, but the ability to transmit complete network information is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The beacon frame structure is segmented into short and full versions, where short beacons contain essential synchronization information (timestamp, interval to next full beacon) and full beacons contain complete network information. This segmentation enables energy-efficient transmission of critical data while preserving the capability to transmit complete network information periodically through full beacon frames.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic transmission of full beacon frames that carry complete network information, interspersed with frequent short beacon frames for efficient synchronization. This periodic action ensures that while energy efficiency is improved through short beacons, the ability to transmit complete network information is maintained through periodic full beacon transmissions.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments provide a new short beacon frame format and its operation with full beacon frame transmissions for wireless communications devices. Many embodiments comprise a medium access control (MAC) sublayer logic to build frames comprising the short beacon frame for a first communications device. In some embodiments, the MAC sublayer may determine a frame control field comprising a type field indicative of an extension frame and a subtype indicative of a short beacon. In further embodiments, the frame control field may comprise a service set identifier (SSID) control field, and a reserved field. Some embodiments may store the short beacon frame or frame format in memory, in logic, or in another manner that facilitates transmission of the short beacon frames. Some embodiments may receive and detect communications with the short beacon frames. Further embodiments may generate and transmit a communication with the short beacon frames.