Traffic Indication Map Segmentation for Wireless Power Saving
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication networks face challenges in power saving, particularly in large-scale cellular networks and short-range communication technologies, where efficient traffic indication map encoding and compression are needed to minimize power consumption without compromising data transmission efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a method and apparatus for encoding and decoding traffic indication maps (TIM) using a page bitmap field, page control field, and block bitmap fields within beacon frames, which allows for efficient communication by indicating buffered data availability, thereby minimizing decoding requirements and power consumption. This includes a hierarchical structure of page, block, and sub-block bitmaps, with padding bits to optimize data transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If traditional TIM encoding is used in large-scale wireless networks, then all client devices must decode the entire TIM structure to check for buffered data, but this increases power consumption and decoding time
Solution Approach 1:
The TIM structure is segmented into multiple pages, with each page containing a page bitmap field that indicates buffered data status for specific client devices. Client devices only need to decode the relevant page containing their association ID, rather than the entire TIM structure. This segmentation reduces both decoding time and power consumption while maintaining complete information availability.
2Loss of information
If the TIM structure includes comprehensive buffered data information for all client devices, then data availability indication is complete, but the TIM size and decoding complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The TIM is divided into multiple pages, each containing a page bitmap field with 64 bits representing 64 client devices. Each page is independently decodable, allowing client devices to focus on specific pages rather than processing the entire TIM structure. This maintains complete buffered data information while reducing decoding complexity through localized processing.
Solution Approach 2:
Client devices perform partial decoding by only processing the specific page containing their association ID, rather than decoding the entire TIM structure. The page control field indicates which pages contain buffered data, allowing devices to skip unnecessary pages and perform only the minimal decoding required to determine data availability.
3Speed
If the TIM is broadcast frequently to ensure data availability notification, then data transmission responsiveness improves, but network overhead and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The page control field contains information about which pages contain buffered data, allowing access points to efficiently indicate data availability without requiring full TIM retransmission. Client devices can quickly determine data status by checking only relevant pages, enabling faster notification with reduced broadcast overhead and energy consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Method, apparatus, and computer program product embodiments improve power saving in network environments. An example method embodiment comprises: generating in an access point device, a traffic indication map comprising a page bitmap field, a page control field, one or more block bitmap fields, and one or more sub-block bitmaps indicating wireless client devices having buffered data in the access point device available for them; and periodically broadcasting the traffic indication map in a beacon frame to the wireless client devices.