Wireless Wake Time Scheduling for Station Readiness
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Solution Overview
Problem
The inefficiency in communication between an Access Point (AP) and a Station (STA) due to the AP's uncertainty about the time required by the STA to wake up and become ready to communicate, leading to waiting periods that can result in missed communications and reduced efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The STA provides the AP with a wake time period indicating how long it needs to wake up and become ready to communicate, allowing the AP to schedule transmissions accordingly, including using this information to determine target transmission times for trigger frames and indicate offsets in beacons.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the AP waits for the STA to indicate readiness before communicating, then communication reliability is improved, but communication efficiency deteriorates due to waiting periods and potential missed communications
Solution Approach 1:
The STA performs preliminary action by indicating its wake time period to the AP in advance (during association or via TWT mechanism). This allows the AP to schedule communications proactively without waiting for readiness indications, resolving the contradiction by enabling reliable communication scheduling while maintaining high efficiency
2Ease of operation
If the STA wakes up fully to communicate actively with the AP, then communication capability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The STA dynamically adjusts its operational state by transitioning between low power mode and active communication mode based on scheduled communications. The AP uses the wake time period to schedule communications at optimal times, allowing the STA to remain in low power mode longer while maintaining communication capability when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The STA periodically wakes up to receive beacons and enters low power mode between wake periods. The TWT mechanism creates periodic scheduled communication opportunities, allowing the STA to balance communication capability with power savings by only being fully active during scheduled periods
3Adaptability or versatility
If the AP schedules communication without knowing the STA's wake time period, then scheduling flexibility is maintained, but communication timing precision deteriorates leading to missed communications
Solution Approach 1:
The STA provides feedback to the AP about its wake time period requirements. The AP uses this feedback information to precisely schedule communications, ensuring that trigger frames and data are transmitted at times when the STA is guaranteed to be ready, thereby achieving both scheduling flexibility and timing precision
Data Source
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AI summary
A method, an apparatus, and a computer-readable medium for wireless communication are provided. In one aspect, an apparatus is configured to receive information indicating a wake time period from a STA and use the received wake time period to schedule communication with the STA. The apparatus may use the received wake time period to determine a target transmission time for transmitting a trigger frame to the STA. The apparatus may transmit a beacon to the STA and then transmit the trigger frame to the STA at the target transmission time following the beacon. The apparatus may also indicate an offset from the beacon that the apparatus will use for communication with the STA based on the wake time period of the STA.