Wake-Up Receiver Power Optimization in Wireless LAN

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wireless network devices, particularly those used in IoT applications, face challenges in minimizing power consumption, especially when transitioning between wake-up and doze states, leading to increased energy usage due to frequent wake-ups for potential data receipt.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a dynamic wake-up time margin adjustment mechanism and using a low-power wake-up receiver that synchronizes with the AP STA, allowing for efficient power management by reducing unnecessary wake-ups and optimizing channel occupancy through aggregated wake-up frames and timestamp information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If devices wake up frequently to check for data in WLAN systems, then data reception reliability is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata reception reliabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a wake-up receiver as an intermediary component that operates in a low-power state to monitor for wake-up signals. This mediator allows the main radio to remain in a deep sleep state while still enabling reliable data reception by triggering wake-up only when necessary, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and power consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the reception function into two separate components: a wake-up receiver that continuously monitors for wake-up signals and a main radio that remains in deep sleep state. This segmentation allows each component to operate in its optimal power state, with the wake-up receiver consuming minimal power while ensuring reliable data reception when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If wake-up time margin is increased to ensure synchronization, then synchronization reliability is improved, but channel occupancy time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesynchronization reliabilityVSAvoidchannel occupancy time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic adjustment of the wake-up time margin based on measured timing offset and synchronization status. Instead of using a fixed conservative margin, the system adapts the wake-up time margin in real-time, increasing it when synchronization is difficult and decreasing it when conditions are favorable, thus resolving the contradiction between synchronization reliability and channel occupancy time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs feedback mechanisms where the device measures timing offset and synchronization success, then uses this information to adjust the wake-up time margin for subsequent operations. This feedback loop enables the system to optimize synchronization reliability while minimizing unnecessary channel occupancy time by adjusting the wake-up margin based on actual performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11832181B2Apparatus of optimizing power consumption at wake-up signal receiver in wireless LAN system

Publication Date: 2023.11.28 NEWRATEK

AI summary

A method performed by a wireless device operating in a wireless network. The method includes receiving a wake-up receiver frame, wherein the wake-up receiver frame includes a continuous frame field that indicates whether a further wake-up receiver frame comes after the wake-up receiver frame and determining whether the further wake-up receiver frame exists based on a content of the continuous frame field.