Wireless Station Concurrent Association Manager

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wireless stations face challenges in selecting the correct coordinator among multiple available options without prior knowledge, leading to potential incorrect associations and inefficient power management.

Innovation Solution

A wireless station equipped with a media access controller (MAC) and a concurrent association manager that allows simultaneous association with multiple coordinators, operating in sleep mode across each network until specifically chosen for operation, enabling efficient power management and seamless communication across multiple wireless networks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a wireless station chooses among multiple coordinators without prior knowledge, then the station can operate in a wireless network, but the station may incorrectly choose a coordinator leading to association failures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoordinator selection accuracyVSAvoidassociation management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The wireless station performs preliminary actions by concurrently associating with multiple coordinators before actual operation begins. This allows the station to have pre-established connections with several coordinators, eliminating the need to make a critical selection decision at operation start and preventing incorrect association failures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If a wireless station concurrently associates with multiple coordinators, then the station maintains association options across multiple networks, but the station consumes more power due to maintaining multiple active connections

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork association flexibilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The wireless station implements periodic action by entering sleep mode between association renewal periods. The station maintains concurrent associations with multiple coordinators but periodically renews these associations rather than maintaining continuous active connections, thereby reducing power consumption while preserving association flexibility across multiple networks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Speed

If a wireless station remains active to maintain concurrent associations with multiple networks, then the station can quickly switch between networks, but the station cannot enter sleep mode leading to increased power consumption

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork switching speedVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The wireless station performs preliminary association with multiple coordinators before operation, establishing ready-made connections. This preliminary action allows the station to quickly switch between networks when needed while still being able to enter sleep mode during periods of inactivity, as the associations are pre-established and can be renewed periodically rather than requiring active maintenance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8750241B2Concurrent association with multiple wireless networks

Publication Date: 2014.06.10 QUALCOMM INC

AI summary

A wireless station has a media access controller (MAC) and a concurrent association manager. The concurrent association manager concurrently associates the wireless station with two or more wireless coordinators. Each wireless coordinator forms its respective wireless network. The concurrent association manager sets the wireless station in a sleep mode operation with respect each wireless network and detects a selection for operation with respect to one of the wireless coordinator.