Wireless Station Low Power Mode Data Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Stations in standby mode associated with an access point must periodically wake up to receive a TIM element, leading to high power consumption due to the increasing length of beacons, which affects battery life in handheld devices.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where stations can transmit a TIM request or Paging Request while in low power mode to determine if buffered data is available, allowing them to remain in low power mode and receive a TIM Response or Paging Indication element, which indicates the presence of data, thereby reducing the need to wake up and listen for beacons.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If stations wake up periodically to receive beacons with TIM elements, then they can check for buffered data, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The access point transmits the TIM element in advance during the beacon transmission before the station needs to check for data. The station can then wake up, receive the beacon with TIM element, and immediately determine data availability without needing to stay awake for extended periods or repeatedly check.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the essential function of data availability checking from the full beacon reception process. By using the TIM element specifically (rather than requiring complete beacon processing), the station can determine buffered data status with minimal power consumption, separating the critical function from unnecessary processing.
2Adaptability or versatility
If beacon length increases to accommodate more stations, then more stations can be managed, but power consumption for receiving beacons increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by having stations receive only the necessary TIM element information rather than processing complete beacons. This allows the system to support more stations through the beacon (increasing adaptability) while each station consumes less power by processing only the essential timing and data availability information.
3Use of energy by moving object
If stations remain in low power mode continuously, then power consumption decreases, but they cannot check for buffered data
Solution Approach 1:
The access point provides feedback about buffered data availability through the TIM element in beacons. This feedback mechanism allows stations to remain in low power mode most of the time while still being able to check data availability when they wake up briefly to receive the beacon, thus maintaining information awareness with minimal power consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for retrieving data from an access point within a wireless communications system are described. At least one embodiment includes a method for retrieving buffered data in a wireless communication system. In accordance with some embodiments, the method comprises transmitting a paging request to a plurality of access points while in a low power mode, receiving a Paging Indication element or a TIM Response element while remaining in low power mode, and exiting low power mode if buffered data is present and retrieving the buffered data. The Paging Indication element or TIM Response element indicates whether buffered data is present.