WLAN Node Frame Reception Termination for Power Saving
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) face challenges in reducing power consumption, as existing power saving mechanisms disrupt network performance and require significant coordination among nodes, leading to inefficiencies during periods of low traffic.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced where a node in a WLAN processes a data frame by identifying the destination address and terminating reception of the frame if it's not intended for the node, allowing the receiver hardware to enter a low power mode or perform other tasks, without disrupting the network flow or requiring coordination from other nodes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the node continues to receive the entire transmitted frame to ensure complete data reception, then the reliability of data reception is improved, but the power consumption increases and time is wasted receiving uninteresting data
Solution Approach 1:
The frame reception process is segmented into two phases: a first part containing the destination address field, and a second part containing the payload. The receiver processes the first part to determine whether the frame is intended for this node, and only if relevant does it proceed to receive the second part. This segmentation allows the receiver to avoid consuming power for receiving and processing irrelevant frame data while maintaining reliable reception of relevant frames.
Solution Approach 2:
The destination address identification is performed as a preliminary action before receiving the complete frame. By checking the destination address in the first part of the frame upfront, the receiver can determine early whether the frame is relevant, preventing wasted power consumption on subsequent reception of uninteresting data while ensuring reliable reception of relevant frames.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the node enters a power saving state to reduce power consumption, then the power consumption is reduced, but the network performance is disrupted and coordination complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The node performs autonomous frame filtering by independently checking the destination address of received frames against its own address. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for network-wide coordination or special power saving protocols, as each node autonomously determines whether to receive or discard frames, thereby reducing power consumption without increasing network coordination complexity.
3Loss of time
If the node terminates reception early to save power and time, then the power consumption and time usage are reduced, but the risk of incomplete data reception increases
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is segmented into a critical first part containing the destination address and a second part containing the payload. The receiver reliably processes the first part to make an informed decision about frame relevance, and only terminates reception early if the first part clearly indicates the frame is not intended for this node. This segmented approach ensures reliable decision-making while enabling early termination for irrelevant frames.
Solution Approach 2:
The destination address verification is performed as a preliminary action before committing to receiving the entire frame. This preliminary check ensures that early termination only occurs when the frame is definitively irrelevant, maintaining reception reliability for relevant frames while reducing time and power consumption for irrelevant ones.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for terminating frame reception in a wireless Local Area Network. A node receiving a frame transmitted on the common channel in a wireless Local Area Network determines the destination address of the frame. If the destination address indicates that the transmitted frame is not intended for that node, the node terminates reception of the frame for a time period at least as long as the time required to transmit the remainder of the transmitted frame. In a further embodiment, the time period can also include at least one Short Inter Frame Space and the time required to send an Acknowledgement frame.