WLAN Low-Power Station TWT Duty Cycle Wake-Up Mechanism
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current WLAN technologies face challenges in achieving low-power operation for extended periods, particularly in supporting high-throughput communications and efficient frequency use in dense environments, due to limitations in wake-up mechanisms and power management.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a duty cycle operation and target wake time (TWT) mechanism in WLAN systems, where low-power stations can transition from a sleep state to a wake-up state at a configured target wake time, allowing for efficient power management and multi-user wake-up frames to improve system performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the transceiver operates continuously to maintain connectivity and receive downlink signals, then communication reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The access point transmits a wake-up frame in advance before the scheduled TWT time to notify the low-power station of upcoming data transmission. This preliminary action allows the station to wake up at the precise moment needed for communication, maintaining reliability while minimizing power consumption by keeping the transceiver in sleep mode during idle periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic wake-up cycles where the transceiver alternates between sleep state and active state based on scheduled TWT intervals. This periodic operation pattern enables the station to maintain communication availability while significantly reducing average power consumption compared to continuous operation.
2Loss of time
If the transceiver wakes up frequently to check for downlink signals, then response time is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The access point sends a wake-up frame in advance of the actual data transmission time. This preliminary notification allows the low-power station to calculate and prepare for its exact wake-up moment, ensuring immediate response when data arrives while avoiding unnecessary early wake-ups that would waste power.
Solution Approach 2:
The low-power station autonomously determines its wake-up timing based on the wake-up frame reception and configured TWT parameters. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for frequent polling or continuous monitoring, reducing power consumption while maintaining appropriate response timing through autonomous decision-making.
3Productivity
If multiple low-power stations wake up simultaneously, then system throughput is improved, but collision probability increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides multiple stations' wake-up operations into separate time slots through individualized TWT schedules. Each station is assigned a specific wake-up time and service period, segmenting what would otherwise be simultaneous wake-ups into sequential, collision-free intervals while still achieving high overall system throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The TWT parameters including wake-up time and service period are dynamically negotiated and adjusted between the access point and each low-power station. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize wake-up scheduling based on traffic patterns and station requirements, maximizing throughput while minimizing collision risks through flexible time allocation.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a low-power communication method and a low-power communication apparatus in a communication system. A low-power station may comprise a processor; a memory storing at least one instruction executable by the processor; a receiver for receiving a WUR PPDU according to the at least one instruction; and a transceiver for transmitting and receiving a legacy PPDU according to the at least one instruction, and the at least one instruction may be configured to cause the receiver to receive a WUR wake-up frame from the access point in an on-duration within a WUR duty cycle period; when the WUR wake-up frame is received, cause the processor to transmit a first signal requesting wake-up to the transceiver; and when the first signal is received, cause the transceiver to transition from a sleep state to a wake-up state at a TWT configured between the access point and the low-power station.