WLAN Wake-Up Radio MAC Header Configuration for Broadcast Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) systems face challenges in accurately and efficiently transmitting or receiving Wake-Up Radio (WUR) packets, particularly in configuring Media Access Control (MAC) headers to manage type, receiver, and transmitter information, which affects the Primary Connectivity Radio (PCR)-on procedure.
Innovation Solution
The method involves configuring MAC headers for WUR packets with type, receiver address, and transmitter address information, omitting receiver address information for broadcast packets, and using type information to indicate PCR-on procedures, with options for unicast, multicast, and broadcast frames, and including information about end times for PCR-on procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If receiver address information is included in the MAC header for all WUR packets, then unicast communication accuracy is improved, but broadcast packet overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making the MAC header structure adaptive to the specific communication type. For unicast WUR packets, the receiver address information field is populated with the specific STA's address. For broadcast WUR packets, this field is omitted or set to a broadcast address. This allows each part of the system (unicast vs broadcast communication path) to have the appropriate level of address specificity, improving unicast accuracy while minimizing broadcast overhead.
2Reliability
If complete MAC header with all address information is transmitted, then communication reliability is improved, but transmission efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes unnecessary receiver address information from the MAC header when transmitting broadcast WUR packets. Since broadcast packets are intended for all STAs in the BSS, including a specific receiver address is redundant. This extraction reduces the MAC header size for broadcast packets, improving transmission efficiency while maintaining reliability through the use of broadcast address semantics and the type information field that indicates PCR-on requirement.
3Measurement precision
If type information field is added to indicate PCR-on procedure, then wake-up control accuracy is improved, but MAC header complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the wake-up control indication function into the existing type information field of the MAC header. Rather than adding a separate dedicated field for PCR-on indication, the type information field is designed to encode both the packet type (unicast/multicast/broadcast) and the wake-up control requirement. This merging approach provides accurate wake-up control while minimizing MAC header complexity by utilizing existing header structure elements.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for transmitting, by an access point (AP), a wake-up radio (WUR) packet in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system, according to an embodiment of the present invention, comprises the steps of: setting a MAC header comprising at least two of type information of the WUR packet, receiver address information, and transmitter address information; and transmitting the WUR packet comprising the MAC header, wherein in setting the MAC header, when the WUR packet is a broadcast WUR packet, the AP omits the receiver address information from the MAC header and sets the transmitter address information, and wherein whether or not an STA belonging to the AP should perform a primary connectivity radio (PCR)-on procedure after receiving the broadcast WUR packet may be instructed through the type information of the WUR packet.