Wga sta power saving

Abstract

This invention relates to switching power saving modes and rescheduling communication frames for various periods of a beacon interval (BI) defined under WGA Draft Specification 0.8 for the personal basic service set (PBSS) and infrastructure BSS to achieve further power savings and other advantages. Stations can be awake during a contention-based period (CBP) if it is in active state and can schedule frames during a service period (SP) to allow the assigned receiver to transmit to the assigned initiator. Stations in a group can schedule a group address frame to be sent during the CBP and group SP of a specific periodic BI. Stations in peer-to-peer connection may directly notify its peer stations of its power saving mode and wakeup schedule. Stations of an infrastructure basic service set (BSS) can also use the same power saving mechanism as stations of a PBSS noting a difference where each BI will be an access point's (AP's) awake BI.

1 . A method of saving power for a station in a personal basic service set (PBSS) or infrastructure BSS, comprising:
 switching a mode of power saving; and   transmitting frames in a beacon interval.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the PBSS or infrastructure BSS comprises a mmWave network. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the station is a non-PBSS control point (PCP) or non-access point (AP) active station. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein switching the mode of power saving occurs during a period in a beacon interval. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein switching the mode of power saving comprises switching to being awake in a contention-based period (CBP). 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein transmitting frames comprises eliminating an Announcement Traffic Indication Message (ATIM) frame. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the beacon interval is an active group beacon interval. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the active group beacon interval comprises a specific periodic interval. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the specific periodic interval is a Delivery Traffic Indication Message (DTIM) interval. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein group address frames are sent during a contention-based period of the beacon interval. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein group address frames are sent during a group address service period of the beacon interval. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a transmitted frame during a service period to allow for an assigned service period receiver to transmit to an assigned service period initiator. 
     
     
         13 . The method  claim 12 , wherein the frame from the initiator comprising a data frame with a More Data bit set to ‘0’ initiates transmission from the assigned receiver. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein idling of a channel medium for a point interframe space (PIFS) period initiates transmission from the assigned receiver. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein SP initiator and SP destination switch to doze mode after the transmitted frame comprising a data frame with More Data bit set to 0′ is transmitted by SP initiator. 
     
     
         16 . A method of saving power for stations in a personal basic service set (PBSS), comprising:
 establishing a peer-to-peer connection between a first and second station; and   sending an action frame comprising a wakeup schedule and a power saving mode directly from the second station to the first station if the second station changes a mode of power saving from awake mode to doze mode after establishing the peer-to-peer connection and then changes back to awake mode.   
     
     
         17 . The method of saving power of  claim 16 , wherein the action frame is an information response frame. 
     
     
         18 . The method of saving power of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 sending a power save configuration response frame comprising a wakeup schedule and a power saving mode from the second station to a PBSS control point (PCP); and   receiving an information response frame comprising a wakeup schedule and a power saving mode to the first station from the PCP.   
     
     
         19 . A method of saving power for a station in an infrastructure basic service set (BSS), comprising:
 switching a mode of power saving comprising switching to doze mode in a service period where the station is not an initiator or a responder.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the station is a non-access point station. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the station is an access point (AP) and wherein switching the mode of power saving comprises switching to doze mode in a service period where the AP is not an initiator or a responder and the service period is not truncatable or extensible. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the station is a power save station and switching the mode of power saving further comprises switching to doze mode in a contention-based period. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the station is an active station and switching the mode of power saving further comprises being awake in a contention-based period. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising sending group address frames during a contention based period of an active group beacon interval. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising transmitting frames to an assigned service period initiator, wherein the station is an assigned service period receiver.