Power management in a wireless local area network

摘要

A computer readable storage medium or media stores machine readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to, while a device in a communication network is operating in a first power management mode, simultaneously monitor for an expiration of a first period of time during which no message traffic is observed at all on a communication channel of the communication network, and an expiration of a second period of time during which no message traffic destined for the device is received by the device via the communication channel of the communication network. The instructions also cause the one or more processors to, responsive to the expiration of the first or second period of time, whichever comes first, initiate operation of the device in a second power management mode.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
transmitting, with a communication device, a first frame having a power management mode indicator set to indicate that the communication device is not operating in a polling mode; after transmitting the first frame,
monitoring, at the communication device, a first timer,monitoring, at the communication device, a second timer,determining, at the communication device, whether a received frame is for the communication device, andresponsive to the received frame,
resetting, at the communication device, the first timer, andresetting, at the communication device, the second timer only if it is determined that the received frame is for the communication device; responsive to an earlier of i) expiration of the first timer, or ii) expiration of the second timer, transmitting, with the communication device, a second frame having the power management mode indicator set to indicate the communication device is operating in the polling mode; after transmitting the second frame, transmitting, with the communication device, a poll frame; receiving, at the communication device, a response to the poll frame that includes information indicating whether more data is available to be sent to the communication device; when the response indicates that more data is available to be sent to the communication device, transmitting, with the communication device, another poll frame; and when the response indicates that no more data is available to be sent to the communication device, causing the communication device to enter a reduced power mode.