METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR POWER SAVE MODE IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

摘要

A user device (12) enters a power save mode in which only the physical layer (22, 24) of its wireless communication system and minimal logic circuitry (30) remains on. In a first implementation the minimal logic circuitry (30) is in the MAC (26) or the digital portion (24) of the radio on a communication card, and the logic monitors the 802.11 traffic indication map (TIM) to determine whether traffic for the user device (12) exists. If it does, the user is alerted or the device (12) is powered on. In an optimum mode the minimal logic circuitry (30) listens for a special sequence unique to the device (12), and if it detects the sequence leaves the power save mode.