Patent Application
20150256991
I. Field of the Disclosure
The technology of the disclosure relates generally to communications between a remote device and an access point.
II. Background
Wireless networks with relatively small footprints are becoming increasingly common as wireless network standards proliferate. For example, many homes now have a WiFi® network that operates on one of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards. Likewise, BLUETOOTH® networks allow short range wireless networks such as between a smart phone or audio player and a headset.
The Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig) was a trade association that developed and promoted adoption of a multi-gigabit speed wireless communication technology operating at around 60 GHz and particularly to promote IEEE 802.11 ad. WiGig was subsumed by the WiFi Alliance in March of 2013. However, the WiFi Alliance still promotes 60 GHz communications through the WiGig moniker. Such communications are typically short range (e.g., the size of a room) because the frequencies in question rarely propagate through walls.
In conventional WiGig networks, an access point continuously transmits a beacon signal to alert potential client remote devices as to the existence of the access point. While such access points are typically powered through a wall outlet, such continuous transmission consumes unnecessary power adding to electrical bills, and, in situations where the access point is battery operated, such continuous transmission rapidly depletes the batteries. As another concern, such continuous transmission may raise electromagnetic interference (EMI) concerns with other networks and devices.
Embodiments disclosed in the detailed description include systems and methods to discover access points (AP) in wireless networks. In exemplary embodiments, an AP of a wireless network may be placed in a sleep mode when there is no network activity. Normally, a remote device (RD) would not be able to discover such sleeping AP because the AP is not sending out a beacon signal. Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide for a RD that may send a wake up signal to the AP. On receipt of the wake up signal from the RD, the AP begins sending a beam formed beacon signal to the RD to initiate registration of the RD with the AP. By providing a way to wake a sleeping AP, wireless networks may be effectively established while concurrently saving power and reducing electromagnetic interference.
In this regard in one embodiment, a communication system is disclosed. The communication system comprises a RD which comprises a RD wireless transceiver operating at approximately 60 GHz; a user interface and a RD control system operatively coupled to the RD wireless transceiver and the user interface and an AP. The AP comprises an AP wireless transceiver operating at approximately 60 GHz and configured communicate with the RD wireless transceiver using a predefined protocol. The AP also comprises an AP control system operatively coupled to the AP wireless transceiver and configured to place the AP into a sleep mode wherein the RD control system is configured to send a wake up signal to the AP through the RD wireless transceiver such that on receipt of the wake up signal the AP begins transmitting a beam formed beacon signal to the RD so as to initiate a registration of the RD with the AP.
In another embodiment, the AP for a wireless communication system is disclosed. The AP comprises an AP wireless transceiver operating at approximately 60 GHz at a predefined protocol and an AP control system operatively coupled to the AP wireless transceiver. The AP wireless transceiver is configured to send an omnidirectional beacon signal to locate potential client devices during normal operation mode and place power consuming elements of the AP into a sleep mode after a period of inactivity. The AP control system is also configured to receive a signal from a potential client device while in the sleep mode; wake up from the sleep mode in response to reception of the signal; and direct a probe with service description to the potential client device.
In another embodiment, a RD for a wireless communication system is disclosed. The RD comprises a RD wireless transceiver operating at approximately 60 GHz at a predefined protocol; a RD user interface and a RD control system operatively coupled to the RD wireless transceiver and the RD user interface. The RD control system is configured to receive an omnidirectional beacon signal from an AP; send a signal to the AP while the AP is in a sleep mode and receive a directional probe from the AP in response to the signal.
In another embodiment, a method of establishing a communication network is disclosed. The method comprises placing power consuming elements of an AP into sleep mode after a period of inactivity; receiving a signal from a potential client RD while in the sleep mode and waking up from the sleep mode in response to reception of the signal. The method also comprises directing a probe with service description to the potential client RD and allowing communication between the AP and the potential client RD at approximately 60 GHz at a predefined protocol.
With reference now to the drawing figures, several exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described. The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.
Embodiments disclosed in the detailed description include systems and methods to discover access points (AP) in wireless networks. In exemplary embodiments, an AP of a wireless network may be placed in a sleep mode when there is no network activity. Normally, a remote device (RD) would not be able to discover such sleeping AP because the AP is not sending out a beacon signal. Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide for a RD that may send a wake up signal to the AP. On receipt of the wake up signal from the RD, the AP begins sending a beam formed beacon signal to the RD to initiate registration of the RD with the AP. By providing a way to wake a sleeping AP, wireless networks may be effectively established while concurrently saving power and reducing electromagnetic interference.
While the present disclosure is particularly useful for AP that are battery powered, power savings on AP that are powered from a wall outlet may also justify use of embodiments of the present disclosure. In either event, the RD may be a mobile terminal such as a smart phone or tablet device.
In this regard,
With continued reference to
In normal operation, the access point 12 advertises its presence to remote devices such as remote device 14 through an omnidirectional beacon signal 24. A protocol dictated exchange establishes a communication link and communication is then conducted over beam formed signals 24′. In this regard,
As noted above, in normal operation, the access point 12 may continuously transmit omnidirectional beacon signals 24 as the access point 12 broadcasts its availability to form communication network 10. When the power source 16 is from a wall outlet, such power consumption may add to the electrical bill of the premises. When the power source 16 is a battery, such continuous broadcasting may rapidly deplete the battery, necessitating recharging or rendering the access point 12 inoperative. Accordingly, a first embodiment of the present disclosure contemplates that the access point 12 may be put into an idle or sleep mode.
In this regard, the present disclosure provides a technique to save power by placing the access point 12 into a sleep or idle mode.
While putting the access point 12 into a sleep or idle mode helps save power and may reduce EMI, merely putting the access point 12 into a sleep or idle mode is an incomplete solution. Specifically, there needs to be a way to wake the access point 12 when a remote device 14 is within communication range. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a solution for this need as well. In an exemplary embodiment, the access point 12 continues to listen for incoming communications without transmitting the omnidirectional beacon signal 24. Remote device 14 is programmed to send a wake up signal to the access point 12 which will be heard by the listening access point 12. After receipt of the wake up signal, the access point 12 will wake up and begin normal operation.
In this regard,
By way of further example,
With continued reference to
While an optimal design will allow sufficient time to wake the access point 12 at signal 118, it is possible that the access point 12 may receive multiple DMG beacons (signal 112) from multiple remote devices 14 before finishing waking. In such an instance, the access point 12 may send multiple beam forming frames (signal 120). Current conventional rules within the WiGig protocol accommodate receipt of such plural beam forming frames.
Those of skill in the art will further appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithms described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, instructions stored in memory or in another computer-readable medium and executed by a processor or other processing device, or combinations of both. The devices described herein may be employed in any circuit, hardware component, integrated circuit (IC), or IC chip, as examples. Memory disclosed herein may be any type and size of memory and may be configured to store any type of information desired. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. How such functionality is implemented depends upon the particular application, design choices, and/or design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.
The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with a processor, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.
The embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied in hardware and in instructions that are stored in hardware, and may reside, for example, in Random Access Memory (RAM), flash memory, Read Only Memory (ROM), Electrically Programmable ROM (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of computer readable medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a remote station. In the alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components in a remote station, base station, or server.
It is also noted that the operational steps described in any of the exemplary embodiments herein are described to provide examples and discussion. The operations described may be performed in numerous different sequences other than the illustrated sequences. Furthermore, operations described in a single operational step may actually be performed in a number of different steps. Additionally, one or more operational steps discussed in the exemplary embodiments may be combined. It is to be understood that the operational steps illustrated in the flow chart diagrams may be subject to numerous different modifications as will be readily apparent to one of skill in the art. Those of skill in the art will also understand that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.
The previous description of the disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Various modifications to the disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.
