Method and apparatus for efficient addressing and power savings in wireless communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11399342-B2
Application number	US-202016896777-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2020
Priority date	Apr 25, 2005
Publication date	Jul 26, 2022
Grant date	Jul 26, 2022

Abstract

A method and apparatus may be used for assigning groups of stations in wireless communications to one or more groups. Groups may be assigned by an access point (AP) based on information received from a station (STA). Group information may be signaled to each station and a group identifier may be indicated in a frame. The group information may be applied to a performance enhancement, for example power savings for the station, wherein the station enters a power saving mode on a condition that the station determines that it is not a member of the group.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A station (STA) comprising:
a receiver configured to receive a frame, from an access point (AP), wherein the frame comprises a physical layer (PHY) header and a data portion, wherein the PHY header includes an indication of a group identifier; and
a processor configured to enter a power saving mode when the indication of the group identifier does not correspond to a group to which the STA is assigned.

2. The STA of claim 1 , further comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit an indication of power save capabilities to the AP.

3. The STA of claim 1 , wherein at least one group to which the STA is assigned is based on a load balancing algorithm of the AP.

4. The STA of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the group identifier included in the PHY header of the frame is included in an HT-SIG field of the PHY header.

5. The STA of claim 1 , wherein the receiver is configured to receive, from the AP, a management frame indicating to the STA that the STA is assigned to at least one group.

6. The STA of claim 5 , wherein the indication to the STA that the STA is assigned to at least one group comprises a value suitable for assigning the STA to a plurality of groups.

7. The STA of claim 5 , wherein the management frame includes an indication of a plurality of groups to which the STA is assigned.

8. The STA of claim 1 , wherein entering a power saving mode includes reducing power consumption for a remaining duration of the frame.

9. A method performed by a station (STA), the method comprising:
receiving a frame from an access point (AP), wherein the frame comprises a physical layer (PHY) header and a data portion, wherein the PHY header includes an indication of a group identifier; and
entering a power saving mode on a condition that the group identifier does not correspond to a group to which the STA is assigned.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
transmitting an indication of power save capabilities to the AP.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least one group to which the STA is assigned is based on a load balancing algorithm of the AP.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the indication of the group identifier included in the PHY header of the frame is included in an HT-SIG field of the PHY header.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
receiving, from the AP, a management frame indicating to the STA that the STA is assigned to at least one group.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the management frame indicating to the STA that the STA is assigned to at least one group comprises a value suitable for assigning the STA to a plurality of groups.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the management frame includes an indication of a plurality of groups to which the STA is assigned.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein entering a power saving mode includes reducing power consumption for a remaining duration of the frame.

17. An access point (AP) comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit, to at least one station (STA), a management frame comprising an indication that the at least one STA is assigned to a group;
the transmitter further configured to transmit a frame comprising a physical layer (PHY) header and a data portion, wherein the PHY header includes an indication of a group identifier that enables the at least one STA to enter a power saving mode when the indication of the group identifier does not correspond to the group to which the STA is assigned.

18. The AP of claim 17 , wherein PHY header of the frame includes a signal (SIG) field, and the indication of the group identifier is present in the SIG field.

Assignees

• Interdigital Tech Corp

Inventors

• Sammour Mohammed
• Grandhi Sudheer A
• Chandra Arty

Classifications

• H04L69/22

  Parsing or analysis of headers · CPC title

• H04W8/186

  Processing of subscriber group data · CPC title

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title

• H04W52/0216

  using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame · CPC title

• H04W52/0209 Primary

  in terminal devices · CPC title