Target wake time traffic differentiation and service period extension

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11770731-B2
Application number	US-201916555356-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2019
Priority date	Oct 29, 2018
Publication date	Sep 26, 2023
Grant date	Sep 26, 2023

Abstract

Some embodiments of this disclosure include apparatuses and methods for implementing a target wake time (TWT) scheme that includes traffic differentiation and service period extension. For example some embodiments relate to an electronic device including a transceiver and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver. The one or more processors receive an indication of traffic associated with an application. The one or more processors determine information associated with the traffic and configure the TWT scheme associated with the traffic based at least in part on the determined information. The one or more processors further communicate initial information associated with the TWT scheme to an access point of a wireless network. The initial information associated with the TWT scheme can include at least one of traffic direction information, traffic pattern information, a traffic identifier (TID), or an access category, indication (ACID).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a transceiver configured to communicate over a wireless network; and
one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and configured to:
receive, from an application of the electronic device, an indication of traffic associated with the application, wherein the traffic is to be communicated using an access point over the wireless network;
determine information associated with the traffic;
configure a target wake time (TWT) scheme associated with the traffic based at least in part on the determined information associated with the traffic; and
transmit, using the transceiver, a TWT request comprising initial information associated with the TWT scheme to the access point of the wireless network,
wherein the initial information associated with the TWT scheme comprises at least one of traffic direction information, traffic pattern information, a traffic identifier (TID), or an access category indication (ACID).

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein to configure the TWT scheme the one or more processors are configured to:
generate an initial information element, wherein the initial information element includes the initial information associated with the TWT scheme.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the initial information element comprises at least one of:
a first field corresponding to the traffic pattern information,
a first subfield of a second field corresponding to the traffic direction information, or
a second subfield of the second field corresponding to the TID or the ACID.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein to configure the TWT scheme the one or more processors are configured to:
generate an initial TWT element, wherein the initial TWT element includes the initial information associated with the TWT scheme.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the initial TWT element comprises at least one of:
a first field corresponding to the traffic pattern information,
a first subfield of a second field corresponding to the traffic direction information, or
a second subfield of the second field corresponding to the TID or the ACID.

6. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein:
the traffic pattern information comprises a traffic generation interval and a traffic rate, and
the initial TWT element comprises a first field corresponding to the traffic generation interval and a second field corresponding to the traffic rate.

7. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein:
the initial TWT element comprises two subfields corresponding to the traffic direction information,
the two subfields are set to a first value to indicate that the initial information associated with the TWT scheme is for uplink traffic,
the two subfields are set to a second value to indicate that the initial information associated with the TWT scheme is for downlink traffic, and
the two subfields are set to a third value to indicate that the initial information associated with the TWT scheme is for bidirectional traffic.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
receive a response from the access point including subsequent information associated with the TWT scheme; and
communicate, based on the response, one or more packets associated with the traffic using the TWT scheme.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
receive a packet from the access point before an initial end point of a service period associated with the TWT scheme;
determine that a More Data field in a media access control (MAC) header associated with the packet is set to a first value; and
expand the service period beyond the initial end point based on the first value, wherein the electronic device is in an active mode during the expanded service period.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
receive a second packet from the access point after the initial end point of the service period;
determine that a More Data field in a MAC header associated with the second packet is set to a second value; and
transition to a power save mode based on the second value.

11. A method, comprising:
receiving, from an application of an electronic device, an indication of traffic associated with the application, wherein the traffic is to be communicated using an access point over a wireless network;
determining information associated with the traffic, wherein the information comprises at least one of traffic direction information, traffic pattern information, a traffic identifier (TID), or an access category indication (ACID);
configuring a target wake time (TWT) scheme associated with the traffic based at least in part on the determined information;
generating an initial TWT element associated with the TWT scheme; and
transmitting the initial TWT element to the access point of the wireless network,
wherein the initial TWT element comprises at least one of the traffic direction information, the traffic pattern information, the TID, or the ACID.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the initial TWT element comprises at least one of:
a first field corresponding to the traffic pattern information,
a first subfield of a second field corresponding to the traffic direction information, or
a second subfield of the second field corresponding to the TID or ACID.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the traffic pattern information comprises a traffic generation interval and a traffic rate, and
the initial TWT element comprises a first field corresponding to the traffic generation interval and a second field corresponding to the traffic rate.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the initial TWT element comprises two subfields corresponding to the traffic direction information,
the two subfields are set to a first value to indicate that TWT parameters are for uplink traffic,
the two subfields are set to a second value to indicate that the TWT parameters are for downlink traffic, and
the two subfields are set to a third value to indicate that the TWT parameters are for bidirectional traffic.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving a response from the access point including a subsequent TWT element associated with the TWT scheme; and
communicating, based on the response, one or more packets associated with the traffic using the TWT scheme.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving a packet from the access point before an initial end point of a service period associated with the TWT scheme;
determining that a More Data field in a media access control (MAC) header associated with the packet is set to a first value; and
expanding the service period beyond the initial end point based on the first value, wherein the electronic device is in an active mode during the expanded service period.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving a second packet from the access point after the initial end point of the service period;
determining that a More Data field in a MAC header associated with the second packet is set to a second value; and
transitioning to a power save mode based on the second value.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
determining information associated with traffic of an appli

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Li Guoqing
• Yu Yang
• Kasten Welly
• Rana Shehla S
• FIKIRLIER Mete
• Mekala Karthik R
• Dominguez Charles F
• Liu Yong
• Kumar Rajneesh

Classifications

• H04W28/0221 Primary

  power availability or consumption · CPC title

• H04W52/0216 Primary

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

• H04W52/0229

  where the received signal is a wanted signal · CPC title

• H04W52/0206

  in access points, e.g. base stations · CPC title

• H04W28/10

  Flow control {between communication endpoints} · CPC title