Power saving mechanisms for multi-link communications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12245304-B2
Application number	US-202217572316-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 10, 2022
Priority date	Jul 10, 2019
Publication date	Mar 4, 2025
Grant date	Mar 4, 2025

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices related to related to digital wireless communication, and more specifically, to techniques related to the power saving mechanism for multi-link operation. In one exemplary aspect, a method for wireless communication includes transmitting a link wakeup indication message to a wireless device over a first link of multiple links between the network node and the wireless device. The link wakeup indication message may indicate a request to transition at least one link of the multiple links between an active state and a power saving state. The method may also include, responsive to transmitting the link wakeup indication message, obtaining, by the network node, a link wakeup notification message from the wireless device indicating that at least one link of the multiple links has transitioned between the active state and the power saving state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for wireless communication, comprising:
transmitting, by a network node, a link wakeup indication message to a wireless device over a first link of multiple links between the network node and the wireless device, the link wakeup indication message indicating a request to transition at least one link of the multiple links between an active state and a power saving state,
wherein the link wakeup indication message is transmitted to the wireless device via a frame that includes a first field that includes a set of bits that indicate whether to transition the wireless device and another wireless device between the power saving state and the active state,
wherein the frame includes a second field and a third field that respectively indicates whether to wake up the wireless device and the another wireless device,
wherein the set of bits includes a first bit associated with the wireless device and corresponding to the second field, and

wherein the set of bits includes a second bit associated with the another wireless device and corresponding to the third field; and
responsive to the transmitting the link wakeup indication message, obtaining, by the network node, a link wakeup notification message from the wireless device indicating that at least one link of the multiple links has transitioned between the active state and the power saving state.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
responsive to the obtaining the link wakeup notification message from the wireless device, establishing, by the network node, a multi-link transmission opportunity for multilink data transmission between the network node and the wireless device during the multi-link transmission opportunity.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the link wakeup indication message is transmitted over a primary link, and wherein data is sent to the wireless device over both the primary link and at least one secondary link.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the power saving state enables only a primary link, and the active state enables both the primary link and at least one secondary link of the multiple links.

5. A method for wireless communication, comprising:
receiving, by a wireless device, a link wakeup indication message from a network node over a primary link of multiple links between the network node and the wireless device,
wherein the link wakeup indication message is received by the wireless device via a frame that includes a first field that includes a set of bits that indicate whether to transition the wireless device and another wireless device between a power saving state and an active state,
wherein the frame includes a second field and a third field that respectively indicates whether to wake up the wireless device and the another wireless device,
wherein the set of bits includes a first bit associated with the wireless device and corresponding to the second field, and
wherein the set of bits includes a second bit associated with the another wireless device and corresponding to the third field;

transitioning, by the wireless device, at least one link of the multiple links from the power saving state to the active state based on receiving the link wakeup indication message from the network node; and
transmitting, by the wireless device, a link wakeup notification message to the network node indicating that the at least one link of the multiple links has been transitioned from the power saving state to the active state.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
responsive to obtaining the link wakeup notification message from the wireless device, transmitting, by the network node, data to the wireless device over two or more of the multiple links between the network node and the wireless device.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein transitioning from the power saving state to the active state includes:
enabling, by the wireless device, the at least one link of the multiple links to receive data from the network node, wherein the power saving state enables only the primary link.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein a multi-link transmission opportunity is established for multilink transmissions between the network node and the wireless device during the multi-link transmission opportunity.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the link wakeup indication message is received by the wireless device via a unicast frame, wherein a multi-link indication field of the unicast frame includes a bit indicative of whether to transition the wireless device between the power saving state and the active state.

10. A network node for wireless communication comprising a processor that is configured to carry out a method, comprising:
transmit a link wakeup indication message to a wireless device over a first link of multiple links between the network node and the wireless device, the link wakeup indication message indicating a request to transition at least one link of the multiple links between an active state and a power saving state,
wherein the link wakeup indication message is transmitted to the wireless device via a frame that includes a first field that includes a set of bits that indicate whether to transition the wireless device and another wireless device between the power saving state and the active state,
wherein the frame includes a second field and a third field that respectively indicates whether to wake up the wireless device and the another wireless device,
wherein the set of bits includes a first bit associated with the wireless device and corresponding to the second field, and
wherein the set of bits includes a second bit associated with the another wireless device and corresponding to the third field; and

responsive to the transmit the link wakeup indication message, obtain, by the network node, a link wakeup notification message from the wireless device indicating that at least one link of the multiple links has transitioned between the active state and the power saving state.

11. The network node of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
responsive to the obtain the link wakeup notification message from the wireless device, establish, by the network node, a multi-link transmission opportunity for multilink data transmission between the network node and the wireless device during the multi-link transmission opportunity.

12. The network node of claim 10 , wherein the link wakeup indication message is transmitted over a primary link, and wherein data is sent to the wireless device over both the primary link and at least one secondary link.

13. The network node of claim 10 , wherein the power saving state enables only a primary link, and the active state enables both the primary link and at least one secondary link of the multiple links.

14. A wireless device for wireless communication comprising a processor that is configured to carry out a method, comprising:
receive a link wakeup indication message from a network node over a primary link of multiple links between the network node and the wireless device,
wherein the link wakeup indication message is received by the wireless device via a frame that includes a first field that includes a set of bits that indicate whether to transition the wireless device and another wireless device between a power saving state and a active state,
wherein the frame includes a second field and a third field that respectively indicates whether to wake up the wireless device and the another wireless device,
wherein the set of bits includes a first bit associated with the wireless device and corresponding to the second field, and
wherein the set of bits in

Assignees

• Zte Corp

Inventors

• Fang Yonggang
• Sun Bo
• Han Zhiqiang

Classifications

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04W52/0229

  where the received signal is a wanted signal · CPC title

• H04W76/20

  Manipulation of established connections · CPC title

• H04W28/06

  Optimizing {the usage of the radio link}, e.g. header compression, information sizing {, discarding information (system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365)} · CPC title

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title