Method and system for wirelessly transmitting data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9351252-B2
Application number	US-201314021211-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2013
Priority date	Sep 26, 2012
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

Methods and systems for wirelessly transmitting data between Wi-Fi stations without requiring the Wi-Fi stations to be fully connected to the Wi-Fi network. A first Wi-Fi station generates the data to be transmitted. The data comprises status data and/or wake-up data. The first Wi-Fi station then inserts the data in a vendor-specific information element of a probe request frame and wirelessly transmits the probe request frame. The probe request frame is then received by a second Wi-Fi station. If the probe request frame contains wake-up data and the second Wi-Fi station is operating in a low-power mode when it receives the probe request frame, the second Wi-Fi station will wake-up from the low-power mode. If the probe request frame contains status data then the second Wi-Fi station may process the probe request frame and/or forward at least a portion of the received probe request frame to another device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method to wirelessly transmit data, the method comprising:
generating at a first Wi-Fi station data to be transmitted to another Wi-Fi station, the data comprising at least one of status data and wake-up data;
inserting at the first Wi-Fi station the generated data in a vendor-specific information element of a probe request frame; and
wirelessly transmitting at the first Wi-Fi station the probe request frame;
wherein the first Wi-Fi station and the other Wi-Fi station are configured to wirelessly communicate via a Wi-Fi network established by an access point, and the probe request frame is transmitted by the first Wi-Fi station when the first Wi-Fi station does not have a valid IP address, or the probe request frame is received by the other Wi-Fi station when the other Wi-Fi station does not have a valid IP address.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the wake-up data is arranged to cause the other Wi-Fi station to wake-up from a low-power mode.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining at the first Wi-Fi station whether one or more predetermined conditions are met; and
wherein the first Wi-Fi station generates the data to be transmitted if at least one predetermined condition is met.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the probe request frame is a broadcast probe request frame.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the probe request frame comprises the wake-up data and the status data.

6. A system to wirelessly transmit data, the system comprising a first Wi-Fi station, and the first Wi-Fi station comprising:
a processor configured to:
generate data to be transmitted to another Wi-Fi station, the data comprising at least one of status data and wake-up data, and
insert the generated data in a vendor-specific information element of a probe request frame; and

a Wi-Fi module configured to wirelessly transmit the probe request frame;
wherein the first Wi-Fi station and the other Wi-Fi station are configured to wirelessly communicate via a Wi-Fi network established by an access point, and the probe request frame is transmitted by the first Wi-Fi station when the first Wi-Fi station does not have a valid IP address, or the probe request frame is received by the other Wi-Fi station when the other Wi-Fi station does not have a valid IP address.

7. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the wake-up data is arranged to cause the other Wi-Fi station to wake-up from a low-power mode.

8. The system according to claim 6 , further comprising the other Wi-Fi station, wherein the other Wi-Fi station is configured to:
receive the probe request frame; and
in response to receiving the probe request frame, execute one or more actions.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the other Wi-Fi station is operating in a low-power mode when it receives the probe request frame comprising the wake-up data and the one or more actions executed by the other Wi-Fi station comprises waking up the other Wi-Fi station from the low-power mode.

10. The system according to claim 6 , further comprising a non-Wi-Fi device configured to:
determine whether one or more predetermined conditions are met; and
if at least one predetermined condition is met, transmit a notification from the non-Wi-Fi device to the first Wi-Fi station that at least one predetermined condition is met;
wherein the first Wi-Fi station generates the data to be transmitted in response to receiving the notification from the non-Wi-Fi device that at least one predetermined condition is met.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the notification is transmitted using a protocol other than Wi-Fi.

12. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the probe request frame is a
broadcast probe request frame.

13. The system according to claim 6 , wherein the probe request frame comprises the wake-up data and the status data.

14. A Wi-Fi station comprising:
a Wi-Fi module configured to wirelessly receive a probe request frame from another Wi-Fi station, the probe request frame comprising at least one of status data and wake-up data in a vendor-specific information element of the probe request frame; and
a processor configured to:
execute one or more actions in response to receiving the probe request frame;

wherein the Wi-Fi station and the other Wi-Fi station are configured to wirelessly communicate via a Wi-Fi network established by an access point, and the probe request frame is transmitted by the other Wi-Fi station when the other Wi-Fi station does not have a valid IP address, or the probe request frame is received by the Wi-Fi station when the Wi-Fi station does not have a valid IP address.

15. The Wi-Fi station according to claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to operate the Wi-Fi module in a low-power mode and the one or more actions executed by the processor comprises:
determining whether the received probe request frame comprises a vendor-specific information element comprising wake-up data; and
if the probe request frame comprises the vendor specific information element comprising wake-up data, waking-up the Wi-Fi station from the low-power mode.

16. The Wi-Fi station according to claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine if one or more predetermined conditions are met and if at least one predetermined condition is met, operate the Wi-Fi device in the low-power mode.

17. The Wi-Fi station according to claim 15 , wherein operating the Wi-Fi station in the low-power mode comprises suspending at least a portion of the Wi-Fi station and waking-up the Wi-Fi station from the low-power mode comprises enabling the at least a portion of the Wi-Fi station.

18. The Wi-Fi station according to claim 14 , wherein the probe request frame comprises the status data and the one or more actions executed by the processor comprises forwarding at least a portion of the probe request frame to another device.

19. The Wi-Fi station according to claim 14 , wherein the probe request frame comprises the status data and the one or more actions executed by the processor comprises processing the probe request frame.

Assignees

• Imagination Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Knowles Ian R

Classifications

• G08B25/10

  using wireless transmission systems {(G08B25/009 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G08B25/007

  Details of data content structure of message packets; data protocols · CPC title

• H04W52/0277

  according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected · CPC title

• H04W52/0229 Primary

  where the received signal is a wanted signal · CPC title

• H04W52/0225 Primary

  using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal · CPC title