Beacon packet having traffic indicator flag

1. A method for broadcasting a beacon packet to one or more client stations, the beacon packet including a preamble, a header and a data portion, the method comprising the steps of:

determining if there is any data buffered for any of the client stations;

if there is data buffered, setting a traffic indicator flag to a first logic value, the traffic indicator flag being located before the data portion of the beacon packet;

if there is not any data buffered, setting the traffic indicator flag to a second logic value, which is different than the first logic value; and

broadcasting the beacon packet to the client stations.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the traffic indicator flag is located in the header of the beacon packet.

3. The method of claim 2 ,

wherein the header includes a service portion in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 communications standard, and

the traffic indicator flag is located in the service portion of the header.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the traffic indicator flag is located in one bit of the service portion of the header that is reserved under the IEEE 802.11 communications standard.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the broadcasting step, the beacon packet is broadcast in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 communications standard.

6. A method for processing a beacon packet, the beacon packet including a preamble, a header and a data portion, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the beacon packet;

processing a first portion of the beacon packet so as to determine a value of a traffic indicator flag in the beacon packet, the traffic indicator flag being located before the data portion of the beacon packet;

if the traffic indicator flag has a first logic value, entering a sleep mode; and

if the traffic indicator flag has a second logic value, remaining in normal operating mode and processing all or substantially all of the remaining portion of the beacon packet.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the traffic indicator flag is located in the header of the beacon packet.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the header includes a service portion in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 communications standard, and

the traffic indicator flag is located in the service portion of the header.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the traffic indicator flag is located in one bit of the service portion of the header that is reserved under the IEEE 802.11 communications standard.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising a step of:

after entering the sleep mode, remaining in the sleep mode for a predetermined period.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein in the receiving step, the beacon packet is received in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 communications standard.

12. The method of claim 6 ,

wherein the beacon packet is in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 communications standard, and

the first portion that is processed consists of the preamble, the header, and a frame control field of the data portion.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein in the step of remaining in normal operating mode and processing all or substantially all of the remaining portion of the beacon packet, the data portion is processed through at least part of a TIM field of the data portion if the traffic indicator flag has the second logic value.

14. The method of claim 6 , wherein in the step of remaining in normal operating mode and processing all or substantially all of the remaining portion of the beacon packet, the data portion is processed through at least part of a TIM field of the data portion if the traffic indicator flag has the second logic value.

15. A wireless device for processing a beacon packet, the beacon packet including a preamble, a header and a data portion, the wireless device comprising:

a receiver for receiving the beacon packet; and

a processor coupled to the receiver, wherein the processor is programmed:

to process a first portion of the beacon packet so as to determine a value of a traffic indicator flag in the beacon packet, the traffic indicator flag being located before the data portion of the beacon packet;

if the traffic indicator flag has a first logic value, to cause the wireless device to enter a sleep mode; and

if the traffic indicator flag has a second logic value, to cause the wireless device to remain in normal operating mode and to process all or substantially all of the remaining portion of the beacon packet.

16. The wireless device according to claim 15 , wherein the header includes a service portion in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 communications standard, and the traffic indicator flag is located in the service portion of the header.

17. A wireless base station for generating and transmitting a beacon packet to client stations, the beacon packet including a preamble, a header and a data portion, the wireless base station comprising:

a processor, wherein the processor is programmed:

to determine if there is any data buffered for any of the client stations;

if there is data buffered, to set a traffic indicator flag to a first logic value, the traffic indicator flag being located before the data portion of the beacon packet; and

if there is not any data buffered, to set the traffic indicator flag to a second logic value, which is different than the first logic value; and

a transmitter for broadcasting the beacon packet to the client stations.

18. The wireless base station according to claim 17 , wherein the header includes a service portion in accordance with an IEEE 802.11 communications standard, and the traffic indicator flag is located in the service portion of the header.