System and method for message queue management in a power-save network
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus for communicating information between networked devices. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise, for example, a first networked device communicating information over a wireless communication network to a second networked device having power-save mode capability. The first networked device receives an incoming message from the second networked device. A first outgoing message is transmitted to the second networked device prior to transmitting a previously queued outgoing message. A second outgoing message is transmitted to the second networked device prior to the previously queued outgoing message being transmitted. Information may be communicated to the second networked device in a particular manner that depends on whether the second networked device has power-save capability. Communication medium access may be performed in a particular manner, depending on whether the second networked device has power-save capability.
1. In a first networked device having the capability to communicate with a second networked device over a communication medium, the second networked device comprising an outgoing message queue for outgoing messages and a message buffer for stored messages, a method for retrieving information from the second networked device, the method comprising:
transmitting a first message to the second networked device indicating that the first networked device is ready to receive information; and
receiving a buffered message that was stored in the message buffer of the second networked device;
wherein the first message comprises characteristics that, when received and processed by the second networked device, cause transmission of the buffered message before at least one queued message that was in the outgoing message queue when the second networked device received the first message.
2. The method of claim 1 , where the first message comprises characteristics that, when received and processed by the second networked device, cause transmission of a second buffered message, stored in the message buffer, before the at least one queued message.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising transmitting an acknowledgement message to the second networked device between transmission of the buffered message and the second buffered message.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first message is a data message comprising an indication that the first networked device has no more information to send to the second networked device.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the buffered message is transmitted before the at least one queued message only if the first networked device is capable of operating in a power-save mode but not currently operating in a sleep state of the power-save mode.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising registering, with a communication network comprising the second networked device, as a power-save capable device.
7. The method of claim 6 , where said registering causes the first networked device to be identified in a networked database as a device capable of power-save operation.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
prior to transmitting the first message to the second networked device, gaining access to the communication medium using a contention-based medium access protocol; and
receiving the buffered message without the second networked device contending with other networked devices for access to the communication medium.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
prior to transmitting the first message to the second networked device, gaining access to the communication medium using a contention-based medium access protocol; and
receiving the buffered message without the second networked device contending with other networked devices for access to the communication medium during a time period in which access to the communication medium is generally governed by a contention-based medium access protocol.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the buffered message is only received if communication of the buffered message will complete within a time limit.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, if transmission of the buffered message will not begin quickly enough to meet system timing constraints, then receiving a null data message prior to receiving the buffered message.
12. A communication module for utilization in a first networked device having the capability to communicate with a second networked device over a communication medium, the second networked device comprising an outgoing message queue for outgoing messages and a message buffer for stored messages, the communication module comprising:
at least one module operable to, at least:
transmit a first message to the second networked device indicating that the first networked device is ready to receive information;
and receive a buffered message that was stored in the message buffer of the second networked device;
where the first message comprises characteristics that, when received and processed by the second networked device, cause transmission of the buffered message before at least one queued message that was in the outgoing message queue when the second networked device received the first message.
13. The communication module of claim 12 , where the first message comprises characteristics that, when received and processed by the second networked device, cause transmission of a second buffered message, stored in the message buffer, before the at least one queued message.
14. The communication module of claim 13 , where the at least one module is further operable to transmit an acknowledgement message to the second networked device between transmission of the buffered message and the second buffered message.
15. The communication module of claim 12 , where the first message is a data message comprising an indication that the first networked device has no more information to send to the second networked device.
16. The communication module of claim 12 , where the buffered message is transmitted before the at least one queued message only if the first networked device is capable of operating in a power-save mode but not currently operating in a sleep state of the power-save mode.
17. The communication module of claim 12 , where the at least one module is further operable to register the first networked device, with a communication network comprising the second networked device, as a power-save capable device.
18. The communication module of claim 17 , where said registering causes the first networked device to be identified in a networked database as a device capable of power-save operation.
19. The communication module of claim 12 , where the at least one module is operable to:
prior to transmitting the first message to the second networked device, gain access to the communication medium using a contention-based medium access protocol, and
receive the buffered message without the second networked device contending with other networked devices for access to the communication medium.
20. The communication module of claim 12 , where the at least one module is operable to:
prior to transmitting the first message to the second networked device, gain access to the communication medium using a contention-based medium access protocol; and
receive the buffered message without the second networked device contending with other networked devices for access to the communication medium during a time period in which access to the communication medium is generally governed by a contention-based medium access protocol.
21. The communication module of claim 12 , wherein the at least one module is operable to receive the buffered message only if communication of the buffered message will complete within a time limit.
22. The communication module of claim 12 , wherein the at least one module is operable to, if transmission of the buffered message will not begin quickly enough to meet system timing constraints, receive a null data message prior to receiving the buffered message.
23. The communication module of claim 12 , wherein the at least one module is integrated in a single integrated circuit.
24. In a first networked device having the capability to communicate with a second networked device over a communication medium, the second networked device comprising an outgoing message queue for outgoing messages and a message buffer for stored messages, a method for retrieving information from the second networked device, the method comprising:
transmitting a first message to the second networked device indicating that the first networked device is ready to receive information;
where the first message comprises characteristics that, when received and processed by the second networked device, cause the second networked device to, at least:
transmit a buffered message stored in the message buffer to the first networked device prior to transmitting at least one queued message that was in the outgoing message queue when the second networked device received the first message.
25. The method of claim 24 , where the first message comprises characteristics that, when received and processed by the second networked device, cause the second networked device to transmit a second buffered message stored in the message buffer to the first networked device prior to transmitting the at least one queued message.
26. The method of claim 25 , further comprising transmitting an acknowledgement message to the second networked device between transmission of the buffered message and the second buffered message by the second networked device.
27. The method of claim 24 , wherein the first message is a data message comprising an indication that the first networked device has no more information to send to the second networked device.
28. The method of claim 24 , wherein the second networked device transmits the buffered message prior to transmitting the at least one queued message only if the first networked device is capable of operating in a power-save mode but not currently operating in a sleep state of the power-save mode.
29. The method of claim 24 , further comprising registering, with a communication network comprising the second networked device, as a power-save capable device.
30. The method of claim 29 , where said registering causes the first networked device to be identified in a networked database as a device capable of power-save operation.
31. The method of claim 24 , further comprising prior to transmitting the first message to the second networked device, gaining access to the communication medium using a contention-based medium access protocol, and where the second networked device transmits the buffered message to the first networked device without contending with other networked devices for access to the communication medium.
32. The method of claim 24 , further comprising prior to transmitting the first message to the second networked device, gaining access to the communication medium using a contention-based medium access protocol, and where the second networked device transmits the buffered message to the first networked device without contending with other networked devices for access to the communication medium during a time period in which access to the communication medium is generally governed by a contention-based medium access protocol.
33. The method of claim 24 , wherein the second networked device only transmits the buffered message if communication of the buffered message will complete within a time limit.
34. The method of claim 24 , wherein if transmission of the buffered message will not begin quickly enough to meet system timing constraints, the second networked device transmits a null data message prior to transmitting the buffered message.
35. A communication module for utilization in a first networked device having the capability to communicate with a second networked device over a communication medium, the second networked device comprising an outgoing message queue for outgoing messages and a message buffer for stored messages, the communication module comprising:
at least one module operable to, at least:
transmit a first message to the second networked device indicating that the first networked device is ready to receive information;
where the first message comprises characteristics that, when received and processed by the second networked device, cause the second networked device to, at least:
transmit a buffered message stored in the message buffer to the first networked device prior to transmitting at least one queued message that was in the outgoing message queue when the second networked device received the first message.
36. The communication module of claim 35 , where the first message comprises characteristics that, when received and processed by the second networked device, cause the second networked device to transmit a second buffered message stored in the message buffer to the first networked device prior to transmitting the at least one queued message.
37. The communication module of claim 36 , where the at least one module is further operable to transmit an acknowledgement message to the second networked device between transmission of the buffered message and the second buffered message by the second networked device.
38. The communication module of claim 35 , where the first message is a data message comprising an indication that the first networked device has no more information to send to the second networked device.
39. The communication module of claim 35 , where the second networked device transmits the buffered message prior to transmitting the at least one queued message only if the first networked device is capable of operating in a power-save mode but not currently operating in a sleep state of the power-save mode.
40. The communication module of claim 35 , where the at least one module is further operable to register the first networked device, with a communication network comprising the second networked device, as a power-save capable device.
41. The communication module of claim 40 , where said registering causes the first networked device to be identified in a networked database as a device capable of power-save operation.
42. The communication module of claim 35 , where the at least one module is operable to, prior to transmitting the first message to the second networked device, gain access to the communication medium using a contention-based medium access protocol, and where the second networked device transmits the buffered message to the first networked device without contending with other networked devices for access to the communication medium.
43. The communication module of claim 35 , where the at least one module is operable to, prior to transmitting the first message to the second networked device, gain access to the communication medium using a contention-based medium access protocol, and where the second networked device transmits the buffered message to the first networked device without contending with other networked devices for access to the communication medium during a time period in which access to the communication medium is generally governed by a contention-based medium access protocol.
44. The communication module of claim 35 , wherein the second networked device only transmits the buffered message if communication of the buffered message will complete within a time limit.
45. The communication module of claim 35 , wherein if transmission of the buffered message will not begin quickly enough to meet system timing constraints, the second networked device transmits a null data message prior to transmitting the buffered message.
46. The communication module of claim 35 , wherein the at least one module is integrated in a single integrated circuit.