Delivering data to a wireless station
View Patent ↗Disclosed are methods for delivering data ( 212 ) to a wireless station ( 102 ). An access point ( 104 ), or any other suitable device or system, receives a plurality of association requests ( 204 ) from a plurality of wireless stations ( 102 ) and transmits a different association identifier ( 208 ) to each of the plurality of wireless stations ( 102 ). The access point ( 104 ) buffers data ( 212 ) for a subset of the wireless stations ( 102 ). If the number of wireless stations ( 102 ) with buffered data ( 212 ) at the access point ( 104 ) is less than a threshold, then the access point ( 104 ) transmits a list of association identifiers indicating that buffered data ( 212 ) are held for each wireless station ( 102 ) identified by the list. If the number of wireless stations ( 102 ) with buffered data ( 212 ) at the access point ( 104 ) is not less than the threshold, then the access point ( 104 ) transmits data indicative of a range of association identifiers indicating that buffered data ( 212 ) are held for at least one wireless station ( 102 ) identified by the range.
1. A method of receiving data at a wireless station, the method comprising:
transmitting an association request;
receiving an association identifier from an access point, the access point transmitting a plurality of association identifiers to respective ones of a plurality of wireless stations;
if the association identifier is in a list of association identifiers received from the access point, then polling the access point for data; and
if the association identifier is in a range of association identifiers corresponding to respective ones of a subset of the plurality of wireless stations, as indicated by data indicative of the range received from the access point, then entering a power-save mode, waking up from the power-save mode at a scheduled time, and receiving data from the access point, the data indicative of the range comprising association identifiers corresponding to a first number of wireless stations, wherein the first number of wireless stations is less than the number of wireless stations in the subset.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a delivery interval time indicative of a time between a transmission of first buffered data associated with a first wireless station and a transmission of second buffered data associated with a second wireless station.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising determining the scheduled time based on the delivery interval time and on the association identifier.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a skip rate indicative of a wake-up frequency from the access point;
wherein waking up from the power-save mode includes waking up from the power-save mode at a frequency that is based on the skip rate.
5. An apparatus for receiving data, the apparatus comprising:
a receiver;
a transmitter; and
a controller operatively coupled to the receiver and to the transmitter, the controller being structured to:
cause the transmitter to transmit an association request;
cause the receiver to receive an association identifier from an access point, the access point transmitting a plurality of association identifiers to respective ones of a plurality of wireless stations;
if the association identifier is in a list of association identifiers received from the access point, then cause the apparatus to poll the access point for data; and
if the association identifier is in a range of association identifiers corresponding to respective ones of a subset of the plurality of wireless stations, as indicated by data indicative of the range received from the access point, then cause the apparatus to enter a power-save mode, cause the apparatus to wake up from the power-save mode at a scheduled time, and cause the receiver to receive the data from the access point, the data indicative of the range comprising association identifiers corresponding to a first number of wireless stations, wherein the first number of wireless stations is less than the number of wireless stations in the subset.