Method and system for wirelessly transmitting data

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 one or more actions to be executed by the other Wi-Fi station; inserting at the first Wi-Fi station the generated data in a vendor-specific information element of a Wi-Fi probe request frame; and

wirelessly transmitting at the first Wi-Fi station the Wi-Fi probe request frame; wherein at least one of the first Wi-Fi station and the other Wi-Fi station is operating in a low-power mode in which the Wi-Fi station is not connected to a Wi-Fi network.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more actions comprise activating one or more modules that were suspended to conserve power.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein activating one or more modules comprises activating a TCP module and/or IP module to enable full Wi-Fi communication by or with the other Wi-Fi station.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the Wi-Fi probe request frame indicates that the first Wi-Fi station is experiencing a problem, and wherein the one or more actions comprise at least one of: forwarding at least a portion of the Wi-Fi probe request frame to another device; sending a message to the owner or administrator of the first Wi-Fi station; and taking over the duties of the first Wi-Fi station.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving at the other Wi-Fi station the Wi-Fi probe request frame; and

in response to receiving the Wi-Fi probe request frame, executing at the other Wi-Fi station the one or more actions.

6. 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.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the Wi-Fi probe request frame is a broadcast probe request frame.

8. 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:

operate the first Wi-Fi station in a low-power mode in which the first Wi-Fi station is not connected to a Wi-Fi network;

generate data to be transmitted to another Wi-Fi station, the data comprising one or more actions to be executed by the other Wi-Fi station, and

insert the generated data in a vendor-specific information element of a Wi-Fi probe request frame; and

a Wi-Fi module configured to wirelessly transmit the Wi-Fi probe request frame.

9. The system according to claim 8 , further comprising the other Wi-Fi station configured to:

receive the Wi-Fi probe request frame; and

in response to receiving the Wi-Fi probe request frame, execute the one or more actions.

10. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the one or more actions comprise activating one or more modules that were suspended to conserve power.

11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein activating one or more modules comprises activating a TCP module and/or IP module to enables full Wi-Fi communication by or with the other Wi-Fi station.

12. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the Wi-Fi probe request frame indicates that the first Wi-Fi station is experiencing a problem, and wherein the one or more actions comprise at least one of: forwarding at least a portion of the Wi-Fi probe request frame to another device; sending a message to the owner or administrator of the first Wi-Fi station; and taking over the duties of the first Wi-Fi station.

13. The system according to claim 8 , 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.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the notification is transmitted using a protocol other than Wi-Fi.

15. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the Wi-Fi probe request frame is a broadcast probe request frame.

16. A Wi-Fi station comprising:

a Wi-Fi module configured to wirelessly receive a Wi-Fi probe request frame from another Wi-Fi station while the Wi-Fi station is operating in a low power-mode in which the Wi-Fi station is not connected to a Wi-Fi network, the Wi-Fi probe request frame comprising data defining one or more actions to be executed by the other Wi-Fi station in a vendor-specific information element of the Wi-Fi probe request frame; and

a processor configured to:

execute the one or more actions in response to receiving the Wi-Fi probe request frame.

17. The Wi-Fi station according to claim 16 , 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.

18. The Wi-Fi station according to claim 16 , wherein the one or more actions comprise activating one or more modules that were suspended to conserve power.

19. The Wi-Fi station according to claim 18 , wherein activating one or more modules comprises activating a TCP module and/or IP module to enables full Wi-Fi communication by or with the other Wi-Fi station.

20. The Wi-Fi station according to claim 16 , wherein the Wi-Fi probe request frame indicates that the first Wi-Fi station is experiencing a problem, and wherein the one or more actions comprise at least one of: forwarding at least a portion of the Wi-Fi probe request frame to another device; sending a message to the owner or administrator of the first Wi-Fi station; and taking over the duties of the first Wi-Fi station.