Wireless router or residential gateway capable of distinguishing power-sensitive wireless sensors and providing separate treatment thereto

1. A network device, comprising:

control circuitry coupled to one or more wireless network circuits and configured to:

upon receipt of a request of connection from a client, identify whether the client is power-sensitive;

if the client is identified as power-sensitive, cause the power-sensitive client to connect using a low-power connection while maintaining a regular connection to other regular clients,

wherein the low-power connection is operated on a first channel different from but in a same frequency band as a second channel on which the regular connection is operated,

operate a first virtual access point (AP) for the low-power connection; and

operate a second virtual AP for the regular connection,

wherein the first and second APs use different service set identifiers (SSIDs).

2. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

switch, for data traffic from the power-sensitive client, the power-sensitive client from the first channel to the second channel for a duration of the traffic.

3. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

discover whether a connected client is power-sensitive; and

shift the connected client from the second channel to the first channel if the connected client is power-sensitive.

4. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the client is initially connected to the network device on the second channel.

5. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive information from the power-sensitive client so as to anticipate when there is data traffic from the power-sensitive client; and

adjust the network circuits based on the anticipation.

6. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive information from the power-sensitive client regarding what resource the power-sensitive client needs for transmitting data traffic to the network device;

arrange a time slot based on the information; and

convey information to the power-sensitive client regarding the time slot.

7. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

give priority to the power-sensitive client when there is data traffic from the power-sensitive client.

8. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the first channel is employed by a network circuit different from a second network circuit by which the second channel is employed.

9. The network device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a buffer configured to accommodate a uplink transmission rate slower than that of the regular connection from the power-sensitive client.

10. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

broadcast information about the network device's ability of low-power connection.

11. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

receive information from the power-sensitive client regarding a wake-up schedule of the power-sensitive client.

12. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the low-power connection has a relaxed connection maintenance standard than the regular connection,

wherein the relaxed connection maintenance standard expects to receive keep alive messages at a frequency less than default.

13. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the low-power connection has a longer keep alive expiration period than the regular connection so that the network device does not disassociate the power-sensitive client after a regular keep alive expiration period expires.

14. The network device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

select the first and second channels, respectively, from available channels based on one or more connection environment parameters.

15. The network device of claim 14 , wherein the connection environment parameters include one or more of: channel noise, channel cross-interference, number of overlapping basic service sets (OBSS), a number of power-sensitive clients currently connected, or a number of regular clients currently connected.

16. A method, comprising:

upon receipt of a request of connection from a client, identifying, using a network device, whether the client is power-sensitive;

if the client is identified as power-sensitive, causing the power-sensitive client to connect using a low-power connection while maintaining a regular connection to other regular clients,

wherein the low-power connection is operated on a first channel different from but in a same frequency band as a second channel on which the regular connection is operated,

operating a first virtual access point (AP) for the low-power connection; and

operating a second virtual AP for the regular connection, wherein the first and second APs use different service set identifiers (SSIDs).

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

switching, for data traffic from the power-sensitive client, the power-sensitive client from the first channel to the second channel for a duration of the traffic.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

discovering whether a connected client is power-sensitive; and

shifting the connected client from the second channel to the first channel if the connected client is power-sensitive,

wherein the client is initially connected to the network device on the second channel.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

receiving information from the power-sensitive client so as to anticipate when there is data traffic from the power-sensitive client; and

adjusting the network circuits based on the anticipation.

20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

receiving information from the power-sensitive client regarding what resource the power-sensitive client needs for transmitting data traffic to the network device;

arranging a time slot based on the information; and

conveying information to the power-sensitive client regarding the time slot.

21. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

giving priority to the power-sensitive client when there is data traffic from the power-sensitive client.

22. A network device, comprising:

control circuitry coupled to one or more wireless network circuits and configured to:

operate a first virtual access point (AP) for a low-power connection;

operate a second virtual AP for a regular connection;

upon receipt of a request of connection from a client, identify whether the client is power-sensitive; and

if the client is identified as power-sensitive, cause the power-sensitive client to connect using the low-power connection while maintaining the regular connection to other regular clients.

23. The network device of claim 22 , wherein the low-power connection is maintained on the same channel as regular connection, and wherein communication packets different than those used in the regular connection are used for the low-power connection.

24. The network device of claim 23 , wherein the communication packets include beacons.

25. The network device of claim 24 , wherein the communication packets further include management and control packets.

26. The network device of claim 22 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to transmit management and control packets uniquely designated for the power-sensitive client.

27. The network device of claim 22 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to transmit beacons uniquely designated for the power-sensitive client on a same channel as beacons for regular clients.

28. The network device of claim 22 , wherein the first and second APs use different service set identifiers (SSIDs).