Apparatus, method, and medium for mobile access point station
Some embodiments include an apparatus and method for a mobile access point (AP) station that operates in an always-on soft AP mode where a station is associated with the mobile AP station, and switch back to operate as a station in an infrastructure mode with an AP. For example, in an always-on soft AP mode, the mobile AP station may implement a target wake time (TWT) responder power save mode feature. The mobile AP station may maintain a wake window after a beacon to enable unassociated devices to associate; establish a broadcast TWT schedule for unassociated TWT-capable devices to associate; schedule TWT for associated devices; go to sleep outside of the scheduled TWT of the associated devices; and switch back to infrastructure mode to perform as a station and maintain a connection with an AP.
1. A mobile access point (AP) station, comprising:
a transceiver configured to transmit and receive wireless communications; and
one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver, configured to:
operate the mobile AP station in an always-on soft AP mode comprising implementing a target wake time (TWT) feature;
transmit a beacon that is followed by a wake window for stations unassociated with the mobile AP station, wherein the beacon comprises a broadcast TWT schedule that indicates a service period during which one or more TWT-capable stations unassociated with the mobile AP station associates with the mobile AP station;
while operating the mobile AP station in the always-on soft AP mode, enable a first TWT-capable station to associate with the mobile AP station during the service period, wherein the mobile AP station provides soft AP functionality for the associated first TWT-capable station during a TWT period;
while the first TWT-capable station is associated with the mobile AP station in the always-on soft AP mode, operate the mobile AP station as a second station in an infrastructure mode associated with an infrastructure AP; and
transmit, via the transceiver, infrastructure traffic to the infrastructure AP.
2. The mobile AP station of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to enable the first TWT-capable station to request setting up the TWT period for the first TWT-capable station.
3. The mobile AP station of claim 2 , wherein to enable the first TWT-capable station to request setting up the TWT period, the one or more processors are further configured to:
set a TWT Required field to a predetermined value in a high efficiency operation element in a second beacon;
in response to the TWT Required field being set to the predetermined value, receive a TWT setup request from the first TWT-capable station;
in response to the TWT setup request, transmit a TWT schedule to the first TWT-capable station;
wherein to inform the first TWT-capable station that the mobile AP station is not available outside of the TWT schedule, set a TWT Responder Power Save field in a TWT Element; and
transmit the TWT element to the first TWT-capable station.
4. The mobile AP station of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to remain active outside of the TWT period for the first TWT-capable station.
5. The mobile AP station of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to dynamically adjust the TWT period for the first TWT-capable station based at least in part on a number of stations associated with the mobile AP station or a traffic load between the mobile AP station and one or more stations of the number of stations associated with the mobile AP station.
6. The mobile AP station of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to dynamically adjust the wake window for unassociated stations based at least in part on a number of stations associated with the mobile AP station.
7. The mobile AP station of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to dynamically adjust the TWT period for the first TWT-capable station based at least in part on a number of TWT-capable stations associated with the mobile AP station.
8. The mobile AP station of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to dynamically adjust a duration of the infrastructure mode based at least in part on a traffic load of TWT-capable stations associated with the mobile AP station.
9. The mobile AP station of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to dynamically adjust a duration of a next TWT during which a TWT-capable station unassociated with the mobile AP station associates with the mobile AP station based at least in part on a number of TWT-capable stations associated with the mobile AP station.
10. A method for a mobile access point (AP) station, comprising:
operating in an always-on soft AP mode, wherein the operating comprises implementing a target wake time (TWT) feature;
transmitting a beacon that is followed by a wake window for stations unassociated with the mobile AP station, wherein the beacon comprises a broadcast TWT schedule that indicates a service period during which one or more TWT-capable stations unassociated with the mobile AP station associates with the mobile AP station;
while operating the mobile AP station in the always-on soft AP mode enabling a first TWT-capable station to associate with the mobile AP station during the service period, wherein the mobile AP station provides soft AP functionality for the associated first TWT-capable station during a TWT period;
while the first TWT-capable station is associated with the mobile AP station in the always-on soft AP mode, operating the mobile AP station as a second station in an infrastructure mode associated with an infrastructure AP; and
transmitting infrastructure traffic to the infrastructure AP.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
enabling the first TWT-capable station to request setting up the TWT period for the first TWT-capable station.
12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising dynamically adjusting the TWT period for the first TWT-capable station based at least in part on: a number of stations associated with the mobile AP station; or a traffic load between the mobile AP station and one or more stations of the number of stations associated with the mobile AP station.
13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising dynamically adjusting the wake window for unassociated stations based at least in part on a number of stations associated with the mobile AP station.
14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising dynamically adjusting a duration of the infrastructure mode based at least in part on a traffic load of TWT-capable stations associated with the mobile AP station.
15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a mobile access point (AP) station, cause the mobile AP station to perform operations, the operations comprising:
operating the mobile AP station in an always-on soft AP mode comprising implementing a target wake time (TWT) feature;
transmitting a beacon that is followed by a wake window for stations unassociated with the mobile AP station, wherein the beacon comprises a broadcast TWT schedule that indicates a service period during which one or more TWT-capable stations unassociated with the mobile AP station associates with the mobile AP station;
while operating the mobile AP station in the always-on soft AP mode, enabling a first TWT-capable station to associate with the mobile AP station during the service period, wherein the mobile AP station provides soft AP functionality for the associated first TWT-capable station during a TWT period;
while the first TWT-capable station is associated with the mobile AP station operating in the always-on soft AP mode, operating the mobile AP station as a second station in an infrastructure mode associated with an infrastructure AP; and
transmitting infrastructure traffic to the infrastructure AP.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise: enabling the first TWT-capable station to request setting up the TWT period for the first TWT-capable station.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein to enable the first TWT-capable station to request setting up the TWT period, the operations further comprise:
setting a TWT Required field to a predetermined value in a high efficiency operation element in a second beacon;
in response to the TWT Required field being set to the predetermined value, receiving a TWT setup request from the first TWT-capable station; and
in response to the TWT setup request, transmitting a TWT schedule to the first TWT-capable station.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise dynamically adjusting the TWT period for the first TWT-capable station based at least in part on: a number of stations associated with the mobile AP station; or a traffic load between the mobile AP station and one or more stations of the number of stations associated with the mobile AP station.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise dynamically adjusting the wake window for unassociated stations based at least in part on a number of stations associated with the mobile AP station.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise dynamically adjusting a duration of the infrastructure mode based at least in part on a traffic load of TWT-capable stations associated with the mobile AP station.