Power saving in a communication device

Abstract

In a communication network having an access point (AP) and a plurality of client devices, the AP generates a physical layer (PHY) protocol header of a PHY protocol data unit so that the PHY protocol header includes: address information that indicates one or more intended receivers of the PHY protocol data unit, and an indicator that specifies whether a client device that is not an intended receiver is permitted to go into a power save mode of operation during a transmit opportunity period (TXOP) associated with the PHY protocol data unit. The AP generates the PHY protocol data unit to include the PHY protocol preamble, and a PHY protocol payload including a media access control layer (MAC) protocol header, the MAC protocol header including address information that specifies the one or more intended receivers of the PHY protocol data unit. The AP transmits the PHY protocol data unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method in a communication network having an access point (AP) and a plurality of client devices, comprising:
 generating, at the AP, a physical layer (PHY) protocol header of a PHY protocol data unit so that the PHY protocol header includes:
 address information that indicates one or more intended receivers of the PHY protocol data unit, and 
 an indicator that specifies whether a client device that is not an intended receiver is permitted to go into a power save mode of operation during a transmit opportunity period (TXOP) associated with the PHY protocol data unit; 
   generating, at the AP, the PHY protocol data unit to include
 the PHY protocol preamble, and 
 a PHY protocol payload including a media access control layer (MAC) protocol header, the MAC protocol header including address information that specifies the one or more intended receivers of the PHY protocol data unit; and 
   causing the AP to transmit the PHY protocol data unit.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the address information that indicates the one or more intended receivers of the PHY protocol data unit is a partial association identifier (AID) that indicates a single client station. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, when the PHY protocol data unit is to be transmitted in a multi-user mode, the method comprises:
 setting, at the AP, a group identifier (ID) field in the PHY protocol header to a value that specifies a group of multiple client stations.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein, when the PHY protocol data unit is to be transmitted in a single user mode, the method further comprises:
 setting, at the AP, the group ID field to a value reserved for indicating the single user mode; and   setting, at the AP, a field in the PHY protocol header separate from the group ID field to a value that indicates a single client station.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the indicator is a single bit;   a first value of the single bit specifies that a client device that is not an intended receiver is not permitted to go into the power save mode of operation during the TXOP associated with the PHY protocol data unit; and   a second value of the single bit specifies that a client device that is not an intended receiver is permitted to go into the power save mode of operation during the TXOP associated with the PHY protocol data unit.   
     
     
         6 . An apparatus for use in a communication network having an access point (AP) and a plurality of client devices, the apparatus comprising:
 a network interface associated with the AP, the network interface having one or more integrated circuits configured to:
 generate a physical layer (PHY) protocol header of a PHY protocol data unit so that the PHY protocol header includes:
 address information that indicates one or more intended receivers of the PHY protocol data unit, and 
 an indicator that specifies whether a client device that is not an intended receiver is permitted to go into a power save mode of operation during a transmit opportunity period (TXOP) associated with the PHY protocol data unit; 
 
   wherein the one or more integrated circuits are further configured to:
 generate the PHY protocol data unit to include
 the PHY protocol preamble, and 
 a PHY protocol payload including a media access control layer (MAC) protocol header, the MAC protocol header including address information that specifies the one or more intended receivers of the PHY protocol data unit; and 
 
 cause the AP to transmit the PHY protocol data unit. 
   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the address information that indicates the one or more intended receivers of the PHY protocol data unit is a partial association identifier (AID) that indicates a single client station. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more integrated circuits are further configured to, when the PHY protocol data unit is to be transmitted in a multi-user mode:
 set a group identifier (ID) field in the PHY protocol header to a value that specifies a group of multiple client stations.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the one or more integrated circuits are further configured to, when the PHY protocol data unit is to be transmitted in a single user mode:
 set the group ID field to a value reserved for indicating the single user mode; and   set a separate field in the PHY protocol header to a value that indicates a single client station.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the indicator is a single bit;   a first value of the single bit specifies that a client device that is not an intended receiver is not permitted to go into the power save mode of operation during the TXOP associated with the PHY protocol data unit; and   a second value of the single bit specifies that a client device that is not an intended receiver is permitted to go into the power save mode of operation during the TXOP associated with the PHY protocol data unit.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the network interface device comprises:
 one or more transceivers.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 one or more antennas coupled to the one or more transceivers.   
     
     
         13 . A method in a communication network having an access point (AP) and a plurality of client devices, comprising:
 receiving, at a communication device, a physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit from the AP, the PHY protocol data unit having a PHY protocol header, wherein the PHY protocol header includes:
 address information that indicates one or more intended receivers of the PHY protocol data unit, and 
 an indicator that specifies whether a client device that is not an intended receiver is permitted to go into a power save mode of operation during a transmit opportunity period (TXOP) associated with the PHY protocol data unit; 
   analyzing, at the communication device, the address information in the PHY protocol header to determine whether the communication device is an intended receiver of the PHY protocol data unit;   in response to i) determining that the communication device is not an intended receiver of the PHY protocol data unit based on analyzing the address information in the PHY protocol header, and ii) determining, at the communication device, that the indicator in the PHY protocol header specifies that a client device that is not an intended receiver is permitted to go into the power save mode of operation during the TXOP associated with the PHY protocol data unit,
 entering, at the communication device, the power save mode of operation during the TXOP; and 
   in response to i) determining that the communication device is not an intended receiver of the PHY protocol data unit based on analyzing the address information in the PHY protocol header, and ii) determining, at the communication device, that the indicator in the PHY protocol header specifies that a client device that is not an intended receiver is not permitted to go into the power save mode of operation during the TXOP associated with the PHY protocol data unit,
 not entering, at the communication device, the power save mode of operation during the TXOP. 
   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein analyzing the address information in the PHY protocol header includes analyzing a partial association identifier (AID) in the PHY protocol header that indicates a single client station. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein analyzing the address information in the PHY protocol header includes:
 analyzing, at the communication device, a group identifier (ID) field in the PHY protocol header to determine whether a value of the group ID field specifies a group of multiple client stations to which the communication device belongs.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein, when the group ID field in the PHY protocol header is determined to be set to a value reserved for indicating a single user mode, analyzing the address information in the PHY protocol header includes:
 analyzing, at the communication device, a field in the PHY protocol header separate from the group ID field to determine whether the field in the PHY protocol header separate from the group ID field includes single user address information that corresponds to the communication device.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the indicator is a single bit;   the method comprises:
 in response to i) determining that the communication device is not an intended receiver of the PHY protocol data unit based on analyzing the address information in the PHY protocol header, and ii) determining, at the communication device, that the single bit is set to a first value that specifies that a client device that is not an intended receiver is permitted to go into the power save mode of operation during the TXOP associated with the PHY protocol data unit,
 entering, at the communication device, the power save mode of operation during the TXOP; and 
 
 in response to i) determining that the communication device is not an intended receiver of the PHY protocol data unit based on analyzing the address information in the PHY protocol header, and ii) determining, at the communication device, that the single bit is set to a second value that specifies that a client device that is not an intended receiver is not permitted to go into the power save mode of operation during the TXOP associated with the PHY protocol data unit,
 not entering, at the communication device, the power save mode of operation during the TXOP. 
 
   
     
     
         18 . An apparatus for use in a communication network having an access point (AP) and a plurality of client devices, comprising:
 a network interface device associated with a communication device, the network interface having one or more integrated circuits configured to:
 receive a physical layer (PHY) protocol data unit from the AP, the PHY protocol data unit having a PHY protocol header, wherein the PHY protocol header includes:
 address information that indicates one or more intended receivers of the PHY protocol data unit, and 
 an indicator that specifies whether a client device that is not an intended receiver is permitted to go into a power save mode of operation during a transmit opportunity period (TXOP) associated with the PHY protocol data unit; 
 
   wherein the one or more integrated circuits are further configured to:
 analyze the address information in the PHY protocol header to determine whether the communication device is an intended receiver of the PHY protocol data unit; 
 in response to i) determining that the communication device is not an intended receiver of the PHY protocol data unit based on analyzing the address information in the PHY protocol header, and ii) determining that the indicator in the PHY protocol header specifies that a client device that is not an intended receiver is permitted to go into the power save mode of operation during the TXOP associated with the PHY protocol data unit,
 enter the power save mode of operation during the TXOP; and 
 
   wherein the one or more integrated circuits are further configured to:
 in response to i) determining that the communication device is not an intended receiver of the PHY protocol data unit based on analyzing the address information in the PHY protocol header, and ii) determining that the indicator in the PHY protocol header specifies that a client device that is not an intended receiver is not permitted to go into the power save mode of operation during the TXOP associated with the PHY protocol data unit,
 not enter the power save mode of operation during the TXOP. 
 
   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more integrated circuits are configured to analyze a partial association identifier (AID) in the PHY protocol header that indicates a single client station. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more integrated circuits are configured to:
 analyze a group identifier (ID) field in the PHY protocol header to determine whether a value of the group ID field specifies a group of multiple client stations to which the communication device belongs.   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the one or more integrated circuits are configured to, when the group ID field in the PHY protocol header is determined to be set to a value reserved for indicating a single user mode:
 analyze a field in the PHY protocol header separate from the group ID field to determine whether the field in the PHY protocol header separate from the group ID field includes single user address information that corresponds to the communication device.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the indicator is a single bit;   the one or more integrated circuits are configured to:
 in response to i) determining that the communication device is not an intended receiver of the PHY protocol data unit based on analyzing the address information in the PHY protocol header, and ii) determining that the single bit is set to a first value that specifies that a client device that is not an intended receiver is permitted to go into the power save mode of operation during the TXOP associated with the PHY protocol data unit,
 enter the power save mode of operation during the TXOP; and 
 
   the one or more integrated circuits are configured to:
 in response to i) determining that the communication device is not an intended receiver of the PHY protocol data unit based on analyzing the address information in the PHY protocol header, and ii) determining that the single bit is set to a second value that specifies that a client device that is not an intended receiver is not permitted to go into the power save mode of operation during the TXOP associated with the PHY protocol data unit,
 not enter the power save mode of operation during the TXOP. 
 
   
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the network interface device comprises:
 one or more transceivers.   
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 one or more antennas coupled to the one or more transceivers.