Methods and arrangements for short beacon frames in wireless networks

Abstract

Embodiments provide a new short beacon frame format and its operation with full beacon frame transmissions for wireless communications devices. Many embodiments comprise a medium access control (MAC) sublayer logic to build frames comprising the short beacon frame for a first communications device. In some embodiments, the MAC sublayer may determine a frame control field comprising a type field indicative of an extension frame and a subtype indicative of a short beacon. In further embodiments, the frame control field may comprise a service set identifier (SSID) control field, and a reserved field. Some embodiments may store the short beacon frame or frame format in memory, in logic, or in another manner that facilitates transmission of the short beacon frames. Some embodiments may receive and detect communications with the short beacon frames. Further embodiments may generate and transmit a communication with the short beacon frames.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a memory;   a processor coupled with the memory to:
 receive a frame comprising a type field with a type value and a subtype field with a subtype value, wherein the frame comprises a service set identifier (SSID) field and a timestamp field, wherein the SSID field comprises a value for an SSID and the timestamp comprises a value of the timing synchronization function (TSF) timer; 
 determine the type value of the type field, wherein the type value has two bits and indicates that the type is an extension frame; 
 determine the subtype value for the subtype field, wherein the subtype value has four bits and indicates that the subtype of the extension frame is a beacon; 
 determine the value of the SSID from the SSID field of a communication device, the value comprising a hash of an SSID of the communication device; and 
 determine the value of the TSF timer of the communication device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a radio frequency (RF) circuitry coupled with the processor and coupled with one or more antennas to receive the frame. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , the RF circuitry to receive a physical layer data unit (PPDU) with the frame via a transmission with a 1 MHz (megahertz) channel bandwidth. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the type value of the type field is two logical one bits, “11”. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the subtype value is three logical zero bits followed by a logical one bit, “0001”. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the frame further comprises a field to indicate capabilities of the communications device. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the frame further comprises a source address field to indicate an address of the communications device. 
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 decoding, by a processor from a communication device, a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) with a medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (MPDU);   identifying, by the processor, a frame of the MPDU, the frame comprising a type field with a type value and a subtype field with a subtype value, wherein the frame comprises a service set identifier (SSID) field and a timestamp field, wherein the SSID field comprises a value for an SSID and the timestamp comprises a value of the timing synchronization function (TSF) timer;
 determining the type value of the type field, wherein the type value has two bits and indicates that the type is an extension frame; 
 determining the subtype value for the subtype field, wherein the subtype value has four bits and indicates that the subtype of the extension frame is a beacon; 
 determining the value of the SSID from the SSID field of a communication device, the value comprising a hash of an SSID of the communication device; and 
 determining the value of the TSF timer of the communication device. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein decoding the PPDU comprises receiving the PPDU via a transmission with a 1 MHz (megahertz) channel bandwidth. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the frame further comprises a field to indicate capabilities of the communications device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the type value of the type field is two logical one bits, “11”. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the subtype value is three logical zero bits followed by a logical one bit, “0001”. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the frame further comprises a source address field to indicate an address of the communications device. 
     
     
         14 . A machine-accessible product comprising:
 a non-transitory-medium containing instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, wherein the operations comprise:   identifying, by the processor, the frame comprising a type field with a type value and a subtype field with a subtype value, wherein the frame comprises a service set identifier (SSID) field and a timestamp field, wherein the SSID field comprises a value for an SSID and the timestamp comprises a value of the timing synchronization function (TSF) timer;   determining the type value of the type field, wherein the type value has two bits and indicates that the type is an extension frame;   determining the subtype value for the subtype field, wherein the subtype value has four bits and indicates that the subtype of the extension frame is a beacon;   determining the value of the SSID from the SSID field of a communication device, the value comprising a hash of an SSID of the communication device; and   determining the value of the TSF timer of the communication device.   
     
     
         15 . The machine accessible product of  claim 14 , wherein determining the type value comprises determining that the type value of the type field is two logical one bits, “11”. 
     
     
         16 . The machine accessible product of  claim 14 , wherein determining the value of the subtype field comprises determining that the subtype value is three logical zero bits followed by a logical one bit, “0001”. 
     
     
         17 . The machine accessible product of  claim 14 , further comprising receiving, by radio frequency (RF) circuitry, a physical layer data unit (PPDU) comprising the frame via a transmission with a 1 MHz (megahertz) channel bandwidth. 
     
     
         18 . The machine accessible product of  claim 17 , further comprising decoding, by the processor, the PPDU to determine a medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (MPDU), the MPDU comprising the frame. 
     
     
         19 . The machine accessible product of  claim 14 , wherein the frame further comprises a field to indicate capabilities of the communications device. 
     
     
         20 . The machine accessible product of  claim 14 , wherein the frame further comprises a source address field to indicate an address of the communications device.