Abstract: An interface circuit in an electronic device (such as an access point) may provide a wake-up beacon to a recipient electronic device. During operation, the interface circuit may provide a wake-up beacon associated with a predefined sub-channel in one or more channels in a band of frequencies, where the wake-up beacon is for a wake-up radio in the recipient electronic device. Moreover, the wake-up beacon may be provided within an associated time interval, such as a keep-alive interval of the electronic device. In some embodiments, the wake-up beacon includes a field with channel information that specifies one or more second channels used by a main radio in the recipient electronic device. Alternatively or additionally, the wake-up beacon may include a field with service information that specifies one or more types of services and/or a field with information specifying a transmit power of the interface circuit.

Abstract: An interface circuit in an electronic device (such as an access point) may provide a group wake-up packet to a group of recipient electronic devices in a set of recipient electronic devices. During operation, the interface circuit may select the group in the set of recipient electronic devices, where the group includes at least one of the recipient electronic devices. Then, the interface circuit may provide the group wake-up packet for the recipient electronic devices in the group with information that specifies that a subset of the recipient electronic devices in the group transition from a low-power mode. For example, the information may include a bitmap that specifies the subset and an identifier of the group. Note that the electronic device may dynamically define the group. Alternatively, the recipient electronic devices in the group may be static.

Abstract: In some embodiments, one or more wireless stations operate according to Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)—direct communication with neighboring wireless stations, e.g., direct communication between the wireless stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. In a NAN system, multiple NAN devices may operate in conjunction in the form of a NAN cluster to facilitate communications processes, and may be further organized into “NAN data clusters” within NAN clusters. NAN data clusters may use a common base channel to convey communications among member NAN devices. Embodiments herein provide mechanism by which a base channel may be determined, modified, and/or distributed among NAN devices operating in a NAN data cluster.

Abstract: An electronic device may coordinate access to a shared communication channel with one or more other electronic devices. After receiving frames from the one or more other electronic devices with information specifying back-off values associated with at least an access category for the one or more other electronic devices in a subsequent potential slot transmission opportunity, the electronic device may update a stored list of known occupied back-off values for the subsequent potential slot transmission opportunity. Then, the electronic device may select and may transmit to the one or more other electronic devices an available back-off value for the electronic device in the subsequent potential slot transmission opportunity that is not included in the stored list and that is associated with an access category. Next, during a slot corresponding to the selected back-off value, the electronic device may transmit a second frame to at least another electronic device.

Abstract: An access point transmits a trigger frame to a set of electronic devices in a wireless local area network (WLAN). The access point receives, from one or more electronic devices in a set of electronic devices, one or more requests to send data. In response, the access point transmits the trigger frame, which includes information specifying an ordered list of electronic devices in the set of electronic devices that are allowed to transmit. Subsequently, the access point sequentially receives one or more frames from the ordered list of electronic devices. After receiving a frame from the last electronic device in the ordered list of electronic devices or after an unused transmit opportunity of the last electronic device in the ordered list of electronic devices, the access point transmits a block acknowledgment to the ordered list of electronic devices.

Abstract: An access point transmits a trigger frame to a set of electronic devices in a wireless local area network (WLAN). In response to one or more requests to send data, the access point transmits the trigger frame, which includes information specifying an ordered list of electronic devices in the set of electronic devices that are allowed to transmit, and that groups the electronic devices in the ordered list of electronic devices into a first subset of the electronic devices and a second subset of the electronic devices. Subsequently, the access point sequentially receives one or more frames from the ordered list of electronic devices, where a first group of the frames received from at least some of the first subset of the electronic devices use single-user transmission and a second group of frames received from at least some of the second subset of the electronic devices use multi-user transmission.

Abstract: An access point may receive, from a set of electronic devices, one or more buffer status reports that indicate that at least a subset of the electronic devices have uplink data associated with one or more access categories. In response, the access point may create a group of uplink virtual queues for one or more electronic devices in the subset based on the one or more buffer status reports, where a given uplink virtual queue corresponds to a particular access category and a given electronic device. The access point may start one or more backoff counters with a one-to-one correspondence to uplink virtual queues in the group of uplink virtual queues. When a backoff counter for the given uplink virtual queue reaches zero, the access point may transmit a trigger frame to an electronic device in the subset that corresponds to the given uplink virtual queue.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to a system and method for improving a rate of success in receiving response packets, such as 802.11 Acknowledge (ACK), Block Acknowledge (BACK), and Clear-To-Send (CTS) packets. In one embodiment, a wireless device may transmit one or more first packets according to a wireless communication protocol, and may then receive a second packet. The wireless device may determine that the receiving follows the transmitting by a specific duration of time that is specified by the wireless communication protocol for a response packet to follow one or more communication packets to which it responds. Based at least in part on this determining, the wireless device may further determine that the second packet is a response packet responding to the one or more first packets, without decoding a portion of the second packet that identifies a packet type of the second packet.

Abstract: In some embodiments, one or more wireless stations operate according to Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN)—direct communication with neighboring wireless stations, e.g., direct communication between the wireless stations without utilizing an intermediate access point. In a NAN system, multiple NAN devices may operate in conjunction in the form of a NAN cluster to facilitate communications processes, and may be further organized into “NAN data clusters” within NAN clusters. NAN data clusters may use a common base channel to convey communications among member NAN devices. Embodiments herein provide mechanism by which a base channel may be determined, modified, and/or distributed among NAN devices operating in a NAN data cluster.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to a system and method for improving a rate of success in receiving response packets, such as 802.11 Acknowledge (ACK), Block Acknowledge (BACK), and Clear-To-Send (CTS) packets. In one embodiment, a wireless device may transmit one or more first packets according to a wireless communication protocol, and may then receive a second packet. The wireless device may determine that the receiving follows the transmitting by a specific duration of time that is specified by the wireless communication protocol for a response packet to follow one or more communication packets to which it responds. Based at least in part on this determining, the wireless device may further determine that the second packet is a response packet responding to the one or more first packets, without decoding a portion of the second packet that identifies a packet type of the second packet.

Abstract: In order to reduce the power consumption associated with waking and receiving beacons, a current listening device in a group of electronic devices wakes and scans for a beacon from another electronic device (such as an access point) using a wireless-local-area-network (WLAN) communication protocol (such as Wi-Fi®). Then, the current listening device transmits information associated with the beacon to the group of electronic devices using a second communication protocol (such as Bluetooth® Low Energy), which is different than the WLAN communication protocol and has a lower power consumption. Moreover, the current listening device receives, using the second communication protocol, a sequence of responses from the group of electronic devices indicating that the information was received, wherein the responses from different electronic devices are received at different times. For example, the responses may be received in a predefined order and/or in round-robin fashion for the group of electronic devices.

Abstract: Systems and methods for channel scanning for multirole device are disclosed. One implementation relates to a method for servicing functions by a multirole device. The method comprises dividing a channel scan over a plurality of channels into a plurality of channel scan time periods, and repeatedly time division multiplexing a time period for the servicing of one of a station (STA) function and an access point (AP) function, a time period for the servicing of the other of the STA function and the AP function, and a channel scan time period for each of the plurality of channel scan time periods.

Abstract: Systems and methods for channel scanning for multirole device are disclosed. One implementation relates to a method for servicing functions by a multirole device. The method comprises dividing a channel scan over a plurality of channels into a plurality of channel scan time periods, and repeatedly time division multiplexing a time period for the servicing of one of a station (STA) function and an access point (AP) function, a time period for the servicing of the other of the STA function and the AP function, and a channel scan time period for each of the plurality of channel scan time periods.

Abstract: A sleep protocol is provided for controlling sleep mode in a device having a receive port and a transmit port. A location is established in a map of locations in the device as a sleep/wake control location. When the device receives a command to store a sleep value in the sleep/wake control location, this indicates there is no pending traffic for the receive port. When the device also determines that there is no pending traffic on the transmit port, then the device may enter a low power sleep mode. When the device receives a command to store a wake value in the sleep/wake control location to indicate pending traffic for the receive port, it awakens from sleep mode and responds to the wake command with a reply command to indicate the receive port is ready to receive the pending traffic.

Abstract: A novel and useful apparatus for and method of handling traffic congestion during power save mode in client/server systems such as wireless local area networks (WLANs). A reduction in response time is achieved by minimizing communications between the host and the MAC processing entities in client devices. The host sends shortened descriptors to the MAC rather than complete frames. Only a limited number of frames for each client queue are stored on the MAC. A transfer bitmap is used to track the frames to be transferred from the host to the MAC. Transmitter pre-processing is performed on the frames pulled from the host. A transmit bitmap is used to track frames that have been processed and awaiting transmission to a client. Frames that are ready are then sent out from queues for clients that are active and have an ongoing service period.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method by which a new Bluetooth piconet is established amongst participants of an old Bluetooth piconet whose master has disappeared. After determining that the master has disappeared, one of the slaves is selected to take the function of the master and reestablishes communications at the Baseband layer by contacting each of the other participants. Further, the present invention discloses a method and an associated device for realizing point-to-multipoint communications using a Bluetooth piconet by using an application adaptation layer and a local addressing list. Also, the present invention discloses a method by which point-to-multipoint communications by an application using a Bluetooth piconet is reestablished amongst participants of an old Bluetooth piconet whose master has disappeared.