The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 16, 2003
Filed:
Aug. 23, 2001
Christopher Gwyn Romans, North Somerset, GB;
Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.C., Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
In a wireless network containing battery powered stations, one station is designated as a control point (CP). Each of the remaining stations has two operating modes: an active mode in which it receives and transmits messages, and an inactive or sleep mode which incurs reduced power consumption. The Control Point periodically transmits a beacon signal, and each station switches to its active mode to receive at least some of these beacon signals. A beacon signal may indicate that data is available for transmission to a particular station (from another station), in which case that particular station then broadcasts a message to indicate that it is awake and can receive messages. A beacon signal also indicates whether a broadcast period is in progress, and time to elapse until a next possible broadcast period will commence; if the Control Point has previously received and stored any broadcast messages it will re-broadcast them during the next following broadcast period and the remaining stations will react by remaining in active mode for the duration of that period.