Patent ID: 8159977
Filing Date: 2012-04-17
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of power management for a network, comprising: associating a plurality of stations with a multicast group, wherein the plurality of stations associated with the multicast group comprises a first station with a first power save interval and a second station with a second power save interval that is independent from the first power save interval, wherein the first and second stations wakeup at unscheduled times; maintaining a plurality of separate timers corresponding to the plurality of stations, each timer of the plurality of timers corresponding to the power save interval of a one of the plurality of stations; individually monitoring the plurality of timers for the plurality of stations associated with the multicast group; receiving an inbound frame from the first station associated with the multicast group; resetting the timer corresponding to the first station responsive to receiving the inbound frame; receiving a frame for the multicast group; waiting in accordance with the monitoring of the plurality of timers until all of the plurality of times have expired, indicating that all of the plurality of stations associated with the multicast group are in an active mode, wherein the first and second timers expire at different times; and transmitting the frame to the multicast group responsive to determining that all of the plurality of stations associated with the multicast group are in the active mode.