Patent ID: 6665520
Filing Date: 2003-12-16
Classification: H04L,H04W,Y02D

Abstract:
A wireless network includinga plurality of stations, one of said stations being a control station for transmitting a permission indication to the remaining stations of the network, the remaining ones of said stations having an active state and an inactive state during which the remaining stations do not transmit or receive messages, the remaining stations further having a first power mode in which they are fully in the active state and a second power mode in which they enter the active state only at predetermined times and remain in the active state under specified conditions and are otherwise in the inactive state, the remaining stations including a controller arranged for causing the remaining stations to enter the second power mode only in response to the permission indication of the control station; the control station including a controller for managing communications to the remaining stations dependent on whether the remaining stations are in the first power mode or the second power mode.