Patent ID: 8553666

Claim:
A method for power management in peer-to-peer communications in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) having a plurality of wireless terminals that each include a transmitter and a receiver, the method comprising: transmitting, by one of the plurality of wireless terminals, a beacon interval in a frame cycle; and listening, by remaining ones of the plurality of wireless terminals, for the beacon frame, wherein the plurality of wireless terminals are configured to conserve battery life by selectively powering down either of their respective transmitters and receivers during select periods of time in the frame cycle, the select periods of time including: powering down the respective transmitter during the beacon interval; and powering down the respective receiver during a polled data period following a broadcast data period; and when the one of the plurality of wireless terminals is untethered to a power source, alternating mastering duties among the plurality of wireless terminals according to a round-robin mastering cycle.