Patent ID: 8355380

Claim:
A method for conserving power in a mesh point, the method comprising: in response to the mesh point participating in mesh activity while operating in an awake mode, continuing to operate the mesh point in the awake mode for a first awake time period; in response to the first awake time period expiring without the mesh point participating in the mesh activity, (1) setting an inactivity timer to a first sleep time value at a start of a first sleep time period, an expiration of the inactivity timer after a period corresponding to the first sleep time value indicating the end of the first sleep time period, and (2) operating the mesh point in a low power mode for the first sleep time period; in response to the first sleep time period expiring, operating the mesh point in the awake mode for a second awake time period to detect additional mesh activity; and in response to the second awake time period expiring without detecting the additional mesh activity, operating the mesh point in the low power mode for a second sleep time period, wherein each of the first awake time period, the second awake time period, the first sleep time period, and the second sleep time period is variable based on a type of the mesh activity currently detected, wherein the first awake time period and the second awake time period are controlled by setting at least one activity timer to a first awake time value and a second awake time value, respectively; and the first sleep time period and the second sleep time period are controlled by setting at least one inactivity timer to a first sleep time value and a second sleep time value, respectively, and wherein each of the first awake time value, the second awake time value, the first sleep time value, and the second sleep time value is stored in the mesh point and not received in beacons and probe responses from other mesh points, such that no synchronization between mesh points of a mesh network is required for power management.