Communication terminal, power save processing method to be performed by the communication terminal, program for executing the method, and recording medium containing the program

• US 20050107134A1
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Arase, Yoshita, Morioka, Masaaki, Fuke, Tetsuya, Tachibana, Wataru
• Granted Patent: US 7,006,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

There is provided a power save processing method to be performed by a communication terminal capable of con-currently establishing communication links with a plurality of slave communication terminals, which reduces the transition time and provides an increased power save operation time. When a power save operation is performed at a plurality of slave communication terminals having asynchronous communication links established with the master communication terminal, the master communication terminal sets a communication start time and a communication duration for each communication link such that the communication slots used for the communication links are huddled together so as to span one continuous range, assuming that the communication links all have the same communication cycle. In accordance with the parameters thus set, the master communication terminal negotiates with the plurality of slave communication terminals. Then, the master communication terminal itself performs a power save operation during the continuous period corresponding to unused slots which has been obtained through the above adjustments.

Claims

1. A communication terminal capable of concurrently establishing communication links with a plurality of slave communication terminals, comprising:

a storage section operable to store, with respect to each slave communication terminal having a communication link established thereto;

a communication cycle for the communication link, a communication slot to be used by the communication link, and information concerning whether the communication link is in a predetermined power save mode for performing a predetermined power save operation;

an input section operable to receive a request, directed to one or more of the plurality of slave communication terminals having a communication link established thereto, to cause the one or more slave communication terminals to transition to the power save mode;

an adjustment section operable to adjust the communication slots used by the communication links to all slave communication terminals to which the request is directed so that the communication slots together span a continuous range, the adjustment being made by referring to a content stored in the storage section each time the input section receives the request;

a control section operable to, in accordance with the communication slots having been adjusted by the adjustment section, cause each slave communication terminal to transition to the power save mode, and storing information indicating that the slave communication terminal is in the power save mode to the storage section; and

an execution section operable to, after all of the slave communication terminals having communication links established thereto have transitioned to the power save mode, place the communication terminal itself in a power save state during unused slots.

2. The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein,

a permissible communication cycle range for a communication link to be established is defined for each slave communication terminal, and

if there is an overlap among the permissible communication cycle ranges of all slave communication terminals to which the request is directed, the adjustment section adjusts the communication cycle of each communication link with all such slave communication terminals so as to be a communication cycle within the overlap.

3. The communication terminal according to claim 2, wherein the adjustment section adjusts the communication cycle of each communication link to be a maximum value within the overlap.

4. The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein,

a permissible communication cycle range for a communication link to be established is defined for each slave communication terminal, and

if there is no overlap among the permissible communication cycle ranges of all slave communication terminals to which the request is directed, the adjustment section adjusts the communication cycle of each communication link with all such slave communication terminals so as to satisfy the permissible communication cycle range of each slave communication terminal and to be a multiple of an arbitrary reference communication cycle, such that the communication slots to be used by the communication links together span one continuous range at multiples of the reference communication cycle.

5. The communication terminal according to claim 1,

wherein the unused slots during which the communication terminal is placed in a power save state by the execution section are slots which fall outside of communicating periods with any of the plurality of slave communication terminals and outside of a predetermined period required to perform a preparatory operation for establishing a new communication link with a communication terminal to which no communication link is currently established.

6. The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein,

the communication links with the plurality of slave communication terminals are to be established according to the Bluetooth™

specification, and

the power save mode of each slave communication terminal is at least one of a hold mode and a sniff mode defined according to the Bluetooth™

specification.

7. The communication terminal according to claim 6, wherein,

at least one of the hold mode and the sniff mode is combined with a park mode defined according to the Bluetooth™

specification, and

the adjustment section adjusts the communication cycles and communication slots of the relevant communication links so that a hold duration defined under the hold mode and/or a sniff communication time defined under the sniff mode fit within a period during which a master communication terminal does not perform transmission as defined under the park mode and/or a period which begins after broadcast communications are completed and lasts until access windows begin.

8. The communication terminal according to claim 6,

wherein the unused slots during which the communication terminal is placed in a power save state by the execution section are slots which fall outside of communicating periods with any of the plurality of slave communication terminals and outside of a predetermined period required to periodically perform a detection (Inquiry) operation, a detection scan (Inquiry Scan) operation, and a connection scan (Page Scan) operation.

9. A power save processing method to be performed by a communication terminal capable of concurrently establishing communication links with a plurality of slave communication terminals, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request, directed to one or more of the plurality of slave communication terminals having a communication link established thereto, to cause the one or more slave communication terminals to transition to a predetermined power save mode for performing a predetermined power save operation;

each time the input section receives the request, adjusting the communication slots used by the communication links to all slave communication terminals to which the request is directed so that the communication slots together span a continuous range;

in accordance with the communication slots having been adjusted, causing each slave communication terminal to transition to the power save mode; and

after all of the slave communication terminals having communication links established thereto have transitioned to the power save mode, placing the communication terminal itself in a power save state during unused slots.

10. A program to be executed by a communication terminal capable of concurrently establishing communication links with a plurality of slave communication terminals, comprising the steps, performed by the communication terminal, of:

receiving a request, directed to one or more of the plurality of slave communication terminals having a communication link established thereto, to cause the one or more slave communication terminals to transition to a predetermined power save mode for performing a predetermined power save operation;

each time the input section receives the request, adjusting the communication slots used by the communication links to all slave communication terminals to which the request is directed so that the communication slots together span a continuous range;

in accordance with the communication slots having been adjusted, causing each slave communication terminal to transition to the power save mode; and

after all of the slave communication terminals having communication links established thereto have transitioned to the power save mode, placing the communication terminal itself in a power save state during unused slots.

11. A computer-readable recording having recorded thereon a program to be executed by a communication terminal capable of concurrently establishing communication links with a plurality of slave communication terminals, comprising the steps, performed by the communication terminal, of:

receiving a request, directed to one or more of the plurality of slave communication terminals having a communication link established thereto, to cause the one or more slave communication terminals to transition to a predetermined power save mode for performing a predetermined power save operation;

each time the input section receives the request, adjusting the communication slots used by the communication links to all slave communication terminals to which the request is directed so that the communication slots together span a continuous range;

in accordance with the communication slots having been adjusted, causing each slave communication terminal to transition to the power save mode; and

after all of the slave communication terminals having communication links established thereto have transitioned to the power save mode, placing the communication terminal itself in a power save state during unused slots.