Method and apparatus for managing power in network interface modules
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Abstract
A method and system for managing power consumption in a portable computing device having a network interface module is presented. A power management module receives inputs from other modules and determines when the network interface module is to be put in a doze state for a predetermined number of beacon intervals to conserve power consumption in the network interface module. The network interface module in a device that is associated with a network is put in the doze state after an event has occurred including when a scan has been performed, after a delayed sleep timer has expired, and after a beacon transmission has been completed and no traffic is buffered for the device. The delayed sleep time is set based on the estimated round trip time of a packet.
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Citations
70 Claims
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1-44. -44. (canceled)
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45. A method to send packets in a device having a network interface module operating in a power saving mode, the method comprising the steps of:
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sending a packet to an access point;
setting a delay sleep timer to time out after a delay sleep time;
sending a message to the access point after the delay sleep timer has timed out to indicate the network interface module is entering a doze state in which a transmit and/or receive component of the network interface module is powered down; and
setting the network interface module to the doze state in response to the delayed sleep timer timing out. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 60)
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54-59. -59. (canceled)
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61. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for, when executed, controlling a wireless network-enabled computing device to perform steps comprising:
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sending a packet to an access point;
setting a delay sleep timer to time out after a delay sleep time;
sending a message to the access point after the delay sleep timer has timed out to indicate the network interface module is entering a doze state in which a transmit and/or receive component of the network interface module is powered down; and
setting the network interface module to the doze state in response to the delayed sleep timer timing out. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 70)
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66. A network interface module for a wireless network-enabled computing device, the module comprising:
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a transmit circuit adapted to send a packet to an second network enabled device with which the network enabled device is communicating;
a power management module having a delay sleep time, the power management module being adapted to;
set the delay sleep timer to time out a delay sleep time after the packet is sent;
send a message to the access point after the delay sleep timer has timed out, the message indicating that the network interface module is entering a doze state in which a transmit and/or receive component of the network interface module is powered down; and
set the network interface module to the doze state in response to the delay sleep timer timing out. - View Dependent Claims (67, 68, 69)
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Specification