System and method for low power radio operation in a wireless packet network

• US 20070248071A1
• Filed: 04/25/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Arch Rock
• Inventors: Culler, David, Hui, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 7,515,556 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/345
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method allows devices to send and receive packets while using power to do so to the extent needed, thereby conserving power.

Claims

1. A method of receiving at least one data packet, the method comprising:

(A) providing a signal for causing a radio to draw power, for a first amount of time, at a first level, below a level which is used to receive at least one data packet, the first level being greater or equal to zero;

(B) at the end of the period, causing the radio to draw power at a second level, higher than the first level;

(C) causing the radio to attempt to receive a set of data following the end of the period;

(D) determining whether the set of data corresponds to a first packet type; and

(E) responsive to the set of data corresponding to the first packet type, identifying an amount of time, responsive to the set of data, and providing a signal for causing the radio to draw power, during the amount of time, at a level below that which is used to receive at least one data packet; and

(F) after the amount of time passes, causing the radio to receive the at least one data packet.

2. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising, following step (B) and before step (C):

(B1) providing a signal for causing the radio to determine a level corresponding to energy being received by the radio on at least one frequency; and

(B2) determining whether the level exceeds a threshold; and

wherein step (C) is responsive to the level exceeding the threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, additionally comprising causing the radio to at least attempt to broadcast an additional at least one data packet substantially immediately after the at least one data packet is received by the radio.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein step (D) comprises checking the set of data for a pattern.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a description of the amount of time is contained in the set of data.

6. The method of claim 2, additionally comprising responsive to the level not exceeding the threshold, continuing the method at step (A).

7. A method of broadcasting at least one data packet, the method comprising:

wirelessly broadcasting a series of a plurality of packets, each of the packets in the plurality comprising an amount of time before the at least one data packet is broadcast relative to said broadcast of said packet in the plurality; and

wirelessly broadcasting the at least one data packet at a time corresponding to the amount of time in each of the packets in the plurality.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the packets in the plurality additionally comprises a same pattern.

9. A system for receiving at least one data packet, the system comprising:

a sleep manager having a first output coupled to an input of a radio, the sleep manager for;

providing at the sleep manager output a first signal for causing the radio to draw power, for a first amount of time, at a first level below a level which is used to receive at least one data packet; and

providing a signal at a sleep manager second output substantially at the end of the first amount of time; and

wherein radio is coupled to the sleep manager second output, and attempts to receive a set of data, at least in part responsive to the signal at the sleep manager second output; and

the system additionally comprising

a chirp packet delimiter manager having an input coupled to the radio input/output for receiving the set of data, the chirp packet delimiter manager for determining whether the set of data corresponds to a first packet type, and responsive to the set of data corresponding to the first packet type, identifying a second amount of time, responsive to the set of data, and for providing the second amount of time at a chirp packet delimiter manager output coupled to a sleep manager input; and

wherein the sleep manager is additionally for, responsive to the second amount of time received at the sleep manager input, providing at the sleep manager output a first signal for causing the radio to draw power, for a duration responsive to the second amount of time received at the sleep manager input, at the first level below that which is used to receive at least one data packet, and at the end of the duration, providing at the sleep manager output a signal for causing the radio to receive the at least one data packet.

10. The system of claim 9, additionally comprising an energy identification manager having an input/output coupled to the radio, and an input coupled to the sleep manager output for receiving the second signal, the energy identification manager for:

responsive to the second signal, providing a signal via the energy identification manager input/output coupled to an input/output of the radio, for causing the radio draw power at a second level, higher than the first level, and to determine a level corresponding to energy being received by the radio at least one frequency and to provide an indication of the level at the radio input/output;

receiving via the energy identification manager input/output the indication of the level from the radio;

determining whether the level exceeds a threshold and;

responsive to the level exceeding the threshold, providing a signal, via the energy identification manager input/output, for causing the radio to receive and provide at the radio input/output a set of data; and

wherein the radio is coupled to the sleep manager second output via the energy identification manager input/output, and the radio attempts to receive the set of data responsive to the signal provided at the energy identification manager input/output.

11. The system of claim 10, additionally comprising:

a packet receiver having an input coupled to the radio for receiving the at least one data packet, and for signaling at an output responsive to receipt of said at least one data packet; and

a piggyback manager having an input coupled to the packet receiver output for receiving the signal, the piggyback manager for, responsive to the signal received at the piggyback manager input, causing the radio to at least attempt to broadcast an additional at least one data packet substantially immediately after the at least one data packet is received by the radio.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the chirp packet delimiter manager determines whether the set of data corresponds to a first packet type by checking the set of data for a pattern.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein a description of the second amount of time is contained in the set of data.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the energy identification manager additionally comprises an output coupled to a sleep manager input;

the energy identification manager provides an alternate signal at the energy identification manager output responsive to the level not exceeding the threshold; and

the sleep manager is additionally for;

providing at the sleep manager output a second signal for causing the radio to draw power, for a third amount of time, substantially equal to the first amount of time, at the first level; and

providing a signal at a sleep manager second output substantially at the end of the third amount of time.

17. A system for broadcasting at least one data packet, the system comprising:

a chirp manager for providing at an output for broadcast by a radio, a series of a plurality of packets, each of the packets in the plurality comprising an amount of time before the at least one data packet is broadcast relative to said broadcast of said packet in the plurality;

a packet transmission manager for providing at an output coupled to the chirp manager output for broadcast by the radio, at least one data packet for broadcast at a time corresponding to the amount of time in each of the packets in the plurality.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein each of the packets in the plurality additionally comprises a same pattern.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for receiving at least one data packet, the computer program product comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer system to:

(A) provide a signal for causing a radio to draw power, for a first amount of time, at a first level, below a level which is used to receive at least one data packet, the first level being greater or equal to zero;

(B) at the end of the period, cause the radio to draw power at a second level, higher than the first level;

(C) cause the radio to attempt to receive a set of data following the end of the period;

(D) determine whether the set of data corresponds to a first packet type; and

(E) responsive to the set of data corresponding to the first packet type, identify an amount of time, responsive to the set of data, and providing a signal for causing the radio to draw power, during the amount of time, at a level below that which is used to receive at least one data packet; and

(F) after the amount of time passes, cause the radio to receive the at least one data packet.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, additionally comprising, computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to, following operation of computer program code devices (B) and before operation of computer program code devices (C):

(B1) provide a signal for causing the radio to determine a level corresponding to energy being received by the radio on at least one frequency; and

(B2) determine whether the level exceeds a threshold; and

wherein computer program code devices (C) are responsive to the level exceeding the threshold.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to cause the radio to at least attempt to broadcast an additional at least one data packet substantially immediately after the at least one data packet is received by the radio.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the computer program code devices D comprise computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to check the set of data for a pattern.

23. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein a description of the amount of time is contained in the set of data.

24. The computer program product of claim 20, additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to, responsive to the level not exceeding the threshold, executing the computer program code devices (A).

25. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for broadcasting at least one data packet, the computer program product comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer system to:

wirelessly broadcast a series of a plurality of packets, each of the packets in the plurality comprising an amount of time before the at least one data packet is broadcast relative to said broadcast of said packet in the plurality; and

wirelessly broadcast the at least one data packet at a time corresponding to the amount of time in each of the packets in the plurality.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein each of the packets in the plurality additionally comprises a same pattern.