METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SELECTING A COMMUNICATION MODE BASED ON ENGERY SOURCES IN A HYBRID POWER SUPPLY

• US 20080318535A1
• Filed: 06/20/2007
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Witte, Robert S., Black, Greg R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/127.5
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus that transmits data transmission in a wireless communication device having a power supply that includes a plurality of power sources is disclosed. The method may include determining an amount of data to be transferred, determining at least one available communication mode, determining a power state of the power supply including an available amount of energy at a corresponding amount of at least one of power and current, selecting at least one communication mode based on the power state of the power supply and the amount of data to be transferred, and transferring the data using the selected at least one communication modes.

Claims

1. A method for data transmission in a wireless communication device, the wireless communication device having a power supply that includes a plurality of power sources, comprising:

determining an amount of data to be transferred;

determining at least one available communication mode;

determining a power state of the power supply including an available amount of energy at a corresponding amount of at least one of power and current;

selecting at least one communication mode based on the power state of the power supply and the amount of data to be transferred; and

transferring the data using the selected at least one communication modes.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether power state of the power supply is below a threshold, wherein if the power state of the power supply is below a threshold, only a first amount of data to transfer which is less than a total amount of data to be transferred is transferred using a first communication mode and a remainder of the amount of data to transfer is transferred using at least one other communication mode;

otherwise the total amount of data is transferred using the selected at least one communication modes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of power sources are at least two of a battery, a super capacitor, and one or more fuel cells.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a communication mode is selected from a plurality of available communication modes, the selected communication mode having energy drain less than the available energy and at least one of power drain and current drain less than the corresponding at least one of power drain and current drain from a single source.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the selected at least one of communication mode is further selected to minimize at least one of time and energy dissipation, to transfer the total amount of data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a first amount of data to transfer is selected such that the energy drain is less than the available energy and at least one of power drain and current drain is less than the corresponding at least one of power and current from a single source.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the selected at least one of communication mode and first amount of data to transfer is further selected to minimize at least one of time and energy dissipation, to transfer the total amount of data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the power state is determined by at least one of measured voltage and coulomb counting.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device may be a portable MP3 player, a satellite radio receiver, an AM/FM radio receiver, a satellite television, a portable music player, a portable laptop, a portable computer, a wireless radio, a wireless telephone, a portable digital video recorder, a cellular telephone, a mobile telephone, or a personal digital assistant.

10. A method for data transmission in a wireless communication device, the wireless communication device having a power supply that includes a plurality of power sources, comprising:

determining a total amount of data to be transferred;

determining a power state of the power supply, including an available amount of energy at a corresponding amount of at least one of power and current; and

transferring the data, wherein if the power state of the power supply is below a threshold, only a first amount of data to transfer which is less than the total amount of data to be transferred is transferred and a remainder of the amount of data to transfer is transferred after at least one delay.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of power sources are at least two of a battery, a super capacitor, and one or more fuel cells.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein a communication mode is selected from a plurality of available communication modes, the selected communication mode having energy drain less than the available energy and at least one of power drain and current drain less than the corresponding at least one of power drain and current drain from a single source.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the selected at least one of communication mode is further selected to minimize at least one of time and energy dissipation, to transfer the total amount of data.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein a first amount of data to transfer is selected such that the energy drain is less than the available energy and at least one of power drain and current drain is less than the corresponding at least one of power and current from a single source.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first amount of data to transfer is further selected to minimize at least one of time and energy dissipation, to transfer the total amount of data.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the power state is determined by at least one of measured voltage and coulomb counting.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the wireless communication device may be a portable MP3 player, a satellite radio receiver, an AM/FM radio receiver, a satellite television, a portable music player, a portable laptop, a portable computer, a wireless radio, a wireless telephone, a portable digital video recorder, a cellular telephone, a mobile telephone, or a personal digital assistant.

18. An apparatus for supplying power to a wireless communication device, comprising:

a power supply that includes a plurality of power sources; and

a power supply controller that determines a total amount of data to be transferred, determines an at least one available communication mode, determines a power state of the power supply, including an available amount of energy at a corresponding amount of at least one of power and current, selects at least one communication mode based on the power state of the power supply and the amount of data to be transferred, and transfers the data using the selected at least one communication modes.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the power supply controller determines whether power state of the power supply is below a threshold, wherein if the power state of the power supply is below a threshold, only a first amount of data to transfer which is less than a total amount of data to be transferred is transferred using a first communication mode and a remainder of the amount of data to transfer is transferred using at least one other communication mode;

otherwise the total amount of data is transferred using the selected at least one communication modes.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the plurality of power sources are at least two of a battery, a super capacitor, and one or more fuel cells.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the power supply controller selects the communication mode from among a plurality of available communication modes, the selected communication mode having energy drain less than the available energy and at least one of power drain and current drain less than the corresponding at least one of power and current from a single source.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the selected at least one of communication mode is further selected to minimize at least one of time and energy dissipation, to transfer the total amount of data.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the power supply controller at least one of communication mode such that the energy drain is less than the available energy and at least one of power drain and current drain is less than the corresponding at least one of power and current from a single source.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the selected at least one of communication mode is further selected to minimize at least one of time and energy dissipation, to transfer the total amount of data.