Power Management Method and Communication System

• US 20100039971A1
• Filed: 08/15/2008
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science And Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science And Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Yun Kau, Lor, Kar-Wing Edward
• Application Number:
  US12/192,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20100039971A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Keep-alive transactions between a device and a wireless network service are handled by the network interface of the device without precipitation of the device processor. The device processor may be placed in a power save mode and the connection between the device and the wireless network service maintained without waking the device processor to handle keep-alive transactions.

Claims

1. A power management method for a mobile wireless device having an device processor with a power save mode and a radio module for accessing a wireless network, the method comprising when accessing a wireless network placing the device processor in the power save mode and while the processor is in the power save mode processing network access keep-alive transactions in the radio module.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the network access keep-alive transactions comprises one or more of transaction for maintaining access to a wireless network and/or keeping open a port in a firewall.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein processing keep-alive transactions requests in the radio module comprises processing in hardware of the radio module.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein processing keep-alive transactions requests in the radio module comprises processing in software using an embedded processor of the radio module.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein processing keep-alive transactions requests in the radio module comprises packet filtering of packets received by the radio module.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein packet filtering comprises checking packets within the radio module and if the packet matches established criteria then not passing the packet to the device processor and sending a keep-alive packet from the radio module without waking the device processor.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein processing keep-alive transactions requests in the radio module comprises sending a keep-alive packet from the radio module at an established interval without waking the device processor.

9. The radio of claim 7 wherein the keep-alive module is a hardware module.

10. The radio of claim 7 wherein the keep-alive module is a software module.

11. The radio of claim 7 wherein the keep-alive module comprises a packet filter for filtering packets received by the radio.

13. The communication system of claim 11 wherein the device communication interface comprises a keep-alive module for processing the keep-alive transactions between the device and the host, the keep-alive module adapted to responding to a first keep-alive transaction initiated by the host and to initiate a second keep-alive transaction at an established interval.

15. The communication system of claim 11 wherein the keep-alive module comprises hardware for processing the keep-alive transactions.

16. The communication system of claim 11 wherein the keep-alive module comprises software for processing the keep-alive transactions in an embedded processor of device communication interface.

8. A radio for a mobile wireless device having a device processor, the radio comprising:

a transmitter and receiver,

an embedded processor for processing of data received or to be sent, and

a keep-alive module for processing keep-alive transactions in the radio when the device processor is in a power save mode.

12. A communication system for maintaining a connection state between a device having a device processor and a wireless access service, the communication system comprising a device communication interface for providing a device with means to communicate with a wireless access service, wherein keep-alive transactions between the device and the wireless access service are handled in the device communication interface without participation of the device processor.

14. The communication system of claim 12 wherein responding to a first keep-alive transaction initiated by the host comprises packet filtering of packets received by the device communication interface.

17. A power management method for a device having an device processor with a power save mode and a network adapter for accessing a network, the method comprising when accessing a network placing the device processor in the power save mode and while the processor is in the power save mode processing network access keep-alive transactions in the network adapter.