METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ADAPTIVE POWER SAVING IN A MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICE

• US 20100304794A1
• Filed: 06/01/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kasten, Welly, Hendin, Neil, Ngo, William, Beninghaus, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,185,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A mobile computing device is described that includes one or more wireless transceivers, a data traffic monitor module operative to monitor one or more wireless communications parameters, and a power management module operative to select a power mode for the mobile computing device based on the one or more wireless communications parameters. In various embodiments, the power mode comprises an extended power save mode wherein the one or more wireless transceivers are disabled during a plurality of consecutive wireless beacon events. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device, comprising:

one or more wireless transceivers;

a data traffic monitor module operative to monitor one or more wireless communications parameters; and

a power management module operative to select a power mode for the mobile computing device based on the one or more wireless communications parameters, wherein the power mode comprises an extended power save mode wherein the one or more wireless transceivers are disabled during a plurality of consecutive wireless beacon events.

2. The mobile computing device of claim 1, further comprising a communications processor to periodically transmit an address resolution protocol (ARP) response to one or more wireless access points or other network devices to maintain a wireless connection between the mobile computing device and the one or more wireless access points or other network devices when the mobile computing device is in the extended power save mode.

3. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the power mode comprises a power save mode wherein the one or more wireless transceivers are disabled between each wireless beacon event.

4. The mobile computing device of claim 3, further comprising:

a timing module operative to detect periods of wireless inactivity, wherein the power save mode is selected after a first time interval and the extended power save mode is selected after a second time interval and wherein the second time interval is longer than the first time interval.

5. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the extended power save mode comprises disabling the one or more wireless transceivers for four consecutive wireless beacon events.

6. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the extended power save mode is optionally suspended when the mobile computing device is coupled to an external power supply.

7. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the power mode is selected to match a throughput, latency and available power required by the mobile computing device based on the one or more communications parameters.

8. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more communications parameters comprise one or more of application or protocol demands for the mobile computing device.

9. A method, comprising:

monitoring one or more wireless communications parameters for a mobile computing device; and

selecting a power mode for the mobile computing device based on the one or more wireless communications parameters, wherein the power mode comprises an extended power save mode wherein one or more wireless transceivers of the mobile computing device are disabled during a plurality of consecutive wireless beacon events.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

periodically transmitting an address resolution protocol (ARP) response to one or more wireless access points or other network devices to maintain a wireless connection between the mobile computing device and the one or more wireless access points or other network devices when the mobile computing device is in the extended power save mode.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the power mode comprises a power save mode wherein the one or more wireless transceivers are disabled between each wireless beacon event.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting periods of wireless inactivity; and

selecting the power save mode after a first time interval and selecting the extended power save mode after a second time interval, wherein the second time interval is longer than the first time interval.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the extended power save mode comprises disabling the one or more wireless transceivers for four consecutive wireless beacon events.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

suspending the extended power save mode when the mobile computing device is coupled to an external power supply.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the power mode is selected to match a throughput, latency and available power required by the mobile computing device based on the one or more communications parameters.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more communications parameters comprise one or more of application or protocol demands for the mobile computing device.

17. An article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that when executed by a processor enable a system to:

monitor one or more wireless communications parameters for a mobile computing device;

select a power mode for the mobile computing device based on the one or more wireless communications parameters, wherein the power mode comprises an extended power save mode wherein one or more wireless transceivers of the mobile computing device are disabled during a plurality of consecutive wireless beacon events; and

.

periodically transmit an address resolution protocol (ARP) response to one or more wireless access points or other network devices to maintain a wireless connection between the mobile computing device and the one or more wireless access points or other network devices when the mobile computing device is in the extended power save mode.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, further comprising instructions that when executed by the processor enable the system to:

detect periods of wireless inactivity; and

select a power save mode after a first time interval and select the extended power save mode after a second time interval, wherein the second time interval is longer than the first time interval.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 17, further comprising instructions that when executed by the processor enable the system to:

disable the one or more wireless transceivers for four consecutive wireless beacon events in the extended power save mode.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 17, further comprising instructions that when executed by the processor enable the system to:

select the power mode to match a throughput, latency and available power required by the mobile computing device based on the one or more communications parameters.