SLEEP MODE DESIGN FOR COEXISTENCE MANAGER

• US 20110007680A1
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gruber, Hans Georg, Linsky, Joel B., Kadous, Tamer A., Mantravadi, Ashok
• Application Number:
  US12/616,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20110007680A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/1215 for collaboration of different radio technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Systems and methodologies are described herein that facilitate implementation and use of a sleep mode for a multi-radio coexistence manager. As described herein, respective radios coordinated by a coexistence manager (CxM) can be grouped into radio or sleep clusters, for which the CxM can enter a low-power mode (e.g., a sleep mode) based on respective operating states of radios in the clusters. As further described herein, a CxM can provide an acquisition sequence and/or other suitable means to enable respective radios to synchronize with the CxM. In addition, techniques are provided herein by which a CxM can indicate its present operating mode (e.g., active, wakeable sleep, non-wakeable sleep, or disabled) to respective radios, and by which a radio can wake the CxM from a sleep operating mode under predetermined circumstances.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying one or more radios operating within at least one cluster;

determining operating states of respective identified radios from among an active state, a sleep state, and a disabled state; and

selecting a coexistence manager (CxM) operating mode based at least in part on determined operating states of the respective identified radios.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting comprises selecting a disabled operating mode or a non-wakeable sleep operating mode upon determining that substantially all identified radios are in a disabled state.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting comprises selecting a non-wakeable sleep operating mode for a cluster upon determining that only one radio in the cluster is in an active or sleep state.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting comprises selecting an active operating mode upon determining that at least a first radio in a cluster is in an active state and at least a second radio in the cluster, disparate from the first radio, is in an active or sleep state.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting comprises selecting a wakeable sleep operating mode for a cluster upon determining that at least two radios in the cluster are not disabled and that substantially all radios in the cluster that are not disabled are in a sleep state.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting an acquisition sequence, wherein the acquisition sequence is utilized by one or more radios to synchronize with an associated decision unit timeline.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the transmitting comprises:

identifying an acquisition channel;

constructing the acquisition sequence as a pseudorandom sequence; and

transmitting the acquisition sequence on the acquisition channel.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the identifying an acquisition channel comprises identifying a set of 64-bit radio access channels starting with a header of ‘

00’ and

ending with a trailer of ‘

11’ and

identifying the acquisition channel as an additional 64-bit broadcast channel; and

the constructing comprises constructing the acquisition sequence as a 64-bit pseudorandom sequence.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising indicating the CxM operating mode to respective identified radios.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the indicating comprises setting registers associated with the respective identified radios.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the setting comprises setting the registers associated with the respective identified radios on an always-on power domain.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the registers are on an always-on power domain in an associated power management integrated circuit (PMIC); and

the selecting further comprises selecting an active operating mode upon receiving a wake-up command from the PMIC, the wake-up command provided by the PMIC in response to an identified radio interrupting the PMIC and based on an operating mode stored in a register associated with the identified radio.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the selecting comprises selecting a sleep operating mode;

the indicating comprises indicating the sleep operating mode to respective enabled radios upon identifying respective enabled radios operating in an active state or respective enabled radios operating in a sleep state that are activated pursuant to an associated sleep cycle; and

the method further comprises entering the sleep operating mode upon confirming that the sleep operating mode has been indicated to substantially all enabled radios.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the indicating comprises pulling a bus line low to indicate sleep operation.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the bus line is a clock line.

16. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that stores data relating to one or more radios and at least one radio cluster in which the one or more radios operate; and

a processor configured to determine operating states of the one or more radios from among an active state, a sleep state, and a disabled state, and to select a coexistence manager (CxM) operating mode based at least in part on determined operating states of the one or more radios.

17. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to select a disabled CxM operating mode or a non-wakeable sleep CxM operating mode upon determining that substantially all of the one or more radios are in a disabled state.

18. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to select a non-wakeable sleep CxM operating mode for a radio cluster upon determining that only one radio in the radio cluster is in an active or sleep state.

19. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to select an active CxM operating mode upon determining that at least a first radio in a radio cluster is in an active state and at least a second radio in the radio cluster, disparate from the first radio, is in an active or sleep state.

20. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to select a wakeable sleep CxM operating mode for a radio cluster upon determining that at least two radios in the radio cluster are not disabled and that substantially all non-disabled radios in the radio cluster are in a sleep state.

21. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit an acquisition sequence usable by the one or more radios to synchronize with a decision unit timeline associated with the wireless communications apparatus.

22. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 21, wherein:

the memory further stores data relating to an acquisition channel; and

the processor is further configured to construct the acquisition sequence as a pseudorandom sequence and to transmit the acquisition sequence on the acquisition channel.

23. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 22, wherein:

the memory further stores data relating to a set of 64-bit radio access channels starting with a header of ‘

00’ and

ending with a trailer of ‘

11’

; and

the processor is further configured to identify the acquisition channel as an additional 64-bit broadcast channel and to construct the acquisition sequence as a 64-bit pseudorandom sequence.

24. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to indicate the CxM operating mode to respective radios.

25. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 24, wherein the processor is further configured to indicate the CxM operating mode to respective radios by setting registers associated with the respective radios.

26. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 25, wherein the processor is further configured to set registers associated with the respective radios on an always-on power domain.

27. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 25, wherein:

the memory further stores data relating to an always-on power domain in an associated power management integrated circuit (PMIC) that comprises the registers; and

the processor is further configured to select an active CxM operating mode upon receiving a wake-up command from the PMIC, the wake-up command provided by the PMIC in response to a radio interrupting the PMIC and based on a CxM operating mode stored in a register associated with the radio.

28. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 25, wherein the processor is further configured to select a sleep CxM operating mode, to indicate the sleep CxM operating mode to respective enabled radios upon identifying respective enabled radios operating in an active state or respective enabled radios operating in a sleep state that are activated pursuant to an associated sleep cycle, and to facilitate entry into the sleep CxM operating mode upon confirming that the sleep CxM operating mode has been indicated to substantially all enabled radios.

29. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 25, wherein the processor is further configured to pull one or more bus lines low to indicate a sleep CxM operating mode.

30. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 29, wherein the one or more bus lines comprise a clock line.

31. An apparatus, comprising:

means for identifying one or more sleep clusters that respectively include at least one radio;

means for identifying operating states of respective radios included in the one or more sleep clusters; and

means for selecting a coexistence manager (CxM) operating mode with respect to the one or more sleep clusters based on the operating states of the respective radios included in the one or more sleep clusters.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for selecting comprises means for selecting a disabled operating mode or a non-wakeable sleep operating mode upon determining that substantially all identified radios are in a disabled state.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for selecting comprises means for selecting a non-wakeable sleep operating mode for a sleep cluster upon determining that only one radio in the sleep cluster is in an active or sleep state.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for selecting comprises means for selecting an active operating mode upon determining that at least a first radio in a sleep cluster is in an active state and at least a second radio in the sleep cluster, disparate from the first radio, is in an active or sleep state.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the means for selecting comprises means for selecting a wakeable sleep operating mode for a sleep cluster upon determining that at least two radios in the sleep cluster are not disabled and that substantially all radios in the sleep cluster that are not disabled are in a sleep state.

36. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising means for transmitting an acquisition sequence, wherein the acquisition sequence is utilized by one or more radios to synchronize with a decision unit timeline associated with the apparatus.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the means for transmitting comprises:

means for identifying an acquisition channel;

means for constructing the acquisition sequence as a pseudorandom sequence; and

means for transmitting the acquisition sequence on the acquisition channel.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein:

the means for identifying an acquisition channel comprises means for identifying a 64-bit broadcast channel as the acquisition channel; and

the means for constructing comprises means for constructing the acquisition sequence as a 64-bit pseudorandom sequence.

39. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising means for indicating the CxM operating mode to the respective radios included in the one or more sleep clusters.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the means for indicating comprises means for setting registers associated with the respective radios included in the one or more sleep clusters.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, wherein the registers are on an always-on power domain.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein:

the always-on power domain is associated with a power management integrated circuit (PMIC); and

the means for selecting further comprises means for receiving a wake-up command from the PMIC, the wake-up command provided in response to an identified radio interrupting the PMIC and based on an operating mode stored in a register associated with the identified radio, and means for selecting an active operating mode upon receiving the wake-up command.

43. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein:

the means for selecting comprises means for selecting a sleep operating mode;

the means for indicating comprises means for indicating the sleep operating mode to respective enabled radios upon identifying respective enabled radios operating in an active state or respective enabled radios operating in a sleep state that are activated pursuant to an associated sleep cycle; and

the apparatus further comprises means for delaying entry into the sleep operating mode until confirming that the sleep operating mode has been indicated to substantially all enabled radios.

44. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the means for indicating comprises means for pulling one or more bus lines low to indicate sleep operation.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the one or more bus lines comprise a clock line.

46. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium, comprising;

code for causing a computer to identify one or more radios and at least one radio cluster in which the one or more radios operate;

code for causing a computer to determine operating states of the one or more radios from among an active state, a sleep state, and a disabled state; and

code for causing a computer to select a coexistence manager (CxM) operating mode based at least in part on determined operating states of the one or more radios.

47. An integrated circuit that executes a set of machine-executable instructions, the set of machine-executable instructions comprising:

identifying one or more sleep clusters that respectively include at least one radio;

identifying operating states of respective radios included in the one or more sleep clusters; and

selecting a coexistence manager (CxM) operating mode with respect to the one or more sleep clusters based on the operating states of the respective radios included in the one or more sleep clusters.

48. A method, comprising:

observing one or more bus lines associated with a coexistence manager (CxM); and

identifying an operating state of the CxM based at least in part on the observing.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the identifying comprises determining that the CxM is in a sleep state upon observing that one or more bus lines associated with the CxM are pulled low.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the identifying comprises determining that the CxM is in a sleep state upon observing that a clock line associated with the CxM is pulled low.

51. The method of claim 48, wherein the identifying comprises identifying an operating state of the CxM upon activating from a sleep operating state.

52. The method of claim 51, further comprising:

identifying a sleep sub-state utilized by the CxM for an associated radio cluster from a set of sleep sub-states comprising wakeable sleep and non-wakeable sleep upon identifying a sleep operating state as the operating state of the CxM; and

waking the CxM upon identifying that the sleep sub-state utilized by the CxM is wakeable sleep.

53. The method of claim 48, wherein:

the identifying comprises identifying an operating state of the CxM upon becoming enabled from a disabled operating state; and

the method further comprises waking the CxM upon identifying a sleep operating state as the operating state of the CxM.

54. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

a memory that stores data relating to a coexistence manager (CxM) and a bus associated with the CxM comprising at least one bus line; and

a processor configured to determine an operating mode utilized by the CxM at least in part by monitoring the bus associated with the CxM.

55. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 54, wherein the processor is further configured to identify that a sleep operating mode is being utilized by the CxM upon observing that one or more bus lines of the bus associated with the CxM are pulled low.

56. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 54, wherein the at least one bus line comprises a clock bus line and the processor is further configured to identify that a sleep operating mode is being utilized by the CxM upon observing that the clock bus line is pulled low.

57. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 54, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the operating mode utilized by the CxM upon activating from a sleep operating state.

58. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 57, wherein the processor is further configured to identify a sleep state utilized by the CxM for a radio cluster associated with the wireless communications apparatus upon determining that the operating mode utilized by the CxM is a sleep operating mode, the sleep state selected from the group consisting of wakeable sleep and non-wakeable sleep, and to wake the CxM upon identifying wakeable sleep as the sleep state utilized by the CxM.

59. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 54, wherein the processor is further configured to determine the operating mode utilized by the CxM upon becoming enabled from a disabled operating state and to wake the CxM upon determining that the operating mode utilized by the CxM is a sleep operating mode.

60. An apparatus, comprising:

means for monitoring values conveyed on one or more bus lines associated with a coexistence manager (CxM); and

means for determining an operating mode of the CxM based on values observed during monitoring of the one or more bus lines.

61. The apparatus of claim 60, wherein the means for determining comprises means for determining that the CxM is in a sleep mode upon observing that one or more bus lines associated with the CxM are pulled low.

62. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein:

the one or more bus lines associated with the CxM comprise a clock line; and

the means for determining comprises means for determining that the CxM is in a sleep mode upon observing that the clock line is pulled low.

63. The apparatus of claim 60, wherein the means for determining comprises means for determining an operating mode of the CxM upon activating from sleep.

64. The apparatus of claim 63, further comprising:

means for identifying a sleep state utilized by the CxM for a radio cluster associated with the apparatus from a set of sleep states comprising wakeable sleep and non-wakeable sleep upon determining that the operating mode of the CxM is a sleep mode; and

means for waking the CxM upon identifying wakeable sleep as the sleep state utilized by the CxM.

65. The apparatus of claim 60, wherein:

the means for determining comprises means for determining an operating mode of the CxM upon becoming enabled; and

the apparatus further comprises means for waking the CxM upon determining that the operating mode utilized by the CxM is a sleep mode.

66. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium, comprising;

code for causing a computer to identify a coexistence manager (CxM);

code for causing a computer to identify a bus associated with the CxM; and

code for causing a computer to determine an operating mode utilized by the CxM at least in part by monitoring the bus associated with the CxM.

67. An integrated circuit that executes a set of machine-executable instructions, the set of machine-executable instructions comprising:

monitoring values conveyed on one or more bus lines associated with a coexistence manager (CxM); and

determining an operating mode of the CxM based on values observed during monitoring of the one or more bus lines.