POWER EFFICIENT COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20110222419A1
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sunrise Micro Devices, Inc. (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sunrise Micro Devices, Inc. (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Gorday, Paul E., Callaway, Edgar H. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 9,461,688 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3883 Arrangements for mounting batteries or battery chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2614 Peak power aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/748 Negotiation of resources, e.g. modification of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method, system, and device provide power-efficient communications within the context of available power. Transmission and receipt data rates are scalable in accordance with output power available from a power source. Data is transmitted at a data rate determined, at least in part, by the available output power.

Claims

1. A power-efficient communication device, comprising:

a receiver capable of a data reception rate determined, at least in part, by output power available to the receiver from an electrical power source.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the data reception rate is determined such that a reception range of the receiver is constant as the available output power varies.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein a ratio of peak-to-average power consumed by the receiver to receive the data is minimized in order to maximize a portion of the available output power usable to receive the data.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein minimization of the ratio of peak-to-average power consumed by the receiver provides an increased data reception rate.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein minimization of the ratio of peak-to-average power consumed by the receiver increases a reception range of the receiver.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein selective operation of a low noise amplifier (LNA) of the receiver increases the reception range of the receiver.

7. The device of claim 3, wherein minimization of the ratio of peak-to-average power consumed by the receiver occurs by reducing power used by the receiver to receive the data.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the data reception rate of the receiver is increased.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein a reception range of the receiver is increased.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the reception range of the receiver is increased by selective operation of a low noise amplifier (LNA) of the receiver.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the receiver further comprises:

a synthesizer;

a controlled oscillator; and

a sequencer operable to generate a plurality of enable signals that control operation of the synthesizer, the controlled oscillator, and a receiver signal path of the receiver,

wherein the sequencer is operable to selectively control operation of the receiver to prevent simultaneous operation of the synthesizer and the receiver signal path during a receive period of the receiver.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the sequencer operable to generate a first enable signal that enables the synthesizer, a second enable signal that enables the controlled oscillator, and a third enable signal that enables the receiver signal path of the receiver and wherein during a warm-up period of the receiver the sequencer is operable to activate the first enable signal to enable the synthesizer and the second enable signal to enable the controlled oscillator, wait until the synthesizer is locked, and deactivate the first enable signal and activate the third enable signal to enable the receiver signal path during the receive period of the receiver, and deactivate the second enable signal and the third enable signal following the receive period of the receiver.

13. The device of claim 7, wherein the receiver is operable to reduce the current used by the receiver to receive the data by selective control of the operation of a microcomputer and the receiver to prevent simultaneous operation of the microcomputer and the receiver during a receive period of the receiver.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the receiver wakes up to receive a data packet while the microcomputer is in a microcomputer sleep mode, place the received data packet in a receive buffer of the receiver, and go into a receiver sleep mode after placement of the received data packet in the receive buffer and wherein the microcomputer wakes to process the received data packet and returns to the microcomputer sleep mode following processing of the received data packet.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensitivity of the receiver is determined by the available output power and wherein the sensitivity of the receiver is adjustable by adjustment of the power consumption of the receiver.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein a reception range of the receiver is controlled by selectively turning on a low noise amplifier (LNA) of the receiver to increase the power consumption of the receiver and to increase the reception range of the receiver.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a transceiver further comprising:

a transmitter operable to transmit data at a data transmission rate determined, at least in part, by the output power available from the electrical power source.

18. A method of power-efficient communications, comprising:

determining an available output power of an electrical power source; and

receiving data at a data reception rate determined, at least in part, by the available output power.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

minimizing a ratio of peak-to-average power consumed in receiving the data in order to maximize a portion of the available output power usable to receive data.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein minimizing the ratio of peak-to-average power provides for increasing one or more of the data reception rate and reception range.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein minimizing the ratio of peak-to-average power provides for increasing a reception range of a receiver that receives the data and further comprising:

reducing power consumption of the receiver.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising controlling a reception range of the receiver by selectively turning on a low noise amplifier (LNA) of the receiver to increase the reception range of the receiver.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein minimizing the ratio of peak-to-average power further comprises reducing power used by a receiver to receive the data.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising increasing the data reception rate of the receiver.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising increasing a reception range of the receiver.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

selectively turning on a low noise amplifier (LNA) of the receiver to increase the reception range of the receiver.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein reducing power used by the receiver to receive the data further comprises:

selectively controlling operation of the receiver to minimize the ratio of peak-to-average power used by a synthesizer and a transmit signal path of the receiver during a receive period of the receiver.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein reducing power used by the receiver to receive the data further comprises:

selectively controlling operation of a microcomputer and the receiver to minimize the ratio of peak-to-average power used by the microcomputer and the receiver.

29. The method of claim 28, the method further comprising:

the receiver waking up from a receiver sleep mode and receiving a data packet while the microcomputer is in a microcomputer sleep mode;

the receiver placing the received data packet in a receive buffer of the receiver;

the receiver going into a receiver sleep mode;

the microcomputer waking up and processing the received data packet; and

the microcomputer going into the microcomputer sleep mode.

30. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining a data reception rate of data transmitted by a first network device and received by a second network device; and

estimating a range between said first and second network devices from the data reception rate.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the range is further determined from an estimated transmit power of the first network device.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein an RSSI value is not needed to estimate the range.

33. The method of claim 18, wherein the electrical power source is a battery, the available output power of the battery is below a threshold, and the receiver has a reception range, the method further comprising:

lowering a sensitivity of the receiver and lowering the data reception rate to a new lower data reception rate to maintain the reception range of the receiver.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein lowering the data reception rate to the new lower data reception rate occurs prior to lowering the sensitivity of the receiver.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein prior to lowering the sensitivity but after lowering the data reception rate, increasing the reception range of the receiver.

36. A method of power-efficient communications, comprising:

determining an available output power of an electrical power source; and

adjusting the sensitivity of a receiver in accordance with the determined available output power.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein adjusting the sensitivity of the receiver further comprises:

adjusting the power consumption of the receiver.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

controlling a reception range of the receiver by selectively turning on a low noise amplifier (LNA) of the receiver to increase the power consumption of the receiver and to increase the reception range of the receiver.