POWER EFFICIENT COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20110222614A1
• 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: Callaway, Edgar H. JR., Gorday, Paul E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,564,939 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/259
• 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 wireless system, comprising:

an electrical power source, capable of producing an available output power; and

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

2. The system 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 system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises:

an electrical power monitoring circuit coupled to the receiver and operable to monitor a power level of the available output power supplied to the receiver by the electrical power source.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises:

a controller coupled to the receiver that controls the receiver such that the power drawn by the receiver is less than the available output power.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the system further comprises:

a transmitter operable to transmit to the receiver the data received by the receiver at the data reception rate, wherein the data transmission rate of the transmitter is determined, at least in part, by the available output power from the electrical power source, wherein the transmitter is coupled to the controller and the controller controls the transmitter to keep the power drawn by the transmitter from the electrical power source less than the available output power.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises:

a transmitter, operable to transmit data at a data transmission rate to the receiver, wherein the data transmission rate is determined, at least in part, by the available output power.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein a range between the transmitter and the receiver is estimated from the data reception rate of the receiver.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein an RSSI value is not needed to estimate the range.

9. The system 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.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein minimization of the ratio of peak-to-average power consumed by the receiver provides for the receiver to receive the data at an increased data reception rate.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein minimization of the ratio of peak-to-average power consumed by the receiver increases a reception range of the receiver.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein selective operation of a low noise amplifier (LNA) of the receiver increases the reception range of the receiver.

13. The system of claim 9, 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.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the data reception rate is increased.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein a reception range of the receiver is increased.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the reception range of the receiver is increased by selective operation of a low noise amplifier (LNA) of the receiver.

17. The system of claim 13, 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.

18. The system of claim 17, 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.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the receiver is operable to reduce the power 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.

20. The system of claim 19, 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.

21. The system 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.

22. The system of claim 21, 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.