DEVICES AND METHODS FOR SAVING ENERGY THROUGH CONTROL OF SLEEP MODE

• US 20120331323A1
• Filed: 06/20/2012
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: BANG, Jong Ho, CHOI, Jin Hyeock, KANG, Byung Chang
• Granted Patent: US 9,021,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

A system for saving energy through control of a sleep mode, and a method of operating the system are provided. The energy-saving system may enable a proxy device to maintain a minimum basic setup necessary for a communication when a host device enters a sleep mode, and may omit an operation performed based on the basic setup when the host device switches to a communication mode, thereby enabling a smooth switch between the sleep mode and the communication mode.

Claims

1. A host device that is configured to save energy through control of a sleep mode, the host device comprising:

an interface configured to receive, as an input, a requested sleep policy to be performed by a proxy device, and to provide, to the proxy device, a proxy sleep request comprising the requested sleep policy; and

a processor configured to extract, from a proxy sleep reply, information about whether the proxy sleep request is accepted by the proxy device, and to enter the sleep mode if the proxy sleep request is accepted.

2. The host device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to extract a sleep policy provided by the proxy device from the proxy sleep reply, and to display the provided sleep policy.

3. The host device of claim 1, wherein

the interface is configured to receive, as an input, a sleep period indicating a duration that the sleep mode is to be maintained, and to provide the input sleep period to the proxy device by incorporating the sleep period into the proxy sleep request, and

the processor is configured to maintain the sleep mode for the duration of the sleep period, and switch to a communication mode in response to the sleep period expiring or a wake-up request being received from the proxy device.

4. A proxy device that is configured to save energy through control of a sleep mode, the proxy device comprising:

a determination unit configured to extract a requested sleep policy from a proxy sleep request received from a host device, and to determine whether to accept the proxy sleep request based on at least one of the requested sleep policy extracted from the proxy sleep request and an available capacity of a cache; and

a controller configured to provide, to the host device, a proxy sleep reply comprising information about whether the proxy sleep request is accepted.

5. The proxy device of claim 4, wherein the determination unit is configured to extract, from the proxy sleep request, a sleep period indicating a duration that the sleep mode is to be maintained, and to determine whether the proxy sleep request is accepted based on the sleep period.

6. The proxy device of claim 4, wherein, in response to the proxy sleep request being accepted,

the determination unit is further configured to determine a sleep policy to provide to the host device when the host device enters the sleep mode, and

the controller is configured to provide the proxy sleep reply to the host device by incorporating the provided sleep policy into the proxy sleep reply.

7. The proxy device of claim 6, wherein, in response to the provided sleep policy being determined to be a default sleep policy, the controller is configured to perform a default operation including at least one of Duplicate Address Detection (DAD) and Neighbor Unreachability Detection (NUD).

8. The proxy device of claim 7, wherein, in response to a packet being received, the controller is configured to transmit a wake-up request to the host device, and transfer the packet to the host device in response to the host device switching to a communication mode.

9. The proxy device of claim 6, wherein, in response to the determination unit determining to provide a caching sleep policy,

the controller is configured to perform a default operation including at least one of DAD and NUD, and

the controller is configured to cache a packet, in response to the packet being received.

10. The proxy device of claim 9, wherein

the controller is configured to transfer the cached packet to the host device, in response to the host device switching to a communication mode at the expiration of the sleep period, and/or

the controller is configured to transmit a wake-up request to the host device, and transfer the cached packet to the host device having switched to the communication mode in accordance with the wake-up request.

11. The proxy device of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to transmit the wake-up request in response to an available capacity of a cache storing the cached packet being less than a predetermined amount.

12. The proxy device of claim 6, wherein, in response to the determination unit determining to provide a semi-caching sleep policy,

the controller is configured to perform a default operation including at least one of DAD and NUD, and

the controller is configured to cache a packet other than a real-time data packet.

13. The proxy device of claim 12, wherein, in response to the real-time data being received, or in response to an available capacity of a cache storing the cached packet being less than a predetermined amount, the controller is configured to transmit a wake-up request to the host device, and transfer the second packet to the host device having switched to a communication mode in accordance with the wake-up request.

14. A method of a host device that is configured to save energy through control of a sleep mode, the method comprising:

receiving, as an input, a requested sleep policy to be performed by a proxy device, and providing, to the proxy device, a proxy sleep request comprising the requested sleep policy; and

extracting, from a proxy sleep reply, information about whether the proxy sleep request is accepted by the proxy device, and entering the sleep mode if the proxy sleep request is accepted.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

extracting a sleep policy provided by the proxy device from the proxy sleep reply, and displaying the provided sleep policy.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, as an input, a sleep period indicating a duration that the sleep mode is to be maintained, and providing the input sleep period to the proxy device by incorporating the sleep period into the proxy sleep request; and

maintaining the sleep mode for the duration of the sleep period, and switching to a communication mode in response to the sleep period expiring or a wake-up request being received from the proxy device.

17. A method of a proxy device that is configured to save energy through control of a sleep mode, the method comprising:

extracting a requested sleep policy from a proxy sleep request that is received from a host device, and determining whether to accept the proxy sleep request based on at least one of the requested sleep policy extracted from the proxy sleep request, and an available capacity of a cache; and

providing, to the host device, a proxy sleep reply including information about whether the proxy sleep request is accepted.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining comprises extracting, from the proxy sleep request, a sleep period indicating a duration that the sleep mode is to be maintained, and determining whether the proxy sleep request is accepted based on the sleep period.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining a sleep policy to provide the host device when the host device enters the sleep mode, in response to the proxy sleep request being accepted,

wherein the providing comprises providing the proxy sleep reply to the host device by incorporating the provided sleep policy into the proxy sleep reply.