Methods And Apparatus For Controlling Power Consumption In An Electronic Device With A Communication Subsystem

• US 20130250825A1
• Filed: 03/23/2012
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: QNX Software Systems Limited (Canada) (Blackberry Limited), Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Gosal, Manpreet Kaur, Lahti, Nils Patrik
• Granted Patent: US 9,491,704 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0232 according to average transmission signal activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0264 by selectively disabling software applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An electronic device has a communication subsystem with a power saving mode and an active mode. The communication subsystem is set to switch between the power saving mode and the active mode depending on thresholds of communication traffic. The settings for the thresholds depend on the activity detected on the electronic device.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a communication subsystem in an electronic device between a power saving mode and an active mode, the method comprising:

setting a first threshold of communication traffic for switching from the power saving mode to the active mode;

setting a second threshold of communication traffic for switching from the active mode to the power saving mode;

detecting an activity event on the electronic device; and

setting at least one of the first threshold and the second threshold to the communication traffic associated with the activity event.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising

switching the communication subsystem to the power saving mode when the communication traffic is below the second threshold;

and

switching the communication subsystem to the active mode when the communication traffic is above the first threshold.

3. A method of claim 1, wherein the first threshold comprises a first packets per interval, and the second threshold comprises a second packets per interval.

4. A method of claim 3, wherein the first packets per interval is greater than the second packets per interval.

5. A method of claim 1, wherein the activity event is associated with a state of the electronic device.

6. A method of claim 1, wherein the activity event comprises at least one of display activated, display deactivated, browser activated, browser deactivated, social network application activated, social network application deactivated, game activated, game deactivated, telephone application activated, and telephone application deactivated.

7. A method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first threshold and the second threshold has a shorter interval of measurement between a first state and a second state.

8. A method of claim 1, wherein the communication subsystem is a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) radio compliant with at least one of an IEEE 802.11b standard, an IEEE 802.11a standard, an IEEE 802.11g standard, an IEEE 802.11n standard, a WiMax standard, a Bluetooth standard, and a Near Field Communication standard.

9. A method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the active mode and the power saving mode comprises one setting within a range of power levels.

10. A method of claim 9, wherein the one setting is associated with the communication traffic.

11. A method of claim 1, wherein the setting at least one of the first threshold and the second threshold to the communication traffic associated with the activity event is delayed for a period of time.

12. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium;

computer instructions stored in the non-transitory computer readable medium;

the computer instructions being executable by one or more processors of an electronic device for controlling a communication subsystem between a power saving mode and an active mode, by;

setting a first threshold of communication traffic for switching from the power saving mode to the active mode;

setting a second threshold of communication traffic for switching from the active mode to the power saving mode;

detecting an activity event on the electronic device; and

setting at least one of the first threshold and the second threshold to the communication traffic associated with the activity event.

13. An electronic device, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory coupled to the one or more processors;

a communication subsystem having a power saving mode and an active mode;

the one or more processors being configured to;

setting a first threshold of communication traffic for switching from the power saving mode to the active mode;

setting a second threshold of communication traffic for switching from the active mode to the power saving mode;

detecting an activity event on the electronic device; and

setting at least one of the first threshold and the second threshold to the communication traffic associated with the activity event.

14. An electronic device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

switching the communication subsystem to the power saving mode when the communication traffic is below the second threshold; and

switching the communication subsystem to the active mode when the communication traffic is above the first threshold.

15. An electronic device of claim 13, wherein the first threshold comprises a first packets per interval, and the second threshold comprises a second packets per interval.

16. An electronic device of claim 15, wherein the first packets per interval is greater than the second packets per interval.

17. An electronic device of claim 13, wherein the activity event is associated with a state of the electronic device.

18. An electronic device of claim 13, wherein the activity event comprises at least one of display activated, display deactivated, browser activated, browser deactivated, social network application activated, social network application deactivated, game activated, game deactivated, telephone application activated, and telephone application deactivated.

19. An electronic device of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first threshold and the second threshold has a shorter interval of measurement between a first state and a second state.

20. An electronic device of claim 13, wherein the communication subsystem is a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) radio compliant with at least one of an IEEE 802.11b standard, an IEEE 802.11a standard, an IEEE 802.11g standard, an IEEE 802.11n standard, a WiMax standard, a Bluetooth standard, and a Near Field Communication standard.

21. An electronic device of claim 13, wherein at least one of the active mode and the power saving mode comprises one setting within a range of power levels.

22. An electronic device of claim 21, wherein the one setting is associated with the communication traffic.

23. An electronic device of claim 13, wherein the setting at least one of the first threshold and the second threshold to the communication traffic associated with the activity event is delayed for a period of time.