ADVANCED THERMAL CONTROL ALGORITHM

• US 20140200053A1
• Filed: 05/24/2013
• Published: 07/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Caballero, Ruben, Velasco, Ricardo R., Balasubramanian, Sanjeevi
• Granted Patent: US 9,161,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/572
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/22 taking into account previous information or commands
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/281 taking into account user or data type priority
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/30 using constraints in the total amount of available transmission power
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range

Abstract

A method implemented on a mobile device that starts by receiving a temperature reading from a sensor included on the mobile device. The temperature reading is compared to a threshold temperature and a power cap is set when the temperature reading is greater than the threshold temperature. The power cap is a maximum transmission power of the mobile device. The method then determines if the mobile device is transmitting a critical message. The power cap is released for a period of time if the power cap is set and the mobile device is determined to be sending a critical message. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a mobile device including an application processor and a baseband, the method comprising:

receiving by the application processor a temperature reading from a sensor included on the mobile device;

comparing the temperature reading to a threshold temperature;

sending a power cap setting message to set a power cap when the temperature reading is greater than the threshold temperature, wherein the power cap is a maximum transmission power of the mobile device; and

sending a power cap release message to release the power cap for at least a period of time if (i) the power cap is set and (ii) a feedback message is received, the feedback message indicating that the mobile device is transmitting a critical message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the power cap release message to release the power cap for the period time if (i) the power cap is set and (ii) an antenna feedback message is received, the antenna feedback message indicating that a lower efficiency antenna is being used by the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the critical message is a handover request message from the mobile device to a base station.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback message is generated by a baseband included in the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the antenna feedback message is generated by a baseband included in the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the feedback message includes the period of time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the power cap setting message includes sending the power cap setting message from the application processor to the baseband to set the power cap, and wherein sending the power cap release message includes sending the power cap release message from the application processor to the baseband to release the power cap.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the power cap setting message includes sending the power cap setting message from the baseband to set the power cap, and wherein sending the power cap release message includes sending the power cap release message from the baseband to release the power cap.

9. A method implemented in a mobile device including an application processor and a baseband, the method comprising:

receiving a temperature reading from a sensor included on the mobile device;

comparing the temperature reading to a threshold temperature;

sending a power cap setting message to set a power cap when the temperature reading is greater than the threshold temperature, wherein the power cap is a maximum transmission power of the mobile device; and

sending a power cap release message to release the power cap for the period time if (i) the power cap is set and (ii) an antenna feedback message is received, the antenna feedback message indicating that a lower efficiency antenna is being used by the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the antenna feedback message is generated by a baseband included in the mobile device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein sending the power cap setting message includes sending the power cap setting message from the application processor to the baseband to set the power cap, and wherein sending the power cap release message includes sending the power cap release message from the application processor to the baseband to release the power cap.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein sending the power cap setting message includes sending the power cap setting message from the application processor to the baseband to set the power cap, and wherein sending the power cap release message includes sending the power cap release message from the application processor to the baseband to release the power cap.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the periodic or aperiodic time interval is based on a transmit time interval (TTI) of a network.

12. A method implemented in a mobile device including an application processor and a baseband, the method comprising:

receiving by the application processor a temperature reading from a sensor are included on the mobile device;

comparing the temperature reading to a threshold temperature;

sending a power cap setting message to set a power cap when the temperature reading is greater than the threshold temperature, wherein the power cap is a maximum transmission power of the mobile device; and

sending a power cap release message at a periodic or aperiodic time interval to release the power cap for a period of time, wherein the time interval is based on message sending requirements of a network.

15. A method implemented in a mobile device including an application processor and a baseband, the method comprising:

receiving by the application processor a temperature reading from a sensor included on the mobile device;

comparing the temperature reading to a threshold temperature;

determining whether the mobile device is performing a voice call setup;

sending a power cap setting message to set a power cap when (i) the mobile device is not performing the voice call setup and (ii) the temperature reading is greater than the threshold temperature, wherein the power cap is a maximum transmission power of the mobile device; and

sending a power cap release message to release the power cap if (i) the power cap is set and (ii) the mobile device is performing the voice call setup.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein sending the power cap setting message includes sending the power cap setting message from the application processor to the baseband to set the power cap, and wherein sending the power cap release message includes sending the power cap release message from the application processor to the baseband to release the power cap.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the mobile device is determined to be performing the voice call setup when a number is being dialed using the mobile device, when the mobile device is attempting to connect a call, or when the mobile device is receiving an incoming call.

18. A mobile device comprising:

a temperature sensor to measure a temperature reading at a location in the mobile device;

an application processor;

to periodically receive the temperature reading from the sensor,

to compare the temperature reading to a threshold temperature,

to send a power cap setting message when the temperature reading is greater than the threshold temperature, and

to send a power cap release message if (i) the power cap is set and (ii) a feedback message is received, the feedback message indicating that the mobile device is transmitting a critical message; and

a baseband communicatively coupled to the application processor, the baseband;

to set a power cap when the power cap setting message is received from the application processor, wherein the power cap is a maximum transmission power of the mobile device,

to release the power cap for at least a period of time when the power cap releasing message is received from the application processor.

19. The mobile device in claim 18, further comprising a lower efficiency antenna, wherein the baseband determines whether the lower efficiency antenna is being used by the mobile device, and sends an antenna feedback message to the application processor when the lower efficiency antenna is determined to be used.

20. The mobile device in claim 19, wherein the application processor sends the power cap release message if (i) the power cap is set and (ii) the antenna feedback message is received from the baseband.