REDUCING POWER CONSUMPTION BY A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE WITH MULTIPLE WIRELESS COMMUNICATION MODEMS

• US 20150131502A1
• Filed: 12/11/2013
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Narasimha, Murali, Ady, Roger W., Kuchibhotla, Ravi, Love, Robert T., Slaby, Jiri, Wojack, Jason P., Arshad, Iqbal
• Granted Patent: US 9,301,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/12 Inter-network notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method that reduces power consumption in a wireless communication device having a first and a second modem. The method includes detecting access to a communication network via the second modem, and in response to that detection: establishing a communication channel between the second modem and a communication service over a communication network; and triggering the first modem to enter a sleep state. The communication service is configured to respond to receipt at the communication service of an incoming communication to be routed to the first modem via a first communication network by: (i) automatically transmitting a notification via the communication channel to the second modem and (ii) forwarding the incoming communication via the first communication network to the first modem. The method then includes, in response to receipt of the notification at the device: awakening the first modem to an active state to enable receipt of the incoming communication.

Claims

1. A method for minimizing power consumption in a communication device that includes at least a first modem and a second modem, each supporting a communication protocol for respectively connecting to at least one communication network, the method comprising:

in response to detecting communicative access via the second modem to a communication network on which a communication service is accessible;

establishing a communication channel with the communication service via the second modem, wherein the communication service is configured to respond to receipt of an incoming communication that will be routed to the communication device via a first communication network by;

(i) automatically transmitting a notification via a second communication network to the second modem and (ii) forward the incoming communication via the first communication network to the first modem;

in response to establishing the communication channel with the communication service, placing the first modem in a sleep state; and

in response to receipt, at the second modem, of the notification of the incoming communication;

awakening the first modem to an active state to enable receipt of signaling corresponding to the incoming communication via the first modem.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

subsequent to the awakening of the first modem, receiving, at the first modem, a page from the first communication network addressed to a first identifier associated with the communication device, wherein the page is associated with a forwarding of the incoming communication by the wireless service.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

subsequent to receiving the signaling corresponding to the incoming communication, establishing a connection of the incoming communication, via the first modem.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering the communication device with the communication service, wherein the communication service associates the communication device with a first identifier assigned to a registered account at the communication service of a user of the first device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein registering the communication device comprises:

transmitting registration information, via the second modem, to a server of the communication service, wherein the registration information triggers the communication service to issue the notification when forwarding an incoming communication over the first communication network.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the incoming communication is a phone call and the first identifier comprises a first phone number utilized for receiving the incoming call, which is automatically routed via the first communication network to a second phone number associated with the communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering the communication device, via the first modem, with the first communication network, prior to triggering the first modem to enter the sleep state; and

periodically placing the first modem in an active state in order to exchange parameters with the first communication network that are required to maintain the first modem in a ready state for quickly establishing a communication channel with the first communication network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

triggering the first modem to enter a sleep state comprises at least one of (a) turning off power to the first modem, (b) removing power from one or more power consuming components of the first modem, (c) turning off specific power consuming components of the first modem, (d) intermittently providing power to a subset of components of the first modem that are required to periodically transmit registration parameters to the first wireless network and exchange timing data with a network tower for uplink and downlink communication, (e) placing the first modem in a low power state in which the first modem consumes a limited amount of power but retains operational readiness to enable a quick response to receipt of the incoming communication, and (f) placing the first modem in a state in which the first modem monitors a signal of the first communication network less frequently than the frequency of monitoring of the signal when the first modem is in an active state.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to establishing the communication channel with the communication service, initiating a monitoring protocol at the second modem to detect receipt of the notification.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first communication network operates using at least one first wireless protocol that causes the first modem to consume a first amount of power while in a stand-by mode or a scanning-for-network mode; and

the second communication network operates using a second wireless protocol that causes the second modem to consume a second amount of power that is less than the first amount of power, while the second modem is in one of (a) active communication with the second communication network, (b) stand-by mode, and (c) a scanning-for-network mode.

11. A wireless communication device comprising:

a first wireless modem that enables the wireless communication device (WCD) to interface with a first wireless network and perform wireless communication exchange via a first communication channel;

a second wireless modem that enables the WCD to interface with a second wireless network and perform wireless communication exchange via a second communication channel;

at least one processor coupled to the first wireless modem and the second wireless modem;

a communication and power management (CPM) utility that executes on the processor and configures the WCD to;

in response to the second wireless modem being communicatively connected to the second wireless network;

establish, via the second wireless modem, communication with a communication service accessible over the second wireless network, where the communication service provides routing of signaling of an incoming communication to the WCD over the first wireless network and exchange of messages with the WCD over the second wireless network; and

set the first wireless modem to a sleep state; and

in response to receipt of a notification from the communication service, at the second wireless modem, identifying that the incoming communication is being forwarded to the WCD via the first wireless network;

return the first wireless modem to an active state to enable connection of the incoming communication to the WCD via the first wireless modem following receipt of the signaling of the incoming communication.

12. The WCD of claim 11, wherein:

the CPM module turning the first wireless modem to a sleep state comprises the CPM module configuring the WCD to perform at least one of (a) turn off power to the first wireless modem, (b) remove power from one or more power consuming components of the first wireless modem, (c) turn off specific power consuming components of the first wireless modem, (d) intermittently provide power to a subset of components of the first wireless modem that are required to periodically transmit registration parameters to the first wireless network and exchange timing data with a network tower for uplink and downlink communication, (e) place the first communication modem in a low power state in which the first wireless modem consumes a limited amount of power but retains operational readiness to enable a quick response to receipt of the incoming wireless communication, and (f) place the first wireless modem in an operating mode in which the first wireless modem monitors a signal of the first wireless network less frequently than when the first wireless modem is in an active operating mode.

13. The WCD of claim 11, wherein the CPM module further initiates a monitoring protocol at the second modem to detect receipt of the notification in response to establishing the communication channel with the communication service.

14. The WCD of claim 11, further comprising:

a communication service registration utility that executes on the processor and configures the WCD to;

transmit registration information to a server of the communication service, which registration information configures the communication service to issue the notification prior to or concurrent with forwarding an incoming communication request via the first wireless network.

15. The WCD of claim 11, wherein the communication service:

registers the WCD with a first contact number that is different from a second number of the WCD assigned for use on the first communication network;

maintains communication with the WCD via the second wireless modem;

in response to receiving an incoming communication that will be routed to the WCD via the first wireless network, (i) automatically transmits a notification of the incoming communication to the WCD via the second wireless network and (ii) forwards the incoming communication to the second number of the WCD via the first wireless network.

16. A communication service comprising:

a processor;

a first communication interface enabling communication with a first communication network that supports routing of voice calls and a second communication interface enabling communication with a second communication network;

an advance notification of incoming call (ANIC) utility that executes on the processor and which configures the communication service to;

detect when a registered user device associated with a user account is communicatively connected to the communication service;

in response to receiving an incoming call for a first phone number assigned to the user account;

generate a notification indicating that the incoming call is going to be forwarded to a second phone number associated with the registered user device;

transmit the notification to the registered user device over the second communication interface; and

forward the incoming call to the second phone number via the first communication interface.

17. The communication service of claim 16, wherein the ANIC utility forwarding the incoming call to the second phone number comprises configuring the communication service to:

signaling the first communication network to transmit a page to the second phone number; and

forward the incoming call.

18. The communication service of claim 16, wherein the ANIC utility further configures the processor to:

receive an input of registration information that sets an ANIC feature to “

on”

within the user account, which registration information triggers the communication service to issue the notification via the second communication interface prior to or concurrent with forwarding an incoming communication via the first communication interface; and

setting the ANIC feature to on within the user account.

19. The communication service of claim 16, further comprising communication service firmware that:

registers the WCD with a first contact number that is different from a second number of the WCD assigned for use on the first communication network; and

maintains an open communication channel with the user device via the second communication interface until terminated by the user device or loss of a connection with the user device.

20. A processor-implemented method of routing communications by a network-accessible communication service, the method comprising:

a communication service establishing a first communicative connection via a second communication network with a registered user device associated with a user account;

in response to receiving an incoming call for a phone number assigned to the user account;

generating a notification indicating that the incoming call is going to be forwarded to a second phone number associated with the registered user device via a first communication network;

transmitting the notification to the registered user device over the second communication network; and

forwarding the incoming call to the second phone number via the first communication network.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein forwarding the incoming call to the second phone number comprises:

first signaling the first communication network to send a page to the second phone number; and

forwarding the incoming call for connection on the first communication network, wherein the incoming call can be connected on the first communication network if the page is accepted by the user device.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving an input of registration information that sets an ANIC feature to “

on”

within the user account, which registration information triggers the communication service to issue the notification via the second communication interface prior to or concurrent with forwarding an incoming communication request via the first communication interface; and

setting the ANIC feature to “

on”

within the user account.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

registering the WCD with a first contact number that is different from a second number of the WCD assigned for use on the first communication network; and

maintaining an open communication channel with the user device via the second communication interface until terminated by the user device or loss of a connection with the user device.