METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ECONOMIZING POWER CONSUMPTION IN WIRELESS PRODUCTS

• US 20150208355A1
• Filed: 04/15/2014
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NETGEAR, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NETGEAR, Inc.
• Inventors: EMMANUEL, Joseph Amalan Arul, Yu, Shun-Liang, Amini, Peiman
• Granted Patent: US 9,226,242 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Various of the disclosed embodiments concern efficiency improvements in wireless products. For example, some embodiments specify profiles for regional and custom-specified operational constraints. The profiles may be retrieved from across a network or stored locally upon the device. The profiles may specify various configuration adjustments that optimize the system'"'"'s performance. For example, when possible, some embodiments may allow the system to operate at a lower power level and to thereby save energy. Various factors and conditions may be assessed in some embodiments prior to adjusting the existing power configuration.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method on a wireless device for adjusting the wireless device'"'"'s power configuration, the method comprising:

determining a regional location of the wireless device;

selecting a profile based upon the regional location, the profile comprising a first criterion;

determining that a current power configuration of the wireless device fails to meet the first criterion based upon a plurality of stimuli;

determining that applying a power configuration adjustment at a particular time is acceptable;

determining an optimized power configuration for the wireless device, the optimized power configuration indicating a power level suitable for a plurality of stations in communication with the wireless device, the optimized power configuration determined based upon the selected profile; and

adjusting the power configuration based upon the optimized power configuration at the particular time.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the profile indicates a regulatory transmission constraint associated with the regional location.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining a regional location of the wireless device comprises determining an Internet Protocol address associated with the wireless device or an Internet Protocol address associated with a device in communication with the wireless device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein selecting a profile comprises sending the regional location to a server and receiving the profile from the server.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the criterion comprises a restriction on a range of at least one of the stimuli.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the stimuli comprises one or more of ranges associated with a plurality of stations, regulatory based power control information, user defined power control data, data transferred to a plurality of stations, the RSSI of a plurality of stations, and a temperature of at least a portion of the wireless device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the profile comprises a plurality of rules, the rules indicating correspondences between power configurations and ranges associated with a plurality of criterion.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, the method further comprising retrieving the profile from across a network.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the optimized power configuration comprises an amplifier bias point different from an amplifier bias point associated with the current power configuration.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the profile specifies different power levels for different channels.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions configured to cause one or more computer systems to perform a method comprising:

determining a regional location of the wireless device;

selecting a profile based upon the regional location, the profile comprising a first criterion;

determining that a current power configuration of the wireless device fails to meet the first criterion based upon a plurality of stimuli;

determining that applying a power configuration adjustment at a particular time is acceptable;

determining an optimized power configuration for the wireless device, the optimized power configuration indicating a power level suitable for a plurality of stations in communication with the wireless device, the optimized power configuration determined based upon the selected profile; and

adjusting the power configuration based upon the optimized power configuration at the particular time.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein determining a regional location of the wireless device comprises determining an Internet Protocol address associated with the wireless device or an Internet Protocol address associated with a device in communication with the wireless device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, the method further comprising retrieving the profile from across a network.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the profile comprises a plurality of rules, the rules indicating correspondences between power configurations and ranges associated with a plurality of criterion.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the optimized power configuration comprises an amplifier bias point different from an amplifier bias point associated with the current power configuration.

16. A computer system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory comprising instructions configured to cause the at least one processor to perform a method comprising;

determining a regional location of the wireless device;

selecting a profile based upon the regional location, the profile comprising a first criterion;

determining that a current power configuration of the wireless device fails to meet the first criterion based upon a plurality of stimuli;

determining that applying a power configuration adjustment at a particular time is acceptable;

determining an optimized power configuration for the wireless device, the optimized power configuration indicating a power level suitable for a plurality of stations in communication with the wireless device, the optimized power configuration determined based upon the selected profile; and

adjusting the power configuration based upon the optimized power configuration at the particular time.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein determining a regional location of the wireless device comprises determining an Internet Protocol address associated with the wireless device or an Internet Protocol address associated with a device in communication with the wireless device.

18. The computer system of claim 16, the method further comprising retrieving the profile from across a network.

19. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the profile comprises a plurality of rules, the rules indicating correspondences between power configurations and ranges associated with a plurality of criterion.

20. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the optimized power configuration comprises an amplifier bias point different from an amplifier bias point associated with the current power configuration.