Method, Apparatus and Computer Program

• US 20160073337A1
• Filed: 06/29/2015
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: JELONNEK, Bjoern, HAUBRICH, Andree, WEBER, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,497,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/24 of transmitter output stages
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0475 with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion H04B1/0483 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/0408 with power amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/02 Power saving arrangements in wired systems H04L12/12; signaling of mobile application services, e.g. low battery notifications H04W4/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method including determining whether a transmitter of an apparatus has information to transmit; and causing a power amplifier of said apparatus to enter a first power state in response to said determining; wherein said determining is carried out within a radio portion of said apparatus.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining whether a transmitter of an apparatus has information to transmit;

and causing a power amplifier of said apparatus to enter a first power state in response to said determining;

wherein said determining is carried out within a radio portion of said apparatus.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said determining whether the transmitter has information to transmit comprises determining that said transmitter has no information to transmit and causing a power amplifier of said apparatus to enter a first power state in response to said determining further comprises causing the power amplifier to switch off.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1, comprising causing said power amplifier to enter a second power state, wherein said second power state is a higher power state than the first power state.

7. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the method comprises operating a counter to monitor a time period of said determining whether the transmitter has information to transmit, and resetting said counter when it is determined that there is information to transmit.

10. A method as set forth in any preceding claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a system portion, and wherein said determining whether the transmitter has information to transmit and causing a power amplifier of said apparatus to enter a first power state in response to said determining are carried out independently of said system portion.

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

6. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

15. A computer program comprising computer executable instructions which when run on one or more processors causes an apparatus to perform the following:

determining whether a transmitter of an apparatus has information to transmit;

and causing a power amplifier of said apparatus to enter a first power state in response to said determining;

wherein said determining is carried out within a radio portion of said apparatus.

16. An apparatus comprising

at least one processor;

and at least one memory including computer program code;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

determine whether a transmitter of said apparatus has information to transmit;

and cause a power amplifier of said apparatus to enter a first power state in response to said determining;

wherein said determining is carried out within a radio portion of said apparatus.

17. An apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein said determining whether the transmitter has information to transmit comprises determining that said transmitter has no information to transmit.

18. An apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein said determining whether the transmitter has information to transmit comprises determining a transmit power of the transmitter.

19. An apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein said first state of said power amplifier comprises a low power state.

20. An apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein the apparatus is configured to cause said power amplifier to enter a second power state.

21. An apparatus as set forth in claim 20, wherein said second power state is a higher power state than the first power state.

22. An apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein the apparatus comprises a counter, and the apparatus is configured to operate the counter to monitor a time period of said determining whether the transmitter has information to transmit

23. An apparatus as set forth in claim 22, wherein the apparatus is configured to reset said counter when it is determined that there is information to transmit.

24. An apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein the apparatus is configured to configure a delay between said determining whether the transmitter has information to transmit and said causing the power amplifier of said apparatus to enter the first power state.

25. An apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein the apparatus further comprises a system portion.

26. An apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein said determining whether the transmitter has information to transmit is carried out independently of said system portion.

27. An apparatus as set forth in claim 25, wherein said causing a power amplifier of said apparatus to enter a first power state in response to said determining is carried out independently of said system portion.

28. An apparatus as set forth in claim 16, further comprising a digital pre-distortion unit configured to receive information regarding the state of the power amplifier, to optimise operation of the power amplifier.

29. An apparatus as set forth in claim 16, wherein said apparatus comprises one of:

a base station;

a network node;

a user equipment.