POWER ADAPTATION BASED ON ERROR RATE

• US 20160374028A1
• Filed: 06/22/2015
• Published: 12/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Wu, Qiyang, Narang, Mohit, Agboh, Peter M., Caballero, Ruben, Reddy, Vusthla Sunil, Yang, Xi
• Granted Patent: US 9,913,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/20 using error rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/246 where the output power of a terminal is based on a path parameter calculated in said terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/367 Power values between minimum and maximum limits, e.g. dynamic range

Abstract

A host device is configured to increase the power output by an internal amplifier of its wireless chipset in response to requests from a remote device. Once the internal amplifier has reached its maximum power, further requests for power increases from the remove device do not similarly lead to automatic power increases being delivered by a external amplifier of the host device. Rather, the host device determines the strength of the link between it and the remote device. If the signal strength is too low, it is an indication that the signal power output by the remote device may not be sufficient to maintain the link and that any further increases in signal power by the host device will have little or no effect on the link. However, if the signal strength from the remote device is sufficient, the host device determines an error rate between it and the remote device. If the error rate is sufficiently low to maintain the link, then the host device will not further increase its signal output power. However, if the error rate is too high, the host device will turn on and/or increase power from its external amplifier to boost the power of its output signal and, thus, improve the error rate between it and the remote device.

Claims

1. An electronic device configured to communicate via a wireless communications link with a remote device, comprising:

an input/output interface having a wireless module comprising;

a wireless chipset configured to generate a radio frequency signal and having an internal amplifier configured to amplify the radio frequency signal; and

an external amplifier operatively coupled to the wireless chipset and configured to further amplify the radio frequency signal; and

a processor configured to;

determine whether the internal amplifier is at a maximum amplification level in response to receiving a request from the remote device to increase power of the radio frequency signal;

if it is not at its maximum amplification level, increase the amplification level of the internal amplifier in response to the request to increase power; and

if it is at its maximum amplification level, determine an error rate of the communications link, and determine whether to further amplify the radio frequency signal using the external amplifier based at least in part on the error rate.

2. The electronic device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the wireless communications link comprises a Bluetooth communications link.

3. The electronic device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine if the error rate is above an upper boundary;

if the error rate is above the upper boundary, determine the strength of a signal received by the electronic device from the remote device and determine whether it is below a threshold;

if the strength of the received signal is below the threshold, then not further amplify the radio frequency signal; and

if the strength of the received signal is not below the threshold, then increase power of the external amplifier to further amplify the radio frequency signal.

4. The electronic device, as set forth in claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to:

if the error rate is not above the upper boundary, determine if the error rate is below a lower boundary;

if the error rate is below the lower boundary, then determine whether the amplification level of the external amplifier is at its minimum level;

if it is at its minimum level, then turn off the external amplifier; and

if it is not at its minimum level, then decrease power of the external amplifier.

5. The electronic device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

if the internal amplifier is at its maximum level, determine the strength of a signal received by the electronic device from the remote device and determine whether it is below a threshold;

if the strength of the received signal is below the threshold, then not further amplify the radio frequency signal; and

if the strength of the received signal is not below the threshold, then determine whether the error rate is sufficient to maintain the communications link;

if so, then not further amplify the radio frequency signal;

if not, then increase power of the external amplifier to further amplify the radio frequency signal.

6. The electronic device, as set forth in claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to:

if the error rate is sufficient to maintain the communications link, then determine whether the amplification level of the external amplifier is at its minimum level;

if it is at its minimum level, then turn off the external amplifier; and

if it is not at its minimum level, then decrease power of the external amplifier.

7. A method for controlling the power of a radio frequency signal generated by an electronic device wirelessly communicating via a communications link with a remote device, the method comprising:

receiving at the electronic device a request for more power from the remote device;

determining whether an internal amplifier of a wireless chipset generating the radio frequency signal of the electronic device is at a maximum amplification level;

if not, increasing the amplification level of the internal amplifier in response to the request for more power; and

if so, determining an error rate of the communications link and determining whether to increase power of the radio frequency signal generated by the electronic device using an amplifier of the electronic device external to the wireless chipset based at least in part on the error rate.

8. The method, as set forth in claim 7, wherein the communications link comprises a Bluetooth communications link.

9. The method, as set forth in claim 7, wherein the step of determining whether to increase power comprises:

determining if the error rate is above an upper boundary;

if the error rate is above the upper boundary, determining the strength of a signal received by the electronic device from the remote device and determining whether it is below a threshold;

if the strength of the received signal is below the threshold, then not further amplifying the radio frequency signal; and

if the strength of the received signal is not below the threshold, then increasing power of the external amplifier to further amplify the radio frequency signal.

10. The method, as set forth in claim 9, wherein the step of determining whether to increase power comprises:

if the error rate is not above the upper boundary, determining if the error rate is below a lower boundary;

if the error rate is below the lower boundary, then determining whether the amplification level of the external amplifier is at its minimum level;

if it is at its minimum level, then turning off the external amplifier; and

if it is not at its minimum level, then decreasing power of the external amplifier.

11. The method, as set forth in claim 7, wherein the step of determining whether to increase power comprises:

if the internal amplifier is at its maximum level, determining the strength of a signal received by the electronic device from the remote device and determining whether it is below a threshold;

if the strength of the received signal is below the threshold, then not further amplifying the radio frequency signal; and

if the strength of the received signal is not below the threshold, then determining whether the error rate is sufficient to maintain the communications link;

if so, then not further amplifying the radio frequency signal;

if not, then increasing power of the external amplifier to further amplify the radio frequency signal.

12. The method, as set forth in claim 11, wherein the step of determining whether to increase power comprises:

if the error rate is sufficient to maintain the communications link, then determining whether the amplification level of the external amplifier is at its minimum level;

if it is at its minimum level, then turning off the external amplifier; and

if it is not at its minimum level, then decreasing power of the external amplifier.

13. A tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions that when executed by a processor of an electronic device in wireless communication with a remote device via a communications link cause the electronic device to:

determine whether an internal amplifier of a wireless chipset generating a radio frequency signal of the electronic device is at a maximum amplification level in response to the electronic device receiving a request for more power from a remote device;

if not, increase the amplification level of the internal amplifier in response to the request for more power; and

if so, determine an error rate of the communications link and determine whether to increase power of the radio frequency signal generated by the electronic device using an amplifier of the electronic device external to the wireless chipset based at least in part on the error rate.

14. The medium, as set forth in claim 13, wherein the communications link comprises a Bluetooth communications link.

15. The medium, as set forth in claim 13, wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to:

determine if the error rate is above an upper boundary;

if the error rate is above the upper boundary, determine the strength of a signal received by the electronic device from the remote device and determining whether it is below a threshold;

if the strength of the received signal is below the threshold, then not further amplify the radio frequency signal; and

if the strength of the received signal is not below the threshold, then increase power of the external amplifier to further amplify the radio frequency signal.

16. The medium, as set forth in claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to:

if the error rate is not above the upper boundary, determine if the error rate is below a lower boundary;

if the error rate is below the lower boundary, then determine whether the amplification level of the external amplifier is at its minimum level;

if it is at its minimum level, then turn off the external amplifier; and

if it is not at its minimum level, then decrease power of the external amplifier.

17. The medium, as set forth in claim 13, wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to:

if the internal amplifier is at its maximum level, determine the strength of a signal received by the electronic device from the remote device and determine whether it is below a threshold;

if the strength of the received signal is below the threshold, then not further amplify the radio frequency signal; and

if the strength of the received signal is not below the threshold, then determine whether the error rate is sufficient to maintain the communications link;

if so, then not further amplify the radio frequency signal;

if not, then increase power of the external amplifier to further amplify the radio frequency signal.

18. The medium, as set forth in claim 17, wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to:

if the error rate is sufficient to maintain the communications link, then determine whether the amplification level of the external amplifier is at its minimum level;

if it is at its minimum level, then turn off the external amplifier; and

if it is not at its minimum level, then decrease power of the external amplifier.

19. A method for controlling the power of a radio frequency signal generated by an electronic device wirelessly communicating via a communications link with a remote device, the method comprising:

receiving at the electronic device a request for more power from the remote device;

determining whether an internal amplifier of a wireless chipset generating the radio frequency signal of the electronic device is at a maximum amplification level;

if not, increasing the amplification level of the internal amplifier in response to the request for more power;

if so, determining an error rate for the communications link and determining if the error rate is above an upper boundary;

if the error rate is above the upper boundary, determining the strength of a signal received by the electronic device from the remote device and determining whether it is below a threshold;

if the strength of the received signal is below the threshold, then not further amplifying the radio frequency signal;

if the strength of the received signal is not below the threshold, then increasing power of the external amplifier to further amplify the radio frequency signal;

if the error rate is not above the upper boundary, determining if the error rate is below a lower boundary;

if the error rate is below the lower boundary, then determining whether the amplification level of the external amplifier is at its minimum level;

if it is at its minimum level, then turning off the external amplifier; and

if it is not at its minimum level, then decreasing power of the external amplifier.

20. The method, as set forth in claim 19, wherein the communications link comprises a Bluetooth communications link.

21. The method, as set forth in claim 19, wherein the error rate comprises an average error rate of the communications link.

22. The method, as set forth in claim 19, wherein the error rate comprises a retransmission rate of the communications link.