Power saving system for a mobile radio

• US 5,542,116 A
• Filed: 05/06/1994
• Issued: 07/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schellinger, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/239,144
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: 455/343, 455/38.3, 455/38.1, 455/54.1, 455/49.1, 455/89, 340/825.44, 340/311.1, 379/58, 379/59, 375/94.1
• US Class Current: 455/343.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A communication system has a PCC 101 which receives a data stream from an cordless base station 115 when the PCC 101 is not engaged in a telephone call. The data stream has a repeat indication field 508 and a message field 506 that the PCC 1 01 uses to determine if the message has already been received. If the PCC 101 determines the message was already received, the PCC 101 turns off its receiver 401 for a duration of time slightly less than the message field time. This results in a power savings for the PCC 101.

Claims

1. A method of reducing power consumed by a receiving device employed in a data communications system that has at least one message transmitted a plurality of times, the message having an associated message type and an associated repeat indication, wherein the message type and the repeat indication are transmitted before the message and the repeat indication is true when the message is a repeat transmission, the receiving device having a receiver capable of receiving the transmitted message type, repeat indication, and message, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the transmitted repeat indication;

determining if the received repeat indication is true;

initializing a count when the received repeat indication is not true;

determining if the transmitted message was previously received when the received repeat indication is true by,

receiving the transmitted message type, and

determining if the received message type matches a previously received message type;

initializing the count when the transmitted message has not been previously received;

determining if the count is greater than a limit when the transmitted message has been previously received;

initializing the count when the count is greater than the limit;

incrementing the count by one when the count is less than or equal the limit, thus counting the number of messages not received because they were repeats; and

turning off at least the receiver for a predetermined period of time when the received repeat indication is true and the transmitted message has been previously received, thus reducing power consumed by the receiving device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of receiving the transmitted message when the received repeat indication is not true or the transmitted message has not been previously received.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined period of time is a portion of the time that the message is transmitted, thus saving power otherwise spent to receive the transmitted message.

4. A system for reducing power consumed by a receiving device employed in a data communications system, the system comprising:

a transmitting device for repeatedly transmitting a message a plurality of times, the message having a associated message type and an associated repeat indication, wherein the message type and the repeat indication is transmitted before the message and the repeat indication is true when the message is a repeat transmission; and

a receiving device including,

a receiver for receiving the transmitted message type and the repeat indication,

means for determining if the received repeat indication is true;

means for determining if the transmitted message was previously received when the received repeat indication is true, by determining if the received message type matches a previously received message type,

means for counting,

means for setting a count to zero when the received repeat indication is not true or the transmitted message has not been previously received,

means for determining if the count is greater than a limit when the transmitted message has been previously received,

means for incrementing the count by one when the count is less than or equal the limit, thus counting the number of messages not received because they were repeats, and

means for turning off the receiver for a predetermined period of time when the received repeat indication is true and the transmitted message has been previously received, thus reducing the power consumed by the receiving device.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the receiver for further receiving the transmitted message when the received repeat indication is not true or the transmitted message has not been previously received.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the predetermined period of time is a portion of the time that the message is transmitted, thus saving power otherwise spent to receive the transmitted message.

7. A receiving device employed in a data communications system that has a message repeatedly transmitted a plurality of times, the message having an associated message type and an associated repeat indication transmitted before the message, wherein the repeat indication is true when the message is a repeat transmission, the receiving device comprising:

a receiver for receiving the repeat indication,

means for determining if the received repeat indication is true;

the receiver for further receiving the transmitted message type;

means for determining if the transmitted message was previously received when the received repeat indication is true, by determining if the received message type matches a previously received message type;

means for counting;

means for setting a count to zero when the received repeat indication is not true or the transmitted message has not been previously received;

means for determining if the count is greater than a limit when the transmitted message has been previously received;

means for incrementing the count by one when the count is less than or equal the limit, thus counting the number of messages not received because they were repeats; and

means for turning off the receiver for a predetermined period of time when the received repeat indication is true and the transmitted message has been previously received, thus reducing the power consumed by the receiving device.

8. The receiving device of claim 7 wherein the receiver for further receiving the transmitted message when the received repeat indication is not true or the transmitted message has not been previously received.

9. The receiving device of claim 7 wherein the predetermined period of time is a portion of the time that the message is transmitted, thus saving power otherwise spent to receive the transmitted message.