Power consumption control method and apparatus for a communication system subscriber unit
First Claim
1. A method for operating a TDMA radio subscriber unit to conserve power, said subscriber unit comprising a plurality of cooperatively connected circuit components, said subscriber unit (a) operating in different signal processing states at different times, and (b) operating within a plurality of time slots of a recurring time frame, said method comprising the steps of:
- identifying for each of said states, respective ones of said circuit components not required to be powered at a first power consumption level for said TDMA radio subscriber unit to operate;
assigning to said respective ones of said circuit components a second power consumption level, lower than said first power consumption level, for said each of said states;
transitioning said subscriber unit between two of said signal processing states responsive to a transition between two of said plurality of time slots; and
operating each of said circuit components at one of said first power consumption level and said second power consumption level depending on whether said each of said circuit components has been assigned said second power level for any one of said states within said one of said time slots said subscriber unit is operating within.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A subscriber unit of a time division multiple access (TDMA) radiotelephone system is, from a power consumption standpoint, reconfigured in each time slot of a TDMA frame to a power consumption tessellation in which subscriber unit circuit components not needed for communication signal processing in that time slot are powered down, and other components are powered up. Some circuit components are powered down by switching their power supply circuits. In order to minimize the extent of circuitry that must be provided to distribute power consumption control signals, other techniques (which utilize circuitry provided for other purposes), such as clock frequency control or power down commands, also are utilized to modify controlled circuit component power consumption without actually controlling power supply circuits. Loop connection length between the subscriber unit and the subscriber'"'"'s telephone set, or other terminal equipment, is limited to a length which is much less than the length of a radio link on which the subscriber unit operates. Programmable ring frequency logic controls the frequency of a ringing signal generator, and a high frequency ring control signals switched on and off in the cadence of ringing operation. Also an expansion header is provided to enable serving plural subscriber loop circuits with the same radio equipment for reducing per line power consumption.
122 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for operating a TDMA radio subscriber unit to conserve power, said subscriber unit comprising a plurality of cooperatively connected circuit components, said subscriber unit (a) operating in different signal processing states at different times, and (b) operating within a plurality of time slots of a recurring time frame, said method comprising the steps of:
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identifying for each of said states, respective ones of said circuit components not required to be powered at a first power consumption level for said TDMA radio subscriber unit to operate; assigning to said respective ones of said circuit components a second power consumption level, lower than said first power consumption level, for said each of said states; transitioning said subscriber unit between two of said signal processing states responsive to a transition between two of said plurality of time slots; and operating each of said circuit components at one of said first power consumption level and said second power consumption level depending on whether said each of said circuit components has been assigned said second power level for any one of said states within said one of said time slots said subscriber unit is operating within. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. In a TDMA radiotelephone system subscriber unit including a plurality of cooperatively interconnected circuit components which each change power consumption level between a) a first level for communication signal processing and b) a predetermined reduced second level, a method for reducing power consumption in said subscriber unit comprising the steps of:
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during each of a plurality of TDMA time slots, maintaining at said second level ones of said plurality of circuit components which are not required for signal processing in said each of said plurality of TDMA time slots if said subscriber unit is in one of a plurality of predetermined states in which said subscriber unit operates during said each of said plurality of TDMA time slots; during said each of said plurality of TDMA time slots maintaining at said first level others of said circuit components, which are required for communication signal processing in said each of said plurality of TDMA time slots, to power such circuit components to their respective signal processing power consumption levels if said subscriber unit is in one of said plurality of predetermined states in which said subscriber unit operates during said each of said plurality of TDMA time slots; and transitioning said subscriber unit between two of said plurality of states responsive to a transition between two of said plurality of TDMA time slots.
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9. A subscriber unit for coupling a subscriber loop circuit to a radio communication link in a time division multiple access (TDMA) radio telecommunication system, said subscriber unit comprising:
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plural cooperatively connected circuit components for at least one of reception and transmission signal processing, when electrically powered, in recurring time division frames, each frame comprising a predetermined number of time slots; means for connecting electrical power to said subscriber unit to supply power consumption needs of said circuit components; means for transitioning said subscriber unit between two of said plurality of predetermined states responsive to a transition between two of said plurality of time slots; and means for limiting power consumed by a predetermined plurality of said subscriber unit circuit components during each of said time slots to that which is needed by said components, respectively, during said each of said time slots for said signal processing if said subscriber unit is in one of a plurality of predetermined states in which said subscriber unit operates during said each of said time slots. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification