Aligning a frame pulse of a high frequency timer using a low frequency timer

• US 7,412,266 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2007
• Issued: 08/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Skyworks Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Underbrink, Paul A., Tomlinson, Michael D., Clark, Ricke W.
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, NGUYEN THANH
• Application Number:
  US11/805,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20070217562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 455/502, 455/574, 455/343.1, 375/356, 370/503
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/029 reducing the clock frequency of the controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A low frequency timing circuit is used to reestablish a timing signal in a high-frequency timing circuit after the high frequency timing circuit has lost and regained power. The timing of the low frequency circuit is measured against the timing of the high frequency circuit before the high frequency circuit has lost power. The low frequency circuit then is used to measure time after the high frequency circuit has lost power. Once the high frequency circuit has regained power, its timing signal is reestablished at an appropriate time based on a time measurement obtained from the low frequency circuit.

Claims

1. A method for use by a mobile station to synchronize a high frequency timing circuit to a frame pulse produced by a base station in a wireless network, the method comprising:

calibrating a timing of a low frequency timing circuit against a timing of the high frequency timing circuit;

calculating a time offset between a next time a wake up signal is to be generated by the low frequency timing circuit and a next time the frame pulse is to occur;

entering the high frequency timing circuit into a sleep mode;

waking up the high frequency timing circuit from the sleep mode in response to the wake up signal generated by the low frequency timing circuit;

generating a synchronization pulse using the high frequency timing circuit based on the time offset after the waking up; and

triggering a frame pulse signal in the high frequency timing circuit using the synchronization pulse, wherein the frame pulse signal is aligned with the frame pulse.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising:

using the synchronization pulse to recover time information from the base station.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising:

using the synchronization pulse to recover date information from the base station.

4. A mobile station comprising:

a high frequency timing circuit;

a low frequency timing circuit;

a calibration circuitry configured to calibrate a timing of the low frequency timing circuit against a timing of the high frequency timing circuit;

a control circuitry configured to calculate a time offset between a next time a wake up signal is to be generated by the low frequency timing circuit and a next time the frame pulse is to occur;

wherein the high-frequency timing circuit is further configured to wake up from asleep in response to the wake up signal generated by the low frequency timing circuit, and wherein the high frequency timing circuit is configured to generate a synchronization pulse based on the time offset after waking up, and wherein the high frequency timing circuit is configured to trigger a frame pulse signal using the synchronization pulse, wherein the frame pulse signal is aligned with the frame pulse.

5. The mobile station of claim 4, wherein the mobile station uses the synchronization pulse to recover time information from the base station.

6. The mobile station of claim 4 wherein the mobile station uses the synchronization pulse to recover date information from the base station.