Device and method for wireless communication selection and control

• US 7,434,076 B1
• Filed: 07/22/2005
• Issued: 10/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Motion Computing Incorporated (Zebra Technologies Corporation)
• Inventors: Rappaport, Theodore S., Altounian, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler; Dennis M
• Application Number:
  US11/187,377
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 455/553.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/574, 455/132, 455/133, 455/140, 455/343.2, 455/343.5, 340/539.3, 340/10.34, 340/5.61, 713/300, 713/320, 713/323, 713/324
• US Class Current: 713/324
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3278 Power saving in modem or I/O interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A wireless communication device and system is provided for detecting an incoming wireless signal and selecting the power state and performance of one or more interface units that are adapted to receive the wireless signal. Depending on which interface unit recognizes the incoming signal, that unit may be supplied full power and maximum performance, whereas all other interface units are powered down or placed in a lower performance state. User preferences can be input into the device and used to manually select certain interfaces. The user preferences can be overridden by the automatic detection mechanism or vice-versa. The detection and user preferences are affected by the network characteristics, and the location, traffic, and interrogation/acknowledge signals sent across the network in order to optimize the automatic selection and user preference capability.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a plurality of interface circuits coupled to respective antennas, wherein each of the plurality of interface circuits comprises;

a physical device that recognizes the signal provided in a format unique to that interface circuit, said signal having characteristics selected from a group consisting of a signal strength exceeding a threshold, and a bit rate within a pre-determined range;

an amplifier; and

a clock recovery circuit having an oscillator;

a detector coupled to the interface circuits for detecting a signal recognizable by a first one of the interface circuits and for providing power to the first one of the interface circuits while removing power from other interface circuits, wherein the detector provides power to the amplifier and oscillator if the physical device recognizes the signal, otherwise the amplifier and oscillator do not receive power; and

a controller coupled to receive input via a graphical user input to select either the first one of the interface circuits or a second one of the interface circuits and for providing power to the first one or the second one of the interface circuits while removing power from other interface circuits, wherein the controller provides power to the amplifier and oscillator regardless of whether the physical device recognizes the signal if the controller selects the interface that comprises the amplifier and oscillator.

2. The wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein the other interface circuits comprise all but the first one and the second one of the interface circuits.

3. The wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein the interface circuits comprise a Bluetooth interface circuit, a code division multiple access (CDMA) interface circuit, a global system for mobile communications (GSM) interface circuit, a general packet radio service (GPRS) interface circuit, evolution data only (EVDO) interface circuit, and a wireless local area network interface circuit utilizing IEEE 802.11 protocol.

4. The wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical user input is adapted to allow a user to selectively provide power to a subset of the interface circuits depending on user preferences selected from a group consisting of (i) a user preference for maximum battery life used to power the communication device, (ii) a user preference for maximum performance of the communication device regardless of power consumption, and (iii) a blend between a user preference for maximum battery life and maximum performance.

5. The wireless communication device as recited in claim 4, wherein the user preference for maximum battery life comprises powering down all interfaces that do not currently have an active connection and are not receiving the signal and subsequently powering up those interfaces and scan the wireless medium by sending an interrogation signal after a predetermined time setting.

6. The wireless communication device as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical user input is adapted to allow a user to provide power to the first, second, third, or more interface circuits depending on whether charge on a battery used to power the communication device drops below a predetermined threshold.

7. The wireless communication device as recited in claim 6, wherein the charge on the battery is displayed on the graphical user interface to warn a user to power down via the graphical user input all interface circuits not receiving the signal and, if the charge on the battery being displayed drops below the predetermined threshold to warn a user to power down via the graphical user interface all interface circuits including those receiving the signal.

8. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a plurality of interface circuits coupled to receive a communication signal forwarded across a wireless medium;

a controller coupled to the interface circuits;

a graphical user interface presented on a display coupled to the controller and adapted to forward a signal to the controller in response to a user input for selectively modifying performance of a subset of the interface circuits depending on a user preference selected from a group consisting of maximum battery life, maximum performance, the format, speed or bit rate of a communication signal sent across the wireless medium, and a charge on a battery used to supply power to the communication device; and

a detector coupled to receive the communication signal and to override the user input depending on which of the plurality of interface circuits recognizes the communication signal.

9. The wireless communication device as recited in claim 8, wherein said selectively modifying performance of the subset comprises selectively powering down the subset.

10. The wireless communication device as recited in claim 8, wherein said selectively modifying performance of the subset comprises selectively reducing clock speed within the subset.

11. The wireless communication device as recited in claim 8, wherein said selectively modifying performance of the subset comprises selectively powering down a portion circuits within the subset.

12. A method for controlling wireless interface circuits within a communication device, comprising:

controlling power to a plurality of interface circuits depending on a user preference input to the communication device via a graphical user input;

detecting a signal sent across a wireless medium to see which one of a plurality of interface circuits can recognize that signal; and

overriding power applied to the interface circuits depending on user preference and applying power to the one interface circuit that recognizes the signal while removing power from other interface circuits.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said controlling is selected from a group consisting of applying power to each of interface circuits at all times, applying power to only the interface circuits that recognize the signal, and applying power to the interface circuits if a charge on a battery powering the communication device is above a pre-determined threshold.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said detecting is selected from a group consisting of determining signal strength of the signal, traffic upon a wireless medium across which the signal is sent, and the status of an acknowledge signal sent to the interface circuits in response to the an interface circuit sending an interrogation signal.