Low-power mode clock management for wireless communication devices

• US 7,702,371 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2007
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Matson, Mark D., Edwards, Bruce E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): HU, RUI MENG
• Application Number:
  US11/691,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20070190964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 455571-574, 4553431-3436, 455/258, 455/255, 455/256, 455/260, 331/2, 331/7, 331/14, 331/34, 331/40, 331/49, 331/109, 331/182, 331/183
• 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 power management scheme for a wireless communications device substantially implemented on a single CMOS integrated circuit is described. The present invention provides a method and apparatus for generating first and second clock signals for a wireless communication device, with the first and second clock signals corresponding first and second power levels, depending on the operating mode of the wireless communication unit. In the first operating state, the transceiver in the RF analog module is operational and the clock generator provides a first clock signal having the high-speed, high-accuracy characteristics necessary to maintain efficient operation of the transceiver. In a second operating state, the transceiver in the RF analog module is turned off. In this second operational state, the clock generator provides a second clock signal having a frequency and quality sufficient to maintain efficient operation of the digital modules in the wireless communication device. In the second operational state, the high-speed, high-accuracy clock is replaced by a low-power oscillator when the wireless communication unit is operating in a low power mode.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a radio module operable to operate in a high-power mode and a reduced-power mode;

a clock generator for generating first and second clock signals for use by said radio module, said first clock signal corresponding to said high-power mode and said second clock signal corresponding to said reduced-power mode;

a timer operable to count clock cycles of said first and second clock signals;

power management logic operable to calibrate the frequency of said clock generator while said communication system is operating in said reduced power mode; and

a timer management module operable to count the number of clock cycles for said first clock when said communication system is operating in said high power mode and further operable to count the number clock cycles for said second clock signal when said communication system is operating in said reduced-power mode;

wherein the number of clock cycles counted by said timer when said communication system is operating in said reduced-power mode is converted to an equivalent number of clock cycles that would have been generated by said first clock by using an adjustment factor based on the number of cycles said first clock would generate during a single cycle of said second clock.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein said first clock signal is generated by a crystal and a phase-locked loop.

3. The communication device of claim 1, wherein said second clock signal is generated by a low-power oscillator.

4. A method of managing power in a wireless communication system having a radio module operable to communicate data between a host and at least one external device, and at least one digital module operable to process data communicated by said radio module, the method comprising:

generating a high-frequency first clock signal for use by said digital module when said wireless communication system is operating in a first power mode and a lower frequency second clock signal for use by said digital module when said wireless communication system is operating in a second power mode; and

using power management logic to calibrate the frequency of said clock generator while said wireless communication system is operating in said second power mode

using a timer to count clock cycles of said first and second clock signals; and

using a timer management module to maintain a cumulative count of the number of clock cycles counted by said timer, wherein the number of clock cycles counted by said timer when said wireless communication system is operating in said second power mode is converted to an equivalent number of clock cycles that would have been generated by said first clock by using an adjustment factor based on the number of cycles said first clock would generate during a single cycle of the said second clock.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

generating said first clock signal using a crystal and a phase-locked loop.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

generating said second clock signal using a low-power oscillator.

7. A method of managing power in a communication system having a radio module, the method comprising:

generating a first clock signal for use by said radio module when said communication system is operating in a high-power mode and generating a second clock signal for use by said communication system when said radio module is operating in a reduced-power mode; and

using power management logic to calibrate the frequency of said clock generator while said communication system is operating in said reduced-power mode;

using a timer to count clock cycles of said first and second clock signals, wherein said timer counts the number of clock cycles for said first clock when said communication system is operating in said high-power mode and said timer does not count the number of clock cycles for said first clock signal when said communication system is operating in said reduced-power mode;

using a timer management module to maintain a cumulative count of the number of clock cycles counted by said timer during a predetermined time interval; and

using said timer management module to generate updated timing information using information provided by said power management logic regarding the duration of the time interval that the communication system is operating in said second power mode.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating said first clock signal using a crystal and a phase-locked loop.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating said second clock signal using a low-power oscillator.