Adaptive power management for a node of a mobile telecommunications network

• US 7,904,115 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Terpstra, Hendrik Friso, Hageman, Halbe Tiemen, Feenstra, Freddy
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro; Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sarwar; Babar
• Application Number:
  US10/596,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20070191076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,636 Days
• Field of Search: 455/574, 455/343.1, 455/561, 455/571, 455/572, 455/127.5, 455/423, 455/417, 455/522, 4553435-3436, 455/13.4, 455/127.1, 455/298, 340/539.3, 340/693.1, 340/693.3, 340/7.32, 340/7.37, 340/425.2
• US Class Current: 455/561
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/64 The condition being economic, e.g. tariff based load management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A telecommunication apparatus, e.g. a radio base station in a mobile telecommunications network, comprises a plurality of traffic handling units and a plurality of power supply units powering the traffic handling units. Control means are provided for determining a power budget based on a power criterion. The control means activate an amount of traffic handling units and power supply units having a total power consumption equal to or less than the power budget. The power criterion for determining the power budget can comprise any power related parameter, such as an amount of solar cell generated power, a charging condition of a backup battery, a value of a mains voltage, a failure of a power supply unit of the apparatus, etc.

Claims

1. A telecommunication apparatus having a plurality of traffic handling units, and a plurality of power supply units for powering the plurality of traffic handling units, comprising:

a control means adapted to receive input information on a power criterion so as to determine a power budget for the plurality of power supply units and plurality of traffic handling units based on the power criterion wherein the power budget is determined by;

determining the power requirement for maximum traffic handling of all the traffic handling units,

determining the maximum available power from all the power supply units.

calculate a power criterion that includes the power requirement for maximum traffic handling of all the traffic handling units and the maximum available power from all the power supply units, and

set the power budget based on the power criterion; and

the control means operable to activate an amount of traffic handling units of the plurality of traffic handling units having a total power consumption equal to or less than the power budget; and

the control means operable to activate an amount of power supply units of the plurality of power supply units matching the total power consumption of the amount of activated traffic handling units, wherein the control means are operable to transfer active traffic from a traffic handling unit which is to be de-activated, to one or more of the other activated traffic handling units, before de-activating the to be de-activated traffic handling unit.

2. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control means are adapted to transfer active traffic from a traffic handling unit which is to be de-activated, to one or more of the activated traffic handling units, before de-activating the to be de-activated traffic handling unit.

3. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 1, wherein a maximum power output of a subgroup of the plurality of power supply units matches a maximum power consumption of a subgroup of the plurality of traffic handling units.

4. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control means further comprises:

a power status monitor for determining the power budget based on the power criterion;

a regulator for generating a regulator signal from an amount of active traffic; and

a decider for deciding on an activation of one or more of the plurality of power supply units based on the power budget as determined by the power status monitor, the regulator signal and an actual power consumption.

5. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 4, wherein the decider comprises a decision mechanism for taking account of the power budget as a limit value, the regulator signal as a desired value, and the actual used power as a factual value, the decision mechanism being adapted for activating as many power supply units and traffic handling units as required to match the regulator signal, the decision mechanism however being adapted to activate no more power supply units and traffic handling units than allowed by the power budget.

6. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control means further comprises:

a stay alive mechanism operable, when the power budget is under a first, predetermined level, to only activate power supplies and traffic handling units to process emergency calls;

the stay alive mechanism operable, when the power budget is under a second, predetermined level which is lower than the first level, to not activate any of the traffic handling units and only keep the control means and further monitoring hardware active, and

the stay alive mechanism operable, when the power budget is under a third, predetermined level which is lower than the second level, to shut down the telecommunication apparatus.

7. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power criterion comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

an amount of solar cell generated power, a charging condition of a battery for supplying power to the apparatus, a value of a mains voltage supplied to the apparatus, an amount of fuel in a fuel tank of a generator for generating power for feeding the apparatus, and a failure of a power supply unit.

8. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 7, wherein the control means are adapted to transfer active traffic from a traffic handling unit which is to be de-activated, to one or more of the activated traffic handling units, before de-activating the to be de-activated traffic handling unit.

9. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 7, wherein a maximum power output of a subgroup of the plurality of power supply units matches a maximum power consumption of a subgroup of the plurality of traffic handling units.

10. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 7, wherein the control means further comprises:

a power status monitor for determining the power budget based on the power criterion;

a regulator for generating a regulator signal from an amount of active traffic; and

a decider for deciding on an activation of one or more of the plurality of power supply units based on the power budget as determined by the power status monitor, the regulator signal and an actual power consumption.

11. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 10, wherein the decider comprises a decision mechanism for taking account of the power budget as a limit value, the regulator signal as a desired value, and the actual used power as a factual value, the decision mechanism being adapted for activating as many power supply units and traffic handling units as required to match the regulator signal, the decision mechanism however being adapted to activate no more power supply units and traffic handling units than allowed by the power budget.

12. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 7, wherein the control means further comprises:

a stay alive mechanism operable, when the power budget is under a first, predetermined level, to only activate power supplies and traffic handling units to process emergency calls;

the stay alive mechanism operable, when the power budget is under a second, predetermined level which is lower than the first level, to not activate any of the traffic handling units and only keep the control means and further monitoring hardware active, and

the stay alive mechanism operable, when the power budget is under a third, predetermined level which is lower than the second level, to shut down the telecommunication apparatus.

13. The telecommunication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power criterion comprises a forecast of at least one selected from the group consisting of:

an amount of solar cell generated power, a charging condition of a battery for supplying power to the apparatus, a value of a mains voltage supplied to the apparatus, an amount of fuel in a fuel tank of a generator for generating power for feeding the apparatus, and a traffic load of the apparatus.

14. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 13, wherein the control means are adapted to transfer active traffic from a traffic handling unit which is to be de-activated, to one or more of the activated traffic handling units, before de-activating the to be de-activated traffic handling unit.

15. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 13, wherein a maximum power output of a subgroup of the plurality of power supply units matches a maximum power consumption of a subgroup of the plurality of traffic handling units.

16. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 13, wherein the control means further comprises:

a power status monitor for determining the power budget based on the power criterion;

a regulator for generating a regulator signal from an amount of active traffic; and

a decider for deciding on an activation of one or more of the plurality of power supply units based on the power budget as determined by the power status monitor, the regulator signal and an actual power consumption.

17. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 16, wherein the decider comprises a decision mechanism for taking account of the power budget as a limit value, the regulator signal as a desired value, and the actual used power as a factual value, the decision mechanism being adapted for activating as many power supply units and traffic handling units as required to match the regulator signal, the decision mechanism however being adapted to activate no more power supply units and traffic handling units than allowed by the power budget.

18. The telecommunication apparatus of claim 13, wherein the control means further comprises:

a stay alive mechanism operable, when the power budget is under a first, predetermined level, to only activate power supplies and traffic handling units to process emergency calls;

the stay alive mechanism operable, when the power budget is under a second, predetermined level which is lower than the first level, to not activate any of the traffic handling units and only keep the control means and further monitoring hardware active, and

the stay alive mechanism operable, when the power budget is under a third, predetermined level which is lower than the second level, to shut down the telecommunication apparatus.