Power control techniques for wireless devices

• US 7,916,677 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hall, Steven D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Ajit
• Application Number:
  US12/603,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20100039975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Various embodiments are disclosed relating to wireless systems, and also relating to power control techniques for wireless devices. One disclosed embodiment comprises a wireless receiver that includes a processing circuit. In one example embodiment, at least a portion of the processing circuit may process only a portion of an ID packet. The portion of the ID packet that is received and processed may be less than a full ID packet, which may provide power savings.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a receiver unit, only a portion of an ID packet that is less than a full ID packet;

processing the portion of the ID packet;

correlating the processed portion of the ID packet with an address of the receiver unit to generate a correlation result; and

comparing the correlation result to a correlation threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the processing the portion of the ID packet comprises:

performing analog processing on the portion of the ID packet to generate an analog processed portion of the ID packet; and

demodulating the analog processed portion of the ID packet to generate a demodulated portion of the ID packet;

wherein the correlating the portion of the ID packet comprises correlating the demodulated portion of the ID packet with the address of the receiver unit.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

comparing, at about a peak of the correlation result, a first received signal strength of the portion of the ID packet to a first signal strength threshold; and

determining that the correlation result is valid based at least in part on the comparing the first received signal strength to the first signal strength threshold.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

comparing, after the about the peak of the correlation result, a second received signal strength of the portion of the ID packet to a second signal strength threshold;

wherein the determining that the correlation result is valid is further based at least in part on comparing the second received signal strength to the second signal strength threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving comprises receiving only a portion of a Bluetooth ID packet that is less than a full Bluetooth ID packet.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless receiver, the wireless receiver including;

an analog processing circuit configured to receive and process only a portion of an ID packet during an operational state, the portion of the ID packet being less than a full ID packet; and

a digital processing circuit including;

a correlator coupled to the analog processing circuit, the correlator being configured to correlate a processed portion of the ID packet with an address of the wireless receiver and to output a correlation result; and

a detector circuit configured to compare the correlation result to a correlation threshold.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the analog processing circuit comprises one or more of:

a low noise amplifier;

a mixer;

an automatic gain control;

a filter;

or

an analog-to-digital converter.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein at least a portion of the analog processing circuit and/or digital processing circuit is configured to periodically wake from a low power state to the operational state and return to the low power state.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein at least a portion of the analog processing circuit and/or digital processing circuit is configured to periodically wake from a low power state to the operational state for less than sixty-eight microseconds before returning to the low power state.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the wireless receiver further includes a Bluetooth wireless interface configured to receive the portion of the ID packet and transmit the portion of the ID packet to the analog processing circuit and/or digital processing circuit.

11. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the digital processing circuit comprises:

a demodulator configured to demodulate the processed portion of the ID packet to generate a demodulated portion of an ID packet, and transmit the demodulated portion of the ID packet to the correlator; and

wherein the processed portion of the ID packet comprises the demodulated portion of the ID packet.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein:

the demodulator is further configured to turn at least partially off when the analog processing circuit and/or digital processing circuit is in the low power state.

13. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the wireless receiver further includes:

a received signal strength indicator;

wherein the received signal strength indicator is configured to measure a first signal strength of the portion of the ID packet at about a peak of the correlation result; and

wherein the detector circuit is configured to determine that the portion of the ID packet was valid based at least in part on the first signal strength exceeding a signal strength threshold.

14. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising:

a received signal strength indicator;

wherein the received signal strength indicator is configured to measure a first signal strength of the portion of the ID packet at about a peak of the correlation result;

wherein the received signal strength indicator is further configured to measure a second signal strength of the portion of the ID packet after the about the peak of the correlation result; and

the detector circuit is configured to determine that the portion of the ID packet was valid based at least in part on the first signal strength exceeding a first signal strength threshold and the second signal strength being less than a second signal strength threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the portion of the ID packet comprises a portion of a Bluetooth ID packet.

16. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the analog processing circuit is configured to return to the operational state to receive and process a full ID packet in response to the comparison of the correlation result to the correlation threshold.

17. A processing circuit adapted for operation in a wireless receiver, the processing circuit configured to:

receive only a portion of an ID packet that is less than a full ID packet;

process the portion of the ID packet;

correlate the processed portion of the ID packet with an address of the wireless receiver to generate a correlation result; and

compare the correlation result to a correlation threshold.

18. The processing circuit of claim 17, wherein the processing circuit includes:

an analog processing circuit configured to;

receive the only the portion of the ID packet that is less than the full ID packet; and

process the portion of the ID packet;

a correlator configured to correlate the processed portion of the ID packet with the address of the wireless receiver to generate the correlation result; and

a detector circuit configured to compare the correlation result to the correlation threshold.

19. The processing circuit of claim 17 wherein the detector circuit is further configured to:

compare, at about a peak of the correlation result, a first received signal strength of the portion of the ID packet to a first signal strength threshold; and

determine that the correlation result is valid based at least in part on the comparing the first received signal strength to the first signal strength threshold.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the detector circuit is further configured to:

compare, at about a peak of the correlation result, a first received signal strength of the portion of the ID packet to a first signal strength threshold;

compare, after the about the peak of the correlation result, a second received signal strength of the portion of the ID packet to a second signal strength threshold; and

determine that the correlation result is valid based at least in part on the comparing the first received signal strength to the first signal strength threshold and the comparing the second received signal strength to the second signal strength threshold.