Systems and methods for utilizing a scanning threshold to reduce power consumption

• US 8,077,647 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2008
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Conexant Systems Incorporated (Synaptics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wentink, Maarten Menzo
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHEIBEL, ROBERT C
• Application Number:
  US12/110,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20090325571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0232 according to average transmission signal activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0238 where the received signal is an unwanted signal, e.g. interference or idle signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Included are embodiments for utilizing a scanning threshold. More specifically, one embodiment of a method includes entering a standby mode, wherein in the standby mode, at least one component of a communications device is shutdown, and wherein in the standby mode, at least one channel is scanned to determine potential interference and monitoring exchanged traffic with the communications device. Some embodiments include determining a relative volume of the exchanged traffic, compared to a predetermined threshold and based on the determination of the relative volume of the exchanged traffic and the predetermined threshold, entering a power save standby mode, wherein in the power save standby mode, scanning of the at least one channel is terminated.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

entering a standby mode, wherein in the standby mode, at least one component of a communications device is shutdown, and at least one channel is scanned for potential interference;

monitoring, in the standby mode, exchanged traffic with the communications device;

determining a relative volume of the exchanged traffic, compared to a predetermined threshold;

based on the determination of the relative volume of the exchanged traffic and the predetermined threshold, entering a power save standby mode,

wherein in the power save standby mode, scanning of the at least one channel is terminated; and

monitoring, in the power save standby mode, the exchanged traffic to determine whether the relative volume of exchanged traffic has changed with regard to the predetermined threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in power save standby mode, the at least one channel is terminated.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to determining that the relative volume of exchanged traffic has changed with regard to the predetermined threshold, resuming the scanning of the at least one channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the exchanged traffic is below a predetermined threshold does not include received broadcast and multicast traffic.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications device is configured to communicate data in an IEEE 802.11n protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications device is configured to support at least one 40 MHz channel in a 2.4 GHz frequency band.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising:

entering logic configured to enter a standby mode, wherein in the standby mode, at least one component of a communications device is shutdown, and at least one channel is scanned for potential interference;

first monitoring logic configured to monitor exchanged traffic with the communications device while in the standby mode;

determining logic configured to determine a relative volume of the exchanged traffic, compared to a predetermined threshold;

scanning logic configured to, based on the determination of the relative volume of the exchanged traffic and the predetermined threshold, enter a power save standby mode, wherein in the power save standby mode, scanning of the at least one channel is terminated; and

second monitoring logic configured to monitor, in the power save standby mode, the exchanged traffic to determine whether the relative volume of exchanged traffic has changed with regard to the predetermined threshold.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the monitoring logic is configured to exclude received broadcast traffic.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the monitoring logic is configured to exclude received multicast traffic.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 7, further comprising power save logic configured to, in response to determining that the relative volume of exchanged traffic has changed with regard to the predetermined threshold, terminate scanning of the at least one channel for potential interference.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the communications device is configured to communicate data in an IEEE 802.11n protocol.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the communications device is configured to support at least one 40 MHz channel in a 2.4 GHz frequency band.

13. A system, comprising:

means for entering a standby mode, wherein in the standby mode, at least one component of a communications device is shutdown, and wherein in the standby mode, at least one channel is scanned to determine potential interference;

means for monitoring exchanged traffic with the communications device;

means for determining a relative volume of the exchanged traffic, compared to a predetermined threshold;

means for, based on the determination of the relative volume of the exchanged traffic and the predetermined threshold, entering a power save standby mode,

wherein in the power save standby mode, scanning of the at least one channel is terminated; and

means for monitoring, in the power save standby mode, the exchanged traffic to determine whether the relative volume of exchanged traffic has changed with regard to the predetermined threshold.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the monitoring means is configured to monitor transmitted traffic and received unicast traffic.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising means for, in response to determining that the relative volume of exchanged traffic has changed with regard to the predetermined threshold, resuming the scanning of the at least one channel.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the communications device is configured to communicate data in an IEEE 802.11n protocol.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the communications device is configured to support at least one 40 MHz channel in a 2.4 GHz frequency band.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for monitoring is configured to exclude received broadcast and multicast traffic.

19. A system, comprising:

a first entering component configured to enter a standby mode, wherein in the standby mode, at least one component of a communications device is shutdown, and wherein in the standby mode, at least one channel is scanned to determine potential interference;

a first monitoring component configured to monitor exchanged traffic with the communications device;

a determining component configured to determine a relative volume of the exchanged traffic, compared to a predetermined threshold;

a second entering component configured to, based on the determination of the relative volume of the exchanged traffic and the predetermined threshold, enter a power save standby mode,

wherein in the power save standby mode, scanning of the at least one channel is terminated; and

a second monitoring component configured to monitor, in the power save standby mode, the exchanged traffic to determine whether the relative volume of exchanged traffic has changed with regard to the predetermined threshold.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a resuming component configured to, in response to determining that the relative volume of exchanged traffic has changed with regard to the predetermined threshold, resume the scanning of the at least one channel.