Predictive wake-up of baseband circuitry

• US 8,331,885 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2010
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Ben-Ari, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghebretinsae, Temesgh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsvey, Gennadiy
• Application Number:
  US12/887,514
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 455/574, 455/127.5
• US Class Current: 455/127.5
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/04 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method in a mobile communication terminal includes accepting a data payload at a known input rate for transmission by baseband circuitry having a known wake-up delay. Based on the known input rate and the known wake-up delay, a point in time is predicted, at which the data payload will have been only partially accepted for transmission, such that activation of the baseband circuitry at the predicted point in time will cause the baseband circuitry to be active upon complete arrival of the data payload. The baseband circuitry is activated to process the data payload at the predicted point in time.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

in a mobile communication terminal, accepting a data payload at a known input rate for transmission by baseband circuitry having a known wake-up delay;

accepting a notification that a predefined portion of the data payload has been accepted;

based on the known input rate and the known wake-up delay, predicting a point in time that is set at a predefined time interval following the notification, at which the data payload will have been only partially accepted for transmission and such that activation of the baseband circuitry at the predicted point in time will cause the baseband circuitry to be active upon complete arrival of the data payload; and

activating the baseband circuitry to process the data payload at the predicted point in time.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein accepting the data payload comprises accumulating the data payload in a First-In First-Out (FIFO) memory, and wherein accepting the notification comprises detecting that a fill threshold set on the FIFO memory has been crossed.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein predicting the point in time comprises triggering a counter to measure the predefined time interval in response to the notification.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising, after activating the baseband circuitry, waiting the wake-up delay and then transmitting the processed data payload using the activated baseband circuitry.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein transmitting the processed data payload comprises transferring the processed data payload to a Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC) in accordance with a DigRF specification.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein predicting the point in time comprises maintaining the baseband circuitry inactive after a portion of the data payload has been accepted for transmission.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data payload conforms to a given Radio Access Technology (RAT), and wherein predicting the point in time comprises setting the predicted point in time responsively to the given RAT.

8. Apparatus, comprising:

an input interface, which is configured to accept a data payload at a known input rate for transmission by baseband circuitry having a known wake-up delay;

a wake-up predictor, which is configured to accept a notification that a predefined portion of the data payload has been accepted and to predict, based on the known input rate and the known wake-up delay, a point in time that is set at a predefined time interval following the notification, at which the data payload will have been only partially accepted for transmission and such that activation of the baseband circuitry at the predicted point in time will cause the baseband circuitry to be active upon complete arrival of the data payload; and

a baseband activator, which is configured to activate the baseband circuitry for processing the data payload at the predicted point in time.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, comprising a First-In First-Out (FIFO) memory that is configured to accumulate the accepted data payload and to generate the notification responsively to detecting that a fill threshold set on the FIFO memory has been crossed.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, comprising a counter, wherein the wake-up predictor is configured to set the point in time by triggering the counter to measure the predefined time interval in response to the notification.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, comprising the baseband circuitry, which is configured, after being activated by the baseband activator, to transmit the processed data payload following the wake-up delay.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the baseband circuitry is configured to transfer the processed data payload to a Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit (RFIC) in accordance with a DigRF specification.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the baseband activator is configured to maintain the baseband circuitry inactive after a portion of the data payload has been accepted for transmission.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the data payload conforms to a given Radio Access Technology (RAT), and wherein the wake-up predictor is configured to set the predicted point in time responsively to the given RAT.

15. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the wake-up predictor and the baseband activator are comprised in a single wake-up circuit.

16. A mobile communication terminal comprising the apparatus of claim 8.

17. A chipset for processing signals in a mobile communication terminal, comprising the apparatus of claim 8.