Method for optimizing power consumption in wireless devices using data rate efficiency factor

• US 8,548,475 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2011
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Dimpflmaier, Ronald W., Yu, Jesse, Lum, Nicholas W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COSME, NATASHA W
• Application Number:
  US13/211,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20130045744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 455/437
• US Class Current: 455/437
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/1443 between licensed networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/24 Reselection being triggered by specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/36 by user or terminal equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An electronic device has wireless communications circuitry that supports communications using multiple radio access technologies. The electronic device may gather information such as data rate values, power consumption values, and other data for a currently active radio access technology and an alternative radio access technology. The electronic device may automatically switch between the currently active radio access technology and the alternative radio access technology based on a value of a data rate efficiency metric. The data rate efficiency metric may represent how efficiently each radio access technology is capable of using power to convey a given amount of data per unit time. The data rate efficiency metric may be evaluated using measured power consumption data, measured data rate values, and operating parameters such as signal strength and transmitted power parameters.

Claims

1. A method of operating a wireless electronic device that supports multiple radio access technologies, comprising:

determining a data rate efficiency value associated with a currently active radio access technology in the wireless electronic device, wherein the data rate efficiency value associated with the currently active radio access technology is based on a ratio of a data rate for the currently active radio access technology to a power consumption value for the currently active radio access technology;

determining a data rate efficiency value associated with an alternative radio access technology in the wireless electronic device, wherein the data rate efficiency value associated with the alternative active radio access technology is based on a ratio of a data rate for the alternative active radio access technology to a power consumption value for the alternative active radio access technology; and

in response to determining that the data rate efficiency value for the alternative radio access technology is greater than the data rate efficiency value for the current radio access technology, switching the alternate radio access technology into use in conveying wireless data for the wireless electronic device in place of the currently active radio access technology.

2. The method defined in claim 1 further comprising:

in response to determining that the data rate efficiency value for the alternative radio access technology is less than the data rate efficiency value for the current radio access technology, maintaining use of the currently active radio access technology as the currently active radio access technology in the wireless electronic device.

3. The method defined in claim 1 wherein determining the data rate efficiency value associated with the currently active radio access technology comprises:

with control circuitry in the wireless electronic device, computing a ratio of a current data rate associated with conveying wireless data traffic with the wireless electronic device divided by a current power consumption value.

4. The method defined in claim 3 wherein determining the data rate efficiency value associated with the alternative radio access technology comprises computing a ratio of a data rate associated with conveying wireless data traffic with the wireless electronic device using the alternative radio access technology divided by a power consumption value.

5. The method defined in claim 1 wherein determining the data rate efficiency value for the currently active radio access technology comprises making a power consumption measurement using a power management unit in the wireless electronic device.

6. The method defined in claim 1 wherein determining the data rate efficiency value for the currently active radio access technology comprises determining a current wireless traffic data rate using a baseband processor in the wireless electronic device.

7. The method defined in claim 1 wherein determining the data rate efficiency value for the currently active radio access technology comprises obtaining a wireless parameter associated with the currently active radio access technology from a baseband processor.

8. The method defined in claim 1 wherein determining the data rate efficiency value for the currently active radio access technology comprises obtaining an operating parameter for the wireless electronic device that is associated with the currently active radio access technology from a baseband processor, wherein the operating parameter is selected from the group consisting of:

RSSI, RSCP, RSRP, MCS, CQI, RI, PMI, SINR, and transmit power level.

9. The method defined in claim 1 wherein determining the data rate efficiency value for the currently active radio access technology comprises:

with control circuitry in the wireless electronic device, using a mathematical expression to compute a value for a current wireless data rate associated with the wireless electronic device divided by a current power consumption associated with the wireless electronic device based at least partly on data from a baseband processor in the wireless electronic device.

10. The method defined in claim 1 wherein determining the data rate efficiency value for the alternative radio access technology comprises using a lookup table to estimate a value for a wireless data rate associated with using the alternative radio access technology to wirelessly transmit data divided by a power consumption associated with the wireless electronic device.

11. The method defined in claim 1 wherein the currently active radio access technology comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) radio access technology.

12. A wireless electronic device, comprising:

wireless circuitry that is configured to transmit and receive radio-frequency signals using multiple radio access technologies; and

control circuitry that is coupled to the wireless circuitry, wherein the control circuitry is configured to select which of the multiple radio access technologies to use in real time based at least partly on a data rate efficiency metric, wherein the data rate efficiency metric is based on a ratio of a data rate value for wirelessly conveying data traffic with the wireless electronic device divided by a power consumption value associated with using the wireless electronic device to wirelessly convey the data traffic.

13. The wireless electronic device defined in claim 12 wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine a first value for the data rate efficiency metric for a currently active one of the multiple radio access technologies and is configured to determine a second value for the data rate efficiency metric for an alternative one of the multiple radio access technologies.

14. The wireless electronic device defined in claim 13 wherein the control circuitry is configured to switch the alternative one of the multiple radio access technologies into use in place of the currently active one of the multiple radio access technologies in response to determining that the first value is less than the second value.

15. The wireless electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the wireless circuitry and the control circuitry are configured to compute at least one of the first value and the second value based on a parameter selected from the group consisting of:

RSSI, RSCP, RSRP, MCS, CQI, RI, PMI, SINR, and transmit power level.

16. The wireless electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the wireless circuitry and control circuitry are configured to compute at least one of the first value and the second value based on received wireless signal strength information.

17. A method of operating a wireless electronic device that supports wireless communications using multiple radio access technologies including a currently active radio access technology and an alternative radio access technology, comprising:

based on a value of a data rate efficiency metric, using control circuitry within the wireless electronic device to determine whether to maintain use of the currently active radio access technology in conveying wireless data or whether to switch the alternative radio access technology into use in place of the currently active radio access technology, wherein the data rate efficiency metric is based at least partly on a ratio of a data rate value for wirelessly conveying data traffic with the wireless electronic device divided by a power consumption value associated with using the wireless electronic device to wirelessly convey the data traffic.

18. The method defined claim 17 further comprising:

with the control circuitry, obtaining the data rate value from a baseband processor integrated circuit in the wireless electronic device.

19. The method defined in claim 18 further comprising:

measuring the power consumption value using a power management unit in the wireless electronic device.

20. The method defined in claim 17 wherein at least one of the multiple radio access technologies comprises a Long Term Evolution (LTE) radio access technology, wherein the currently active radio access technology comprises the LTE radio access technology, and wherein using the control circuitry within the wireless electronic device to determine whether to maintain use of the currently active radio access technology in conveying wireless data or whether to switch the alternative radio access technology into use in place of the currently active radio access technology comprises using the control circuitry within the wireless electronic device to determine whether to maintain use of the LTE radio access technology in conveying wireless data or whether to switch the alternative radio access technology into use in place of the LTE radio access technology.

21. A non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions for operating a wireless electronic device that supports multiple radio access technologies, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

determine a data rate efficiency value associated with a currently active radio access technology in the wireless electronic device, wherein the data rate efficiency value associated with the currently active radio access technology is based on a ratio of a data rate for the currently active radio access technology to a power consumption value for the currently active radio access technology;

determine a data rate efficiency value associated with an alternative radio access technology in the wireless electronic device, wherein the data rate efficiency value associated with the alternative active radio access technology is based on a ratio of a data rate for the alternative active radio access technology to a power consumption value for the alternative active radio access technology; and

in response to determining that the data rate efficiency value for the alternative radio access technology is greater than the data rate efficiency value for the current radio access technology, switch the alternate radio access technology into use in conveying wireless data for the wireless electronic device in place of the currently active radio access technology.

22. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium defined in claim 21, wherein determining the data rate efficiency value for the currently active radio access technology comprises obtaining an operating parameter for the wireless electronic device that is associated with the currently active radio access technology from a baseband processor, wherein the operating parameter is selected from the group consisting of:

RSSI, RSCP, RSRP, MCS, CQI, RI, PMI, SINR, and transmit power level.