Power saving technique for a wireless device

• US 8,583,190 B1
• Filed: 01/22/2009
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Marvell International Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Kopikare, Rahul, Goel, Sandesh, Vandwalle, Pierre, Mishra, Partho
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Pablo
• Application Number:
  US12/357,915
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 455/574, 455/127.5, 455/343.1, 455/343.2, 455/343.4, 455/514, 455/67.11, 455/556.1, 455/230, 455/231
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/0416 having gain or transmission power control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0232 according to average transmission signal activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/267 taking into account the information rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/52 using AGC [Automatic Gain Control] circuits or amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for decreasing the amount of power consumed by a wireless signal receiver in a wireless device. Received data is communicated from the receiver to a play-out buffer in communication with a media play-out device. The level of data in the play-out buffer increases when received data is written to the buffer, and the level of data decreases when data is read from the buffer. If the level of data is above a first watermark level, the receiver is transitioned to a sleep mode while data is read from the buffer. When the level of data in the buffer falls below a second watermark level, the receiver is transitioned back to an active mode to receive data. The device communicates status messages (whether the receiver is asleep or active) to the transmitting device so that the transmitting device stops transmitting data when the receiver is in sleep mode, and transmits data when the receiver is in the active mode.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless signal receiver that includes a radio frequency (RF) input section coupled to an antenna, wherein the wireless signal receiver is configured to communicate data received via the antenna to a memory; and

a processor configured to determine whether a level of data buffered in the memory is at or below a threshold,

when the level of data buffered in the memory is at or below the threshold, the processor is configured to transition at least the RF input section to an active mode,

when the level of data buffered in the memory is above the threshold, the processor is configured to transition the RF input section to a power saving mode, wherein the wireless signal receiver is inactive in the power saving mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

deactivate the RF input section if the level of data buffered in the memory

reaches a first threshold, and

activate the RF input section if the level of data buffered in the memory reaches a second threshold.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor and the wireless signal receiver comprise a receiver circuit, and the receiver circuit communicates a signal to a transmitting device indicating whether the transmitting device is to stop transmitting data signals, wherein the RF input section is activated and deactivated asynchronously with respect to the transmitting device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a media play-out device to read media data from the memory, wherein the level of data buffered in the memory decreases as media data is read from the memory while the RF input section is in the power saving mode, and the processor transitions the RF input section to the active mode when the level of data buffered in the memory decreases to a first threshold.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the level of data buffered in the memory increases as media data is written to the memory while the RF input section is in the active mode, and the processor transitions the RF input section to the power saving mode when the level of data buffered in the memory increases to a second threshold.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor:

monitors the level of data buffered in the memory; and

communicates a first signal and a second signal if the level of data reaches a first threshold,

wherein the first signal corresponds to a first message to a transmitting device to stop transmitting data signals for receipt by the RF input section, and the second signal transitions the RF input section to the power saving mode.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor:

communicates a first and a second signal if the level of data reaches a second threshold, wherein the first signal transitions the RF input section to the active mode, and the second signal corresponds to a second message to a transmitting device to transmit data signals for receipt by the RF input section.

8. A method comprising:

communicating data to a memory; and

determining, by a processor, whether to transition a radio frequency (RF) input section of a wireless signal receiver between a power saving mode and an active mode based on a level of data buffered in the memory, wherein during the power saving mode, at least the RF input section is at least partially disabled so that it draws less power than in the active mode.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

deactivating the RF input section if the level of data buffered in the memory reaches a first threshold; and

activating the RF input section if the level of data buffered in the memory reaches a second threshold.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising communicating a signal to a transmitting device indicating whether the transmitting device is to stop transmitting data signals for receipt by the RF input section.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

reading media data from the memory to decrease the level of data buffered in the memory; and

activating the RF input section to the active mode when the level of data buffered in the memory decreases to a first threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

writing media data to the memory to increase the level of data buffered in the memory; and

transitioning the RF input section to the power saving mode when the level of data buffered in the memory increases to a second threshold.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

monitoring the level of data buffered in the memory; and

communicating a first and a second signal if the level of data reaches a first threshold,

wherein the first signal corresponds to a first message to a transmitting device to stop transmitting data signals for receipt by the RF input section, and the second signal transitions the RF input section to the power saving mode.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising communicating a first and a second signal if the level of data reaches a second threshold, wherein the first signal transitions the RF input section to the active mode, and the second signal corresponds to a second message to the transmitting device to resume transmitting data signals for receipt by the RF input section.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless signal receiver that includes a radio frequency (RF) input section coupled to an antenna; and

a receiver circuit to transition the RF input section between a first mode and a second mode, wherein in the first mode the receiver circuit enables the RF input section to receive data signals and communicate received data to a memory, and in the second mode the receiver circuit disables the RF input section to reduce power consumption, monitors a level of data in the memory, and transitions the RF input section back to the first mode if the level of data in the memory is less than a first threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the receiver circuit transitions the RF input section to the second mode if the level of data in the memory is greater than a second threshold.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the receiver circuit communicates a signal to a transmitting device, the signal indicating whether the RF input section is able to receive the data signals.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the received data includes media data.

19. A method comprising:

determining a data level in a memory;

enabling a radio frequency (RF) input section of a wireless receiver to receive data signals and communicate received data to the memory if the data level reaches a first threshold; and

disabling the RF input section of the wireless receiver if the data level reaches a second threshold.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising communicating a signal to a transmitting device, the signal indicating whether the RF input section is able to receive the data signals.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the received data includes media data.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a wireless signal receiver that includes a radio frequency (RF) input section in communication with the memory, wherein the RF input section transitions to a power saving mode if a data level in the memory reaches a first threshold, and transitions to an active mode if the data level reaches a second threshold, wherein the first threshold is greater than the second threshold, wherein during the power saving mode, at least the RF input section is disabled so that it draws less power.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a processor to transition the RF input section between the power saving mode and the active mode based on the data level.