Low power paging of consumer electronics

• US 8,631,260 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2013
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Francisco, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Suryawanshi, Suresh
• Application Number:
  US13/763,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20130159752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 713/310
• US Class Current: 713/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are configured to monitor signals received via a transmission medium by a paging monitor to detect an activity trigger. Systems, apparatuses, and methods are further configured to, in response to detecting the activity trigger, cause, by the paging monitor, a main receiver to transition from an energy conservation mode to an active mode to monitor the transmission medium for data traffic.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media, storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the following to occur:

switch the computing device from an active mode of data reception operation to an energy conservation mode of data reception operation;

while the computing device is in the energy conservation mode, monitor an incoming signal for a wakeup signal that contains an address identifying the computing device, and which is sent using a modulation that is orthogonal to a data modulation used on data processed by the computing device during the active mode of data reception operation; and

in response to receiving the wakeup signal, switching the computing device from the energy conservation mode of data reception operation to the active mode of data reception operation.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, further storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computing device, cause the following to occur:

storing paging period information identifying a time range during which the wakeup signal is expected to be received; and

using the stored paging period information to determine when to activate a wakeup signal paging monitor.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 2, further storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computing device, cause the following to occur:

varying the paging period information to change the time range during which the wakeup signal is expected to be received.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, further storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computing device, cause the following to occur:

after receiving the wakeup signal, checking the wakeup signal contents to determine which components of the computing device are needed to be woken up; and

in response to the wakeup signal, partially waking up the computing device, wherein a first component of the computing device is switched to the active mode, while a second component of the computing device is maintained in the energy conservation mode.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein monitoring the incoming signal for a wakeup signal further comprises monitoring a predetermined frequency to determine whether an incoming signal at the predetermined frequency has a voltage level exceeding a predetermined voltage level;

and

in response to determining that the incoming signal at the predetermined frequency has a voltage level exceeding the predetermined voltage level, determining that the incoming signal is a wakeup signal.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, further storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computing device, cause the following to occur:

examining the wakeup signal for a record instruction identifying a time period and service for a future scheduled recording.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, further storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the computing device, cause the following to occur:

process a first wakeup signal as a wakeup signal applicable to a plurality of sleeping devices including the computing device; and

process a second wakeup signal as a wakeup signal applicable to just the computing device.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the wakeup signal is modulated at a different frequency from the data modulation used on data processed by the computing device during the active mode of data reception operation.

9. A method, comprising:

switching, by a computing device, a data reception operation from an active mode to an energy conservation mode;

receiving, by the computing device while in the energy conservation mode, an incoming wakeup signal containing an address identifying the computing device, and which uses a modulation that is orthogonal to a data modulation used on data processed by the computing device during the active mode of data reception operation; and

switching the computing device from the energy conservation mode of data reception operation to the active mode of data reception operation in response to receiving the wakeup signal.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing paging period information identifying a time range during which the wakeup signal is expected to be received; and

using the stored paging period information to determine when to activate a wakeup signal paging monitor.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising

varying the paging period information to change the time range during which the wakeup signal is expected to be received.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

after receiving the wakeup signal, checking the wakeup signal contents to determine which components of the computing device are needed to be woken up; and

in response to the wakeup signal, partially waking up the computing device, wherein a first component of the computing device is switched to the active mode, while a second component of the computing device is maintained in the energy conservation mode.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the receiving further comprises monitoring a predetermined frequency to determine whether an incoming signal at the predetermined frequency has a voltage level exceeding a predetermined voltage level;

and

in response to determining that the incoming signal at the predetermined frequency has a voltage level exceeding the predetermined voltage level, determining that the incoming signal is a wakeup signal.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

examining the wakeup signal for a record instruction identifying a time period and service for a future scheduled recording.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

processing a first wakeup signal as a wakeup signal applicable to a plurality of sleeping devices including the computing device; and

processing a second wakeup signal as a wakeup signal applicable to just the computing device.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the wakeup signal is modulated at a different frequency from the data modulation used on data processed by the computing device during the active mode of data reception operation.

17. A method, comprising:

determining that a computing device is to be switched from an energy conservation mode to an active mode;

transmitting a wakeup signal containing an address identifying the computing device; and

modulating the wakeup signal using a modulation that is orthogonal to a data modulation used to transmit data to the computing device when the computing device is in the active mode.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting, to the computing device, paging period information identifying a time range during which the wakeup signal is expected to be transmitted.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the wakeup signal comprises information identifying a time period and a service for a future scheduled recording, and wherein the computing device is a digital video recorder.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the modulating the wakeup signal comprises modulating the wakeup signal at a different frequency from a frequency used to transmit data to the computing device when the computing device is in the active mode.