Method of and device for reduced power consumption in synchronized systems

• US 8,644,203 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor B.V. (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor B.V. (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Leussink, Steven Frederik
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hanh N
• Application Number:
  US12/767,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20100271996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• Field of Search: 370/311, 370/337, 370/329, 370/347, 370/324, 370/326, 370/345, 370/350, 370/442, 370/503, 370/510, 455/265, 455/574, 455/343.2, 455/255, 455257-259
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0293 having a sub-controller with a low clock frequency switching on and off a main controller with a high clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A power reduction method for a first communication device that can communicate with a second communication device in a synchronized fashion. The first communication device has an electronic module and the method includes generating a communication device shut down signal by the electronic module in order to shut down the communication device apart from the electronic module at a first moment in time, generating a communication device wake-up signal by the electronic module in order to switch on and start booting of the communication device at a second moment in time after the first moment in time, and generating a communication device synchronization signal by the electronic module in order to allow the communication device to restart communicating with the second communication device in the synchronized fashion at a third moment in time after the second moment in time.

Claims

1. An electronic module for a first communication device, the first communication device comprising at least one processor arranged to communicate with a second communication device in a synchronously by way of allocated slots in consecutive frames, the electronic module comprising an electronic module timer which is arranged to be calibrated by said at least one processor, the electronic module being arranged to:

generate a communication device shut down signal in order to shut down said first communication device apart from said electronic module at a first moment in time;

generate a communication device wake-up signal in order to switch on and start booting of said first communication device at a second moment in time after said first moment in time; and

generate a communication device synchronization signal at a third moment in time after said second moment in time in order to allow said first communication device to restart communicating with said second communication device in said synchronously by way of said allocated time slots;

wherein the difference between the second moment in time and third moment in time is larger than a predetermined booting time of said first communication device.

2. The electronic module according to claim 1, wherein the electronic module comprises a first timing unit connected to said electronic module timer and arranged to generate said communication device shut down signal at said first moment in time and to generate said communication device wake-up signal at said second moment in time in dependence on signals received from said electronic module timer.

3. The electronic module according to claim 1, wherein the electronic module comprises a second timing unit connected to said electronic module timer and arranged to generate said communication device synchronization signal.

4. The electronic module according to claim 1, wherein the first communication device synchronizes to the second communication device by synchronizing to a bearer transmitted by said second communication device in predetermined slots in predetermined frames, said predetermined slots being associated with said first communication device, the third moment in time being equal to a time such that the next received slot is one of said predetermined slots associated with the first communication device to allow said first communication device to receive a further bearer in said next received slot which is located a given number of frames after having properly received a last bearer in a first slot at a time before said first moment in time, the second moment in time being determined by subtracting a time period from the third moment in time, said time period being equal to a time required for said booting and for settling system components and a time margin for unpredictable start up phenomena.

5. A first communication device comprising at least one processor arranged to communicate with a second communication device synchronously by way of allocated slots in consecutive frames, the first communication device also comprising an electronic module comprising an electronic module timer which is arranged to be calibrated by said at least one processor, the electronic module being arranged to:

a. generate a communication device shut down signal in order to shut down said first communication device apart from said electronic module at a first moment in time,

b. generate a communication device wake-up signal in order to switch on and start booting of said first communication device at a second moment in time after said first moment in time, and

c. generate a communication device synchronization signal at a third moment in time after said second moment in time in order to allow said first communication device to restart communicating with said further communication device in synchronously by way of said allocated slots,

wherein the difference between the second moment in time and third moment in time is larger than a predetermined booting time of said first communication device.

6. The communication device according to claim 5, wherein the first communication device synchronizes to the second communication device by synchronizing to a bearer transmitted by said second communication device in predetermined slots in predetermined frames, said predetermined slots being associated with said first communication device, the third moment in time being equal to a time such that the next received slot is one of said predetermined slots associated with the first communication device to allow said first communication device to receive a further bearer in said next received slot which is located a given number of frames after having properly received a last bearer in a first slot at a time before said first moment in time, the second moment in time being determined by subtracting a time period from the third moment in time, said time period being equal to a time required for said booting and for settling system components and a time margin for unpredictable start up phenomena.

7. The first communication device according to claim 5, wherein said first communication device is arranged to allow several system components of said communication device to obtain stable operating conditions during a settling time before said booting starts.

8. The first communication device according to claim 5, said at least one processor comprising a microprocessor and a TDMA processor which are arranged to calibrate said electronic module timer.

9. The first communication device according to claim 8, wherein the electronic module is arranged to send the communication device synchronization signal to said TDMA processor which is arranged to use said synchronization signal to restart communicating with said second communication device in order to synchronize with said second communication device.

10. The first communication device according to any of the claim 5, the first communication device being arranged as being one of a portable part and a sensor.

11. The first communication device according to any of the claim 5, the first communication device being a wireless DECT telephone.

12. A telecommunication network comprising one at least one first communication device as defined in claim 5, and a second communication device arranged to communicate with said one or more communication devices in a synchronously by way of allocated slots in consecutive frames.

13. A power reduction method in a first communication device arranged to communicate with a second communication device synchronously by way of allocated slots in consecutive frames, the method comprising the steps of:

a. providing an electronic module for said first communication device;

b. generating a communication device shut down signal by said electronic module in order to shut down said first communication device apart from said electronic module at a first moment in time;

c. generating a communication device wake-up signal by said electronic module in order to switch on and start booting of said first communication device at a second moment in time after said first moment in time; and

d. generating a communication device synchronization signal by said electronic module at a third moment in time after said second moment in time in order to allow said first communication device to restart communicating with said second communication device in synchronously by way of said allocated slots;

e. determining the second moment in time by the step of;

subtracting a time period from the third moment in time, said time period being equal to a time required for said booting and for settling system components and a time margin for unpredictable start up phenomena.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of:

f. synchronizing the first communication device to the second communication device by synchronizing to a bearer transmitted by said second communication device in predetermined slots in predetermined frames, said predetermined slots being associated with said first communication device, the third moment in time being equal to a time such that the next received slot is one of said predetermined slots associated with the first communication device to allow said first communication device to receive a further bearer in said next received slot which is located a given number of frames after having properly received a last bearer in a first slot at a time before said first moment in time.

15. An electronic module for a first communication device, the first communication device comprising at least one processor arranged to communicate with a second communication device in a synchronized fashion by way of allocated slots in consecutive frames, the electronic module comprising an electronic module timer which is arranged to be calibrated by said at least one processor, the electronic module being arranged to:

a. generate a communication device shut down signal in order to shut down said first communication device apart from said electronic module at a first moment in time,

b. generate a communication device wake-up signal in order to switch on and start booting of said first communication device at a second moment in time after said first moment in time, and

c. generate a communication device synchronization signal at a third moment in time after said second moment in time in order to allow said first communication device to restart communicating with said second communication device in said synchronized fashion by means of said allocated time slots,

wherein the difference between the first moment in time and third moment in time is shorter or equal to a maximum allowable response time of said first communication device.