Mobile terminal and power-saving method and device for same

• US 9,285,862 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2011
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ST-Ericcson SA (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: ST-Ericsson Semiconductor (Beijing) Co. Ltd (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Zhong, Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Albert
• Application Number:
  US13/879,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20130238917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention provides a power-saving method for a mobile terminal, comprising the steps, after setting the mobile terminal to be in a data service power-saving state, monitoring, by the mobile terminal, a data service in accordance with a monitoring strategy for the data service power-saving state, and triggering a data service power-saving operation when a triggering condition set in the monitoring strategy is met. The present invention further provides a power-saving apparatus arranged within a mobile terminal, comprising a monitoring unit and an executing unit, wherein the monitoring unit is configured to monitor data services of the mobile terminal in accordance with a preset monitoring strategy, and send a power-saving command to the executing unit when a data service power-saving strategy is met. The present invention further provides a mobile terminal comprising the power-saving apparatus. As a result, the mobile can rapidly enter the data service power-saving mode according to the monitoring strategy, reduce unnecessary power consumption, and prolong the service time for the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A power-saving method for a mobile terminal, comprising the steps of:

monitoring, by the mobile terminal, data services in accordance with a monitoring strategy for a data service power-saving state, wherein the monitoring involves

determining whether or not there exists an on-going data service,

starting a timer when it is determined that the data service exists,

monitoring whether or not there exists data transmission for the data service while the timer is running,

if there exists data transmission for the data service, re-starting the timer and monitoring whether or not there exists the on-going data service, and if there exists no data transmission for the data service, monitoring whether or not there exists non-access stratum NAS signaling transmission,

if there exists no NAS signaling transmission, judging whether or not the timer is timed out, if not, continuing to monitor the data for the data service, and if yes, regarding that a triggering condition set in the monitoring strategy is met; and

If there exists NAS signaling, judging whether a duration away from the timeout of the timer is greater than a maximum timer duration T_NAS for an NAS layer, if the duration away from the timeout of the timer is greater than T_NAS , continuing to monitor the data for the data service, and if the duration away from the timeout of the timer is less than T_NAS, adjusting a duration of the timer so that it is timed out at least after T_NAS;

triggering a data service power-saving operation when a triggering condition set in the monitoring strategy is met; and

performing, by the mobile terminal, the data service power-saving operation.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, after the timer is timed out, the duration of the timer is reset to an initial duration, and

the step of adjusting the duration of the timer comprises:

prolonging the duration of the timer by T_NAS;

or

prolonging the duration away from the timeout of the timer to T_NAS.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, prior to the step of judging whether the duration away from the timeout of the timer is greater than T_NAS, the method further comprises:

if there exists NAS signaling, prior to judging whether the duration away from the timeout of the timer is greater than T_NAS, judging whether the duration of the timer is less than T_NAS; and

if the duration of the timer is less than T_NAS, re-starting the timer and monitoring whether or not there exists the on-going data service, and if the duration of the timer is greater than or equal to T_NAS, judging whether the duration away from the timeout of the timer is greater than T_NAS.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, prior to monitoring, by the mobile terminal, the data services, a step of setting the mobile terminal to be in the data service power-saving state, wherein

the step of setting the mobile terminal to be in the data service power-saving state comprises:

setting the mobile terminal to be in the data service power-saving state by default;

or

setting, by a user, the mobile terminal via software commands, turning on a data service power-saving function, and entering the data service power-saving state.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the power-saving operation involves releasing an air-interface connection between the mobile terminal and an access network and maintaining a virtual connection.

6. A mobile terminal, comprising configured to execute software stored on a non-transitory storage medium, which causes the mobile terminal to:

monitor data services in accordance with a monitoring strategy for a data service power-saving state, wherein the monitoring involves

determining whether or not there exists an on-going data service,

starting a timer when it is determined that the data service exists,

monitoring whether or not there exists data transmission for the data service while the timer is running,

if there exists data transmission for the data service, re-starting the timer and monitoring whether or not there exists the on-going data service, and if there exists no data transmission for the data service, monitoring whether or not there exists non-access stratum NAS signaling transmission,

if there exists no NAS signaling transmission, judging whether or not the timer is timed out, if not, continuing to monitor the data for the data service, and if yes, regarding that a triggering condition set in the monitoring strategy is met; and

If there exists NAS signaling, judging whether a duration away from the timeout of the timer is greater than a maximum timer duration T_NAS for an NAS layer, if the duration away from the timeout of the timer is greater than T_NAS, continuing to monitor the data for the data service, and if the duration away from the timeout of the timer is less than T_NAS, adjusting a duration of the timer so that it is timed out at least after T_NAS;

trigger a data service power-saving operation when a triggering condition set in the monitoring strategy is met; and

perform the data service power-saving operation.

7. The mobile terminal method according to claim 6, wherein, after the timer is timed out, the duration of the timer is reset to an initial duration, and

the adjustment of the duration of the timer comprises:

prolonging the duration of the timer by T_NAS;

or

prolonging the duration away from the timeout of the timer to T_NAS.

8. The mobile terminal according to claim 6, wherein, prior to the judging whether the duration away from the timeout of the timer is greater than T_NAS, the software causes the mobile terminal to:

if there exists NAS signaling, prior to judging whether the duration away from the timeout of the timer is greater than T_NAS, judge whether the duration of the timer is less than T_NAS; and

if the duration of the timer is less than T_NAS, re-starting the timer and monitoring whether or not there exists the on-going data service, and if the duration of the timer is greater than or equal to T_NAS, judge whether the duration away from the timeout of the timer is greater than T_NAS.

9. The mobile terminal according to claim 6, wherein, prior to monitoring the data services, the mobile terminal is set to be in the data service power-saving state, wherein

the setting the mobile terminal to be in the data service power-saving state comprises:

setting the mobile terminal to be in the data service power-saving state by default;

or

setting, by a user, the mobile terminal via software commands, turning on a data service power-saving function, and entering the data service power-saving state.

10. The mobile terminal according to claim 6, wherein the power-saving operation involves releasing an air-interface connection between the mobile terminal and the network side and maintaining a virtual connection.

11. A power-saving method for a mobile terminal, comprising the steps of:

monitoring, by the mobile terminal, data services in accordance with a monitoring strategy for a data service power-saving state, wherein the monitoring involves determining whether or not there exists an on-going data service, starting a timer when it is determined that the data service exists, monitoring whether or not there exists a data transmission for the data service while the timer is running, and monitoring whether or not there exists a non-access stratum NAS signaling transmission while the timer is running;

triggering a data service power-saving operation when a triggering condition set in the monitoring strategy is met, wherein the triggering condition is that the timer has timed out and that data transmission for the data service and NAS signaling transmissions did not occur between a time when the timer started and when the timer timed out; and

performing, by the mobile terminal, the data service power-saving operation.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the timer is restarted if there exists a data transmission for the data service or a NAS signaling transmission before the timer is timed out.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein if there is a NAS signaling transmission before the timer is timed out, the method further comprises:

determining whether a duration remaining on the timer when it is determined there is a NAS signaling transmission is greater than a maximum timer duration for a NAS layer; and

adjusting the duration remaining on the timer to be at least equal to the maximum timer duration for the NAS layer when the duration remaining is not greater than the maximum timer duration for the NAS layer.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising, prior to monitoring, by the mobile terminal, the data services, a step of setting the mobile terminal to be in the data service power-saving state, wherein the step of setting the mobile terminal to be in the data service power-saving state comprises:

setting the mobile terminal to be in the data service power-saving state by default;

or

setting, by a user, the mobile terminal via software commands, turning on a data service power-saving function, and entering the data service power-saving state.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the power-saving operation involves releasing an air-interface connection between the mobile terminal and an access network and maintaining a virtual connection.