Systems and methods for dynamically allocating power budgets for operation of wireless modules

• US 9,357,495 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2013
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Birnbaum, David, Artstain, Ofir, Glik, Michael, Sadan, Roi, Srinivasan, Vasudevan
• Primary Examiner(s): Sefcheck, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Esmaeilian, Majid
• Application Number:
  US14/139,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20150181529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 370/311
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Certain embodiments herein relate to dynamic allocation of power budgets for wireless modules that may be integrated onto a wireless combo module. An individual power budget for each wireless module may be modified based on the performance of the wireless module such that wireless modules that may benefit from additional power consumption may receive additional power budget from other wireless modules that may be consuming less power than currently allocated. In this way, power budgets may be cooperatively shared among wireless modules to facilitate optimized wireless communications. Various techniques may be used to configure a wireless module to operate within or at certain power values, including adjusting a transmission speed and/or a time interval for sending backoffs to attain a desired power consumption.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by at least one processor, performance information associated with at least one wireless module of a wireless combo module;

determining, by the at least one processor, an unutilized amount of a first power budget associated with the at least one wireless module, the determination based at least in part on the performance information;

modifying, by the at least one processor, the first power budget and a second power budget associated with a second wireless module of the wireless combo module, wherein the modification comprises;

(i) decreasing the first power budget by the unutilized amount and (ii) increasing the second power budget by at least a portion of the unutilized amount;

selecting, by the at least one processor, a backoff time interval based at least in part on the first power budget; and

sending, by the at least one processor, a backoff according to the backoff time interval so that the at least one wireless module consumes an amount of power approximately equal to the first power budget.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the unutilized amount comprises a first portion, and wherein the method further comprises:

increasing, by the processor, a third power budget by a second portion of the unutilized amount, the third power budget associated with a third wireless module of the wireless combo module.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance information indicates a performance state associated with the at least one wireless module.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance information comprises an identification of at least one of a service or a device to which the at least one wireless module is connected.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the performance information comprises first performance information, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, second performance information associated with the at least one wireless module; and

modifying, by the processor, the backoff time interval so that the at least one wireless module consumes an amount of power associated with the second performance information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, by the processor, a transmission rate for transmitting one or more data packets, the selection based at least in part on the first power budget; and

sending, by the processor, the one or more data packets according to the transmission rate so that the at least one wireless module consumes an amount of power approximately equal to the first power budget.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the performance information comprises first performance information, the method further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, second performance information associated with the at least one wireless module; and

modifying, by the processor, the transmission rate so that the at least one wireless module consumes an amount of power associated with the second performance information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless module comprises a WiFi module, a WiGig module, and at least one of a Bluetooth module, a Near Field Communication (NFC) module, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) module, or a cellular module.

9. A system comprising:

one or more radios;

one or more antennas;

at least one memory that stores computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

receive performance information associated with at least one wireless module of a wireless combo module;

determine an unutilized amount of a first power budget associated with the at least one wireless module, the determination based at least in part on the performance information;

modify the first power budget and a second power budget associated with a second wireless module of the wireless combo module, wherein the modification comprises;

(i) decreasing the first power budget by the unutilized amount and (ii) increasing the second power budget by at least a portion of the unutilized amount

select a backoff time interval based at least in part on the first power budget; and

send a backoff according to the backoff time interval so that the at least one wireless module consumes an amount of power approximately equal to the first power budget.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least a portion of the unutilized amount comprises a first portion, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

increase a third power budget a second portion of the unutilized amount, the third power budget associated with a third wireless module of the wireless combo module.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the performance information indicates a performance state associated with the at least one wireless module.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the performance information comprises an identification of at least one of a service or a device to which the at least one wireless module is connected.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the performance information comprises first performance information, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive second performance information associated with the at least one wireless module; and

modify the backoff time interval so that the at least one wireless module consumes an amount of power associated with the second performance information.

14. The system of claim 9, the at least one processor further configured to:

select a transmission rate for transmitting one or more data packets, the selection based at least in part on the first power budget; and

send the one or more data packets according to the transmission rate so that the at least one wireless module consumes an amount of power approximately equal to the first power budget.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the performance information comprises first performance information, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive second performance information associated with the at least one wireless module; and

modify the transmission rate so that the at least one wireless module consumes an amount of power associated with the second performance information.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one wireless module comprises a WiFi module, a WiGig module, and at least one of a Bluetooth module, a Near Field Communication (NFC) module, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) module, or a cellular module.

17. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, configure the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving performance information associated with the at least one wireless module of a wireless combo module;

determining an unutilized amount of a first power budget associated with the at least one wireless module, the determination based at least in part on the performance information; and

modifying the first power budget and a second power budget associated with a second wireless module of the wireless combo module, wherein the modification comprises;

(i) decreasing the first power budget by the unutilized amount and (ii) increasing the second power budget by at least a portion of the unutilized amount

selecting a backoff time interval based at least in part on the first power budget; and

sending a backoff according to the backoff time interval so that the at least one wireless module consumes an amount of power approximately equal to the first power budget.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the at least a portion of the unutilized amount comprises a first portion, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform the operation comprising:

increasing a third power budget by a second portion of the unutilized amount, the third power budget associated with a third wireless module of the wireless combo module.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the performance information comprises first performance information, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform the operations comprising:

receiving second performance information associated with the at least one wireless module; and

modifying the backoff time interval so that the at least one wireless module consumes an amount of power associated with the second performance information.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17, the at least one processor further configured to perform the operations comprising:

selecting a transmission rate for transmitting one or more data packets, the selection based at least in part on the first power budget; and

sending the one or more data packets according to the transmission rate so that the at least one wireless modules consumes an amount of power approximately equal to the first power budget.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 20, the at least one processor further configured to perform the operations comprising:

receiving second performance information associated with the at least one wireless module; and

modifying the transmission rate so that the at least one wireless module consumes an amount of power associated with the second performance information.