Method and system for managing power consumption of a network interface module in a wireless computing device
First Claim
1. A method for managing power consumption of a computing device having a network interface module for transmitting and receiving network communication data, the computing device comprising a storage area for storing accumulated network communication data, the method comprising:
- at least one processor analyzing traffic statistics data to derive at least one parameter of a model that establishes a relationship between idle time and a quantity of delayed traffic data that is predicted to accumulate in the storage area as a function of time when the network interface module is put in a low-power state in which the network interface module stops transmitting network communication data; and
the at least one processor calculating a target idle time for the network interface module based on the model with the at least one parameter, wherein puffing the network interface module in the low-power state for the target idle time is predicted by the model to result in a non-zero quantity of delayed traffic data in the storage area that is less than or equal to a pre-selected threshold, the threshold being selected based on the size of the storage area such that the quantity of delayed traffic data does not exceed the size of the storage area;
wherein the model comprises at least one equation that determines the idle time using the threshold, wherein the target idle time is calculated using the at least one equation and using the at least one parameter, and wherein the at least one parameter of the model is a prediction regarding future traffic through the network interface module.
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Abstract
A power management scheme for use in a wireless device reduces the power consumption of the network interface module of the wireless device by selectively putting the network interface module into a low-power state for an idle time. The length of the idle time is calculated such that the amount of delayed traffic data accumulated is expected to be less than or equal to a pre-selected threshold when the network interface module is put in the low-power state for the calculated idle time. The amount of delayed traffic data as a function of the idle time is modeled using average inter-arrival and service rates that are derived from traffic statistics data.
79 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for managing power consumption of a computing device having a network interface module for transmitting and receiving network communication data, the computing device comprising a storage area for storing accumulated network communication data, the method comprising:
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at least one processor analyzing traffic statistics data to derive at least one parameter of a model that establishes a relationship between idle time and a quantity of delayed traffic data that is predicted to accumulate in the storage area as a function of time when the network interface module is put in a low-power state in which the network interface module stops transmitting network communication data; and the at least one processor calculating a target idle time for the network interface module based on the model with the at least one parameter, wherein puffing the network interface module in the low-power state for the target idle time is predicted by the model to result in a non-zero quantity of delayed traffic data in the storage area that is less than or equal to a pre-selected threshold, the threshold being selected based on the size of the storage area such that the quantity of delayed traffic data does not exceed the size of the storage area; wherein the model comprises at least one equation that determines the idle time using the threshold, wherein the target idle time is calculated using the at least one equation and using the at least one parameter, and wherein the at least one parameter of the model is a prediction regarding future traffic through the network interface module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps for managing power consumption of a computing device having a network interface module for transmitting and receiving network communication data, the computing device comprising a storage area for storing accumulated network communication data, the steps comprising:
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analyzing traffic statistics data to derive at least one parameter of a model that establishes a relationship between idle time and a quantity of delayed traffic data that is predicted to accumulate in the storage area as a function of time when the network interface module is put in a low-power state in which the network interface module stops transmitting network communication data; and calculating a target idle time for the network interface module based on the model with the at least one parameter, wherein putting the network interface module in the low-power state for the target idle time is predicted by the model to result in a non-zero quantity of delayed traffic data in the storage area that is less than or equal to a pre-selected threshold, the threshold being selected based on the size of the storage area such that the quantity of delayed traffic data does not exceed the size of the storage area; wherein the model comprises at least one equation that determines the idle time using the threshold, wherein the target idle time is calculate using the at least one equation and using the at least one parameter, and wherein the at least one parameter of the model is a prediction regarding figure traffic through the network interface module. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computing device comprising:
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a network interface module for transmitting and receiving network communications; a storage area for storing accumulated network communication data; and a power management system comprising; a traffic statistics database for storing traffic statistics data including a set of historical inner-arrival rates for data received by the network interface module and a set of historical service rates for data transmitted by the network interface module; and a power manager for selectively setting the network interface module into a low-power state, the power manager having a stochastic decider for analyzing the traffic statistics data to derive an average inter-arrival rate and an average service rate and calculating a target idle time for the network interface module based on the average inter-arrival and service rates, the average inter-arrival rate being the average rate at which data is received at the network interface module and the average service rate being the average rate at which data is transmitted by the network interface module, the target idle time being predicted to result in a quantity of delayed network traffic data in the storage area that is less than or equal to a pre-selected threshold when the network interface module is put in the low-power state for the target idle time, the quantity of delayed traffic data being non-zero, the threshold being selected based on the size of the storage area such that the quantity of delayed traffic data does not exceed the size of the storage area. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A computing device comprising:
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a power source for powering the computing device; a network interface module for transmitting and receiving network communications; a storage area for storing accumulated network communication data; a traffic statistics database for storing traffic statistics data including a set of historical inter-arrival rates for data received by the network interface module and a set of historical service rates for data transmitted by the network interface module; and a power manager for selectively setting the network interface module into a low-power state, the power manager having a stochastic decider for analyzing the traffic statistics data to derive an average inter-arrival rate and an average service rate and calculating a target idle time for the network interface module based on the average inter-arrival and service rates, the average inter-arrival rate being the average rate at which data is received at the network interface module and the average service rate being the average rate at which data is transmitted by the network interface module, the target idle time being predicted to result in a quantity of delayed network traffic data in the storage area that is less than or equal to a pre-selected threshold when the network interface module is put in the low-power state for the target idle time, the quantity of delayed traffic data being non-zero, the threshold being selected based on the size of the storage area such that the quantity of delayed traffic data does not exceed the size of the storage area. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification