Methods and apparatus to reduce power consumption in a wireless device

• US 8,213,865 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2008
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Jensen, Mathias Stein Gunnar
• Primary Examiner(s): GONZALES, APRIL GUZMAN
• Application Number:
  US12/035,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20080220828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 455/574, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 345/166, 345/156, 345/163, 345/157, 713/320
• US Class Current: 455/41.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to reduce power consumption in a wireless device are disclosed. An example method includes sensing movement of the wireless device via a sensor unit; conveying data of a first size at a first frequency from the sensor unit to a first microcontroller, wherein the first microcontroller comprises data buffers of a second size; wirelessly transmitting data of the second size to a second microcontroller at a second frequency, wherein the second microcontroller comprises data buffers of the second size; and conveying data of the first size at a third frequency from the second microcontroller to an electronic device to communicate with the wireless device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sensing movement of a wireless mouse using a sensor unit;

conveying data corresponding to the movement as a first set of data packets of a first size at a first frequency from the sensor unit to a first microcontroller-so as to store the first set of data packets into a first set of data buffers within the first microcontroller that have a second size, wherein the second size is greater than the first size;

wirelessly transmitting a second set of data packets of the second size from the first microcontroller to a second microcontroller at a second frequency so as to store the data packets of the second size into a second set of data buffers within the second microcontroller that have the second size; and

conveying data corresponding to the movement as a third set of data packets of the first size at a third frequency from the second microcontroller to a processing unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second frequency is less than the first and third frequencies.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first frequency varies over time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first frequency is greater than or equal to the second frequency.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of wirelessly transmitting further comprises activating a wireless transceiver within the mouse.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises interpolating wirelessly received data before the step of conveying data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first size is 8 bits and the second size is 12 bits.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a mouse having;

a sensor unit to detect movement;

a first microcontroller having a first set of data buffers with a first size, wherein the first microcontroller is coupled to the sensor unit conveys so as to receive data packets of a second size at a first frequency, and wherein the first microcontroller stores the data packets of the first size from the sensor unit into the first set of data buffers, and wherein second size is less than the first size;

a receiving unit having a second microcontroller having a second set of data buffers of the first size, wherein the first microcontroller wirelessly transmits a second set of data packets of the second size at a second frequency to the second microcontroller; and

a processing unit that receives a third set of data packets of the second size at a third frequency from the second microcontroller.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the mouse further comprises a light source and wherein the sensor unit comprises an array of photodetectors to detect light emitted by the light source.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a first wireless transceiver coupled to the first microcontroller and a second wireless transceiver coupled to the second microcontroller.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second frequency is less than the first and third frequencies.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first frequency varies over time.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first frequency is greater than or equal to the second frequency.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing unit is at least one of a personal computer, a laptop computer, or a personal digital assistant.

15. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the mouse powered by one or more batteries.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the light source comprises at least one of a laser or a light emitting diode.

17. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first size is 12 bits and the second size is 8 bits.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a mouse having;

a power supply;

a movement detector that is coupled to the power supply;

a first microcontroller that is coupled to the movement detector and power supply, wherein the first microcontroller includes;

a first set of buffers having a first size; and

an encoder that is configured to receive a first set of data packets of a second size from the movement detector and to encode the first set of data packets so as to be stored in the first set of buffers, wherein the first size is greater than the second size;

a transceiver that is coupled to the power supply and the first microcontroller, wherein the transceiver is configured to wireless transmit a second set of data packets of the first size from the first set of data buffers;

a receiving unit that is configured to receive the second set of data packet wirelessly from the mouse, wherein the receiving unit includes;

a second microcontroller having a second set of buffers having the first size; and

an interface that is coupled to the second microcontroller; and

a processing unit that is coupled to the interface, wherein the processing unit is configured to receive a third set of data packets having the second size.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the movement detector further comprises:

a light source that is coupled to the power supply; and

a sensing unit that is coupled to the light source and power supply, wherein the sensing unit is configured to detect movement of the mouse.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first size is 12 bits and the second size is 8 bits.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the light source comprises at least one of a laser or a light emitting diode.