System and method providing low power operation in a multimode communication device

• US 8,355,757 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2005
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza, Behzad, Arya, Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Bennett, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHUONG, DAI
• Application Number:
  US11/298,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20070082715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,596 Days
• Field of Search: 455/452.2, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/115.3, 455/127.5, 455/114, 455/574
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0245 according to signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method providing low-power operation in a multimode communication device. Various aspects of the present invention may, for example, include at least one radio module that is adapted to communicate in a plurality of communication modes. The at least one radio module may also be adapted to operate in at least a first power-save mode. At least one module may, for example, be adapted to analyze at least one non-informational aspect of a signal (e.g., a received radio signal) to determine whether a first communication network corresponding to a first communication mode of the plurality of communication modes might be available. The at least one module may then, for example, be adapted to determine, based at least in part on the determined availability of the first communication network, whether to operate the at least one radio module in a respective mode other than the first power-save mode.

Claims

1. A system for providing low-power operation in a multimode communication device, the system comprising:

at least one radio module operable to communicate in a plurality of communication modes and operable in at least a first power-save mode different from the plurality of communication modes, wherein the at least one radio module comprises;

a first receiver module operable to consume a first amount of power while processing a communication signal corresponding to a first communication mode; and

a second receiver module operable to consume a second amount of power while processing a communication signal corresponding to the first communication mode, where the second amount of power is less than the first amount of power and the second receiver module consumes less power relative to the first receiver module when processing similar signals corresponding to the first communication mode; and

at least one module operable to;

determine whether a first communication network corresponding to the first communication mode of the plurality of communication modes might be available by analyzing at least one informational signal characteristic of a signal received by the second receiver module; and

determine, based at least in part on the determined availability of the first communication network, whether to operate the at least one radio module in an operating mode other than the first power-save mode.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one radio module further comprises:

a third receiver module operable to consume a third amount of power while processing a communication signal corresponding to a second communication mode; and

a fourth receiver module operable to consume a fourth amount of power while processing a communication signal corresponding to the second communication mode, where the fourth amount of power is less than the third amount of power and the fourth receiver module consumes less power relative to the third receiver module when processing similar signals corresponding to the second communication mode; and

the at least one module further operable to;

determine whether a second communication network corresponding to the second communication mode of the plurality of communication modes might be available by analyzing at least one informational signal characteristic of a signal received by the fourth receiver module; and

determine, based at least in part on the determined availability of the second communication network, whether to operate the at least one radio module in a respective mode other than the first power-save mode.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second receiver module is operable at a lower performance level relative to the first receiver module when processing similar signals corresponding to the first communication mode.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second receiver module is operable to perform less processing relative to the first receiver module when processing similar signals corresponding to the first communication mode.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second receiver module is adapted to perform A/D conversion at a lower level of resolution relative to the first receiver module when processing similar signals corresponding to the first communication mode.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second receiver module is operable to perform filtering at a reduced quality level relative to the first receiver module when processing similar signals corresponding to the first communication mode.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first power-save mode is a power-save mode of a first radio module of the at least one radio module, and the operating mode other than the first power-save mode is a second power-save mode of the first radio module different from the first-power-save mode.

8. In a multimode communication device operable to communicate in a plurality of communication modes, a method for providing low-power operation, the method comprising:

operating at least one radio module, which is operable to communicate in a plurality of communication modes and operable in at least a first power-save mode different from the plurality of communication modes, wherein the at least one radio module comprises;

a first receiver module operable to consume a first amount of power while processing a communication signal corresponding to a first communication mode; and

a second receiver module operable to consume a second amount of power while processing a communication signal corresponding to the first communication mode, where the second amount of power is less than the first amount of power and the second receiver module consumes less power relative to the first receiver module when processing similar signals corresponding to the first communication mode; and

determining whether a first communication network corresponding to the first communication mode of the plurality of communication modes might be available by analyzing at least one informational signal characteristic of a signal received by the second receiver module; and

determining, based at least in part on the determined availability of the first communication network, whether to operate the at least one radio module in an operating mode other than the first power-save mode.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one radio module further comprises:

a third receiver module operable to consume a third amount of power while processing a communication signal corresponding to a second communication mode; and

a fourth receiver module operable to consume a fourth amount of power while processing a communication signal corresponding to the second communication mode, where the fourth amount of power is less than the third amount of power and the fourth receiver module consumes less power relative to the third receiver module when processing similar signals corresponding to the second communication mode;

wherein the method further comprises;

determining whether a second communication network corresponding to the second communication mode of the plurality of communication modes might be available by analyzing at least one informational signal characteristic of a signal received by the fourth receiver module; and

determining, based at least in part on the determined availability of the second communication network, whether to operate the at least one radio module in a respective mode other than the first power-save mode.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the second receiver module operates at a lower performance level relative to the first receiver module when processing similar signals corresponding to the first communication mode.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the second receiver module performs less processing relative to the first receiver module when processing similar signals corresponding to the first communication mode.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the second receiver module performs A/D conversion at a lower level of resolution relative to the first receiver module when processing similar signals corresponding to the first communication mode.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the second receiver module performs filtering at a reduced quality level relative to the first receiver module when processing similar signals corresponding to the first communication mode.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the first power-save mode is a power-save mode of a first radio module of the at least one radio module, and the operating mode other than the first power-save mode is a second power-save mode of the first radio module different from the first power-save mode.