Using a wireless radio to manage power consumption

• US 9,246,554 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Maguire, Yael G.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUANG, WEN WU
• Application Number:
  US13/842,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20140113561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level

Abstract

Particular embodiments of a wireless communication system comprise a wireless device and a base station having at least one network connection and an RF transceiver. The base station may be configured to generate an RF signal and communicate with the wireless device using backscatter communication. The wireless device may be configured to generate operating power for the wireless device from the RF signal and to receive data transmitted using the RF signal and communicate data to the base station using backscatter communication.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system comprising:

a wireless device associated with a user of a social-networking system, the user being represented by a user node in a social graph of the social-networking system; and

a base station comprising;

a network connection configured to receive information from the social-networking system, the information comprising a plurality of content portions; and

a radio-frequency (RF) transceiver configured to transmit data to the wireless device using an RF signal, wherein;

the data transmitted to the wireless device comprises at least one of the content portions received from the social-networking system; and

at least some of the data transmitted to the wireless device is limited or prioritized based at least in part on social-networking information associated with the user, wherein the social-networking information associated with the user comprises a plurality of affinity coefficients corresponding, respectively, to the plurality of content portions, wherein each affinity coefficient represents an affinity of the user for one of the content portions and is based at least in part on a degree of separation in the social graph between the user node and another node associated with the one of the content portions;

wherein the wireless device is configured to;

generate operating power for the wireless device from the RF signal;

receive the data transmitted by the RF transceiver using the RF signal; and

communicate other data to the base station using backscatter communication.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is configured to use the operating power generated from the RF signal to receive the data transmitted using the RF signal.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the wireless device is configured to receive the data transmitted using the RF signal by relying only on the operating power generated from the RF signal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is configured to generate a low-power alert.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the low-power alert is generated by either an integrated component or a peripheral device.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of wireless devices each having a unique address, and each configured to generate operating power from the RF signal, and wherein the base station is configured to receive backscatter communication from each of the plurality of wireless devices.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the base station is configured to transmit data to each of the wireless devices using the RF signal.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the social-networking information associated with the user further comprises a degree of separation in the social graph between the user node and another user node representing another user, wherein the another user is associated with one or more of the content portions.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the each affinity coefficient is further based on a distance between a current location of the wireless device and a location associated with the one of the content portions.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the content portions transmitted to the wireless device are each associated with an affinity coefficient that is above a particular threshold affinity value.

11. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a radio-frequency (RF) transceiver of a base station, data to a wireless device using an RF signal, wherein;

the wireless device is associated with a user of a social-networking system, the user being represented by a user node in a social graph of the social-networking system;

the base station comprises a network connection configured to receive information from the social-networking system, the information comprising a plurality of content portions;

the data transmitted to the wireless device comprises at least one of the content portions received from the social-networking system; and

at least some of the data transmitted to the wireless device is limited or prioritized based at least in part on social-networking information associated with the user, wherein the social-networking information associated with the user comprises a plurality of affinity coefficients corresponding, respectively, to the plurality of content portions, wherein each affinity coefficient represents an affinity of the user for one of the content portions and is based at least in part on a degree of separation in the social graph between the user node and another node in the social graph associated with the one of the content portions; and

receiving, by the base station, other data from the wireless device, wherein the wireless device is configured to;

generate operating power for the wireless device from the RF signal;

receive the data transmitted by the RF transceiver using the RF signal; and

communicate the other data from the wireless device to the base station using backscatter communication.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless device is configured to use the operating power generated from the RF signal to receive the data transmitted using the RF signal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless device is configured to receive the data transmitted using the RF signal by relying only on the operating power generated from the RF signal.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless device is configured to generate a low-power alert.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the low-power alert is generated by either an integrated component or a peripheral device.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising, receiving, by the base station, backscatter communication from each of a plurality of wireless devices, each of the wireless devices having a unique address, and each of the wireless devices configured to generate operating power from the RF signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the base station is configured to transmit data to each of the wireless devices using the RF signal.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the social-networking information associated with the user further comprises a degree of separation in the social graph between the user node and another user node representing another user, wherein the another user is associated with one or more of the content portions.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the each affinity coefficient is further based on a distance between a current location of the wireless device and a location associated with the one of the content portions.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one of the content portions transmitted to the wireless device are each associated with an affinity coefficient that is above a particular threshold affinity value.

21. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

transmit, by a radio-frequency (RF) transceiver of a base station, data to a wireless device using an RF signal, wherein;

the wireless device is associated with a user of a social-networking system, the user being represented by a user node in a social graph of the social-networking system;

the base station comprises a network connection configured to receive information from the social-networking system, the information comprising a plurality of content portions;

the data transmitted to the wireless device comprises at least one of the content portions received from the social-networking system; and

at least some of the data transmitted to the wireless device is limited or prioritized based at least in part on social-networking information associated with the user, wherein the social-networking information associated with the user comprises a plurality of affinity coefficients corresponding, respectively, to the plurality of content portions, wherein each affinity coefficient represents an affinity of the user for one of the content portions and is based at least in part on a degree of separation in the social graph between the user node and another node in the social graph associated with the one of the content portions; and

receive, by the base station, other data from the wireless device, wherein the wireless device is configured to;

generate operating power for the wireless device from the RF signal;

receive the data transmitted by the RF transceiver using the RF signal; and

communicate the other data from the wireless device to the base station using backscatter communication.

22. The media of claim 21, wherein the wireless device is configured to use the operating power generated from the RF signal to receive the data transmitted using the RF signal.

23. The media of claim 22, wherein the wireless device is configured to receive the data transmitted using the RF signal by relying only on the operating power generated from the RF signal.

24. The media of claim 21, wherein the software is further operable when executed to:

receive backscatter communication from each of a plurality of wireless devices, each of the wireless devices having a unique address, and each of the wireless devices configured to generate operating power from the RF signal.

25. The media of claim 24, wherein the base station is configured to transmit data to each of the wireless devices using the RF signal.

26. The media of claim 21, wherein the wireless device is configured to generate a low-power alert.

27. The media of claim 26, wherein the low-power alert is generated by either an integrated component or a peripheral device.

28. The media of claim 21, wherein the social-networking information associated with the user further comprises a degree of separation in the social graph between the user node and another user node representing another user, wherein the another user is associated with one or more of the content portions.

29. The media of claim 21, wherein the each affinity coefficient is further based on a distance between a current location of the wireless device and a location associated with the one of the content portions.

30. The media of claim 21, wherein the at least one of the content portions transmitted to the wireless device are each associated with an affinity coefficient that is above a particular threshold affinity value.