Power supply mode control circuit, electronic device, and power supply mode control method

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of communications, and discloses a power supply mode control circuit, an electronic device, and a power supply mode control method. The power supply mode control circuit in an embodiment of the present application comprises: an adjustable load module, electrically connected to a power supply and used for adjusting a load value of the power supply; and a power consumption monitoring module, separately electrically connected to a communication module, the power supply, and the adjustable load module, and used for monitoring a power consumption value of the communication module. When the power consumption monitoring module detects that the power consumption value of the communication module is less than a reference power consumption value and greater than a first threshold, the adjustable load module adjusts the load value of the power supply, such that the power supply after adjustment is in a non-energy-saving mode, wherein the reference power consumption value is a power consumption value of the power supply when switching between the non-energy-saving mode and an energy-saving mode.

Description

Power supply mode control circuit, electronic device and power supply mode control method

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202411232323.3, filed on September 4, 2024, and entitled "Power supply mode control circuit, electronic device and power supply mode control method", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present application belongs to the field of communication technology, and particularly relates to a power supply mode control circuit, an electronic device and a power supply mode control method. BACKGROUND

[0004] For electronic devices such as Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) products, the main load is the communication module, such as a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) chip. Taking the WiFi chip in the CPE product as an example, the WiFi chip accounts for more than 80% of the power consumption of the CPE product. To achieve the goal of reducing the power consumption of the CPE, the power supply for the WiFi chip is usually controlled to be in an energy-saving mode when the power consumption of the WiFi chip in the CPE product is low.

[0005] However, when the WiFi chip is powered based on the energy-saving mode, there is a problem of too low Error Vector Magnitude (EVM) index of the WiFi chip, which affects the power supply stability of the WiFi chip. SUMMARY

[0006] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a power supply mode control circuit, an electronic device and a power supply mode control method, which can ensure the power supply stability of the communication module such as the WiFi chip.

[0007] In a first aspect, a power supply mode control circuit is provided, comprising: an adjustable load module, electrically connected with a power supply, for adjusting a load value of the power supply; a power consumption monitoring module, electrically connected with a communication module, the power supply and the adjustable load module respectively, for monitoring a power consumption value of the communication module; wherein when the power consumption monitoring module monitors that the power consumption value of the communication module is less than a reference power consumption value and greater than a first threshold value, the adjustable load module adjusts the load value of the power supply, so that the adjusted power supply is in a non-energy-saving mode, wherein the reference power consumption value is a power consumption value of the power supply when the power supply switches between the non-energy-saving mode and the energy-saving mode.

[0008] In a second aspect, an electronic device is provided, and the electronic device comprises the power supply mode control circuit according to the first aspect.

[0009] In a third aspect, a power supply mode control method is provided, and the method comprises: monitoring a power consumption value of a communication module; and adjusting a load value of a power supply, so that the power supply is in a non-energy-saving mode, when it is monitored that the power consumption value of the communication module is less than a reference power consumption value and greater than a first threshold value; wherein the reference power consumption value is a power consumption value of the power supply when the power supply is switched between the non-energy-saving mode and an energy-saving mode.

[0010] In a fourth aspect, an electronic device is provided, and the electronic device comprises: a memory, a processor, and computer executable instructions stored in the memory and executable in the processor, and the computer executable instructions are executed by the processor to implement the steps of the method according to the third aspect.

[0011] In a fifth aspect, a computer readable storage medium is provided, and the computer readable storage medium is used to store computer executable instructions, and the computer executable instructions are executed by a processor to implement the steps of the method according to the third aspect.

[0012] In a sixth aspect, a computer program product is provided, and the computer program product comprises a computer program stored in a storage medium, and the computer program is executed by a processor to implement the steps of the method according to the third aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the drawings needed in the embodiments or the prior art description will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments described in the present application, and other drawings can also be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor.

[0014] FIG. 1a is a switch waveform when the power supply is in an energy-saving mode according to an example embodiment of the present application.

[0015] FIG. 1b is a switch waveform when the power supply is in a non-energy-saving mode according to an example embodiment of the present application.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a power supply mode control circuit according to an example embodiment of the present application.

[0017] FIG. 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a power supply mode control circuit according to an example embodiment of the present application.

[0018] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a power mode control circuit according to an example embodiment of the present application.

[0019] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a power mode control circuit according to an example embodiment of the present application.

[0020] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a power mode control flow according to an example embodiment of the present application.

[0021] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a power mode control method according to an example embodiment of the present application.

[0022] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device according to an example embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in the present application, the technical solutions in the present application will be described clearly and completely in the following with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, but not all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0024] For electronic devices such as CPE products, the main load is the communication module. For example, the WiFi chip in the CPE product accounts for more than 80% of the power consumption of the CPE product. To this end, in order to achieve the goal of reducing the overall power consumption of the CPE product, such as meeting the requirements of the new European energy efficiency regulations and further reducing costs, when the power consumption of the WiFi chip in the CPE product is relatively low, the power supply (such as a direct current (DC) power supply) that supplies power to the WiFi chip is controlled to be in an energy-saving mode, such as a power-saving mode (PSM).

[0025] In the related art, as shown in FIG. 1a, when the WiFi chip is powered based on the energy-saving mode, the period of power-off of the power supply will be increased, and thus an oscillation waveform may occur, causing the error vector magnitude (EVM) index of the WiFi chip to be too low, affecting the power supply stability of the WiFi chip.

[0026] To this end, the embodiment of the present application provides a power supply mode control scheme. When the power consumption value of a communication module such as a WiFi chip is small, the load value of the power supply can be adjusted so that the power supply is in a non-energy-saving mode such as a pulse width modulation (PWM) mode, thereby avoiding the power supply from entering the energy-saving mode. In this way, by controlling the power supply to be in the non-energy-saving mode, the oscillation waveform can be avoided as shown in FIG. 1b, the EVM index of the communication module such as the WiFi chip is not affected, and the power supply stability of the communication module such as the WiFi chip is ensured.

[0027] The PSM mode mentioned in the context of the present application can also be referred to as a light-load high-efficiency mode, that is, an energy-saving working mode when the load of the power supply is small. The switching frequency of the PWM mode is constant.

[0028] Based on this, the technical scheme provided by the embodiment of the present application will be described in detail in combination with the drawings and some embodiments and application scenarios.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 2, the structure of a power supply mode control circuit provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application can include an adjustable load module and a power consumption monitoring module.

[0030] The adjustable load module is electrically connected with the power supply and is configured to adjust the load value of the power supply. In the embodiment, the power supply can be the power supply in the power supply mode control circuit, or the power supply in an electronic device (such as a CPE product, a router, a mobile phone, a wearable device, a computer, a smart home, a portable WiFi device, and other devices with communication functions) to which the power supply mode control circuit is applied, without limitation.

[0031] In an embodiment, the power supply can be but is not limited to a direct current power supply. In the embodiment, the power supply can have different power supply modes such as an energy-saving mode (such as a PSM mode) and a non-energy-saving mode (such as a PWM mode) for power supply control in different scenarios.

[0032] The power consumption monitoring module is electrically connected with the communication module, the power supply, and the adjustable load module, respectively, to monitor the power consumption value of the communication module. For example, the power consumption monitoring module is configured to monitor the current or voltage of the power supply when the power supply supplies power to the communication module, and then determine the power consumption value of the communication module according to the current or voltage.

[0033] The communication module can be a communication module in the power supply mode control circuit, or the communication module can be a communication module in an electronic device (CPE product, router, mobile phone, wearable device, computer, smart home, portable WiFi device, and other devices with communication functions) to which the power supply mode control circuit is applied, and the application is not limited in this regard.

[0034] In the embodiments of the present application, by providing a power supply mode control circuit, when the power consumption value of the communication module is less than the power consumption value of the power supply when switching between the non-energy-saving mode and the energy-saving mode, the load value of the power supply can be adjusted to control the power supply to be in the non-energy-saving mode. Thus, the EVM index of the communication module can be affected by the low-load power supply entering the energy-saving mode, and the power supply stability of the communication module can be ensured.

[0035] In an embodiment, the communication module can include, but is not limited to, a WiFi chip, etc.

[0036] For the foregoing power supply mode control circuit, when the power consumption monitoring module detects that the power consumption value of the communication module is less than the reference power consumption value and greater than the first threshold value, the adjustable load module adjusts the load value of the power supply, so that the adjusted power supply is in the non-energy-saving mode, such as the PWM mode, thereby avoiding the power supply switching to the energy-saving mode, such as the PSM mode, and thus avoiding the occurrence of the shock waveform as shown in FIG. 1b, affecting the EVM index of the communication module, and ensuring the power supply stability of the communication module.

[0037] The reference power consumption value is the power consumption value of the power supply when switching between the non-energy-saving mode and the energy-saving mode. For example, when the power consumption value of the communication module is less than the reference power consumption value, the power supply can switch from the non-energy-saving mode to the energy-saving mode, and vice versa, the power supply switches from the energy-saving mode to the non-energy-saving mode.

[0038] With respect to the "reference power consumption value" as the switching value of the power supply when switching between the energy-saving mode and the non-energy-saving mode, the embodiment further increases the judgment condition of "whether greater than the first threshold value" to realize the judgment of the data transmission amount in the communication module, which can improve the accuracy of the power supply when switching between the energy-saving mode and the non-energy-saving mode, and avoid the problem of unstable power supply caused by the data transmission amount in the communication module being greater than or equal to the third threshold value (such as 0 Mbps, 200 Mbps, etc.) but the power supply switching to the energy-saving mode.

[0039] For example, when the power consumption monitoring module monitors that the power consumption value of the communication module is less than the reference power consumption value and greater than the first threshold value, it can be determined that the data transmission amount of the communication module is greater than or equal to a third threshold value (such as 0 Mbps, 200 Mbps, etc.), and thus the power supply can be controlled to be in a non-energy-saving mode by adjusting the load value of the power supply, to ensure the power supply stability of the communication module.

[0040] For another example, when the power consumption monitoring module monitors that the power consumption value of the communication module is less than the reference power consumption value and not greater than the first threshold value, it can be determined that the data transmission amount of the communication module is less than the third threshold value (such as 0 Mbps, 200 Mbps, etc.), and thus the performance of the communication module can be appropriately reduced, i.e., the power consumption monitoring module can control the power supply to switch to an energy-saving mode, such as a PSM mode, to reduce the power consumption of the power supply.

[0041] In an embodiment, the aforementioned first threshold value can be set by a user according to requirements, such as being set to 0 mW, 20 mW, 50 mW, etc., which is not limited herein. When the first threshold value is 0 mW, it can be determined that there is no data transmission in the communication module.

[0042] In an embodiment, if the power consumption monitoring module monitors that the power consumption value of the communication module is not less than the reference power consumption value, the power consumption monitoring module can control the power supply to be in a non-energy-saving mode, to ensure the power supply stability of the power supply when supplying power to the communication module, and thus ensure the performance of the communication module.

[0043] In an embodiment, the aforementioned power consumption monitoring module can have various implementation manners. For example, it can be a processor with a power consumption monitoring function, which is not limited herein.

[0044] In an embodiment, the aforementioned adjustable load module can have various ways to adjust the load value of the power supply. For example, the adjustable load module can adjust the load value of the power supply according to the difference between the power consumption value of the communication module and the reference power consumption value, so that the adjusted load value of the power supply is greater than the reference power consumption value, to control the power supply to be in a non-energy-saving mode.

[0045] In an embodiment, the adjusted load value of the power supply is greater than the reference power consumption value, and the difference between the adjusted load value of the power supply and the reference power consumption value can be less than a second threshold value. In this way, the adjusted load value of the power supply is slightly greater than the reference power consumption value, so that the power supply stability of the communication module is ensured, and at the same time, the waste of electric energy caused by the too large load value of the power supply is avoided, to ensure the minimization of power consumption and the optimization of communication performance.

[0046] In an embodiment, the second threshold value can be set according to requirements, for example, the second threshold value can be but not limited to 50mW, etc.

[0047] For example, assuming that the difference between the reference power consumption value and the power consumption value of the communication module is Y, the adjustable load module adjusts the load value of the power supply according to Y, so that the adjusted load value of the power supply is (the power consumption value of the communication module + Y + A), and A is less than the second threshold value. Wherein, the adjusted load value of the power supply is greater than the reference power consumption value, such as (the power consumption value of the communication module + Y + A) is greater than the reference power consumption value, so as to control the power supply to always work in the non-energy saving mode (such as PWM mode), so as to ensure the power supply stability when the power supply supplies power to the communication module.

[0048] In an embodiment, the adjustable load module can include a processing module and an adjustable load circuit, wherein the processing module is used to set the load, and then adjust the adjustable load circuit according to the load, so that the adjusted load value of the power supply is greater than the reference power consumption value, or so that the adjusted load value of the power supply is greater than the reference power consumption value, and the difference between the adjusted load value of the power supply and the reference power consumption value is less than the second threshold value. In this embodiment, the processing module can be but not limited to a processor, etc.

[0049] In an embodiment, the processing module can set the load as "Y + A", and then adjust the adjustable load circuit according to the load "Y + A", so that the adjusted load value of the power supply is greater than the reference power consumption value, or so that the adjusted load value of the power supply is greater than the reference power consumption value, and the difference between the adjusted load value of the power supply and the reference power consumption value is less than the second threshold value, so as to control the power supply to be in the non-energy saving mode. Wherein, "Y" is the difference between the reference power consumption value and the power consumption value of the communication module, and "A" is less than the second threshold value.

[0050] In an embodiment, the adjustable load circuit can be a sliding resistance or a sliding rheostat, so as to facilitate debugging, and the sliding resistance or the sliding rheostat is simple in operation and high in precision.

[0051] In an embodiment, the adjustable load circuit can also be composed of resistors of different sizes in series and parallel, and the adjustment of different load values can be realized by switching through switches. This type of adjustable load circuit is simple and reliable, and occupies small space, and can be directly added to the power supply for adjusting the load value of the power supply.

[0052] In an embodiment, for the comparison of the size between the power consumption value of the communication module and the reference power consumption value, it can be realized by the power consumption monitoring module, or it can be realized by other modules or devices (such as a comparator) different from the power consumption monitoring module.

[0053] For example, assuming that the comparison of the magnitude between the power consumption value of the communication module and the reference power consumption value is implemented by a comparator different from the power consumption monitoring module, as shown in FIG. 3, the power supply mode control circuit can further comprise a comparator electrically connected with the power consumption monitoring module and the adjustable load module respectively. The comparator is configured to compare the magnitude between the reference power consumption value and the power consumption value of the communication module monitored by the power consumption monitoring module, and input the difference between the power consumption value of the communication module and the reference power consumption value to the adjustable load module when the power consumption value of the communication module is less than the reference power consumption value, so that the adjustable load module can adjust the load value of the power supply according to the difference, thereby controlling the power supply to be in the non-energy-saving mode and ensuring the stability of the power supply when supplying power to the communication module.

[0054] In addition, when the power consumption value of the communication module is not less than the reference power consumption value, the comparator can input the comparison result to the power supply to control the power supply to be in the non-energy-saving mode and ensure the performance of the communication module.

[0055] In an embodiment, when the comparator compares the magnitude between the reference power consumption value and the power consumption value of the communication module, the reference power consumption value can be pre-configured in the comparator, provided by the power supply to the comparator, etc., which is not limited herein.

[0056] In an embodiment, for the case that the power consumption monitoring module monitors the power consumption value of the communication module, the power consumption monitoring module can monitor continuously or periodically, or determine whether to monitor according to the working state of the communication module (such as whether there is device access, whether there is device request access, whether there is traffic, whether there is data transmission, how many channels are running, how many channels are closed, etc.), which is not limited herein.

[0057] For example, for the case of determining whether to control the power consumption monitoring module to monitor the power consumption value of the communication module according to the working state of the communication module, as shown in FIG. 4, the power supply mode control circuit can further include a communication monitoring module, which is electrically connected with the communication module and the power consumption monitoring module respectively. The communication monitoring module is configured to monitor the working state of the communication module, and control whether the power consumption monitoring module works according to the monitored working state. For example, the communication monitoring module can control the power consumption monitoring module to monitor the power consumption value of the communication module when it is monitored that there is data transmission in the communication module; or the communication monitoring module can control the power consumption monitoring module not to monitor the power consumption value of the communication module when it is monitored that there is no data transmission or the data transmission amount is less than a third threshold value. In this way, by controlling the power consumption monitoring module to monitor the power consumption value of the communication module when there is data transmission, the problem of waste of electric energy caused by the power consumption monitoring module continuously or periodically monitoring the power consumption value of the communication module can be avoided.

[0058] In an embodiment, if the communication monitoring module monitors that there is no data transmission or the data transmission amount is less than a third threshold value (such as 0 Mbps, 200 Mbps, etc.) in the communication module, the communication monitoring module can further control the power supply to be in the energy saving mode, such as switching from the non-energy saving mode to the energy saving mode, so as to reduce the power consumption of the power supply.

[0059] In an embodiment, the communication monitoring module mentioned above can determine the working mode according to the working state of the communication module after monitoring the working state. In this embodiment, the working mode can include but is not limited to standby mode, low power consumption mode, small traffic mode and normal working mode, etc.

[0060] The standby mode: when it is monitored that there is no device accessing or requesting to access the communication module, the communication module enters the standby mode.

[0061] In the standby mode, since there is no device accessing or requesting to access the communication module (such as WiFi chip), the performance of the communication module can be appropriately reduced to achieve the purpose of reducing the power consumption of the whole machine. That is, in this standby mode, the aforementioned comparator can not work. Correspondingly, if the power consumption monitoring module monitors that the power consumption value of the communication module is lower than the reference power consumption value and is not greater than the first threshold value, the power supply is allowed to switch to the energy saving mode, such as PSM mode.

[0062] The low power consumption mode: when it is monitored that no device accesses the communication module in the standby state of the communication module for more than a preset time (such as default 10 min, which can be customized by the user), the communication module enters the low power consumption mode, that is, the communication module is switched from multiple paths to single path.

[0063] In the low power consumption mode, since no device accesses the communication module (e.g. WiFi chip), the performance of the communication module can be properly reduced to achieve the purpose of reducing the power consumption of the whole machine. That is, in the low power consumption mode, the aforementioned comparator can not work. Correspondingly, if the power consumption monitoring module monitors that the power consumption value of the communication module is lower than the reference power consumption value and is not greater than the first threshold value, the power supply is allowed to switch to the energy saving mode, e.g. PSM mode.

[0064] In the embodiment, for the standby mode and the low power consumption mode, the power supply is allowed to enter the energy saving mode, e.g. PSM mode, by properly sacrificing the communication performance to achieve the purpose of reducing the power consumption of the whole machine.

[0065] The small traffic mode: the communication module is accessed by a device and the data transmission amount is less than a fourth threshold value, e.g. 300 Mbps, etc.

[0066] In the small traffic mode, since the communication module is accessed by a device, the performance of the communication module needs to be ensured. For this purpose, in the embodiment, when the power consumption monitoring module monitors that the power consumption value of the communication module is less than the reference power consumption value and is greater than the first threshold value, i.e. the communication module has data transmission and the data transmission amount is not less than the third threshold value but is less than the fourth threshold value, the load value of the power supply is adjusted by the adjustable load module, so that the adjusted power supply is in the non-energy saving mode. That is, in the embodiment, for the small traffic mode, the comparator starts to work to compare the power consumption value of the communication module with the reference power consumption value, so as to ensure that when the power consumption value of the communication module is less than the reference power consumption value and is greater than the first threshold value, the power supply is controlled to be in the non-energy saving mode, the power supply stability when the power supply supplies power to the communication module is ensured, and the communication performance is further ensured.

[0067] In some embodiments, in the aforementioned "the data transmission amount is not less than the third threshold value but is less than the fourth threshold value", the fourth threshold value is greater than the third threshold value. The fourth threshold value can be set by a user, e.g. 300 Mbps, 350 Mbps, etc.

[0068] The normal working mode: a mode other than the low power consumption mode, the standby mode and the small traffic mode, in which a device accesses the communication module and the traffic amount of the communication module is variable.

[0069] In the normal working mode, since there is a device accessing the communication module, the performance of the communication module needs to be ensured. However, considering that the data transmission amount in the communication module is usually variable, and when the data transmission amount is less than a fourth threshold value, the power consumption value of the communication module is relatively small, for example, the power consumption value of the communication module can be lower than the switching value of the power supply (i.e. the reference power consumption value) and greater than the first threshold value. In this case, the load value of the power supply can be adjusted by the adjustable load module in the embodiment, so that the adjusted power supply is in the non-energy-saving mode, thereby ensuring the power supply stability of the communication module when the power supply supplies power for the communication module in the normal working mode, and further ensuring the performance of the communication module.

[0070] In the embodiment, for the normal working mode, the comparator starts to work to compare the power consumption value of the communication module with the reference power consumption value.

[0071] In addition, when the data transmission amount in the normal working mode is greater than a fifth threshold value, the power consumption value of the communication module is relatively large, for example, the power consumption value of the communication module is greater than the reference power consumption value, then the communication monitoring module can control the power supply to always work in the non-energy-saving mode, thereby ensuring the performance of the communication module.

[0072] In the embodiment, the fifth threshold value can be set by a user, for example, the fifth threshold value can be but is not limited to 300 Mbps, 350 Mbps, 400 Mbps, 500 Mbps, 1000 Mbps, etc.

[0073] In an embodiment, for the case that the power consumption monitoring module monitors the power consumption value of the communication module when the communication monitoring module monitors that there is data transmission in the communication module, the communication monitoring module can also determine whether to control the power consumption monitoring module to monitor the power consumption value of the communication module according to whether the data transmission amount of the communication module is less than a sixth threshold value when the communication monitoring module monitors that there is data transmission in the communication module.

[0074] For example, when the communication module monitors that the data transmission amount of the communication module is less than the sixth threshold value, the communication monitoring module can determine that the power consumption value of the communication module can be less than the reference power consumption value, thereby causing the power supply to switch to the energy-saving mode and affecting the power supply stability of the communication module. In this case, the communication monitoring module can control the power consumption monitoring module to monitor the power consumption value of the communication module, so as to ensure that the power supply is in the non-energy-saving mode by adjusting the load value of the power supply when it is monitored that the power consumption value of the communication module is less than the reference power consumption value and greater than the first threshold value, thereby ensuring the power supply stability of the communication module.

[0075] For example, when the data transmission amount of the communication module is not less than the sixth threshold value, the communication monitoring module can determine that the power consumption value of the communication module will not be less than the reference power consumption value, i.e., the power supply is in the non-energy-saving mode, in which case the communication monitoring module can control the power consumption monitoring module not to monitor the power consumption value of the communication module. Thus, the invalid monitoring of the communication module when the data transmission amount is not less than the sixth threshold value can be avoided, the power consumption caused by the invalid monitoring is saved, and the monitoring efficiency of the power consumption monitoring module is improved.

[0076] In an embodiment, the scenario corresponding to the "data transmission amount less than the sixth threshold value" described above can include, but is not limited to, the small traffic transmission scenario in the small traffic mode or the normal working mode described above.

[0077] In an embodiment, the sixth threshold value can be set by a user. For example, the sixth threshold value can be 300 Mbps, 350 Mbps, 400 Mbps, etc., which is not limited herein.

[0078] In addition, considering that when the data transmission amount of the communication module is greater than the fifth threshold value, the communication monitoring module can control the power supply to always work in the non-energy-saving mode, i.e., the power consumption value of the communication module is not less than the reference power consumption value when the data transmission amount is greater than the fifth threshold value, therefore, in an embodiment, the sixth threshold value can be less than or equal to the fifth threshold value, so that when the communication module monitors that there is data transmission but the data transmission amount is less than or equal to the fifth threshold value, the power consumption monitoring module is controlled to monitor the power consumption value of the communication module, so as to ensure that when the power consumption value of the communication module is less than the reference power consumption value and greater than the first threshold value, the power supply can be ensured to be in the non-energy-saving mode by adjusting the power supply load value, and the power supply stability of the communication module is further ensured.

[0079] In an embodiment, the communication monitoring module described above can be independently arranged with the communication module as shown in FIG. 4, can be integrated in the communication module, or the communication monitoring module can also reuse the related functional modules or circuits in the communication module, which is not limited herein.

[0080] In an embodiment, the communication monitoring module can be arranged with the power consumption monitoring module, i.e., combined into one, such as a monitoring module with both communication monitoring function and power consumption monitoring function, so as to realize the monitoring and control of the working state and power consumption value of the communication module.

[0081] The EVM index is low and the power supply stability is poor when the power supply enters the energy-saving mode at a low load value. In the embodiment of the present application, when the load value of the power supply is low (i.e., the power consumption value of the communication module is less than the reference power consumption value and greater than the first threshold value), such as the small traffic mode and the small traffic scenario in the normal working mode, the power supply is controlled to be in the non-energy-saving mode, thereby ensuring the EVM index of the communication module, ensuring the power supply stability when the communication module has data transmission, and effectively balancing the EVM index of the communication module and the overall power consumption.

[0082] The example embodiment of the present application also provides an electronic device, which can include but is not limited to the power supply mode control circuit described above. Wherein, the power supply mode control circuit in the electronic device can refer to the related description of the power supply mode control circuit above, and achieve the same or corresponding technical effects. To avoid repetition, it will not be described here.

[0083] In an embodiment, if the power supply mode control circuit does not include the power supply and the communication module, the electronic device can include the power supply and the communication module in addition to the power supply mode control circuit described above, i.e., the electronic device can ensure the power supply stability when the power consumption value of the communication module is less than the reference power consumption value and greater than the first threshold value by applying the power supply mode control circuit.

[0084] In an embodiment, the electronic device can be but is not limited to CPE products, routers, mobile phones, wearable devices, computers, smart homes, portable WiFi devices, and other devices with communication functions.

[0085] Based on the above description of the electronic device, the power supply mode control process provided by the present application will be described below in conjunction with FIGS. 5 and 6. Wherein, it is assumed that the electronic device is a CPE product applying the power supply mode control circuit, and the communication module is a WiFi chip in the CPE product.

[0086] (1) The adapter power supply converts the mains into a voltage available to the power supply, the power supply powers the WiFi chip in the CPE product, and the WiFi chip in the CPE product starts working.

[0087] (2) The communication monitoring module monitors the working state of the WiFi chip, such as whether there is device access, whether there is device request access, whether there is traffic, whether there is data transmission, how many WiFi channels are running, and how many WiFi channels are closed.

[0088] (3) The communication monitoring module determines the working mode of the WiFi chip according to the working state: mainly low power consumption mode, standby mode, small traffic mode, and normal working mode.

[0089] (4) When the communication monitoring module monitors that there is data transmission in the WiFi chip (e.g. the WiFi chip is in the small traffic mode or normal working mode), the power consumption monitoring module can be controlled to monitor the power consumption value of the WiFi chip.

[0090] In an embodiment, when the WiFi chip is in the low power consumption mode or standby mode, the power consumption monitoring module can not perform power consumption monitoring, the comparator can not work, and the power supply can be maintained or switched to the energy saving mode, such as the PSM mode.

[0091] (5) The power consumption monitoring module inputs the monitored power consumption value of the WiFi chip into the comparator, and the comparator compares the power consumption of the WiFi chip with the reference power consumption value.

[0092] (6) When the power consumption value of the WiFi chip is less than the reference power consumption value and greater than the first threshold value, the comparator inputs the difference between the power consumption value of the WiFi chip and the reference power consumption value into the adjustable load module, and the adjustable load module adjusts the load value of the power supply according to the difference, so that the power supply is in the non-energy saving mode to ensure the performance of the WiFi chip.

[0093] For example, for the small traffic mode, at this time there is already a device accessing the WiFi chip, and the WiFi performance must be ensured, so the comparator starts to work. When the comparison result of the comparator is that the power consumption value of the WiFi chip is less than the reference power consumption value and greater than the first threshold value, the comparator outputs an adjustment value Y = reference power consumption value - power consumption value of the WiFi chip to the adjustable load module. Then, the adjustable load module sets the load X (which can be generally Y + A (e.g. 50mW)) slightly greater than Y, and A is less than the second threshold value. Finally, the adjustable load module adjusts the load value of the power supply according to the load X, so that the adjusted load value of the power supply is (X + power consumption value of the WiFi chip). Wherein, (X + power consumption value of the WiFi chip) > reference power consumption value, and the difference between (X + power consumption value of the WiFi chip) and the reference power consumption value is less than the second threshold value, so that the power supply works in the non-energy saving mode, such as the PWM mode.

[0094] For example, for the normal operation mode, the WiFi chip needs to ensure the WiFi performance, so the comparator always works. However, the data transmission amount on the WiFi chip is usually variable. When the data transmission amount is less than the fourth threshold, the power consumption of the WiFi chip can be lower than the reference power consumption value of the power supply, such as the power consumption of the WiFi chip being less than the reference power consumption value and greater than the first threshold. In this case, the comparator can output an adjustment value Y = the reference power consumption value - the power consumption of the WiFi chip to the adjustable load module. Then, the adjustable load module sets the load X (which can be generally Y + A (such as 50 mW)) slightly greater than Y after receiving the adjustment value Y, and A is less than the second threshold. Finally, the adjustable load module adjusts the load value of the power supply according to the load X, so that the adjusted load value of the power supply is (X + the power consumption of the WiFi chip). Wherein, (X + the power consumption of the WiFi chip) > the reference power consumption value, and the difference between (X + the power consumption of the WiFi chip) and the reference power consumption value is less than the second threshold, so that the power supply works in the non-energy-saving mode, such as the PWM mode.

[0095] In an embodiment, if the power supply is in the energy-saving mode, and the comparison result of the comparator is that the power consumption of the WiFi chip is greater than the reference power consumption value, the working mode of the power supply can be switched from the energy-saving mode to the non-energy-saving mode, such as from the PSM mode to the PWM mode.

[0096] In the foregoing example, the communication monitoring module monitors the working mode of the WiFi chip, and controls the power consumption monitoring module and the comparator according to the monitoring result. For example, in the small traffic mode and the normal operation mode, the power consumption monitoring module and the comparator start to work, and the power consumption monitoring result of the power consumption monitoring module is used as the input of the comparator, so that the comparator compares the size between the power consumption of the WiFi chip and the reference power consumption value. When the comparison result is that the power consumption of the WiFi chip is less than the reference power consumption value and greater than the first threshold, the adjustable load module adjusts the load value of the power supply according to the comparison result, so that the load value of the power supply is higher than the reference power consumption value, and the power supply works in the non-energy-saving mode.

[0097] In addition, for the adjusted load value of the power supply, the adjusted load value of the power supply is slightly greater than the reference power consumption value, such as the difference between the adjusted load value of the power supply and the reference power consumption value being less than the second threshold, so that the power supply works in the non-energy-saving mode while ensuring the power consumption minimization and the WiFi performance optimization.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 7, an example embodiment of the present application also provides a power supply mode control method 700, which can be implemented by an electronic device (such as a CPE product, a router, a mobile phone, a computer, etc.), and can be implemented by software and / or hardware installed in the electronic device. In this embodiment, the method 700 can at least include the following steps.

[0099] S710, monitoring a power consumption value of the communication module.

[0100] The electronic device can monitor the power consumption value of the communication module through, but not limited to, a power consumption monitoring module. The power consumption monitoring module can be the power supply mode control circuit described above.

[0101] S720, when the power consumption value of the communication module is less than the reference power consumption value and greater than the first threshold value, adjusting the load value of the power supply so that the adjusted power supply is in the non-energy saving mode.

[0102] The reference power consumption value is the power consumption value of the power supply when switching between the non-energy saving mode and the energy saving mode. When the power consumption value of the communication module is less than the reference power consumption value, the power supply can be switched from the non-energy saving mode to the energy saving mode (e.g. PSM mode), and vice versa.

[0103] In this embodiment, when the power consumption value of the communication module is less than the reference power consumption value and greater than the first threshold value, the power supply can be in the non-energy saving mode by adjusting the load value of the power supply. In this way, the communication module with low load value can be prevented from entering the energy saving mode, and the oscillation waveform can be avoided as shown in FIG. 1b, which can affect the EVM index of the communication module and ensure the stability of the power supply of the communication module.

[0104] The first threshold value mentioned in this embodiment and the second threshold value, the third threshold value, etc. mentioned later can be referred to the related description of the power supply mode control circuit described above.

[0105] In an embodiment, the electronic device can adjust the load value of the power supply through, but not limited to, an adjustable load module. The adjustable load module can be the power supply mode control circuit described above.

[0106] In an embodiment, the process of adjusting the load value of the power supply when the power consumption value of the communication module is less than the reference power consumption value and greater than the first threshold value in S720 can include, but not limited to: the electronic device compares the reference power consumption value with the monitored power consumption value of the communication module; when the power consumption value of the communication module is less than the reference power consumption value and greater than the first threshold value, the load value of the power supply is adjusted according to the difference between the power consumption value of the communication module and the reference power consumption value, so that the adjusted load value of the power supply is greater than the reference power consumption value, i.e. the power supply is controlled to be in the non-energy saving mode (e.g. PWM mode) to ensure the stability of the power supply when the power supply supplies power to the communication module.

[0107] In an embodiment, the comparison between the reference power consumption value and the monitored power consumption value of the communication module can be implemented in various ways, such as by the power consumption monitoring module or by other modules or devices (e.g., a comparator) different from the power consumption monitoring module. For the comparator and the process of adjusting the load value of the power supply according to the difference between the power consumption value of the communication module and the reference power consumption value, refer to the relevant description of the power supply mode control circuit, and details are not repeated here.

[0108] In an embodiment, for the monitoring of the power consumption value of the communication module in S710, the electronic device can continuously or periodically monitor the power consumption value of the communication module, or can monitor the working state of the communication module and determine whether to monitor the power consumption value of the communication module according to the monitored working state (e.g., whether there is device access, whether there is device request access, whether there is traffic, whether there is data transmission, how many channels are running, how many channels are closed, etc.).

[0109] For example, assuming that the electronic device determines whether to monitor the power consumption value of the communication module by monitoring whether there is data transmission in the communication module, the process of monitoring the power consumption value of the communication module in S710 can include but is not limited to: monitoring whether there is data transmission in the communication module; and monitoring the power consumption value of the communication module when there is data transmission in the communication module, and not monitoring the power consumption value of the communication module when there is no data transmission in the communication module. In this way, by monitoring the power consumption value of the communication module when there is data transmission, the problem of power waste caused by continuous monitoring of the power consumption value of the communication module can be avoided.

[0110] For the working state of the communication module, refer to the relevant description of the power supply mode control circuit, such as the monitoring of the working state of the communication module by the communication monitoring module, and details are not repeated here.

[0111] In an embodiment, the adjusted load value of the power supply is greater than the reference power consumption value, and the difference between the adjusted load value of the power supply and the reference power consumption value is less than the second threshold value, so that the adjusted load value of the power supply is slightly greater than the reference power consumption value. In this way, while ensuring the stability of the power supply of the communication module, the problem of power waste caused by the too large load value of the power supply can be avoided, thereby ensuring the minimization of power consumption and the optimization of communication performance.

[0112] In an embodiment, the electronic device monitors whether there is data transmission in the communication module, such as no data transmission (e.g. standby mode or low power consumption mode) or the amount of data transmission is less than a third threshold value, and the electronic device can control the power supply to be in the energy saving mode, such as controlling the power supply to switch from the non-energy saving mode to the energy saving mode or maintaining the power supply in the energy saving mode, to reduce the power consumption of the electronic device. The communication monitoring module can refer to the related description of the power supply mode control circuit, and will not be repeated here.

[0113] In an embodiment, if the power consumption value of the communication module is not less than the reference power consumption value, the power supply can be controlled to be in the non-energy saving mode, such as controlling the power supply to switch from the energy saving mode to the non-energy saving mode or maintaining the power supply in the non-energy saving mode, to ensure the stability of the power supply when the power supply supplies power to the communication module and ensure the performance of the communication module.

[0114] When the power supply is controlled to be in the non-energy saving mode, the power consumption monitoring module or the comparator can input the comparison result to the power supply to control the power supply to be in the non-energy saving mode.

[0115] Compared with the situation that the power supply enters the energy saving mode when the load value is low, the EVM index is low and the power supply stability is poor. In the embodiment, when the load value of the power supply is low (i.e. the power consumption value of the communication module is less than the reference power consumption value and greater than the first threshold value), such as the small traffic scenario in the small traffic mode or the normal working mode, the power supply is controlled to be in the non-energy saving mode, thereby ensuring the EVM index of the communication module, ensuring the power supply stability when the communication module has data transmission, and effectively balancing the EVM index of the communication module and the overall power consumption.

[0116] FIG. 8 shows a hardware structure diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to the figure, at the hardware level, the electronic device includes a processor, and in an embodiment, further includes an internal bus, a network interface and a memory. The memory can include a memory such as a random access memory (RAM), and can also include a non-volatile memory such as at least one disk memory. Of course, the electronic device can also include other hardware required by the business.

[0117] The processor, the network interface and the memory can be connected with each other through an internal bus, which can be an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, an Extended Industry Standard Architecture (EISA) bus or the like. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus and the like. For the convenience of representation, only one bidirectional arrow is used in the figure, but it does not mean that there is only one bus or only one type of bus.

[0118] The memory is used for storing programs. The programs can include program codes including computer operation instructions. The memory can include an internal memory and a non-volatile memory, and provide instructions and data for the processor.

[0119] The processor reads the corresponding computer programs from the non-volatile memory into the internal memory and then runs, and forms the device for positioning the designated user at a logical level. The processor executes the programs stored in the memory, and is used for executing the method disclosed in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 and realizing the functions and beneficial effects of each method described in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be described herein again.

[0120] The method disclosed in the embodiment shown in Fig. 7 of the present application can be applied to a processor or implemented by the processor. The processor can be an integrated circuit chip with processing capability. In the implementation process, each step of the method can be completed by integrated logic circuits or instructions in the form of software in the processor. The processor can be a general-purpose processor, including a central processing unit (CPU), a network processor (NP), etc.; or a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic device, a discrete hardware component. Each method, step and logic block diagram disclosed in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented or executed. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or the processor can also be any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in combination with the embodiments of the present application can be directly embodied as a hardware code processor for execution, or a combination of hardware and software modules in the code processor for execution. The software module can be located in a random access memory, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a programmable read-only memory or an electrically erasable programmable memory, a register, etc. The storage medium in the memory is read by the processor, and the hardware thereof is combined to complete the steps of the method.

[0121] The electronic device can also perform the methods described in the foregoing method embodiments, and achieve the functions and beneficial effects of the methods described in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0122] Of course, in addition to the software implementation, the electronic device of the present application does not exclude other implementation manners, such as logic devices or a combination of software and hardware, etc. That is, the execution subject of the following processing flow is not limited to each logic unit, but can also be hardware or a logic device.

[0123] The embodiments of the present application also propose a computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, which, when executed by an electronic device including a plurality of application programs, cause the electronic device to execute the method disclosed in the embodiment shown in Fig. 7 and achieve the functions and beneficial effects of the methods described in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

[0124] The computer readable storage medium includes a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk, etc.

[0125] The computer program product includes a computer program stored in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, and the computer program includes program instructions.

[0126] The computer program product includes a computer program stored in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, and the computer program includes program instructions.

[0127] The storage medium includes a permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable medium, which can store information by any method or technology. The information can be computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technologies, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transmission medium that can be used to store information accessible by a computing device. According to the definition herein, the computer readable storage medium does not include transitory computer readable media such as modulated data signals and carriers.

[0128] In summary, the above only describes the preferred embodiments of the present application, and is not used to limit the protection scope of the present application. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

[0129] The system, device, module or unit disclosed in the above embodiments can be implemented by a computer chip or entity, or by a product with certain functions. A typical implementation device is a computer. The computer may, for example, be a personal computer, a laptop computer, a cellular phone, a camera phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, a media player, a navigation device, an email device, a game console, a tablet computer, a wearable device, or a combination of any of these devices.

[0130] It is also to be noted that the terms "comprising", "including", and any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but can include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by "comprises a... " does not, without more constraints, exclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the recited element.

[0131] The various embodiments described in this specification are presented as examples. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the overall subject matter and is not a limitation on the overall subject matter. Changes in, or replacements to, parts of certain examples are covered by this specification. The various embodiments described in this specification are presented as examples. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the overall subject matter and is not a limitation on the overall subject matter. Changes in, or replacements to, parts of certain examples are covered by this specification.

Claims

1. A power supply mode control circuit, comprising: a tunable load module electrically connected with a power supply, configured to adjust a load value of the power supply; a power consumption monitoring module electrically connected with a communication module, the power supply and the tunable load module respectively, configured to monitor a power consumption value of the communication module; wherein when the power consumption monitoring module monitors that the power consumption value of the communication module is less than a reference power consumption value and greater than a first threshold value, the tunable load module adjusts the load value of the power supply, so that the adjusted power supply is in a non-power saving mode, wherein the reference power consumption value is a power consumption value of the power supply when the power supply switches between the non-power saving mode and a power saving mode.

2. The power mode control circuit of claim 1, wherein, The power supply mode control circuit further comprises a comparator electrically connected with the power consumption monitoring module and the tunable load module respectively; the comparator is configured to compare the reference power consumption value and the power consumption value of the communication module monitored by the power consumption monitoring module, and when the power consumption value of the communication module is less than the reference power consumption value, input a difference value between the power consumption value of the communication module and the reference power consumption value to the tunable load module; the tunable load module adjusts the load value of the power supply according to the difference value.

3. The power mode control circuit of claim 1, wherein, The power supply mode control circuit further comprises a communication monitoring module electrically connected with the communication module and the power consumption monitoring module respectively; the communication monitoring module is configured to control the power consumption monitoring module to monitor the power consumption value of the communication module when data transmission exists in the communication module.

4. The power mode control circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein, The load value of the adjusted power supply is greater than the reference power consumption value; or The load value of the adjusted power supply is greater than the reference power consumption value, and a difference value between the load value of the adjusted power supply and the reference power consumption value is less than a second threshold value. The non-power saving mode comprises a PWM mode, and the power saving mode comprises a PSM mode.

5. The power mode control circuit of any one of claims 1-4, wherein, 6.An electronic device comprising the power supply mode control circuit of any one of claims 1-5. 7.A power supply mode control method, comprising: monitoring a power consumption value of a communication module; when monitoring that the power consumption value of the communication module is less than a reference power consumption value and greater than a first threshold value, adjusting a load value of a power supply, so that the adjusted power supply is in a non-power saving mode; wherein the reference power consumption value is a power consumption value of the power supply when the power supply switches between the non-power saving mode and a power saving mode. The adjusting the load value of the power supply when monitoring that the power consumption value of the communication module is less than the reference power consumption value and greater than the first threshold value comprises:

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, comparing the reference power consumption value and the monitored power consumption value of the communication module; when the power consumption value of the communication module is less than the reference power consumption value and greater than the first threshold value, adjusting the load value of the power supply according to a difference value between the power consumption value of the communication module and the reference power consumption value. The monitoring the power consumption value of the communication module comprises:

9. The method of claim 7, wherein, monitoring whether data transmission exists in the communication module; monitoring the power consumption value of the communication module when data transmission exists in the communication module. The load value of the adjusted power supply is greater than the reference power consumption value; or 10. The method of claim 7, wherein, ​ The load value of the power supply after adjustment is greater than the reference power consumption value, and the difference between the load value of the power supply after adjustment and the reference power consumption value is less than a second threshold value.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein, The method further comprises: monitoring whether there is data transmission in the communication module; controlling the power supply to be in the energy-saving mode when there is no data transmission or the amount of data transmission is less than a third threshold value in the communication module.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein, The method further comprises: controlling the power supply to be in the non-energy-saving mode when the power consumption value of the communication module is not less than the reference power consumption value.

13. The method of any one of claims 7-12, wherein, The non-energy-saving mode comprises a PWM mode, and the energy-saving mode comprises a PSM mode.

14. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory and executable on the processor, the computer program, when executed by the processor, implementing the steps of the method according to any one of claims 7-13.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer program stored in a storage medium, the computer program, when executed by a processor, implementing the steps of the method according to any one of claims 7-13.

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