Access Point Proxy for Wireless Client Power Conservation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Client terminals in wireless communication systems consume significant power when in idle mode due to continuously cycling their high power communication interfaces to monitor paging channels, leading to reduced battery life and standby time.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a proxy host terminal with a high power interface for monitoring paging channels and a low power interface for communicating with the client terminal, allowing the client terminal to power down its high power interface and receive notifications via the low power interface, thereby reducing power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the client terminal continuously monitors paging channels using its primary communication interface, then it can reliably detect incoming calls and system messages, but power consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepaging message detection reliabilityVSAvoidpower consumption in idle mode

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The access point acts as an intermediary that receives and forwards paging messages to the client terminal through the secondary communication interface. This allows the primary communication interface to remain off while the access point mediates the delivery of paging messages, thus maintaining reliability while reducing power consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The communication functionality is segmented into two interfaces: the primary communication interface for high-power data transmission and the secondary communication interface for low-power paging message reception. This segmentation allows the terminal to use only the necessary interface for each function, reducing overall power consumption while maintaining reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Duration of action of moving object

If the client terminal cycles its receiver On and Off to monitor paging channels, then it can conserve some power compared to continuous operation, but still consumes significant power and reduces battery life

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestandby time between battery rechargesVSAvoidcurrent consumption in idle mode

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The access point serves as a mediator that maintains the paging connection for the client terminal. The terminal can keep its primary receiver off for extended periods while the access point intermediary forwards paging messages through the low-power secondary interface, thereby extending standby time without significant power consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of periodic cycling of the primary receiver, the system uses continuous operation of the secondary interface combined with periodic message forwarding by the access point. This approach reduces power consumption while maintaining the ability to detect paging messages at appropriate intervals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Use of energy by moving object

If the client terminal shuts off its primary communication interface to save power, then power consumption decreases, but it cannot directly receive paging messages from the access point

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumption reductionVSAvoidpaging message reception capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The access point acts as an intermediary that receives paging messages intended for the client terminal and forwards them through the secondary communication interface. This intermediary function ensures that no paging messages are lost even when the primary communication interface is shut off, maintaining information completeness while reducing power consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The access point creates a copy of the paging message and transmits it through the secondary communication interface to the client terminal. This copying mechanism ensures that the terminal receives complete paging information through the low-power interface, preventing any loss of information while enabling power savings.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS8934404B2Access point with proxy functionality for facilitating power conservation in wireless client terminals

Publication Date: 2015.01.13 QUALCOMM INC

AI summary

A novel power conservation scheme is provided for conserving power in client terminals by using a proxy server. The client terminal, having a low-power communication interface and a high-power communication interface, may power down its high-power communication interface, to conserve power. Prior to shutting off its high-power communication interface, the client terminal may assign an access point to act as a proxy for the client terminal. The access point monitors the paging channels for the client terminal. If the access point detects a paging message for the client terminal, it forwards at least a portion of the paging message to the client terminal via a low-power communication interface. Upon receipt of the paging message from the access point via its low-power communication interface, the client terminal may power up its high-power communication interface and directly respond to the access terminal.