AP-BP Network State Inquiry for Standby Power Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current mobile communication devices face challenges in maintaining network connectivity during standby mode, leading to high power consumption and delayed internet access upon waking, as they either lose network connection or continuously send 'breathing packets' to maintain connectivity.

Innovation Solution

The method involves the application processor (AP) inquiring and re-establishing the network connection state with the baseband processor (BP) upon waking, allowing the device to reconnect without constantly sending data packets during standby, thus reducing power consumption and ensuring immediate network availability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If the BP is powered off during standby to reduce power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but the network connection is lost and reconnection takes dozens of seconds to several minutes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidnetwork reconnection time
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The BP enters a light standby state before complete machine standby, performing preliminary network registration and connection establishment. This preliminary action ensures that when the machine wakes up, the network connection is already established or can be quickly re-established, avoiding the need for full network search and dialing that would otherwise take dozens of seconds to several minutes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the BP sends 'breathing packets' constantly to maintain network connection, then network connection is maintained, but power consumption increases and user data is consumed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork connectionVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of continuous packet transmission, the system uses periodic network state detection by the AP after wake-up, combined with BP's light standby state. The AP periodically inquires about network status and triggers re-establishment only when needed, replacing continuous action with periodic action to reduce power consumption and invalid data transmission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

3Reliability

If the BP sends 'breathing packets' constantly to maintain network connection, then network connection is maintained, but invalid data is transmitted consuming user quota

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenetwork connectionVSAvoiduser data
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The AP performs self-service by autonomously inquiring about network connection status after wake-up and autonomously triggering BP to re-establish connections when needed. This eliminates the need for the BP to send constant 'breathing packets' for network maintenance, as the system self-manages connection status detection and restoration, preventing waste of user data on invalid transmissions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2827652B1Network connection processing method after wakening of terminal in standby, AP and bp
Publication Date: 2018.01.31 ZTE CORP
  • EP2827652B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2827652B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2827652B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A network connection processing method after wakening a terminal on standby, an application processor (AP), a baseband processor (BP), and a terminal are provided. The method is used in the AP, including: the AP suspending a high-speed bus directly when the terminal will enter a standby state; the AP resuming the high-speed bus and inquiring a network connection state of the BP when the terminal is wakened; and if it is connection, the AP continuing to use a wireless data link, otherwise, the BP re-establishing a wireless data link. The method is used in the BP, including: the BP entering a standby state directly when the BP detects that a high-speed bus is suspended; the BP entering a wakening state after detecting that the high-speed bus is resumed, inquiring and feeding back a network connection state of the BP to the AP after receiving an instruction of inquiring the networking state of the AP; re-establishing a wireless data link or maintaining a wireless data link of a current networking after receiving a networking instruction of the AP. In the present application, the standby power consumption is reduced, the standby time of the complete machine is improved, and the network connection can be used immediately after wakened from the standby state.