Beacon Reception Wake-Up Control for Low-Power Communication Circuits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wireless communication circuits face issues with unnecessary power consumption due to inaccurate timing in waking up circuit elements to receive beacon signals, which cannot be solely resolved by software calculations.
Innovation Solution
A communication circuit comprising an analog circuit, digital circuit, and control circuit that performs power and channel state detection during a predetermined early reception period to determine whether to enter a standby mode, reducing power consumption by selectively waking up only necessary circuit elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the wireless communication circuit wakes up circuit elements early to ensure accurate timing for beacon signal reception, then the reliability of signal reception is improved, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the circuit elements into different groups with different wake-up requirements. The analog circuit is woken up separately from the digital circuit elements, allowing selective activation of only those components needed for beacon signal reception, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining reception reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of waking up all circuit elements completely, the patent applies partial action by waking up only the necessary portions (analog circuit and specific digital elements) required for beacon signal detection, avoiding the excessive action of activating the entire circuit system.
2Device complexity
If the wireless communication circuit uses software calculations to determine wake-up timing, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision of network state is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a control circuit as an intermediary component that receives timing information and coordinates the wake-up sequence of analog and digital circuit elements. This intermediary enables precise timing control without requiring complex software calculations, as the control circuit manages the synchronization between different circuit components.
3Loss of energy
If the wireless communication circuit enters standby mode immediately after beacon signal reception, then the power saving effect is improved, but the loss of time for potential signal processing is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the analog circuit and relevant digital elements wake up in advance during a predetermined early reception period to detect the beacon signal and determine channel status before the main signal processing begins. This allows the system to make informed decisions about whether to enter standby mode without losing critical processing time, as the preliminary detection occurs parallel to the main reception process.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of a communication circuit includes: using an analog circuit to receive and process a beacon signal transmitted from an antenna unit and through a channel to generate a baseband signal; using a digital circuit to process the baseband signal; during a predetermined early reception period corresponding to the beacon signal sent from a base station, waking up the analog circuit and at least one portion of the digital circuit to detect the signal power strength of the channel; and, determining whether make the analog circuit and the digital circuit enter a standby mode to save power according to the signal power strength.