Cable Modem RF Circuitry Power Cycling for Battery Conservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cable modems face significant power consumption issues during extended power outages, as battery backup systems are insufficient to maintain continuous communication with the CMTS, leading to unnecessary battery drain due to constant RF circuitry operation between station maintenance opportunities.
Innovation Solution
The cable modem/MTA/EMTA device autonomously determines the station maintenance interval and turns off its RF circuitry during quiet intervals, powering back up just before each maintenance opportunity to conserve power while maintaining an active session with the CMTS, ensuring continuous registration and minimal delay in providing service.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the RF circuitry remains continuously powered to maintain communication with CMTS, then communication reliability is improved, but power consumption increases and battery backup time decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic power cycling of the RF circuitry, turning it off during idle periods between station maintenance opportunities and turning it back on before each maintenance opportunity. This periodic operation maintains communication reliability by ensuring the circuit is active when needed while significantly reducing overall power consumption during extended power outages.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the power state of the RF circuitry based on operational requirements. The circuit transitions between active and inactive states according to the station maintenance schedule, optimizing the balance between maintaining communication capability and conserving battery power during loop events.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the RF circuitry is turned off during idle periods to save power, then power consumption is reduced, but communication responsiveness may be delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by turning the RF circuitry back on before each scheduled station maintenance opportunity, ensuring that the circuit is fully operational and registered with the CMTS in advance. This proactive approach minimizes service restoration time while maintaining power savings during idle periods.
3Duration of action of moving object
If larger batteries are used to extend backup duration, then battery backup time is improved, but device cost and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cable modem autonomously manages its own power consumption by implementing intelligent power cycling of the RF circuitry based on station maintenance schedules. This self-service approach extends battery backup time without requiring larger or more expensive batteries, as the system actively reduces its own power demands during extended power outages.
Data Source
AI summary
Processing circuitry in a user device detects information concerning periodic station maintenance opportunities provided by a CMTS. The processor determines a quiet interval between the end of one station maintenance opportunity and the beginning of the subsequent opportunity. If offsite power to the user device is lost, the processor counts down a predetermined amount of time with a first timer and then periodically turns off RF circuitry of the device after the ending of a maintenance opportunity that follows the counting down of the first timer. The processor then begins a second timer to count the quiet interval. After counting down the quiet interval, the processor restores battery power to the RF circuitry for the duration of the maintenance opportunity.If an off-hook condition occurs while the second counter counts down the quiet interval, the processor restores battery power to the RF circuitry.