Cellular Radio Mode Switching for Low-Power Link Re-Establishment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electronic devices with wireless capabilities face challenges in controlling power consumption, especially in portable devices with limited battery capacity, as wireless circuitry can consume excess power.
Innovation Solution
Implementing adaptive radio operational modes in electronic devices, including a first mode with Discontinuous Reception, a second mode with radio-off state, a third mode with airplane mode, and a fourth low-power idle mode, to manage power consumption and maintain cellular functions using external devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the cellular radio operates in traditional idle mode with continuous paging monitoring, then the device can quickly respond to network calls, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic radio operational modes that adapt to the presence of external devices. The system transitions between idle mode, radio-off mode, and airplane mode based on whether an external device is available to handle cellular functions, optimizing power consumption while maintaining service availability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses an external device as an intermediary to handle cellular radio functions. When connected, the external device's cellular radio serves as a mediator, allowing the primary device to reduce its radio operations and power consumption while maintaining network connectivity through the external device
2Use of energy by moving object
If the cellular radio switches off completely to save power, then power consumption is minimized, but delays occur when re-establishing cellular links
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by maintaining radio databases and operational data in memory even when the radio is switched off or in airplane mode. This allows the radio to quickly re-establish connections without full initialization, reducing re-establishment delays while maintaining low power consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the cellular radio based on connection duration. For short-duration external device connections, the radio maintains more operational data and uses faster re-establishment sequences, while for long-duration connections, it can switch to more aggressive power-saving modes
3Use of energy by moving object
If the device uses external device for radio functions during short duration, then power consumption is reduced, but frequent mode switching increases overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses connection duration as a key parameter to determine radio operational mode. By evaluating the expected duration of external device connection, the system selects appropriate modes (idle, radio-off, or airplane mode) and corresponding ramp-up sequences, optimizing the balance between power savings and switching overhead
4Speed
If the radio maintains operational data in memory during airplane mode, then re-establishment is faster, but power consumption increases compared to complete shutdown
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts the amount of data retained in memory based on connection duration predictions. For short connections, more operational data is retained to enable faster re-establishment. For long connections, the system can retain less data to minimize power consumption, accepting longer re-establishment times
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device may include wireless circuitry having one or more radios and one or more antennas. A first radio may be configured to establish a communication link with an external device, a second radio may be configured to establish a communication link with network equipment. One or more processors in the electronic device may receive information indicative of a duration and termination of the communication link with the external device to operate the second radio in one or more operational modes. If desired, one of the operational modes may include a low-power idle mode during which the second radio performs discontinuous reception while pausing network paging monitoring.