Communication Terminal Power Management via Synchronized Transmission Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional communication terminal devices with multiple communication units operating in parallel experience excessive power consumption, leading to an inoperative state due to overlapping transmission timings, which exceeds the device's power limits.

Innovation Solution

Implement a communication control method that stops the transmission/reception of one communication unit when another unit is transmitting, with specific controls including setting a transmission/reception stop duration, determining the presence of a transmission stop frame, calculating an estimated frame error rate, and prohibiting or permitting stops based on predetermined values to manage power consumption and prevent out-of-synchronization errors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If multiple communication units operate in parallel independently, then communication capability and data processing speed are improved, but power consumption increases and may exceed allowed limits causing inoperative state

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication capabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic control of communication units by adjusting transmission/reception stop duration based on synchronization state. When synchronization offset exceeds a threshold, the system dynamically stops one communication unit to reduce power consumption, and resumes it when synchronization is restored, preventing inoperative state while maintaining parallel communication capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes operational parameters by adjusting the transmission/reception stop duration according to synchronization conditions. The stop duration is set to a specific value (e.g., 2ms) when synchronization offset exceeds threshold, and changed to 0ms when synchronization is maintained, thereby controlling power consumption within allowed limits

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Use of energy by moving object

If transmission/reception is stopped to reduce power consumption, then power consumption is controlled within limits, but communication quality may deteriorate due to frame errors and out-of-synchronization

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidcommunication quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback control by continuously monitoring synchronization offset between communication units. When the offset exceeds a predetermined threshold, the system triggers transmission/reception stop to prevent frame errors, and resumes transmission when synchronization is restored, thereby maintaining communication quality while controlling power consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies beforehand cushioning by proactively stopping transmission/reception before severe synchronization errors occur. By detecting synchronization offset in advance and preemptively stopping communication units, the system prevents frame errors and out-of-synchronization states from developing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Data Source

PatentUS10341954B2Communication terminal device for avoiding inoperative state caused by excessive power consumption and communication control method therefore

Publication Date: 2019.07.02 KOKUSAI DENKI ELECTRIC INC

AI summary

In a communication control method for a communication terminal device including a plurality of communication units corresponding to different communication schemes or communication systems to perform communication in parallel, when a first communication unit performs transmission, transmission/reception of another communication unit is stopped. Then, a transmission/reception stop duration of the another communication unit is set to be equal to or less than a predetermined number of synchronization protection stages.