Communication Apparatus Link Speed Management for Power Saving

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing communication apparatuses face inefficiencies in power saving during standby states due to the need for renegotiation of link speeds when transitioning between normal and standby modes, leading to unwanted temporal overhead and increased power consumption.

Innovation Solution

A communication apparatus with an acquisition unit to determine if a partner device supports power-saving features and a setting unit to maintain or reset communication speeds based on this information, ensuring efficient power management by prioritizing high link speeds when LPI is enabled and low link speeds when disabled.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If LPI function is enabled and both apparatuses support it, then power consumption is reduced in standby state, but link renegotiation overhead occurs when transitioning between normal and standby states

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidlink renegotiation overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-negotiating and storing the maximum link speed during the normal state before transitioning to standby state. When in standby state with LPI enabled, the apparatus retrieves the pre-stored link speed information instead of performing full renegotiation, thus avoiding time overhead while maintaining power savings

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamics by making the link speed configuration adaptive based on the operational state. The system dynamically adjusts between maintaining a link speed in standby state (when LPI is enabled) versus performing full renegotiation (when LPI is disabled or during normal state), optimizing both power consumption and responsiveness based on current conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Use of energy by moving object

If link speed is reduced in standby state to save power, then power consumption decreases, but communication speed is reduced when returning to normal state

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidcommunication speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the link speed parameter based on operational state. During standby state with LPI enabled, the system maintains the original high link speed parameter rather than reducing it, allowing immediate resumption of high-speed communication upon returning to normal state while still achieving power savings through LPI

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS9519327B2Communication apparatus and control method therefor

Publication Date: 2016.12.13 CANON KK

AI summary

There is provided a communication apparatus in which power consumption by wired connection is reduced in a standby state. An acquisition unit acquires information indicating whether a partner apparatus connected to the communication apparatus by wired connection has a function of waiting in a power saving state in the wired connection. Based on the acquired information, a setting unit sets a communication speed with the partner apparatus. The function of waiting in the power saving state in the wired connection is, for example, LPI (Low Power Idle).