Communications Power Manager for Portable Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable computing devices, such as mobile phones, face challenges in managing electrical current to optimize functionality due to high power consumption by multiple hardware elements, leading to voltage drops that can corrupt data, degrade performance, and result in issues like dropped calls and choppy audio, especially in Dual-Subscription, Dual-Active scenarios.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that involves a communications power manager module to assign priorities to communications, monitor the power supply, adjust timing and power levels, and communicate with an electrical current manager to optimize power usage, ensuring that communications can be transmitted within the available power supply levels by applying timing offsets and power adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple hardware elements are operated simultaneously to support rich features, then functionality is improved, but voltage drops significantly causing data corruption and performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by predicting future current draw requirements before they occur. The machine learning model forecasts current consumption patterns, allowing the power management system to proactively adjust power allocation and prevent voltage drops before they affect system reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The power management system dynamically adjusts power allocation to different hardware elements based on real-time conditions and predictions. The system continuously monitors current draw, updates predictions, and reconfigures power distribution to maintain voltage stability while supporting multiple simultaneous features.
2Adaptability or versatility
If battery current is allocated to support multiple simultaneous communications, then communication capability is improved, but power consumption increases leading to battery drain
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes power management parameters dynamically based on communication requirements and battery status. The machine learning model predicts current draw for different communication scenarios, allowing the system to optimize power allocation parameters to support multiple simultaneous communications while minimizing overall power consumption and battery drain.
3Reliability
If arbitration mechanism blocks subsystems to prevent current peaks, then voltage stability is improved, but productivity decreases due to blocked communications
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of reactively blocking subsystems when voltage instability is detected, the system uses preliminary prediction to identify future current peak requirements. This allows the arbitration mechanism to proactively manage power allocation, granting access to subsystems that need current while preventing actual voltage drops, thereby maintaining both stability and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback loop where the machine learning model continuously monitors actual current draw, compares it with predictions, and uses this information to improve future predictions. This feedback mechanism enables the arbitration system to make more accurate decisions about which subsystems should receive power, optimizing both voltage stability and communication throughput.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and system for managing electrical current within a portable computing device (PCD) includes assigning a priority to two or more communications supported by the PCD. A present level of a power supply for the PCD may be monitored by a communications power (CP) manager module. Next, the CP manager module may determine if the two or more communications may be transmitted at the present level of the power supply. If the two or more communications cannot be transmitted at the present level of the power supply, then the CP manager module may determine if a timing of at least one of the communications may be adjusted. The CP manager module may also determine a theoretical power level adjustment for at least one of the communications. The two or more communications may be transmitted with any calculated timing off sets and power level adjustments.