DSL Carrier Power Allocation and Interpolation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current DSL systems face inefficiencies in power management, with many DMT carriers remaining active in low-power mode for noise monitoring, leading to energy wastage, and large data tables requiring significant storage and energy for frequent power level changes, which limits the rate of change and increases memory and power consumption.

Innovation Solution

Implement a method to allocate DMT carriers into groups where unnecessary carriers are turned off in low-power mode for noise monitoring and allocate sufficient power only to necessary carriers, reducing power consumption and data table sizes by using pre-defined configured values and interpolation rules to estimate power levels for efficient switching between power modes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If DMT carriers are kept active in low-power mode for noise monitoring, then noise monitoring capability is maintained, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenoise monitoring capabilityVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments DMT carriers into different groups (first group and second group) with different power management strategies. Carriers in the first group are turned off in low-power mode, while carriers in the second group remain active for noise monitoring. This segmentation allows the system to reduce overall power consumption while maintaining essential noise monitoring capabilities through the second group of carriers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Speed

If large data tables are stored at receivers and transmitters, then power level changes can be completed at required rates, but memory space and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverate of power level changeVSAvoiddata table size
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the large data tables from both receivers and transmitters. Instead of storing complete data tables locally, the system uses a streamlined approach where power level changes are managed through coordinated signaling between transmitter and receiver, eliminating the need for extensive local storage and reducing memory requirements while maintaining the ability to switch power levels at required rates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-negotiating and storing only essential power level information in compact formats during training phases. The transmitter and receiver establish power level agreements in advance using minimal data structures, allowing rapid power level transitions without requiring large lookup tables during operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Quantity of substance

If data tables are reduced in size, then memory space and power consumption decrease, but the rate of power level change is limited by communication speeds

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata table sizeVSAvoidrate of power level change
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-establishing power level agreements during training phases before data transmission begins. The transmitter and receiver negotiate and store compact power level information in advance, enabling rapid power level transitions during data transmission without requiring extensive communication overhead or large data tables, thus achieving both small memory footprint and fast switching rates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3474526B1Optimizing power consumption in a communication system
Publication Date: 2024.06.26 INTEL GERMANY GMBH & CO KG
  • EP3474526B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3474526B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3474526B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3C

AI summary

Within a communication system that includes multiple communication channels, a low-power mode of operation, and a higher-power mode of operation, improved methods for communicating. Each channel is allocated to one of several groups, based on criteria such as whether power is allocated to that channel in low power mode, and whether power was allocated to that channel in a previous high power mode. Initial power levels for each channel for each mode are approximated using an interpolation rule known to both the receive and the transmitter, The system switching between modes according to a PMD pre-defined schedule. When a new power mode begins, the receiver measures signal power received on each channel, and then transmits corrective information sufficient to allow adaptation of power levels to achieve PMD pre-defined levels of received power.