Dual-Bearer Wireless Interface for Portable Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Portable devices face significant power consumption challenges when acting as nodes in Wi-Fi mesh networks due to the lack of efficient 'active' sleep modes in Wi-Fi interfaces, leading to rapid battery drain, while other communication standards like Bluetooth and Zigbee lack sufficient bandwidth for tethering services.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a dual-bearer communication system in portable devices, where a low-power interface (e.g., Bluetooth Low Energy) handles control signaling and a high-bandwidth interface (e.g., Wi-Fi) is activated only when needed, allowing for efficient power management and high data traffic support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If Wi-Fi interface is kept active for mesh network communication, then bandwidth and data transmission capability are improved, but power consumption increases rapidly draining battery
Solution Approach 1:
The communication interface is segmented into two separate wireless interfaces: a first wireless interface (e.g., Bluetooth Low Energy) with low power consumption characteristics, and a second wireless interface (e.g., Wi-Fi) with high bandwidth capabilities. This segmentation allows the device to use only the low-power interface for control signaling while keeping the high-bandwidth interface dormant, thus resolving the contradiction between maintaining data transmission capability and reducing power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically activates the second wireless interface (high-bandwidth Wi-Fi) only when data traffic requires larger bit rates, and keeps it inoperative otherwise. The first wireless interface remains active for control signaling. This dynamic activation based on actual data transmission needs allows the system to adapt its power consumption and bandwidth usage in real-time, resolving the contradiction between continuous high bandwidth availability and power conservation.
2Use of energy by moving object
If other communication standards like Bluetooth or Zigbee are used, then power consumption is reduced, but bandwidth is insufficient for tethering services
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges two different wireless communication technologies into a single multi-bearer communication system. The first wireless interface (low-power technology like Bluetooth Low Energy) handles control signaling, while the second wireless interface (high-bandwidth technology like Wi-Fi) handles data traffic. This merging allows the system to leverage the complementary strengths of both technologies, achieving both low power consumption for control and high bandwidth for data transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable electronic device is designed with multi-functionality by incorporating two different wireless interface types, each optimized for specific functions. The first interface provides universal low-power control signaling capability, while the second interface provides universal high-bandwidth data transmission capability. This multi-functional design allows the device to handle both control and data traffic efficiently across different operational modes.
Data Source
AI summary
A portable electronic device comprises a first wireless interface and a second wireless interface. The first wireless interface is controlled to perform a control signaling with a further device over the first wireless interface. The second wireless interface is selectively activated to transmit data traffic to the further device and/or to receive the data traffic from the further device over the second wireless interface. The first wireless interface is maintained in an activated state to control the data traffic over the second wireless interface by the control signaling over the first wireless interface while the second wireless interface is activated.