Dynamic Power Saving Logic for Wireless Access Points
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless network access points are often overprovisioned, leading to wasteful power consumption that is costly and environmentally unsustainable, as they provide more bandwidth than needed, without considering client demand or sustainable energy sources.
Innovation Solution
Implementing dynamic power saving logic in access points that adjust transceivers based on Ethernet connection speed, client throughput, and client preferences, allowing for the shutdown of unused transceivers and frequency bands to match power consumption with demand, and utilizing sustainable energy sources when available.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If access points are overprovisioned to ensure SLA requirements are met, then service reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The access point dynamically adjusts its operational state by transitioning between full functionality and reduced functionality modes based on real-time client throughput requirements. The system monitors actual bandwidth usage and adapts power consumption levels accordingly, rather than maintaining static overprovisioning. This resolves the contradiction by making the system flexible and responsive to actual demand while maintaining service reliability when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters such as transceiver power levels, frequency band activation, and processor allocation based on monitored throughput requirements. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the access point can maintain sufficient service reliability during high-demand periods while reducing power consumption during low-utilization periods, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and energy use.
2Productivity
If multiple transceivers and frequency bands are activated to provide high bandwidth, then network capacity is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The access point segments its wireless capabilities into separate transceivers and frequency bands, allowing selective activation of only those segments needed to meet current client throughput requirements. Instead of maintaining all transceivers and bands active simultaneously, the system divides functionality into manageable units that can be independently controlled, thus providing high network capacity when needed while reducing power consumption when full capacity is not required.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts which transceivers and frequency bands are active based on real-time monitoring of client throughput needs. When high network capacity is required, more transceivers and bands are activated; when demand is lower, fewer are active. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by aligning network capacity provision with actual usage patterns.
3Reliability
If access points operate at full power continuously, then service availability is improved, but environmental sustainability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The access point implements periodic monitoring of client throughput requirements and adjusts its power state accordingly, rather than operating continuously at full power. By cycling between active and reduced-power states based on actual demand patterns, the system maintains service availability when needed while minimizing environmental impact during periods of low utilization, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and sustainability.
Solution Approach 2:
The access point autonomously monitors its own throughput requirements and makes independent decisions about power state adjustments without requiring external control. This self-service capability allows the system to maintain service availability by activating full power only when client demand requires it, while automatically reducing power consumption and environmental impact during low-demand periods.
Data Source
AI summary
Various methods, systems, and/or processes are described herein to create more sustainable configurations of wireless Access Points (APs), switches, and other network devices based upon network speed, client demand, among other factors. Clients may wirelessly couple to an AP using a variety of different technologies. The clients may be distributed over these frequency bands in an optimal manner allowing minimum use of transceiver power. The network link speed between the AP and the Ethernet switch may also be dynamically adjusted. These configurations may dynamically change over time as client demand or network traffic increases or decreases. In certain other configurations, the APs may have a higher wireless throughput than the ethernet connections to the network. In these instances, sustainable configurations can be achieved by powering down transceivers, radio chains, and/or processor cores. Traffic and other events may trigger the need for new sustainable configurations to be generated and applied.