Endpoint Release Assistance Indication for Power Saving

Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless network technologies do not provide techniques for endpoints to determine when and how to assert the release assistance indication (RAI) feature, leading to inefficient power consumption and reduced battery lifetime in battery-powered devices.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method that identifies data to be transmitted, adds it to a queue, and upon determining that the data has been transmitted, instructs the transceiver to end the data session window early, allowing the device to transition to a lower power state, thereby saving power.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the transceiver remains active throughout the entire time slot to ensure no incoming transmission is missed, then communication reliability is improved, but power consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidtransceiver power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The endpoint asserts the release assistance indication (RAI) feature before the time slot concludes, notifying the node in advance that the connection will be terminated early. This preliminary action allows the transceiver to be shut down before the full time slot expires, reducing power consumption while maintaining reliable communication for the data that is actually transmitted.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Stability of the object's composition

If the endpoint waits for node permission before terminating the time slot early, then communication protocol compliance is improved, but power consumption increases due to extended transceiver operation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotocol complianceVSAvoidtransceiver power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The endpoint asserts the release assistance indication (RAI) feature before the time slot concludes, notifying the node in advance that the connection will be terminated early. This preliminary action allows the transceiver to be shut down before the full time slot expires, reducing power consumption while maintaining reliable communication for the data that is actually transmitted.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the transceiver is kept active throughout the time slot to ensure complete data reception, then data completeness is improved, but battery lifetime decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata reception completenessVSAvoidbattery lifetime

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The endpoint asserts the release assistance indication (RAI) feature before the time slot concludes, notifying the node in advance that the connection will be terminated early. This preliminary action allows the transceiver to be shut down before the full time slot expires, reducing power consumption while maintaining reliable communication for the data that is actually transmitted.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS12130771B2Techniques for release assistance indication assertion

Publication Date: 2024.10.29 ITRON INC

AI summary

Techniques for transmitting data include one or more processors of a computing device included in a network device identifying data to be transmitted, wherein the computing device includes the one or more processors, a queue, and a transmitter, and wherein the network device includes the computing device and a transceiver that is configured to transmit data outside of the network device; adding the data to the queue; and during an open data session window: transmitting, via the transmitter and to the transceiver, data extracted from the queue; and in response to determining that an amount of data in the queue is below a threshold, (a) delaying for a period of time, and (b) after the period of time, instructing the transceiver to end the open data session window early and transition to a lower power state.