Domestic Gateway Access Point Standby Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Home gateways unnecessarily consume energy due to continuously active access points, even when not in use, which can disrupt VOIP communications and require user intervention to reconnect.

Innovation Solution

A method that cyclically puts the access point into standby mode when inactive, allowing it to alternate between active and sleep states, ensuring minimal service interruptions and energy savings while maintaining other gateway functions operational.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the access point remains continuously active to ensure immediate connectivity, then service availability is improved, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice availabilityVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The access point operates in periodic cycles, alternating between active and standby states. During active periods, it provides full service; during standby periods, it consumes minimal energy. This periodic operation resolves the contradiction by accepting brief unavailability during transitions while achieving significant energy savings.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by maintaining connection state information and configuration data in memory before entering standby mode. This allows the access point to quickly resume service when activated, minimizing the impact of periodic operation on service availability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Use of energy by moving object

If the access point enters standby mode to save energy, then energy consumption is reduced, but service interruption occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidservice interruption time

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The access point uses periodic active-standby cycles with optimized timing. The active periods are sufficient to handle connection requests, while standby periods provide energy savings. The cycle duration is tuned to minimize service interruption while achieving energy reduction goals.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system maintains continuous capability to provide service by keeping configuration data and connection state information readily available in memory during standby mode. This ensures that when the access point transitions back to active state, service can resume immediately without substantial interruption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Reliability

If the access point is manually switched on to ensure connectivity, then service reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice reliabilityVSAvoiduser intervention requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The access point system automatically manages its own power state transitions between active and standby modes based on detected activity levels. It self-activates when needed and self-deactivates when idle, eliminating the need for user intervention while maintaining service reliability through automated control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from connection status monitoring to automatically control power state. When connections are detected, the access point activates; when idle, it enters standby. This feedback loop ensures reliable service while eliminating manual operation requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

4Power

If the access point using 802.11n MIMO technology is activated, then connectivity performance is improved, but energy consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnectivity performanceVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The high-performance 802.11n MIMO access point operates periodically rather than continuously. During active periods, it delivers full connectivity performance; during standby periods, it consumes minimal energy. This resolves the contradiction by providing high performance only when needed rather than continuously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes operational parameters by switching between full-power active mode and low-power standby mode. This parameter change allows the access point to achieve high connectivity performance when required while dramatically reducing energy consumption during idle periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2556630B1Method of control of an access point of a domestic gateway of a domestic network

Publication Date: 2018.08.01 ORANGE SA

Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4

AI summary

A method of control of a domestic gateway (1), intended to connect at least one domestic terminal (4) of a domestic computer network to a telecommunication network, the domestic gateway (1) comprising an access point (AP) configured so as to establish a connection between said domestic terminal (4) and the domestic gateway (1), method comprising: a step of verifying the state of the connection between the domestic gateway (1) and said domestic terminal (4) via the access point (AP), and a step of cyclically placing said access point (AP) on standby if said connection is inactive, in which the access point (AP) is alternately enabled for a duration of activity (Ta) and disabled for a duration of sleep (Ts).