Broadband Modem Power Saving via Processor Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Broadband communication devices face power outages due to external power failures, leading to short-lived backup battery operation and service disruptions, as they lack effective power saving mechanisms to extend battery life during such events.
Innovation Solution
The system detects power failures and instructs primary and auxiliary processors to enter power saving modes, reducing power consumption by ceasing non-essential operations, and resumes normal operation when power is restored, using power failure signals or polling mechanisms to manage power sources effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the modem device switches to backup battery operation upon external power failure, then the device can continue operating, but the battery life is short and leads to service outage
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the operational state of different service groups based on power availability. When power failure is detected, the modem transitions from normal operation to power-saving mode, where high-priority services continue while low-priority services are suspended. This dynamic adaptation allows the device to extend battery life during outages while maintaining essential services.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments communication services into high-priority and low-priority groups, each managed by separate processors. This segmentation allows selective power management where critical services remain operational while non-critical services are deactivated during battery operation, thereby extending usable battery life without complete service interruption.
2Reliability
If the modem device operates all processors and services during power outage, then service quality is maintained, but battery depletes quickly causing outage
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by activating only the necessary subset of processors and services based on priority levels. During battery operation, only high-priority services are maintained while low-priority services are suspended, reducing overall power consumption to sustainable levels while preserving essential service quality.
Solution Approach 2:
Different quality levels are applied to different service groups based on their priority classification. High-priority services receive full power allocation to maintain quality, while low-priority services are degraded or suspended during battery operation, optimizing the distribution of limited power resources.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If the modem device uses polling mechanism to detect power restoration, then power failure detection is achieved, but additional power consumption occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs periodic polling at optimized intervals to detect power restoration events. This periodic action balances the need for timely detection with power conservation, using the minimum necessary frequency to monitor power status without excessive energy consumption during battery operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods can provide for power saving in broadband communications devices. In some implementations, such systems and methods can generate and/or receive interrupts to ascertain external power unavailability, operate on battery power, instruct functional modules to enter power saving mode, await restoration of external power, and instruct modules to resume normal operations. In other implementations, such systems and methods can detect external power unavailability via polling, operate on battery power, instruct any or all of primary and auxiliary processor(s) to enter power saving mode, monitor when external power has been restored, and instruct functional modules to resume normal operation. Power saving mode can reduce the rate of modem battery drain and thus reduce the likelihood of a service outage and extend service duration.