Multi-Radio Wireless Transceiver Power Backoff Through Station Reassociation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless transceivers in wireless local area networks (WLANs) face inefficiencies in power consumption due to underutilized radios, leading to increased energy usage and potential congestion during re-association of stations.
Innovation Solution
A power conservation circuit in multi-radio wireless transceivers monitors utilization and re-associates stations to underutilized radios, reducing power to overutilized radios through a combination of hardware and software mechanisms, including utilization monitoring, association targeting, and power backoff circuits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple radios are operated simultaneously in a wireless transceiver, then the wireless coverage and capacity are improved, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts radio operation states based on real-time utilization metrics. The controller monitors traffic load on each radio and dynamically switches radios between active and dormant states, allowing the system to adapt power consumption to actual demand while maintaining coverage and capacity when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by adjusting the utilization threshold for switching radio states. When traffic load exceeds the threshold, radios are activated; when below the threshold, radios are deactivated. This parameter-based control enables flexible balancing between coverage/capacity and power consumption
2Use of energy by moving object
If stations are re-associated to balance radio utilization, then the power consumption is reduced, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback control by continuously monitoring traffic utilization metrics on each radio and using this information to make automated decisions about radio state transitions and station re-association. The controller receives utilization data, compares it against thresholds, and triggers appropriate actions, creating a closed-loop system that reduces manual configuration complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically managing radio state transitions and station re-association based on monitored utilization metrics. The controller autonomously determines when to activate/deactivate radios and which stations should re-associate, eliminating the need for manual intervention and reducing operational complexity
3Loss of energy
If radios are deactivated to save power, then the energy efficiency is improved, but the wireless service availability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system takes preliminary action by pre-configuring multiple radios with different capabilities and thresholds. When a radio is deactivated for power saving, the system has already prepared alternative radios that can be quickly activated to maintain service availability, ensuring seamless transition without service interruption
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2A~2D
Figure 3
AI summary
A wireless transceiver having components coupled to one another to form transmit and receive chains of a plurality of radios which radios support wireless communications with associated stations on a corresponding wireless local area network (WLAN). The wireless transceiver also includes: a utilization monitoring circuit, an association targeting circuit, and a power backoff circuit. The utilization monitoring circuit monitors communications between each of the radios and its associated stations. The association targeting circuit identifies, from the monitored communications of the utilization monitoring circuit, an underutilized one of the radios as a target radio for re-associating stations currently associated with at least one other radio and initiates the re-association with the target radio of the stations currently associated with the at least one other radio. The power backoff circuit is responsive to the association targeting circuit to reduce power to the at least one other radio.