Wireless Receiver Power Management via Buffer Watermarks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless devices face challenges in maximizing battery life due to high power consumption by components such as wireless signal receivers, especially when in standby mode or receiving data at inconsistent rates.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a power-saving mechanism where the wireless signal receiver is deactivated when the data buffer level exceeds a certain threshold, transitioning to a power-saving mode and reactivated when the level falls below a lower threshold, allowing the device to communicate with the transmitting device to stop or resume data transmission accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the wireless signal receiver remains active continuously to receive data, then data reception reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The receiver operates in periodic cycles, alternating between active reception mode and power-saving deactivated mode. The system activates the receiver when data needs to be received and deactivates it when the buffer has sufficient capacity, creating a periodic on-off pattern that reduces overall power consumption while maintaining data reception reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by filling the buffer with data in advance while the receiver is active. Once the buffer reaches sufficient capacity, the receiver is deactivated before data is actually needed, allowing the buffer to supply data during the receiver's deactivated period. This preliminary data accumulation enables subsequent power-saving operation.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the wireless signal receiver is deactivated to save power, then power consumption is reduced, but data reception capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer acts as an intermediary between the receiver and the data consumption process. It decouples the receiver's operation from immediate data needs, allowing the receiver to be deactivated while the buffer supplies data. The buffer mediates the timing mismatch between data reception and data consumption, enabling power-saving mode without compromising data reception capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary data reception and buffering before deactivating the receiver. By accumulating sufficient data in the buffer in advance, the system ensures that data reception capability is maintained during the period when the receiver is deactivated, as the buffer can supply data without requiring the receiver to be active.
3Quantity of substance
If data is continuously received at peak rate, then data availability is improved, but buffer overflow risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the data reception rate based on buffer status. When the buffer approaches capacity, the receiver is deactivated, reducing the reception rate. When buffer capacity is sufficient, the receiver is activated, increasing the reception rate. This dynamic adjustment prevents buffer overflow while maintaining data availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from buffer status (data level monitoring) to control receiver operation. The buffer level is continuously monitored, and this feedback determines whether the receiver should be activated or deactivated. When the buffer reaches a high water mark, feedback triggers receiver deactivation; when the buffer drops to a low water mark, feedback triggers receiver reactivation, preventing overflow while maintaining data availability.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are disclosed for decreasing the amount of power consumed by a wireless signal receiver in a wireless device. Received data is communicated from the receiver to a play-out buffer in communication with a media play-out device. The level of data in the play-out buffer increases when received data is written to the buffer, and the level of data decreases when data is read from the buffer. If the level of data is above a first watermark level, the receiver is transitioned to a sleep mode while data is read from the buffer. When the level of data in the buffer falls below a second watermark level, the receiver is transitioned back to an active mode to receive data. The device communicates status messages (whether the receiver is asleep or active) to the transmitting device so that the transmitting device stops transmitting data when the receiver is in sleep mode, and transmits data when the receiver is in the active mode.