Receiver Chain Power Management via Traffic Awareness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Receiver chain circuits in user equipment devices consume power even during idle periods, reducing energy efficiency due to continuous operation, even when no data is being received.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves predicting specific time periods when data is expected to be received and power down receiver chain circuits not expected to receive data during those times, while maintaining power to those that are expected to receive data, using a method that identifies and manages power to receiver chain circuits based on data arrival likelihood during discontinuous reception cycles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If receiver chain circuits operate continuously to ensure timely data processing, then data processing reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The receiver chain circuits are dynamically adjusted between active and power-down states based on real-time traffic conditions. The system transitions from a static continuous operation mode to a dynamic adaptive mode where circuit states change according to data arrival patterns, resolving the contradiction between maintaining reliability and reducing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own traffic awareness capability to automatically control the power states of receiver chain circuits without external intervention. By monitoring data arrival patterns and autonomously deciding when to power down or activate circuits, the system serves its own power management needs, eliminating the trade-off between reliability and energy use.
2Loss of energy
If receiver chain circuits are powered down during idle periods to reduce energy consumption, then energy efficiency is improved, but data processing responsiveness may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by predicting data arrival patterns and proactively powering down receiver chains before idle periods begin. Traffic awareness mechanisms anticipate when data will not arrive, allowing the system to pre-power down circuits and then quickly reactivate them when data arrives, thus avoiding both energy waste and processing delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback loops where traffic patterns are continuously monitored and used to adjust power states of receiver chains. This closed-loop control ensures that circuits are powered down during confirmed idle periods while maintaining responsiveness to actual data arrivals, resolving the contradiction between energy efficiency and processing speed.
3Reliability
If all receiver chain circuits remain active to handle any incoming data, then system availability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The receiver chain system is segmented into multiple independently controllable circuits that can be selectively powered down. Instead of treating all receiver chains as a single unit, the system divides them into separate controllable segments, allowing individual circuits to be deactivated based on specific traffic conditions, thus reducing overall power consumption while maintaining system availability through selective activation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameter of receiver chain circuits from a binary always-on state to a dynamic state that varies based on traffic conditions. By adjusting the power state parameter according to data arrival patterns, the system maintains availability when needed while reducing power consumption during idle periods, resolving the contradiction between these two objectives.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is an approach for improving energy efficiency of a wireless communication device by reducing power distributed to receiver chain circuits (RCCs) based on determining whether the incoming wireless data is to be received and processed by the RCCs within an upcoming time duration. A device can identify a plurality of RCCs for processing data to be received by the device from a network. The device can determine that a first RCC of the plurality of RCCs is to receive the data within a time duration and that a second RCC of the plurality of RCCs is to receive no data within the time duration. The device can cause, responsive to the determination, power to be reduced to the second RCC and not be reduced to the first RCC, within the time duration.