Secondary Processor Offloads Network Sessions to Reduce Power

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Solution Overview

Problem

Modern wireless computing devices (WCDs) face battery life limitations due to high power demands, often requiring daily charging, which is inconvenient and may not be possible in all situations, necessitating a reduction in power utilization.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a secondary processor within the network interface apparatus to offload network-related tasks from the main processor, allowing the main processor to transition to a lower power mode more frequently, thereby reducing overall power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the main processor remains in high-power mode to handle network tasks, then communication session control is maintained, but power consumption increases and battery life decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication session controlVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the processor functionality into a main processor for general computing tasks and a secondary processor specifically for network interface tasks. This segmentation allows the main processor to enter low-power mode while the secondary processor maintains network session control, resolving the contradiction between maintaining communication reliability and reducing power consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts network-related processing functions from the main processor and places them in a dedicated secondary processor within the network interface apparatus. This extraction enables the main processor to be completely removed from network task execution, allowing it to enter power-saving modes without compromising network session reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Use of energy by moving object

If the main processor transitions to low-power mode frequently, then power consumption is reduced, but network task processing capability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidnetwork task processing

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The secondary processor acts as an intermediary between the main processor and the network interface. It receives network packets from the network interface, processes them according to established sessions, and forwards appropriate responses back through the network interface. This intermediary role allows the main processor to remain in low-power mode while network tasks continue to be processed effectively.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The secondary processor is designed to autonomously manage network session tasks without requiring continuous intervention from the main processor. It maintains its own state information about active sessions and can independently process network packets, making the system self-sufficient in network task execution even when the main processor is in power-saving mode.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Use of energy by moving object

If a secondary processor is added to handle network tasks, then main processor power savings are enabled, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidprocessor architecture

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the secondary processor with the network interface apparatus, combining network interface functionality and network session processing into a single integrated component. This merging approach avoids adding a completely separate processing unit, thereby reducing the increase in device complexity while still enabling the main processor to save power.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS9722949B2Reducing power utilization by transferring communication sessions from a main processor

Publication Date: 2017.08.01 GOOGLE LLC

AI summary

A computing device may conduct a communication session. The communication session may be locally controlled by a main processor of the computing device. The main processor may be in a first power mode and may maintain an active state representation of the communication session. Packets of the communication session may pass through a network interface apparatus of the computing device, and a secondary processor in the network interface apparatus may examine at least some packets of the communication session to maintain a non-active state representation of the communication session. The main processor may transfer local control of the communication session to the secondary processor. The secondary processor may activate the non-active state representation and continue conducting the communication session using the activated state representation. The main processor may also transition from the first power mode to a second power mode that uses less power than the first power mode.