System-on-Chip Power Management via Autonomous Wake Cycles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Portable wireless network devices face challenges in conserving power while maintaining effective communication, as existing power-saving mechanisms often require excessive supervision and keep the wireless interface awake longer than necessary.
Innovation Solution
A power-management system that includes a media access control module (MAC) and a power management module, which generate enable signals based on selected power-saving modes and configuration information to selectively transmit and receive data packets, manage clock signals, and optimize power usage across various wireless standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the wireless interface is kept awake to ensure effective communication, then communication reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic wake-up cycles where the wireless interface alternates between sleep and active states. The host processor wakes the SOC at predetermined intervals to check for incoming data, allowing the interface to remain reliable for time-critical communications while consuming less power during idle periods through periodic rather than continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the SOC to autonomously determine when to wake up and check for data without requiring constant supervision from the host processor. The host sets predetermined wake-up intervals and data arrival indicators, then the SOC self-manages its sleep-wake cycles based on these parameters, reducing the supervision overhead and power consumption associated with host-controlled power management.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the wireless interface is turned off to conserve power, then power consumption is reduced, but communication responsiveness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by having the host processor predetermine wake-up intervals and communicate these to the SOC before entering sleep mode. The SOC uses these predetermined parameters to wake up at appropriate times to check for data, ensuring that communication responsiveness is maintained without requiring the interface to remain continuously active.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the host processor monitors data arrival indicators and adjusts wake-up timing accordingly. When data is detected arriving at the host, it signals the SOC to wake up, creating a feedback loop that ensures the interface becomes active precisely when needed, balancing power savings with communication responsiveness.
3Extent of automation
If the host processor supervises the SOC frequently to manage power, then power management control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex supervision function from the host processor and implements it within the SOC itself. The SOC autonomously manages its sleep-wake cycles based on predetermined parameters set by the host, removing the need for frequent host supervision and reducing the overall system complexity while maintaining effective power management control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the SOC to serve itself by autonomously managing its power state transitions. The SOC monitors its own data buffers, determines when to wake up based on predetermined intervals, and executes wake-up sequences without requiring continuous host processor intervention, thereby simplifying the supervision architecture while maintaining control.
4Loss of time
If the wireless interface wakes up frequently to check for data, then data reception timeliness is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic wake-up action where the SOC wakes up at predetermined intervals to check for incoming data. This periodic approach ensures that data reception remains timely for periodic traffic patterns while avoiding the excessive power consumption of continuous monitoring, as the interface remains asleep between wake-up cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the wake-up interval parameter based on traffic conditions and data patterns. By changing the wake-up frequency parameter, the system can optimize the balance between data reception timeliness and power consumption, waking up more frequently when data is expected and less frequently during idle periods.
Data Source
AI summary
A system-on-chip including a host interface module configured to interface the system-on-chip to a host processor of a wireless device and to communicate with the host processor of the wireless device via a bus. The bus uses an application programming interface of the system-on-chip. The host processor uses the application programming interface to configure a power save mode of the system-on-chip. A power management module operated the system-on-chip in the power save mode without performing a handshake with the host processor via the bus in response to the host processor stopping communication with the system-on-chip. The handshake includes (i) sending a request to enter the power save mode to the host processor via the bus and (ii) receiving an acknowledgement of the request from the host processor via the bus.