Wireless Communication Device Active Inactive Period Scheduling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In wireless communication systems adhering to the Bluetooth mesh standard, low power nodes increase overall network power consumption due to the need to remain active for asynchronous packet reception, leading to inefficient power usage.
Innovation Solution
A wireless communication device employing a scheduler and power controller to define active and inactive periods based on a count value, allowing for synchronized communication and power-saving modes, thereby reducing power consumption by ensuring nodes only communicate during designated active periods and enter power-saving modes during inactive periods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If nodes always wait in a state where packets can be received, then communication reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by dividing operation into active periods and inactive periods. During active periods, nodes perform reception operations and can receive packets. During inactive periods, nodes perform non-reception operations with reduced power consumption. This periodic switching resolves the contradiction by ensuring packets are received during active periods (maintaining reliability) while reducing power consumption during inactive periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by making the reception state configurable rather than static. The reception enable/disable state is dynamically switched based on the current period type (active or inactive). This dynamic adjustment allows the system to adapt between high-reliability reception mode and low-power consumption mode, resolving the contradiction between communication reliability and power consumption.
2Ease of operation
If low power nodes determine their own packet reception period, then device autonomy is improved, but network synchronization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges individual node autonomy with network-wide synchronization by having all nodes follow a common period pattern defined by the network. Each node independently determines its active and inactive periods based on the synchronized network schedule, combining the benefits of autonomous operation with coordinated network behavior. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining device autonomy in determining periods while ensuring network synchronization through shared period definitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where nodes exchange period information and synchronize their active/inactive period timings. This feedback ensures that all nodes in the network align their reception operations, maintaining network synchronization while allowing each node to independently manage its power consumption based on the synchronized schedule.
Data Source
AI summary
An active period that is expressed by a range of a count value t[x] and is a period during which communication of a packet with an outside is permitted and an inactive period that is expressed by a range of the count value t[x] and is a period during which communication of a packet with an outside is prohibited are defined in schedule data. A wireless communication interface communicates a packet with the outside during the active period. A power supply controller cuts off power supplied to the wireless communication interface during the inactive period. A synchronous controller updates a count value of a counter based on a synchronous data value in the received packet during a reception operation of the packet, define the synchronous data value based on the updated count value t[y] during a transmission operation of the packet, and store it in the packet to be transmitted.