EP0529269A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Battery efficient operation of scheduled access protocol
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1992-07-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-07-11
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for conserving battery power in a wireless link adapter of a battery operated computer such as a portable laptop computer, as controlled by a scheduled multiaccess protocol. The portable computer is operable as a mobile unit in a multi-cell wireless network. The scheduled access multiaccess protocol is implemented to effectively conserve battery power by suitable control of the state of the controller, the transmitter and receiver units at the wireless link adapter by scheduling when the adapter is in a normal running mode, or a standby mode in which power is conserved. <IMAGE>
Inventors
- 👤 Kadathur Subramanya Natarajan
- 👤 Chia-Chi Huang
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 11:24
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F1/00; G06F1/26; G06F1/32; G06F1/3203; G06F1/3206; G06F1/3215; H; H04; H04W; H04W52/00; H04W52/02; H04W52/0209; H04W52/0212; H04W52/0216; H04W52/0225; H04W52/0229; H04W74/00; H04W74/04; Y; Y02; Y02D; Y02D30/00; Y02D30/70
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
125 words
A method of conserving battery power in a wireless link adapter of battery powered computers operable in a multiaccess protocol for wireless communication between said battery powered computers and a base station, with said protocol including a designation of which computers are to communicate with said base station, said method comprising the steps of: partitioning said multiaccess protocol into at least one frame which is divided into slots, with there being at least one slot assigned to each battery powered computer designated to communicate with said base station; and turning ON said battery power of said wireless link adapter for a given battery powered computer at least during said at least one slot, with said battery power being turned OFF during the remaining time slots.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
279 words
A method of conserving battery power in a wireless link adapter of battery powered portable computers operable in a multiaccess protocol for communications between a plurality of said portable computers and a base station via a wireless communications link, with said protocol including a designation of which ones of said plurality of said portable computers are to communicate with said base station; said method comprising the steps of: partitioning a frame of said multiaccess protocol in to at least first and second subframes, each of which is divided into slots, with there being at least one slot assigned to each portable computer which is designated to communicate with said base station in each subframe, with the first subframe being allotted to communications from the base station to said portable computers, and with the second subframe being allotted to communications from said portable computers to said base station; turning ON said battery power for a receiver in said wireless link adapter of a given designated portable computer at least during said at least one time slot of the first subframe for receiving communications from said base station, with said battery power for said receiver in said wireless link adapter being turned OFF for the remaining time slots of said first subframe; and turning ON said battery power for a transmitter in said wireless link adapter of said given designated portable computer at least during said at least one time slot in said second subframe for transmitting communication from said given portable computer to said base station, with said battery power for said transmitter in said wireless link adapter being turned OFF for the remaining time slots of said second subframe.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
163 words
The method of claim 2, including the step of: including a third subframe in said multiaccess protocol, with said third subframe being divided into slots, with there being at least one slot assigned to each portable computer which is designated to communicate with said base station, with said third subframe being allotted to contention mode communications from said portable computers to said base station; turning OFF the transmitter and receiver in said wireless link adapter of any of said portable computers that do not wish to communicate to said base station during said third subframe; and turning ON said battery power for a transmitter of said wireless link adapter in a given portable computer at least during said at least one time slot in said third subframe for transmitting communications from said given portable computer to said base station, with said battery power for said transmitter of said wireless adapter link being turned OFF for the remaining time slots of said third subframe.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
127 words
A method of conserving battery power in a wireless link adapter of battery powered computers operable in a multiaccess protocol for wireless communication between said battery powered computers and a base station, with said protocol including a designation of which computers are to communicate with said base station, said method comprising the steps of: partitioning said multiaccess protocol into at least one frame which is divided into slots, with there being at least one slot assigned to each battery powered computer designated to communicate with said base station; and running said wireless link adapter of a given battery powered computer in a normal running mode at least during said at least one slot, with said wireless link running in an idle mode during the remaining time slots.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
271 words
A method of conserving battery power in a wireless link adapter of battery powered portable computers operable in a multiaccess protocol for communications between a plurality of said portable computers and a base station via a wireless communications link with said protocol including a designation of which ones of said plurality of said portable computers are to communicate with said base station, said method comprising the steps of: partitioning a frame of said multiaccess protocol in to at least first and second subframes, each of which is divided into slots, with there being at least one slot assigned to each portable computer which is designated to communicate with said base station in each subframe, with the first subframe being allotted to communications from the base stations to said portable computers, and with the second subframe being allotted to communications from said portable computers to said base station; running a receiver in said wireless link adapter of a given portable computer in a normal running mode at least during said at least one slot of the first subframe for receiving communications from said base station, with said receiver for said wireless link adapter running in an idle mode for the remaining time slots of said first subframe; and running a transmitter in said wireless link adapter of said given portable computer in a normal running mode at least during said at least one slot in said second subframe for transmitting communication from said given portable computer to said base station, with said transmitter for said wireless link adapter running in an idle mode for the remaining time slots of said second subframe.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
163 words
The method of claim 5, including the step of: including a third subframe in said multiaccess protocol, with said third subframe being divided into slots, with there being at least one slot assigned to each portable computer, which is designated to communicate with said base station, with said third subframe being allotted to contention mode communications from said portable computers to said base station; running the transmitter and receiver in said wireless link adapter of any of said portable computers that do not wish to communicate to said base station during said third subframe in an idle mode; and running a transmitter of said wireless link adapter in a given portable computer in a normal running mode at least during said at least one slot in said third subframe for transmitting communications from said given portable computer to said base station, with said transmitter for said wireless link adapter running in an idle mode for the remaining time slots of said third subframe.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
460 words
A method of conserving battery power in a receiver and transmitter of a wireless link adapter of battery powered mobile computers operable in a multiaccess protocol for communications between a plurality of said battery powered mobile computers and a base station via a wireless communications link, with said protocol including a designation of which computers are to communicate with said base station, said method comprising the steps of: partitioning a frame of said multiaccess protocol into at least a first subframe and a second subframe, with each subframe being divided into slots, with at least one slot in each subframe being assigned to each mobile computer which is designated to communicate with said base station in a subframe, with the first subframe being allotted to communications from the base station to said mobile computers, and with second subframe being allotted to communications from said mobile computers to said base station station; receiving the first subframe, by the receiver of said wireless link adapter of a given mobile computer; determining if said given mobile computer is designated to receive communications from said base station during said given mobile computers at least one slot, if not designated, putting the receiver of said wireless link adapter of said given mobile computer to sleep the duration of said first subframe; if designated determining the scheduled slot for said given mobile computer; putting to sleep the receiver of said wireless link adapter of said given mobile computer until the scheduled slot; waking up the receiver of said wireless link adapter said given mobile computer at the scheduled slot; putting to sleep the receiver of said wireless link adapter said given mobile computer at the slot following the scheduled slot, and for the remainder of said first subframe, at which time said receiver is awakened; receiving the second subframe, by the receiver of said wireless link adapter of said given mobile computer, and putting said receiver to sleep until the end of said second subframe; determining if said given mobile computer is scheduled to transmit communications to said base station during said given mobile computers at least one slot, if not designated, putting to sleep the transmitter of said wireless link adapter of said given mobile unit for the duration of said second subframe; if designated; determining the scheduled slot for said given mobile computer; putting to sleep the transmitter of said wireless link adapter of said given mobile computer until said at least one slot; waking up the transmitter of said wireless link adapter of said given mobile computer at the scheduled slot; and putting to sleep the transmitter of said wireless link adapter of said given mobile computer at the slot following said at least one slot for the remainder of said second subframe.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
180 words
The method of claim 7, including the steps of: including a third subframe in said multiaccess protocol, with said third subframe being divided into slots, with there being at least one slot assigned to each mobile computer, with said third subframe being allotted to contention mode communications from said mobile computers to said base station; receiving said third subframe by the receiver of said wireless link adapter of said given mobile computer; determining if said mobile computer has any information to transmit to said base station in said third subframe; putting to sleep the transmitter and receiver of said wireless link adapter any of said mobile computers that do not wish to communicate to said base station during said third subframe; and waking up a transmitter of a wireless link adapter a given mobile computer at least during said at least one time slot in said third subframe for transmitting communications from said mobile computer to said base station, with said transmitter of said wireless link adapter being put to sleep for the remaining time slots of said third subframe.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
156 words
A method of conserving battery power in a wireless link adapter of battery powered computers operable in a multiaccess protocol for wireless communication between said battery powered computers and a base station, with said protocol including a designation of which computers are to communicate with said base station, said method comprising the steps of: partitioning said multiaccess protocol into at least one frame which is divided into slots, with there being at least one slot assigned to each battery powered computer designated to communicate with said base station; and turning ON said battery power of said wireless link adapter for a given battery powered computer to full power at least during said at least one slot, for running said given battery powered computer in a normal running mode, with said battery power of said wireless link adapter being substantially reduced during the remaining time slots, for running said given battery powered computer in an idle mode.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
374 words
A method of conserving battery power in a wireless link adapter of battery powered portable computers operable in a multiaccess protocol for communications between a plurality of said portable computers and a base station via a wireless communications link, with said protocol including a designation of which ones of said plurality of said portable computers are to communicate with said base station; said method comprising the steps of: partitioning a frame of said multiaccess protocol in to at least first and second subframes, each of which is divided into slots, with there being at least one slot assigned to each portable computer which is designated to communicate with said base station in each subframe, with the first subframe being allotted to communications from the base station to said portable computers, and with the second subframe being allotted to communications from said portable computers to said base station; turning ON said battery power for a receiver in said wireless link adapter of a given designated portable computer to full power at least during said at least one time slot of the first subframe, for running said receiver in said wireless link adapter of said given designated portable computer in a normal running mode, for receiving communications from said base station, with said battery power for said receiver in said wireless link adapter of said given designated portable computer being substantially reduced for the remaining time slots of said first subframe, for running said receiver in said wireless link adapter of said given designated portable computer in an idle mode; and turning ON said battery power for a transmitter in said wireless link adapter of said given designated portable computer to full power at least during said at least one time slot in said second subframe, for running said transmitter in said wireless link adapter of said given designated portable computer in a normal running mode, for transmitting communication from said given portable computer to said base station, with said battery power for said transmitter in said wireless link adapter of said given designated portable computer being substantially reduced for the remaining time slots of said second subframe, for running said transmitter in said wireless link adapter of said given designated computer in an idle mode.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
185 words
In a wireless communications network, the combination comprising: a base station which provides a multiaccess protocol for wireless communication over said wireless communications network, with said protocol including a designation of mobile stations that are to communicate with said base station, with said protocol being partioned into at least one frame which is divided into slots with there being assigned at least one slot to each mobile station designated to communicate with said base station; a plurality of mobile stations, with each such station including a wireless link adapter which includes: a battery powered transceiver for receiving said protocol from said base station and transmitting information to said base station; and a controller for providing first and second control signals to said transceiver in response to said protocol be received by said transceiver with said first signal being provided in response to the absence of said at least slot for informing said transceiver to operate in an idle mode, and with said second signal being provided in response to said at least one slot for informing said transceiver to operate in a normal running mode.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
389 words
In a wireless communications network, the combination comprising: a base station which provides a multiaccess protocol for wireless communication over said wireless communications network, with said protocol including a designation of mobile stations that are to communicate with said base station, with a frame of said protocol being portioned into at least first and second subframes, each of which is divided into slots, with there being at least one slot assigned to each mobile station which is designated to communicate with said base station in each subframe, with the first subframe allotted to communications from the base station to the mobile stations, and with the second subframe being allotted to communications from the mobile stations to the the base station; a plurality of mobile stations, with each such station including a wireless link adapter which includes: a battery powered transceiver which includes a transmitter and receiver for receiving said protocol from, and transmitting information to said base station; means for turning ON said battery power for the receiver in said wireless link adapter of a given designated mobile station to full power at least during said at least one time slot of the first subframe, for running said receiver in said wireless link adapter of said given designated mobile station in a normal running mode, for receiving communications from said base station, with said battery power for said receiver in said wireless link adapter of said given designated mobile station being substantially reduced for the remaining time slots of said first subframe, for running said receiver in said wireless link adapter of said given designated mobile station in an idle mode; and means for turning ON said battery power for the transmitter in said wireless link adapter of said given designated mobile station to full power at least during said at least one time slot in said second subframe, for running said transmitter in said wireless link adapter of said given designated mobile station in a normal running mode, for transmitting communication from said given mobile station to said base station, with said battery power for said transmitter in said wireless link adapter of said given designated mobile station being substantially reduced for the remaining time slots of said second subframe, for running said transmitter in said wireless link adapter of said given designated computer in an idle mode.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
41 words
The combination claimed in claim 12, including means for substantially reducing the battery power for said controller, whenever the battery power for said receiver or transmitter of the wireless link is substantially reduced, for running said controller in an idle mode.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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