Telecommunications – Receiver or analog modulated signal frequency converter – With particular receiver circuit
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-12
2002-11-26
Urban, Edward F. (Department: 2685)
Telecommunications
Receiver or analog modulated signal frequency converter
With particular receiver circuit
C455S574000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06487400
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a method for controlling a communications device which has a main operating unit and a subunit, as well as to a communications device, in particular a submodule of a mobile telecommunications unit, which interchanges data with a main module during time slots which recur at regular intervals.
In the case of a communications device, particularly in the case of a mobile telecommunications unit, whose voltage is supplied with the aid of a battery or a rechargeable battery, it is necessary to keep the power consumption as low as possible in order to ensure that the battery or rechargeable battery operating life is as long as possible and thus that the communications device is ready to operate for as long as possible. To this end, during no-load times, that is to say during times in which no operating functions are required, the communications device is normally changed to standby mode or energy saving mode in which the only circuit devices which are powered are those which are required to set up the full operating capability of the communications device when required.
Fast clock generators are thus normally switched off, while the individual function blocks are still supplied with a controlled voltage in order to keep stored the operating state data which are contained in the individual memories in the function blocks.
In consequence, although the power consumption of the communications device can be reduced considerably in the standby mode, this power saving is, however, not sufficient for communications devices which need to have extremely low power consumption because they can use only very small batteries or rechargeable batteries.
Proceeding from this, the invention is based on the object of providing a method for controlling a communications device, which method permits extremely low power consumption and thus a very long operating life for the voltage source. Furthermore, the object of the invention is to provide a communications device which can be controlled using this method.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by a method for controlling a communications device having a main operating unit and a subunit, in which, after one operating period, operating state data for the main operating unit are stored in a status memory in the subunit and the voltage supply for the main operating unit is switched off in order to change the communications device to an energy saving mode, and in which, after the voltage supply for the main operating unit is switched on, the stored operating state data are transmitted from the status memory to the main operating unit in order to operate the communications device during the following operating period.
The invention thus provides for the operating state data which are required for correct operation of the communications device to be stored in a status memory which is provided for this purpose and is assigned to a subunit, so that the voltage supply for the main operating unit can be switched off completely since only the subunit with the status memory now need be supplied with voltage. After the voltage supply has been switched on for the next operating period, the stored operating-state data are then simply transmitted back to the main operating unit, so that it is fully operational again at the start of the next operating period.
An expedient development of the invention is distinguished by the fact that the voltage supply for the main operating unit is switched on by means of a switch-on signal from the subunit after a respectively predetermined waiting time has elapsed. Both the storage of the operating state data and the monitoring of the switch-on time are thus carried out in the subunit, which can be designed specifically for low power consumption without adversely affecting the operational reliability of the communications device.
It is particularly advantageous for a time indicator to be produced at a time after the voltage supply for the main operating unit has been switched on, in order to define the start time of the following operating period. The time indicator which is provided according to the invention and is produced after the main operating unit has been switched on is intended to occur at a fixed time interval before the start of the following operating period. By detecting the actual time interval between the time indicator and the start of the next operating period, which start can be defined, for example, in a subordinate communications device by means of an external event, such as a received burst, the actual start time for the following operating period can be compared with the assumed start time in order, by lengthening or shortening the energy saving mode, to set the actual interval between the time indicator and the start of the following operating period to the specified interval. However, if the start of an operating period is not dependent on an external event, then the following operating period (in which, for example, transmission operation is carried out) starts after a predetermined time, which is calculated from the time indicator, has elapsed. The time indicator provided according to the invention is thus an absolute time indicator which can be used not only to define the start of operating periods but also to define the duration of the energy saving mode.
In this case, the invention provides in particular that the time interval between the time indicator for the start time and the following operating period is measured by the main operating unit in order to optimize the duration of the effective time for which the main operating unit is switched off in a communications device whose main operating unit operates periodically. Particularly in the case of a submodule in a mobile telecommunications unit, which submodule operates only during specific time slots whose time interval is defined by the communications protocol used or the standard used, this makes it possible for the main operating unit to stay in the energy saving mode for as long as possible between two successive operating periods, that is to say between two time slots.
In this case, it is expedient if the waiting time is predetermined for the subunit as a function of the time interval between the time indicator and the start time of the following operating period by the main operating unit. As a result of the waiting time which defines the switch-on time being determined in the main operating unit, while only the corresponding waiting time supplied from the main operating unit is required in the subunit in order to define the switch-on time, the subunit can be further simplified, as a result of which its power consumption can be reduced further.
In particular, it is possible according to the invention to redefine the waiting time for each operating period.
The switch-on time can be defined particularly easily if the end of the waiting time in the subunit is defined with the aid of a clocked counter, whose running count is compared with a first comparison value which corresponds to the waiting time, that is to say is compared with the waiting time which is transmitted from the main operating unit to the subunit.
A further refinement of the invention provides that the counter is restarted after the waiting time has elapsed, that the running count is compared with a second comparison value, in order to supply to the main operating unit the time indicator which is used to define the start time for the following operating period.
The time indicator, which is produced in this way and is required to define the start time for the following operating period, is in principle at a time interval from the switch-on time for the voltage supply which can be predetermined at any desired fixed value but is normally predetermined as a value fixed by the circuit design, and corresponds to the end of the waiting time. Adaptation of the waiting time thus allows the switch-on time for the voltage supply for the main operating unit to be at a predetermined time which, on the one hand, is sufficiently late that the time between
Joeressen Olaf Johannes
Schetelig Markus
Gary Erika A.
Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd.
Perman & Green LLP
LandOfFree
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