Method of Operating a Communication Device Operable in an Active Mode and in an Idle Mode, a Computer Program Product for Executing the Method, and the Communication Device Operable in an Active Mode and in an Idle Mode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018359705-A1
Application number	US-201816045936-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 26, 2018
Priority date	Jun 6, 2012
Publication date	Dec 13, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of operating a communication device comprises providing the communication device (T, T1-T5) with a first interface (I1) to connect to a first network (N1), which provides a first bandwidth and a first network idle power consumption at the communication device (T, T1-T5) when being connected to the first network (N1) and providing the communication device (T, T1-T5) with a second interface (I2) to connect to a second wireless network (N2), which provides a second bandwidth, which is smaller than the first bandwidth, and a second network idle power, consumption, which is smaller than the first idle power consumption, at the communication device (T, T1-T5), when being connected to the second wireless network (N2).

First claim

1 - 18 . (canceled)

19 . A method of using a first communication device comprising a processor and non-transitory memory, the method comprising:
establishing a first communication link between a first communication device and a first network via a first interface of the first communication device when the first communication device is in an active mode, the first communication link configured for transmission of payload data between the first network and the first communication device; operating the first communication device to discover at least one second communication device that had been disconnected from the first network and is connected to a second network while the first communication device is in the active mode and operating the first communication device while in the active mode to function as a router when the first communication device is in the active mode to route information from the first network over a second interface of the first communication device to the discovered at least one second communication device that has been disconnected from the first network and that is connected to the second network such that the discovered at least one second communication device is linked to the first network via the first communication device operating as the router even though the at least one second communication device has been disconnected from the first network; switching the first communication device from the active mode to an idle mode such that the first communication link is disconnected so that the first communication device is no longer connected to the first network over the first interface and a second communication link is established between the first communication device and the second network via a second interface of the first communication device such that signaling data is exchanged via the second communication link.

20 . The method of claim 19 , comprising:
switching the first communication device from the idle mode to the active mode in response to a request received over the second interface.

21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the second network is a wireless network.

22 . The method of claim 19 , comprising:
switching the first communication device from the idle mode to the active mode in response to a request from a server of the first network received via the second communication link.

23 . The method of claim 19 , comprising:
switching the first communication device from the idle mode to the active mode in response to disconnection of the second communication link that connects the first communication device to the second network.

24 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the first communication device has a rechargeable battery that is charged when the first communication device is operated in the active mode.

25 . The method of claim 24 , comprising:
switching the first communication device from the active mode to the idle mode in response to the rechargeable battery being fully charged.

26 . The method of claim 19 , comprising:
switching the first communication device from the idle mode to the active mode in response to user input from a user of the first communication device.

27 . The method of claim 19 , comprising:
transmitting a message from the first communication device to a third communication device via the second communication link when at least one of: the first communication device cannot be connected to the first network and the first communication device cannot be charged.

28 . A communication apparatus comprising:
a first communication device having hardware comprising non-transitory memory and a processor, the first communication device also comprising:
a first interface configured to connect the first communication device to a first network that provides a first bandwidth and a first network idle power consumption at the first communication device when the first communication device is connected to the first network via the first interface;
a second interface configured to connect the first communication device to a second network that provides a second bandwidth that is smaller than the first bandwidth and a second network idle power consumption that is smaller than the first idle power consumption at the first communication device when the first communication device is connected to the second network via the second interface;
a controller unit configured to control the first interface and the second interface, the controller unit configured to control the first and second interfaces such that the first communication device is switchable between an active mode in which the first communication device is connected to the first network via the first interface and an idle mode in which the first communication device is connected to the second network via the second interface and is not connected to the first network via the first interface;
the controller unit configured to control the first and second interfaces such that:
the first communication device is configured to establish a first communication link with the first network over the first interface when in the active mode, the first communication link configured so that payload data is transmittable between the first communication device and first network via the first interface, and
the first communication device is switched from the active mode to the idle mode such that the first communication link is disconnected and a second communication link is established between the first communication device and the second network via the second interface so that signaling is providable via the second communication link;

the first communication device configured to exchange a signaling message and to receive a power control instruction from a second communication device connected to the second network when in the idle mode such that the first communication device is switchable from the idle mode to the active mode in response to a request to wake the first communication device received via the second communication link; and
the first communication device configured to discover at least one third communication device that was disconnected from the first network and is connected to the second network to inform the first network of the at least one third communication device via the first interface when in the active mode and being configured to operate as a router when in the active mode to route information from the first network over the second interface to the at least one third communication device so that the at least one third communication device is linked to the first network via the second interface of the first communication device.

29 . The communication apparatus of claim 28 , comprising:
the first network and the second network; the first network being a local area network or a global area network and the second network being a wireless personal area network in accordance with IEEE 802.15.4.

30 . The communication apparatus of claim 29 , comprising:
the at least one third communication device, the at least one third communication device comprising a plurality of communication devices.

31 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having code stored thereon that defines a method that is performed by a first communication device when at least one processor of the first communication device runs the code, the method comprising:
discovering a second communication device that has been disconnected from a first network and is connected to a second network when the first communication device is in an active mode to route information from the first network over a second interface to the second communic

Assignees

• Unify Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Kukosa Tomas

Classifications

• Y02D70/162

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02D70/142

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02D70/1222

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02D70/144

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H04W52/0225 Primary

  using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal · CPC title