Method and apparatus facilitating power conservation in wireless user equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9253729-B1
Application number	US-201414500138-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 29, 2014
Priority date	Sep 29, 2014
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

A method facilitating power conservation in a wireless user equipment includes storing carrier aggregation information in a storage device at a wireless user equipment, monitoring a power level of a battery in the wireless user equipment during operation in a wireless network, and varying a current support capability for a carrier aggregation feature and the carrier aggregation information in relation to the power level of the battery such that less secondary component carriers are supported by the wireless user equipment as the power level of the battery decreases. The wireless user equipment including the storage device and at least one processor configured to monitor the power level of the battery and to vary the current support capability for the carrier aggregation feature and the carrier aggregation information in relation to the power level of the battery. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions associated with the method is also provided.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method facilitating power conservation in a wireless user equipment, comprising:
storing carrier aggregation information in a storage device at a wireless user equipment, wherein the wireless user equipment is configured to operate in a wireless network formed by a plurality of base stations and a core network, wherein the wireless user equipment is configured to operate using a variable support capability for a carrier aggregation feature provided by the wireless network, wherein the carrier aggregation feature enables the wireless user equipment to aggregate bandwidth of a primary component carrier and at least one secondary component carrier to improve throughput, wherein the carrier aggregation information in the storage device is indicative of a current support capability of the wireless user equipment in relation to the carrier aggregation feature;
monitoring a power level of a battery in the wireless user equipment during operation of the wireless user equipment in the wireless network, wherein the plurality of base stations include a serving base station providing wireless service to the wireless user equipment; and
varying the current support capability for the carrier aggregation feature at the wireless user equipment and the carrier aggregation information in the storage device in relation to the power level of the battery such that less secondary component carriers are supported by the wireless user equipment as the power level of the battery decreases.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless user equipment is configured to support the primary component carrier and one secondary component carrier;
wherein the current support capability is varied between supporting one and zero secondary component carriers based on the power level of the battery in relation to a first predetermined threshold such that one secondary component carrier is normally supported and zero secondary component carriers are supported after the power level is less than the first predetermined threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless user equipment is configured to support the primary component carrier and four secondary component carriers;
wherein the current support capability is varied between supporting four, three, two, one, and zero secondary component carriers based on the power level of the battery in relation to first, second, third, and fourth predetermined thresholds such that four secondary component carriers are normally supported, three secondary component carriers are supported after the power level is less than the first predetermined threshold, two secondary component carriers are supported after the power level is less than the second predetermined threshold, one secondary component carrier is supported after the power level is less than the third predetermined threshold, and zero secondary component carriers are supported after the power level is less than the fourth predetermined threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the power level of the battery is less than a first predetermined threshold at the wireless user equipment; and
changing the current support capability for the carrier aggregation feature at the wireless user equipment and the carrier aggregation information in the storage device in response to determining the power level of the battery is less than the first predetermined threshold, wherein the succeeding current support capability indicates the wireless user equipment supports less secondary component carriers than the preceding current support capability.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the user equipment is configured to support the primary component carrier and at least two secondary component carriers, further comprising:
determining the power level of the battery is less than a second predetermined threshold, the second predetermined threshold being less than the first predetermined threshold; and
changing the current support capability for the carrier aggregation feature at the wireless user equipment and the carrier aggregation information in the storage device in response to determining the power level of the battery is less than the second predetermined threshold, wherein the succeeding current support capability indicates the wireless user equipment supports less secondary component carriers than the wireless user equipment would support if the power level of the battery was greater than the second predetermined threshold.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the user equipment is configured to support the primary component carrier and at least three secondary component carriers, further comprising:
determining the power level of the battery is less than a third predetermined threshold, the third predetermined threshold being less than the second predetermined threshold; and
changing the current support capability for the carrier aggregation feature at the wireless user equipment and the carrier aggregation information in the storage device in response to determining the power level of the battery is less than the third predetermined threshold, wherein the succeeding current support capability indicates the wireless user equipment supports less secondary component carriers than the wireless user equipment would support if the power level of the battery was greater than the third predetermined threshold.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the user equipment is configured to support the primary component carrier and at least four secondary component carriers, further comprising:
determining the power level of the battery is less than a fourth predetermined threshold, the fourth predetermined threshold being less than the third predetermined threshold; and
changing the current support capability for the carrier aggregation feature at the wireless user equipment and the carrier aggregation information in the storage device in response to determining the power level of the battery is less than the fourth predetermined threshold, wherein the succeeding current support capability indicates the wireless user equipment supports less secondary component carriers than the wireless user equipment would support if the power level of the battery was greater than the fourth predetermined threshold.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a capability message at the wireless user equipment using the carrier aggregation information from the storage device; and
transmitting the capability message from the wireless user equipment to the serving base station to inform the wireless network of the current support capability at the wireless user equipment for the carrier aggregation feature.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the capability message is generated in conjunction with generation of a connection request message and transmitted to the serving base station in conjunction with requesting access to the wireless network after the wireless user equipment is powered up and communication with the wireless network is enabled at the wireless user equipment.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving a connection setup message from the serving base station at the wireless user equipment;
wherein the capability message is generated in conjunction with generation of a setup complete message after receiving the connection setup message and transmitted to the serving base station along with the setup complete message in response to the connection setup message.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving a capability enquiry message from the serving base station at the wireless user equipment;
wherein the capability message is generated in conjunction with generation of a

Assignees

• Alcatel Lucent Usa Inc
• Alcatel Lucent

Inventors

• Sundar Sriram R
• Konda Kannan T

Classifications

• H04W76/02

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W52/0261 Primary

  managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level · CPC title

• H04W84/042

  Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems · CPC title

• H04L5/001

  the frequencies being arranged in component carriers · CPC title

• H04L5/0098

  Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands · CPC title