Power saving based on distributed enhanced machine type communications (eMTC) functions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9942852-B2
Application number	US-201715399688-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2017
Priority date	Jan 12, 2016
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communications and, more specifically, to power savings based on distributed enhanced machine type communication (eMTC) functions, for example, between an applications processor and a modem of an eMTC device. An example method generally includes entering a power saving mode (PSM), wherein entering the PSM includes performing a first power collapse of an applications processor of the wireless node and a modem of the wireless node into a low power state; exiting the PSM at expiry of a wake-up timer, wherein exiting the PSM includes waking up the applications processor and the modem from the low power state to an active power state; and in response to exiting the PSM, performing a second power collapse of the applications processor into the low power state while the modem operates in the active power state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for wireless communications by a wireless node, comprising:
entering a power saving mode (PSM), wherein entering the PSM includes performing a first power collapse of an applications processor of the wireless node and a modem of the wireless node into a low power state;
exiting the PSM at expiry of a wake-up timer, wherein exiting the PSM includes waking up the applications processor and the modem from the low power state to an active power state; and
in response to exiting the PSM, performing a second power collapse of the applications processor into the low power state while the modem operates in the active power state.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the low power state comprises a deep sleep state.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless node comprises an enhanced machine type communications (eMTC) device.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
attempting, at the modem, to connect to a network while the modem operates in the active power state and the applications processor is in the low power state.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
obtaining, at the modem, an indication of application types and information related to the application types, wherein the information related to the application types comprises at least one of: a number of failed attempts or a duration for attempting to connect to the network associated with the application types.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the obtaining is via a configuration at manufacturing time of the wireless node or receiving over-the-air (OTA).

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
receiving from the modem, at the applications processor, information regarding at least one of: cell information, network information, radio frequency conditions, modem capability information, or information regarding a size of a memory.

8. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
in response to the modem successfully connecting to the network, waking up the applications processor from the low power state.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
transferring applications data from the applications processor to a memory, wherein the memory comprises a memory of the modem or a memory shared by the modem and the applications processor.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
sending an indication from the applications processor, to the modem, that the applications data is available in the memory.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
in response to the applications processor sending the indication to the modem, performing a third power collapse of the applications processor into the low power state.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
performing one or more scheduled events, at the modem, while the applications processor is in the low power state.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein performing the one or more scheduled events includes transmitting the applications data available in the memory to the network.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
after the modem performs the one or more scheduled events, preparing the wireless node for reenter the PSM, wherein the preparing comprises at least one of: performing a detach procedure with the network or storing context data related to at least one of: applications or connectivity; and
reentering the PSM after the preparing.

15. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
receiving applications data from the network; and
in response to receiving the applications data from the network, waking up the applications processor to process the applications data.

16. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:
means for entering a power saving mode (PSM), wherein entering the PSM includes performing a first power collapse of an applications processor of the apparatus and a modem of the apparatus into a low power state;
means for exiting the PSM at expiry of a wake-up timer, wherein exiting the PSM includes waking up the applications processor and the modem from the low power state to an active power state; and
means for, in response to exiting the PSM, performing a second power collapse of the applications processor into the low power state while the modem operates in the active power state.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the low power state comprises a deep sleep state.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the apparatus comprises an enhanced machine type communications (eMTC) device.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising:
means for attempting, at the modem, to connect to a network while the modem operates in the active power state and the applications processor is in the low power state.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising:
means for obtaining, at the modem, an indication of application types and information related to the application types, wherein the information related to the application types comprises at least one of: a number of failed attempts or a duration for attempting to connect to the network associated with the application types.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising:
means for, in response to the modem successfully connecting to the network, waking up the applications processor from the low power state.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , further comprising:
means for transferring applications data from the applications processor to a memory, wherein the memory comprises a memory of the modem or a memory shared by the modem and the applications processor.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising:
means for sending an indication from the applications processor, to the modem, that the applications data is available in the memory.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising:
means for, in response to the applications processor sending the indication to the modem, performing a third power collapse of the applications processor into the low power state.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 , further comprising:
means for performing one or more scheduled events, at the modem, while the applications processor is in the low power state.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein means for performing the one or more scheduled events includes means for transmitting the applications data available in the memory to the network.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 , further comprising:
means for, after the modem performs the one or more scheduled events, preparing the wireless node for reentering the PSM, wherein means for preparing comprises at least one of: means for performing a detach procedure with the network or means for storing context data related to at least one of: applications or connectivity;
means for reentering the PSM after the preparing.

28. The apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising:
means for receiving applications data from the network; and
means for, in response to receiving the applications data from the network, waking up the applications processor to process the applications data.

29. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:
at least one processor configured to:
enter a power saving mode (PSM), wherein entering the PSM includes performing a first power collapse of an applications processor of the apparatus and a modem of the apparatus into a low power state;
exit the PSM at expiry of a wake-up t

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Hsu Liangchi
• Balasubramanian Srinivasan
• Lin Lijun

Classifications

• H04W52/028

  switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks · CPC title

• G06F1/3287

  by switching off individual functional units in the computer system · CPC title

• H04W88/02

  Terminal devices · CPC title

• H04W52/0258 Primary

  controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day · CPC title

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title