Prolonging internal power supply life in a mobile communication device
View Patent ↗A method of communicating between a mobile communication device including a power supply, and a base station. The mobile device has first and second alternative communication modes, the first communication mode having higher quality of service and higher power consumption than the second communication mode. The second communication mode is adopted in response to a characteristic of the mobile device power supply indicative of a reduced reserve of power in the power supply, and a state indication is transmitted from the mobile device to the base station. The base station can respond to the state indication from the mobile device by modifying a communication characteristic of the base station with the mobile device, whereby to tend to compensate for the mobile device switching between the first and second communication modes.
1. A mobile communication device for communicating with a base station and having first and second alternative communication modes, said first communication mode having higher quality of service and higher power consumption than said second communication mode, and said device comprising:
a power supply;
wherein said mobile device is responsive to a characteristic of said power supply indicative of a reduced reserve of energy in said power supply to select said second communication mode and transmit to said base station a state indication identifying existence of a low energy condition of said power supply, said state indication to cause said base station to respond by allocating more resources to reception of signals transmitted by said mobile device operating in said second communication mode than in said first communication mode wherein said mobile communication device is arranged to express in said second communication mode a characteristic selected from a group consisting of:
a different modulation scheme in said second communication mode from said first communication mode for communication with said base station;
a different transport protocol in said second communication mode from said first communication mode for communication with said base station;
more base station receive diversity resources allocated by said base station to reception of said signals transmitted by said mobile communication device in said second communication mode from said first communication mode; and
increased transmit power of base station signals to said mobile communication device in said second communication mode relative to said transmit power of base station signals to said mobile communication device in said first communication mode.
2. A mobile communication device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said state indication transmitted to said base station is arranged to identify a communication mode adopted by said mobile device.
3. A mobile communication device as claimed in claim 1 , responsive to a signal from said base station to adopt said second communication mode after transmitting to said base station said indication identifying existence of a low energy condition of said internal power supply.
4. A mobile communication device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said characteristic indicative of a reduced reserve of energy in said power supply is a power supply voltage less than a threshold voltage (Vth).
5. A mobile communication device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said first communication mode of said mobile device includes spatial receive diversity support, which is arranged to be reduced or disabled in said second communication mode of said mobile device.
6. A mobile communication device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said mobile device is arranged to communicate with said base station employing Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) in said first communication mode and communicate employing Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying in said second communication mode.
7. A mobile communication device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said mobile device is arranged to transmit at lower power in said second communication mode than in said first communication mode.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said characteristic comprises said different modulation scheme in said second communication mode from said first communication mode for communication with said base station.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said characteristic comprises said different transport protocol in said second communication mode from said first communication mode for communication with said base station.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said characteristic comprises said more base station receive diversity resources allocated by said base station to reception of said signals transmitted by said mobile communication device in said second communication mode from said first communication mode.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said characteristic comprises said increased transmit power of base station signals to said mobile communication device in said second communication mode relative to said transmit power of base station signals to said mobile communication device in said first communication mode.
12. A method of communicating between a mobile communication device and a base station, said mobile device having first and second alternative communication modes, said first communication mode having higher quality of service and higher power consumption than said second communication mode, and said mobile device including a power supply, said method comprising:
selecting said second communication mode in response to a characteristic of said mobile device power supply indicative of a reduced reserve of power in said power supply;
transmitting from said mobile device to said base station a state indication identifying existence of a low energy condition of said power supply; and
responding at said base station to said state indication by allocating more resources to reception of signals transmitted by the mobile device operating in said second communication mode than in said first communication mode wherein said responding comprises an operation selected from a group consisting of: employing a different modulation scheme in said second communication mode from said first communication mode for communication with said mobile device; employing a different transport protocol in said second communication mode from said first communication mode for communication with said mobile device; allocating more base station receive diversity resources to reception of said signals transmitted by said mobile communication device in said second communication mode from said first communication mode; and increasing transmit power of base station signals to said mobile communication device in said second communication mode relative to transmit power of said base station signals to said mobile communication device in said first communication mode.
13. A method of communicating as claimed in claim 12 , wherein a state indication transmitted from said mobile device to said base station also identifies a communication mode adopted by said mobile device.
14. A method of communicating as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said mobile device responds to a signal from said base station to adopt said second communication mode after transmitting to said base station said state indication identifying existence of a low energy condition of said internal power supply.
15. A method of communicating as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said characteristic indicative of a reduced reserve of energy in said power supply is a power supply voltage less than a threshold voltage (Vth).
16. A method of communicating as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said base station responds to said state indication from said mobile device by modifying a communication characteristic of said base station with said mobile device, whereby to tend to compensate for said mobile device switching between said first and second communication modes.
17. A method of communicating as claimed in claim 16 , wherein said base station and said mobile device communicate employing Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) in said first communication mode and communicate employing Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying in said second communication mode.
18. A method of communicating as claimed in claim 16 , wherein said base station and said mobile device communicate employing High-Speed Uplink Packet Access—HSUPA—with a smaller number of HSUPA channels in said second communication mode than in said first communication mode.
19. A method of communicating as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said first communication mode of said mobile device includes spatial receive diversity support, which is disabled in said second communication mode of said mobile device.
20. A method of communicating as claimed in claim 19 , wherein said base station responds to said state indication from said mobile device by increasing transmit power of signals to said mobile device if it is operating in said second communication mode relative to transmit power of signals if said mobile device is operating in said first communication mode, whereby to tend to compensate for said mobile device switching between said first and second communication modes.
21. A base station for communicating with a mobile communication device and including means responsive to said state indication for controlling the responses of the base station as specified in claim 12 .
22. The method of claim 12 , wherein said operation comprises said employing said different modulation scheme in said second communication mode from said first communication mode for communication with said mobile device.
23. The method of claim 12 , wherein said operation comprises said employing said different transport protocol in said second communication mode from said first communication mode for communication with said mobile device.
24. The method of claim 12 , wherein said operation comprises said allocating more base station receive diversity resources to reception of said signals transmitted by said mobile communication device in said second communication mode from said first communication mode.
25. The method of claim 12 , wherein said operation comprises said increasing transmit power of said base station signals to said mobile communication device in said second communication mode relative to transmit power of said base station signals to said mobile communication device in said first communication mode.
26. A method of communicating between a mobile communication device and a base station, said mobile device having first and second alternative communication modes, said first communication mode having higher quality of service and higher power consumption than said second communication mode, and said mobile device including a power supply, said method comprising:
monitoring at said mobile device sua sponte a characteristic of said power supply indicative of a reduced reserve of power in said power supply;
selecting said second communication mode in response to said characteristic of said mobile device power supply indicative of a reduced reserve of power in said power supply; and
transmitting from said mobile device to said base station a state indication identifying existence of a low energy condition of said power supply said base station responding to said state indication with a response selected from a group consisting of: employing a different modulation scheme in said second communication mode from said first communication mode for communication with said mobile device; employing a different transport protocol in said second communication mode from said first communication mode for communication with said mobile device; increasing base station receive diversity support to reception of said signals transmitted by said mobile communication device in said second communication mode from said first communication mode; and increasing transmit power of base station signals to said mobile communication device in said second communication mode relative to transmit power of base station signals to said mobile communication device in said first communication mode.
27. The method of claim 26 , wherein said response comprises said employing a different modulation scheme in said second communication mode from said first communication mode for communication with said mobile device.
28. The method of claim 26 , wherein said response comprises said employing a different transport protocol in said second communication mode from said first communication mode for communication with said mobile device.
29. The method of claim 26 , wherein said response comprises said increasing base station receive diversity support to reception of said signals transmitted by said mobile communication device in said second communication mode from said first communication mode.
30. The method of claim 26 , wherein said response comprises said increasing transmit power of base station signals to said mobile communication device in said second communication mode relative to transmit power of base station signals to said mobile communication device in said first communication mode.