Reducing power consumption in wireless stations providing network connectivity for embedded devices
A system contains a wireless station connected to an embedded device by a wired path, with the wireless station being part of a wireless network. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the wireless station places a receiver (communicating on the wireless network) in power savings mode upon occurrence of a first condition, and restores the receiver to active mode upon occurrence of a second condition. Such transitions between active and power savings modes are employed while receiving data units from a wireless network and providing the data units to the embedded device. In one embodiment, the first and second conditions correspond to a higher threshold and lower threshold for available data in the memory of the wireless station used for buffering not-yet-transferred data units. In alternative embodiments, the conditions are determined based on corresponding express indications by the embedded device.
1. A system comprising:
an embedded device;
a wireless station connected to said embedded device by a wired path, said wireless station being part of a wireless network, said wireless station comprising a receiver and a memory, the wireless station being operable to:
receive a sequence of data units from a wireless device in said wireless network, the receiver of said wireless station being used to perform said receiving;
transmit the sequence of data units from the wireless device to the embedded device;
upon receipt of an assertion of an express indication transmitted from the embedded device to place the receiver in a power savings mode, set said receiver in a the power savings mode; and
upon receipt of a de-assertion of the express indication transmitted from the embedded device to place the receiver in an active mode, set said receiver in the active mode,
wherein said embedded device asserts the express indication based on an amount of data units the embedded device determines it is able to receive, and said embedded device de-asserts the express indication when the embedded device has received the amount of data units,
wherein said embedded device provides respective active and power-saving durations,
wherein said receiver is placed in said active mode in said active durations and in said power-savings mode in said power-savings durations,
wherein the active durations are irregular.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said asserting is received on a first wired path, and data is transferred to said embedded device on a second wired path, wherein said first wired path and said second wired path are contained in said wired path.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the assertion of the express indication includes a count of the amount of data units the embedded device determines it is able to receive.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the respective active and power-savings durations are specified in the form of a period of time, wherein said period of time contains a first time duration specifying said active durations and a second time duration specifying said power-saving durations.
5. A method of operating a wireless station of a wireless network, wherein said wireless station comprises a receiver and a memory, the wireless station and is connected to an embedded device by a wired path, said method being performed by said wireless station, said method comprising:
receive a sequence of data units from a wireless device in said wireless network, the receiver of said wireless station being used to perform said receiving;
transmit the sequence of data units from the wireless device to the embedded device;
upon receipt of an assertion of an express indication transmitted from the embedded device to place the receiver in a power savings mode, set said receiver in the power savings mode; and
upon receipt of a de-assertion of the express indication transmitted from the embedded device to place the receiver in an active mode, set said receiver in the active mode,
wherein said embedded device asserts the express indication based on an amount of data units the embedded device determines it is able to receive, and said embedded device de-asserts the express indication when the embedded device has received the amount of data units,
wherein said embedded device provides respective active and power-saving durations,
wherein said receiver is placed in said active mode in said active durations and in said power-savings mode in said power-savings durations,
wherein the active durations are irregular.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said asserting is received on a first wired path, and data is transferred to said embedded device on a second wired path, wherein said first wired path and said second wired path are contained in said wired path.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the assertion of the express indication includes a count of the amount of data units the embedded device determines it is able to receive.
8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the respective active and power-savings durations are specified in the form of a period of time, wherein said period of time contains a first time duration specifying said active durations and a second time duration specifying said power-saving durations.
9. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing one or more sequences of instructions for operating a wireless station of a wireless network, the wireless station comprising a receiver and a memory, wherein execution of said one or more instructions by one or more processors contained in said wireless station enables said wireless station to perform the actions of:
receive a sequence of data units from a wireless device in said wireless network, the receiver of said wireless station being used to perform said receiving;
transmit the sequence of data units from the wireless station to the embedded device;
upon receipt of an assertion of an express indication transmitted from the embedded device to place the receiver in a power savings mode, set said receiver in the power savings mode; and
upon receipt of a de-assertion of the express indication transmitted from the embedded device to place the receiver in an active mode, set said receiver in the active mode,
wherein said embedded device asserts the express indication based on an amount of data units the embedded device determines it is able to receive, and said embedded device de-asserts the express indication when the embedded device has received the amount of data units,
wherein said embedded device provides respective active and power-saving durations,
wherein said receiver is placed in said active mode in said active durations and in said power-savings mode in said power-savings durations,
wherein the active durations are irregular.