Programmable hardware sleep cycle controller for 802.11 wireless devices supporting low-power
A wireless device includes a sleep mode controller circuit (SMC), an RF circuit, and a processor. The SMC is configured to identify from a message that there is no impending data traffic to be received from another wireless device, put the wireless device into a power down mode powering down the processor and the RF circuit, and periodically checking for a another received message. Checking the RF message includes powering on the RF circuit on a periodic basis, determining whether another received message indicates that there is impending data traffic to be received from another wireless device, and, based on a determination that that there is impending data traffic to be received from another wireless device, powering up the processor.
1. A wireless device, comprising:
a sleep mode controller circuit (SMC);
a processor;
a radio-frequency (RF) circuit; and
an oscillator communicatively coupled to the processor and the RF circuit;
wherein the SMC is configured to:
identify from a first received message through the RF circuit that there is no impending data traffic to be received from another wireless device;
based on the received message, put the wireless device into a power down mode, wherein the power down mode includes powering down the processor and powering down the RF circuit;
periodically check for a second received message, including:
powering on the RF circuit on a periodic basis;
determining whether the second received message indicates that there is impending data traffic to be received from another wireless device; and
based on a determination that that there is impending data traffic to be received from another wireless device, powering up the processor; and
the wireless device further includes a frame parser circuit configured to, while the processor is powered down:
periodically check for the second received message upon activation by the SMC:
during the check for the second received message, identify whether the second received message identifies a type of the wireless device; and
based on whether the second received message identifies the type of the wireless device, continue parsing the second received message.
2. The wireless device of claim 1 , wherein the SMC is further configured to, based on a determination that there is no impending data traffic to be received from another wireless device, maintain the processor in a powered-down state.
3. The wireless device of claim 1 , wherein powering down the RF circuit includes disabling a phase-locked-loop circuit of the RF circuit.
4. The wireless device of claim 1 , wherein powering down the RF circuit includes disabling a clock signal from the oscillator to the RF circuit.
5. The wireless device of claim 1 , wherein the SMC is further configured to maintain operation of the oscillator while the RF circuit and the processor are powered down.
6. The wireless device of claim 1 , wherein the SMC is further configured to shut down the oscillator while the RF circuit and the processor are powered down.
7. The wireless device of claim 1 , wherein the SMC is further configured to save and update a timer value upon powering down the RF circuit, the timer value recorded by a modem of the wireless device and configured to identify when the second message is to be received by the wireless device.
8. A wireless device, comprising:
a sleep mode controller circuit (SMC);
a processor;
a radio-frequency (RF) circuit; and
an oscillator communicatively coupled to the processor and the RF circuit;
wherein the SMC is configured to:
identify from a first received message through the RF circuit that there is no impending data traffic to be received from another wireless device;
based on the received message, put the wireless device into a power down mode, wherein the power down mode includes powering down the processor and powering down the RF circuit;
periodically check for a second received message, including the steps of:
powering on the RF circuit on a periodic basis;
determining whether the second received message indicates that there is impending data traffic to be received from another wireless device; and
based on a determination that that there is impending data traffic to be received from another wireless device, powering up the processor; and
the wireless device further includes a frame parser circuit configured to, while the processor is powered down:
periodically check for the second received message upon activation by the SMC;
during the check for the second received message, identify a field of the second received message upon which to perform pattern matching; and
perform pattern matching on the second received message with a pattern designated for the frame parser circuit, the pattern to match the first received message.
9. The wireless device of claim 1 , wherein the frame parser circuit is further configured to, while the processor is powered down:
periodically check for the second received message upon activation by the SMC;
during the check for the second received message, identify a field of the second received message upon which to perform differencing analysis; and
based upon the field of the second received message differs from a corresponding field of a previously received message, determine that the second received message indicates that there is impending data traffic to be received from another wireless device.
10. A method, comprising:
identify from a first received message at a wireless device through a radio frequency (RF) circuit that there is no impending data traffic to be received from another wireless device;
based on the received message, put the wireless device into a power down mode, wherein the power down mode includes powering down a processor of the wireless device and powering down the RF circuit;
periodically checking for a second received message, including:
powering on the RF circuit on a periodic basis;
determining whether the second received message indicates that there is impending data traffic to be received from another wireless device; and
based on a determination that that there is impending data traffic to be received from another wireless device, powering up the processor; and
while the processor is powered down:
periodically checking for the second received message;
during the check for the second received message, identifying whether the second received message identifies a type of the wireless device; and
based on whether the second received message identifies the type of the wireless device, continuing parsing the second received message.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising, based on a determination that there is no impending data traffic to be received from another wireless device, maintaining the processor in a powered-down state.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein powering down the RF circuit includes disabling a phase-locked-loop circuit of the RF circuit.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein powering down the RF circuit includes disabling a clock signal from an oscillator to the RF circuit.
14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising maintaining operation of an oscillator while the RF circuit and the processor are powered down.
15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising shutting down an oscillator while the RF circuit and the processor are powered down.
16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising saving and updating a timer value upon powering down the RF circuit, the timer value recorded by a modem of the wireless device and configured to identify when the second message is to be received by the wireless device.
17. A method, comprising:
identify from a first received message at a wireless device through a radio frequency (RF) circuit that there is no impending data traffic to be received from another wireless device;
based on the received message, put the wireless device into a power down mode, wherein the power down mode includes powering down a processor of the wireless device and powering down the RF circuit;
periodically checking for a second received message, including:
powering on the RF circuit on a periodic basis;
determining whether the second received message indicates that there is impending data traffic to be received from another wireless device; and
based on a determination that that there is impending data traffic to be received from another wireless device, powering up the processor; and
while the processor is powered down:
periodically checking for the second received message;
during the check for the second received message, identifying a field of the second received message upon which to perform pattern matching; and
performing pattern matching on the second received message with a pattern designated for the field of the second received message, the pattern to match the first received message.
18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising, while the processor is powered down:
periodically checking for the second received message;
during the check for the second received message, identifying a field of the second received message upon which to perform differencing analysis; and
based upon the field of the second received message differing from a corresponding field of a previously received message, determining that the second received message indicates that there is impending data traffic to be received from another wireless device.