HK1070487B

HK1070487B - Dual mode bluetooth/wireless device and method for synchronizing this device

Info

Publication number: HK1070487B
Application number: HK05102909.1A
Authority: HK
Inventors: W.A.李; G．帕塔比拉曼; T．E．文多尔
Original assignee: 高通股份有限公司
Priority date: 2001-08-15
Filing date: 2002-08-13
Publication date: 2008-12-24

Description

Dual mode bluetooth/wireless device and method of synchronizing the same

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to wireless communication devices and systems, and more particularly to power consumption reduction in dual mode bluetooth/wireless mobile devices.

Background

"Bluetooth (r)" is a wireless personal area network technology that supports wireless voice and data communications between different devices that are typically within ten to one hundred meters of each other. Many different devices can support bluetooth, for example, cellular phones, personal digital assistants, and laptop computers. Each such device is equipped with a bluetooth component, including a receiver and transmitter, allowing it to communicate with other similarly equipped devices in the vicinity, without the use of cables or other physical connections.

By way of example, a wireless Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) cellular telephone may be bluetooth enabled, meaning that the cellular telephone is capable of communicating in both a CDMA network and a bluetooth network. Such bluetooth enabled CDMA cellular telephones include both bluetooth and CDMA components.

In bluetooth enabled devices, the bluetooth component may use various "sleep" modes to reduce power consumption. These may also be referred to as "idle" modes. One example is the "page scan" mode, which is used when a device is not actively communicating with other bluetooth enabled devices, i.e., is not participating in a bluetooth network. While in the page scan mode, the bluetooth component periodically performs a wakeup process during which it scans the surrounding environment to determine if other bluetooth enabled devices are attempting to establish communications, in which case the bluetooth device exits the page scan mode and engages in communications with such devices. If during the wakeup/scan procedure the bluetooth component encounters another bluetooth enabled device and determines that a connection is required, it executes certain protocols to establish a short range wireless connection with the other device. Otherwise, the wakeup/scan process is turned off until the next wakeup process. The sleep cycle of waking up, scanning, and turning off is typically repeated once, twice, or four times every 1.28 seconds for the duration of the page scan mode. However, some bluetooth specifications may change the timing and manner of the loop, such as requiring the process to continue for 1.28 seconds, or repeating the process sixteen times every 1.28 seconds. Moreover, some bluetooth specifications require the bluetooth wakeup process to be repeated, for example, at least once every 1.28 seconds, every 2.56 seconds, or any other time interval required by the particular specification.

In embodiments where the bluetooth device also includes a CDMA cellular telephone ("phone"), the CDMA component of the phone performs CDMA-related tasks while the bluetooth component of the phone scans for other bluetooth-enabled devices as discussed above. One task of the CDMA component is to synchronize with the base station, since CDMA requires precise time synchronization between the phone and the base station. To synchronize with the base station while in CDMA idle mode, the CDMA component periodically "wakes up" during its assigned time slots to receive and process pilot signals from the base station on the CDMA paging channel. The CDMA component is able to synchronize to the base station by processing the pilot signal. For example, the system time can be determined from information embedded in the pilot signal.

The wakeup frequency of the CDMA component is controlled by the Slot Cycle Index (SCI), which may be set by the phone or the base station, as is known in the art. If the SCI is zero, the CDMA component performs a wakeup process every 1.28 seconds, i.e., its assigned slot occurs approximately every 1.28 seconds. As a different example, the SCI may be set to one, when the wakeup process is performed every 2.56 seconds, or two, when the wakeup process is performed every 5.12 seconds. Thus, a lower SCI means a more frequent wake-up procedure and greater power consumption.

In any event, the dual mode bluetooth/CDMA device consumes power whether the bluetooth component wakes up and scans for other bluetooth enabled devices and then shuts down, or the CDMA component wakes up and synchronizes with the base station and then shuts down. Also, because each of these independent processes is repeatedly executed, power consumption may be large. Since a significant advantage of dual mode bluetooth/CDMA devices is their portability, they often rely on a small battery as their sole source of energy. Thus in such an environment, high power consumption requires recharging more frequently. This is at least inconvenient. In the worst case, if the battery runs out without a nearby recharging power source, the dual mode bluetooth/CDMA device will stop operating.

Therefore, known dual mode bluetooth/CDMA devices may not be fully suitable for all users due to their high rate of power consumption.

SUMMARY

One embodiment of the present invention relates generally to a method for synchronizing a wakeup process for a bluetooth module with a wakeup process for a wireless module in a dual mode bluetooth/wireless mobile device, and in particular, so that any bluetooth scan wakeup process does not entail any scan frequency changes. Initially, the bluetooth and wireless modules schedule respective wakeup processes starting at the next scheduled bluetooth wakeup time and the next scheduled wireless wakeup time, respectively. If the next scheduled wireless wakeup time is earlier than the next scheduled wakeup time for Bluetooth, then the Bluetooth module takes some synchronization action. If the scan pattern, such as a page scan or inquiry scan, and the next change in bluetooth scan frequency are scheduled to occur after the next scheduled wake-up time, the bluetooth module advances its clock so that the scan frequency change occurs substantially at the next wake-up time. In addition, whether or not bluetooth is in scan mode, the bluetooth module rearranges the next bluetooth wakeup process so that it actually starts at the next wireless wakeup time, which is why any bluetooth clock is advanced.

The present invention provides a number of different advantages. Mainly, energy is saved by advancing the bluetooth clock, since this prevents a change of the (paging/inquiry scan mode) scanning frequency during the relevant bluetooth wakeup process. That is, this allows components of the bluetooth module to remain inactive during the wakeup/scan process, rather than being careful to change the scan frequency. Because the bluetooth and wireless wakeup times are synchronized, so that their respective wakeup processes are consistent, additional energy is saved. The present invention also provides a number of other advantages and benefits, as will be apparent from the following description of the invention.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication system including a dual mode Bluetooth/CDMA mobile device.

Fig. 2A-2C are diagrams illustrating wake-up schedule synchronization for a dual mode bluetooth/CDMA mobile device.

Fig. 3 is a flow chart of a process for synchronizing the wakeup schedules of a bluetooth module and a CDMA module of a dual mode bluetooth/CDMA mobile device.

Fig. 4 is a block diagram of an exemplary digital data processor.

Fig. 5 is a block diagram of an exemplary signal bearing medium.

Detailed Description

Brief introduction to the drawings

The features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

The present invention is primarily directed to the reduction of power consumption in a mobile device having dual mode bluetooth/wireless functionality. Furthermore, while the present invention has been described with respect to particular embodiments, the principles of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto may be applied outside of the illustrative embodiments described in detail herein. Moreover, certain details have been omitted to avoid obscuring the inventive aspects of the invention. Specific details not described in the present application are within the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the present disclosure.

The drawings in the present application and their accompanying detailed description are directed to examples of different embodiments of the invention. To maintain brevity, other embodiments of the invention which use the principles of the present invention are not described in detail in the present application and are not specifically illustrated by the present drawings. The word "exemplary" is used exclusively herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any embodiment described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

Wireless communication system

Fig. 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless communication system 100 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Without any intended limitation, the wireless communication system 100 is illustrated by components of a dual-mode bluetooth/CDMA mobile device. In addition to CDMA, the principles of the present invention may be applied to other wireless communication systems to reach the relevant sleep cycle, wake-up procedures, etc. Some examples include technologies such as GSM, GPRS, TDMA, WCDMA, HDR, etc.

In view of the general principles of a CDMA Communication system, and in particular the general principles of generating a Spread Spectrum signal for transmission over a Communication channel, in the particular embodiment utilizing CDMA as illustrated, is described in U.S. patent No. 4,901,307 entitled "Spread Spectrum Multiple Access Communication system using Satellite or Terrestrial receivers," and issued to QUALCOMM limited. The disclosure of the' 307 patent is hereby incorporated by reference into this application. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,459 entitled "System and Method for Generating Signal wave forms in a CDMA Wireless telephone System" and issued to QUALCOMM, Inc. discloses principles related to PN spreading (PN spreading), Walsh covering (Walsh covering), and Generating CDMA spread spectrum communication signals. The disclosure of' 459 is also fully incorporated into this application by reference herein. Also, time division multiplexing and various principles of Data associated with "High Data Rate" communication systems are disclosed in U.S. patent No.08/963,386 entitled "Method and Apparatus for High Rate Packet Data Transmission" filed on 3.11.1997 and issued to QUALCOMM, Inc. The disclosure of' 386 is also fully incorporated into this application by reference herein.

As shown in fig. 1, the wireless communication system 100 includes a bluetooth device 110, a wireless mobile device 140, and a CDMA base station 180. Bluetooth device 110 includes any Bluetooth enabled device, such as a Bluetooth enabled laptop computer. Bluetooth device 110 is configured to communicate with other bluetooth enabled devices using its receiver/transmitter 112 and antenna 114.

The wireless mobile device 140 may be implemented by various devices, such as a bluetooth enabled CDMA cellular telephone in this embodiment. As such, the wireless mobile device includes bluetooth and CDMA components, i.e., bluetooth module 142 and CDMA module 144, respectively. Bluetooth module 142 and CDMA module 144 are connected to processor 146, which in one embodiment is configured to monitor and control the wake/sleep cycle of bluetooth module 142 in its various sleep modes and the wake/idle cycle of CDMA module 144 in idle mode. Wireless mobile device 140 also includes a time reference 160 that provides a common clock signal or other periodic reference for bluetooth module 142 and CDMA module 144.

Bluetooth module 142 is configured to engage in various sleep modes, which constitute reduced power modes of operation. When it has not communicated with another bluetooth device, module 142 may engage in a sleep mode that includes a "page scan" or an "inquiry scan". For page scanning, module 142 performs a frequency scan to determine if other nearby bluetooth devices have previously discovered module 142 and are now attempting to establish a connection with module 142. For inquiry scans, module 142 performs a frequency scan to allow other bluetooth devices to discover the presence of module 142. The terms "scanning" or "wakeup scanning" are used to collectively refer to page scanning, inquiry scanning, and other such operations in the case where a bluetooth module is not yet in an established connection with another bluetooth device.

After communication with another bluetooth device has been initiated, the module 142 may participate in other sleep modes including a "hold mode" or a "sniff mode" or a "park mode". Hold mode refers to a single-time event in which the module 142 and another bluetooth device agree not to communicate with each other for a set period of time. In the listening mode, the module 142 briefly communicates with another bluetooth device at mutually agreed intervals for a set period of time, during which both devices can transmit signals including data. The listening mode continues until both devices wish to cease this mode of operation. Parking mode, like listening mode, differs only in that data cannot be exchanged. The process of waking up and completing page scan, inquiry scan, hold, listen, or down mode tasks is collectively referred to herein as a "bluetooth wakeup process".

The page scan mode is described in more detail below. When a bluetooth enabled device 140 is not actively communicating in the bluetooth network, one mode of operation of bluetooth module 142 is a page scan mode in which module 142 periodically "wakes up" from a reduced power setting to determine whether other bluetooth enabled devices, such as 110, are attempting to establish a connection with module 142. Scanning the surrounding environment for other bluetooth enabled devices seeking to establish a connection is done in a manner known in the art and may involve, for example, the transmission, reception, and processing of specific paging signals. The particular process of waking up, page scanning, and then shutting down performed by bluetooth module 142 is also referred to herein as a "bluetooth page scan wakeup process," regardless of whether a page signal such as this is used or another type of communication is implemented. In the case of inquiry scans, the operation is similar, but the module 142 scans different frequencies to determine if inquiry requests from other devices occur to which the module 142 should respond to allow those other devices to discover the module 142. The process of waking up, inquiry scanning, and then shutting down is referred to as the "bluetooth inquiry scan wakeup process". In the bluetooth wakeup/scan procedure, some components of the device 140 (such as any applicable computing resources of the processor 146) may be inactive for "sleep" during the scan.

Bluetooth module 142 includes a bluetooth receiver/transmitter 148 connected to a bluetooth antenna 150. In the page scan mode, the bluetooth module utilizes a bluetooth receiver/transmitter 148 and a bluetooth antenna 150. In this embodiment, bluetooth module 142 is configured to perform a bluetooth page scan wakeup process twice every 1.28 seconds. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that bluetooth module 142 can be configured to perform the bluetooth page scan wakeup process at other intervals, such as every 1.28 seconds, every 0.32 seconds, or every 0.16 seconds. Also, it is to be understood that certain bluetooth specifications may require a bluetooth module to perform its bluetooth page scan wakeup process at least once, for example, every 1.28 seconds, every 2.56 seconds, or any other time interval required by a particular bluetooth specification. Bluetooth device 110 and bluetooth module 142 communicate with each other over bluetooth air link 116 using their respective receiver/transmitter and antenna devices.

Bluetooth module 142 also includes a bluetooth clock 158. In one embodiment, clock 158 is an internal clock of bluetooth module 142. The clock 158 may include, for example, a 28-bit counter that records the "current bluetooth time" and relays the current bluetooth time to the processor 146. The clock 158 is set whenever the module 142 communicates with another bluetooth device. That is, the module 142 resets the clock according to a time signal from another bluetooth device operating in a "master" role. The advance of clock 158 is driven by time reference 160 whether or not module 142 is not communicating with another bluetooth device. In the illustrated embodiment, when the lower twelve bits of the clock 158 are rolled over (rolover) when the module is in the page (or inquiry) scan mode, a change in the page (or inquiry) scan frequency is caused, i.e., from one page (or inquiry) scan channel to the next.

Turning now to the CDMA module 144, one component is a CDMA receiver/transmitter 152, which is coupled to a CDMA antenna 154. CDMA module 144 communicates in a CDMA network, particularly through CDMA air link 184 and CDMA base station 180, using CDMA receiver/transmitter 152 and CDMA antenna 154. The CDMA module 144 transmits and receives signals by communicating with the CDMA base station 180 using the CDMA receiver/transmitter 152 and the CDMA antenna 154. Meanwhile, the CDMA base station 180 transmits and receives signals to and from the CDMA module 144 using a base station antenna 182. Communication between the CDMA module 144 and the CDMA base station 180 occurs in a manner known in the art.

When wireless mobile device 140 is not actively communicating in a CDMA network, CDMA module 144 assumes an "idle" mode. CDMA module 144 performs a number of tasks while it is in idle mode, including the task of synchronizing its clock with CDMA system time. As is known in the art, the correctness of communications in a CDMA network depends in part on the time synchronization of each component in the CDMA network, including the mobile device, base station controller, etc.

To synchronize with CDMA system time, CDMA module 144 utilizes receiver/transmitter 152 and CDMA antenna 154 to receive pilot signals transmitted by CDMA base station 180. The received pilot signal is processed and the current CDMA system time is determined from the data contained in the pilot signal. The processing of the pilot signal by CDMA module 144 and the determination of the current CDMA system time therefrom is accomplished in a manner known in the art. In this embodiment, the current time of the CDMA module 144 is set to the CDMA system time derived from the pilot signal. The CDMA current time is therefore the same as the CDMA system time. The CDMA clock 153 records the CDMA current time. The CDMA current time is the same as the CDMA system time. The CDMA clock is advanced using the time reference 160, but recalibrates itself to the CDMA system time each time the CDMA clock receives a pilot signal. The advance of the CDMA clock 153, which has been set in accordance with the pilot signal, is driven by the time reference 160.

In this way, time reference 160 provides a common time reference signal for CDMA module 144 and bluetooth module 142, but the absolute values of the current bluetooth module time and the current CDMA module time may be different. In a different embodiment, time reference 160 provides a common source of time for CDMA module 144 and bluetooth module 142 such that the "current" time for both modules is the same. The process of waking up, synchronizing with the base station 180, and shutting down performed by the CDMA module 144 is referred to as a "CDMA wakeup process".

The wakeup frequency of CDMA module 144 is controlled by the SCI set by either the handset or base station in a manner known in the art. For example, if the SCI of the CDMA module 144 is zero, the CDMA module 144 performs a CDMA wakeup process every 1.28 seconds. As a different example, if SCI is set to one, then a CDMA wakeup process is performed every 2.56 seconds; if SCI is set to two, a CDMA wakeup process is performed every 5.12 seconds. Thus, the lower the SCI, the more frequently CDMA module 144 performs its CDMA wakeup process. In this embodiment, the SCI of the CDMA module 144 is set to zero, and thus the CDMA module 144 performs a CDMA wakeup process every 1.28 seconds.

Processor 146 uses the information it receives from bluetooth clock 158 and from CDMA module 144 to synchronize the wakeup schedule of bluetooth module 142 with the wakeup schedule of CDMA module 144. In this embodiment, to synchronize the two wakeup schedules, processor 146 determines how much time to reserve until the next wakeup process is scheduled for bluetooth module 142 and CDMA module 144.

In one embodiment, the processor 146 is configured to determine the next scheduled bluetooth and CDMA wakeup times based on how often bluetooth wakeup processes and CDMA wakeup processes are set to be performed, respectively. As described above, bluetooth module 142 may be configured to perform a bluetooth wakeup process at different time intervals or frequencies, such as once every 0.64 seconds, and CDMA module 144 may be configured to perform a CDMA wakeup process every 1.28 seconds, every 2.56 seconds, or every 5.12 seconds, depending on its SCI. In one embodiment, processor 146 determines the next scheduled bluetooth wakeup time by monitoring the time that bluetooth module 142 last performed a bluetooth wakeup process and then calculating the time that the next bluetooth wakeup process will be performed. Thus, as an illustration, if processor 146 determines that bluetooth module 142 last performed a bluetooth wakeup process at time T and bluetooth module 142 is set to perform a bluetooth wakeup process every 0.64 seconds, processor 146 calculates the next scheduled bluetooth wakeup time as time T plus 0.64 seconds. Similarly, if processor 146 determines that CDMA module 144 last executed a CDMA wakeup process at time Y and CDMA module 144 is set to execute a CDMA wakeup process every 1.28 seconds, i.e., its SCI is set to zero, processor 146 calculates the next scheduled CDMA wakeup time to be time Y plus 1.28 seconds.

As noted above, bluetooth module 142 and CDMA module 144 are configured to schedule their respective wakeup processes to begin at intervals of different periods. One feature of the presently described embodiment is that processor 146 is further operative to synchronize the scheduled wakeup schedules of bluetooth module 142 and CDMA module 144 by determining a time at which the next bluetooth wakeup process is to be performed relative to a time at which the next CDMA wakeup process is to be performed. The time reserved until the wakeup process of the respective next scheduled time is determined by calculating the time difference between the current time and the time of the wakeup process of the next scheduled time. For example, the time reserved until the next scheduled CDMA wakeup process is the next scheduled CDMA wakeup time minus the current CDMA module time. If processor 146 determines that the next bluetooth wakeup process is scheduled to be performed after the next CDMA wakeup process, processor 146 advances the wakeup schedule of bluetooth module 142 so that bluetooth module 142 performs the next bluetooth wakeup process at the same time CDMA module 144 performs the next CDMA wakeup process. In other words, rather than waiting until the next scheduled bluetooth wakeup time, processor 146 triggers bluetooth module 142 to perform its next bluetooth wakeup process at the next scheduled CDMA wakeup time. The next bluetooth wakeup process is thus synchronized with the next CDMA wakeup process.

Synchronizing the two wakeup schedules reduces power consumption of wireless mobile device 140 by sharing energy that would otherwise require bluetooth module 142 and CDMA module 144 to be separately turned on when performing their respective wakeup processes.

In an enhancement of the foregoing configuration of the wireless mobile device 140, the processor 146 may be configured to advance the bluetooth clock 158 (or take other action as necessary to prevent changing the page/inquiry scan frequency during the next page/inquiry scan wakeup process). As shown, this is done before synchronizing the bluetooth wakeup schedule to the CDMA wakeup schedule. That is, the processor 146 advances the clock 158 so that it will toggle through at the next CDMA wakeup time (which will also mark the next bluetooth wakeup time after synchronization). The "roll over" occurs when the lowest twelve bits of the twenty-eight bits of the bluetooth clock 158 "toggle", i.e., pass their maximum value and reset.

Such advancing of the clock facilitates energy conservation since otherwise clock toggling may otherwise require activation of the processor 146 during the bluetooth module 142 wakeup process. In particular, in the page/inquiry scan mode, bluetooth module 142 controls receiver/transmitter 148 to change the scanned bluetooth frequency each time clock 158 rolls over. Although the act of changing the frequency of the sweep can be accomplished with fewer devices once the frequency sweep is initiated, i.e., without involving the processor 146, the act of changing the sweep frequency requires the inclusion of the processor 146 and, therefore, greater power consumption. Thus, the processor 146 can remain in a largely sleep state during each page/inquiry scan mode wakeup process when the receiver/transmitter 148 scans a single frequency. Optionally, the processor 146 may advance the clock in the manner described above only when the conditions indicate that a clock rollover (i.e., a change in the page/inquiry mode scanning frequency) will occur during the next scheduled bluetooth page/inquiry mode wakeup process, i.e., between the scheduled CDMA wakeup time and a time period equal to the bluetooth page/inquiry mode wakeup process.

The operation of these and other components of the apparatus 140 is described in more detail below.

Exemplary digital data processing apparatus

As mentioned above, the data processing entities such as the processor 146 may be implemented in different forms. One example is a digital data processing apparatus, as illustrated by the hardware components and interconnections of digital data processing apparatus 400 of FIG. 4.

The apparatus 400 includes a processor 402, such as a microprocessor, personal computer, workstation, or other processing machine, coupled to a memory 404. In this example, memory 404 includes fast access memory 406, and non-volatile memory 408. The fast access memory 406 may include Random Access Memory (RAM) and may be used to store programming instructions that are executed by the processor 402. Non-volatile memory 408 may comprise, for example, battery backed-up RAM, EEPROM, flash PROM, one or more magnetic data storage disks such as a "hard disk," tape drive, or any other suitable storage device. The apparatus 400 also includes an input/output 410 such as a wire, bus, cable, electromagnetic link, or a means for the processor 402 to exchange data with other hardware external to the apparatus 400.

Notwithstanding the specific foregoing description, those of ordinary skill, having the benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate that the apparatus as discussed above may be implemented in machines of different construction without departing from the scope of the present invention. As a specific example, one of the components 406, 408 may be eliminated; further, memory 404, 406, and/or 408 may be provided on-board processor 402, or even external to apparatus 400.

Logic circuit system

In contrast to the digital data processing apparatus discussed above, a different embodiment of the present invention uses logic circuitry instead of computer-executable instructions to implement a processing entity such as processor 146. Depending on the particular requirements of the application in terms of speed, expense, tooling costs, etc., this logic may be implemented by constructing an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) having thousands of tiny integrated transistors. Such an ASIC may be implemented in CMOS, TTL, VLSI, or another suitable configuration. Other options include digital signal processing chips (DSPs), discrete circuitry (such as resistors, capacitors, diodes, inductors, and transistors), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Programmable Logic Arrays (PLAs), Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs), and so forth.

Run-brief introduction

Having described the structural features of the system 100, the operational aspects of the present invention will now be described. As described above, the operational aspects of the present invention generally relate to synchronizing a scheduled wakeup process of a bluetooth module with a scheduled wakeup process of a CDMA module in a wireless mobile device, and in particular, any bluetooth page/inquiry scan wakeup process in such a manner is not subject to any scan frequency changes.

Although the invention has the capability of power-efficiency synchronization, which is widely applied to different wireless communication modules, the constructional details that have been described are more suitable for bluetooth and CDMA type communications, and the description that follows will emphasize this application of the invention without any intended limitation.

Operation-signal bearing medium

Whenever the functionality of one or more components is implemented using one or more sequences of machine-executable programs, these sequences may be embodied in various forms of signal-bearing media. In the context of FIG. 4, such signal-bearing media may include, for example, the memory 404 or another signal-bearing media, such as a magnetic data storage diskette 500 (FIG. 5), directly or indirectly accessible by the processor 402. Whether contained in the memory 406, diskette 500, or elsewhere, the instructions may be stored on a variety of machine-readable data storage media. Some examples include direct access storage (e.g., a conventional "hard disk," a Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID), or another Direct Access Storage Device (DASD)), serial access storage such as magnetic or optical tape, electronic non-volatile storage (e.g., CD-ROM, WORM, DVD, digital optical tape), paper "punch" cards, or other suitable signal-bearing media including analog or digital transmission media and analog and communication links and wireless communications. In an illustrative embodiment of the invention, the machine-readable instructions may comprise software object code compiled from a language such as assembly language, C.

Run-logic circuit system

In contrast to the signal-bearing media discussed above, some or all of the functionality of the present invention may be implemented using logic circuitry instead of using a processor to execute instructions. Such logic circuitry is thus configured to perform operations to accomplish such functions. The logic circuitry may be implemented using many different types of circuitry, as described above.

Run-graph description

Fig. 2A-2C graphically facilitate an illustration of an example technique for synchronizing a wake-up schedule of a bluetooth module with a wake-up schedule of a CDMA module in a wireless mobile device, such as, for example, wireless mobile device 140 of fig. 1. Without any intended limitation, reference is made to a particular wireless mobile device 140 for ease of discussion.

Fig. 2A illustrates a time sequence of a wake-up schedule of the CDMA module 144 in idle mode. The vertical axis shows the on/off state of the CDMA module 144, and the horizontal axis corresponds to time. That is, when the CDMA module is "on" (214, 216), it is performing its CDMA wakeup process, including synchronization and any other CDMA related tasks. Because CDMA module 144 is in its idle mode throughout fig. 2A, the CDMA module is not activated to conduct wireless user communications for the illustrated time period; in such an event, no wake-up procedure is required.

The CDMA system time at the current time (per CDMA clock 153) is shown by 206; this time is derived from the pilot signal received from the base station, as described above. CDMA module 144 is in idle mode at the current CDMA time 206 and does not perform a CDMA wakeup process, i.e., CDMA module 144 is "off. At the next scheduled CDMA wakeup time 208, CDMA module 144 will turn on and begin CDMA wakeup process 214. The time interval 210 between the current CDMA module time 206 and the next scheduled CDMA wakeup time 208 represents the time period between the current CDMA time and the time when the next CDMA wakeup process is to be performed. Time interval 212 represents the time between the start of a CDMA wakeup process 214 and the start of an immediately subsequent CDMA wakeup process 216. Time interval 212 may be, for example, 1.28 seconds if the SCI of block 144 is set to zero; this means that CDMA module 144 is set to perform a CDMA wakeup process every 1.28 seconds.

Fig. 2B shows a time sequence of a sleep mode wakeup schedule for bluetooth module 142 before synchronization with the wakeup schedule of the CDMA module. The vertical axis shows the on/off state of the bluetooth module, and the horizontal axis corresponds to time. That is, when the bluetooth module is "on" (250, 256, 260), its bluetooth sleep mode wakeup process, such as page scan, inquiry scan, hold, listen, park, or other sleep mode tasks, is being performed. To illustrate a specific example, a series of page scan wakeup processes are discussed. Thus, in this example, time intervals 250, 256, 260 represent scans for other nearby bluetooth devices. The current bluetooth time at the current time (per bluetooth clock 158) is shown at 246. At this time, bluetooth module 142 is off and is not performing any bluetooth wakeup process. At the next scheduled bluetooth wakeup time 248, bluetooth module 142 will turn on and begin bluetooth wakeup process 250. There is a time interval 252 between the current bluetooth time 246 and the next scheduled bluetooth wakeup time. The time interval 252 is the length of time between the current bluetooth time 246 and the next scheduled bluetooth wakeup time 248. Bluetooth module 142 repeats its wakeup process at regular intervals at 258 following time 248, as indicated by 256, 260. If, for example, bluetooth module 142 is configured to perform a bluetooth wakeup process every 0.64 seconds, then time interval 258 and successive such time intervals are equal to 0.64 seconds.

Comparing fig. 2A-2B, interval 252 is greater than interval 210. In other words, the next scheduled bluetooth wakeup process 250 will occur after the next scheduled CDMA wakeup process 214. This results in a significant drain on the power supply of wireless mobile device 140 because it requires bluetooth module 142 and CDMA module 144 to independently initiate execution of their respective wakeup processes.

Fig. 2C shows a time sequence after the wake-up schedule of the bluetooth module 142 is synchronized. The vertical axis represents the on/off state of the bluetooth module 142, and the horizontal axis corresponds to time. In fig. 2B, the time at which the bluetooth clock 258 rolls over (i.e., the page scan mode frequency change) is marked by 248. The time interval 253 is measured between the current bluetooth time 246 and the flip time 249. Another interval 259 is measured between the next scheduled CDMA wakeup time 208 and the rollover time 249. To ensure that the rollover coincides with time 208 (which is only required when wakeup process 250, 256, 260 constitutes a page or inquiry scan mode wakeup process), and that the start of bluetooth wakeup process 250 is expected to be synchronized with the start of CDMA wakeup process 214, bluetooth clock 258 is therefore advanced by amount 259. The amount 259 can be calculated in various ways, such as (1) by subtracting 210 from 253, or (2) by reducing time 249 by the current bluetooth clock 246 (to calculate 253) and further reducing it by the difference between 208 and 206 (i.e., 210). The current bluetooth time after advancing clock 158 by an amount 259 is shown at 276 of fig. 2C. Time 276 refers to the current time before and after the mention. The value of clock 158 at clock advance time 246 (fig. 2B) is therefore represented by 246a (fig. 2C).

As shown in fig. 2C, the next scheduled bluetooth wakeup process has been "rescheduled" from 250 to 280 as a result of synchronization and is now set to be performed at synchronized time 278. Thus, rather than bluetooth module 142 performing the next bluetooth wakeup process at time 248 as shown in fig. 2B, the result of synchronizing the wakeup schedule of bluetooth module 142 to the wakeup schedule of CDMA module 144 is a temporary shift of next bluetooth wakeup process 250, which causes the resynchronized next bluetooth wakeup process 280 to be performed concurrently with the next CDMA wakeup process 214.

More specifically, the synchronization requires that the next bluetooth wakeup time 278 be reset from the old bluetooth time 277 to a future 259 plus 210 time interval or from the advanced current time 276 to the future time interval 210. This results in the concurrent execution of bluetooth wakeup process 280 and CDMA wakeup process 214 at times 278, 208, respectively. In the absence of a bluetooth clock advance, the next scheduled bluetooth wakeup time is scheduled at a future time interval 282 (equal to 210), as measured from the unprecedented bluetooth current time 246.

The aforementioned synchronization of bluetooth wakeup process 280 with CDMA wakeup process 214 means that bluetooth module 142 and CDMA module 144 can be powered up to perform their wakeup processes simultaneously, resulting in a considerable reduction in power consumption of wireless mobile device 140. Also, by advancing the bluetooth clock 158 to ensure that the rollover occurs during 278 rather than 280, more energy is conserved because the page/inquiry scan frequency will not change during 280.

The bluetooth wakeup process 286 follows the bluetooth wakeup process 280 after the length of time 284 elapses, and the bluetooth wakeup process 290 follows another elapsed time 288. Bluetooth wakeup processes 286 and 290 of fig. 2C represent bluetooth wakeup processes 256 and 260 of fig. 2B and move forward as a result of the synchronization of bluetooth wakeup process 280 and CDMA wakeup process 214.

Run-in-step sequence

Fig. 3 shows a sequence 300 of wakeup schedules for synchronizing a bluetooth module and a CDMA module in a wireless mobile device. For ease of illustration, but without any intended limitation, the example of FIG. 3 is described above in the context of the hardware of FIG. 1.

Step 300 begins at step 310, for example, where the wireless mobile device 140 is not communicating in a bluetooth network, and is not communicating in a CDMA network. In other words, the process begins when the processor 146 detects that the bluetooth module 142 is in sleep mode and the CDMA module is in idle mode.

At step 312, the processor 146 determines the current bluetooth time and the current CDMA time. For example, to determine the current bluetooth time, the processor 146 may reference the clock 158. To determine the current CDMA time, processor 146 may reference clock 153 or trigger CDMA module 144 to determine the time using data in a CDMA pilot signal sent by the base station and received by CDMA module 144. In one embodiment, time reference 160 provides a common time source for CDMA module 144 and bluetooth module 142, such that the "current" time of the two modules is the same when there is no overlapping correct time signal from an external source.

At step 313, the processor 146 checks the time interval between consecutive scheduled CDMA wakeup processes (e.g., between 214 and 216) and the time interval between consecutive scheduled bluetooth wakeup processes (e.g., between 250 and 256). In the case of CDMA, this is dictated by the set SCI; in the case of bluetooth, this time interval is dictated by the programming of bluetooth module 142 or the requirements for communication with another bluetooth module. After checking these time intervals, the processor 146 adjusts the bluetooth wakeup time interval such that the CDMA wakeup time interval is an integer multiple of the bluetooth wakeup time interval, or such that the bluetooth wakeup time interval is an integer multiple of the CDMA wakeup time interval. In this way, after the first bluetooth wakeup process has been synchronized to the next CDMA wakeup process (as discussed below), subsequent bluetooth and CDMA wakeup processes will not occur out of synchronization with each other unless too frequent occurrences of one type are reached. The policy implemented by processor 146 on varying the bluetooth wakeup interval depends on the desired frequency of repeating the respective CDMA and bluetooth wakeup processes, i.e., the SCI and other bluetooth requirements discussed above. Subsequent execution of step 313 may be skipped if step 316 leads to step 323, eventually returning to step 313 through step 312.

At step 314, the processor 146 determines the next scheduled bluetooth wakeup time and the next scheduled CDMA wakeup time. The next scheduled bluetooth wakeup time is determined based on the time of the previous bluetooth wakeup process performed by bluetooth module 142. The next scheduled bluetooth wakeup time is also a function of how often the bluetooth wakeup process is to be performed, e.g., every 1.28 seconds, every 0.64 seconds, every 0.32 seconds, etc. In one embodiment, processor 146 monitors the time of a previous bluetooth wakeup process and calculates the next scheduled bluetooth wakeup time by adding, for example, 1.28 seconds, 0.64 seconds, or 0.32 seconds to the time of the previous bluetooth wakeup process according to the execution frequency set by the bluetooth wakeup process. In a similar manner, processor 146 also calculates the next scheduled CDMA wakeup time in step 314. For example, processor 146 may calculate the next scheduled CDMA wakeup time by monitoring the last CDMA wakeup time and then adding, for example, 1.28 seconds, 2.56 seconds, or 5.12 seconds, according to the SCI setting of CDMA module 144.

At step 316, processor 146 determines which is prioritized-either the next scheduled CDMA wakeup time 208 or the next scheduled bluetooth wakeup time 248. That is, if current bluetooth time 248 plus interval 210 between next scheduled CDMA time 208 and current CDMA time 206 is greater than time 248, this indicates that the next CDMA wakeup process scheduled to be performed by CDMA module 144 is after the next bluetooth wakeup process scheduled to be performed by bluetooth module 142. In such an instance, by rearranging the next scheduled wakeup time no matter how early it is, there is no advantage to be realized because it is already earlier than the next scheduled CDMA wakeup time. In this case, step 316 proceeds to step 323, where bluetooth module 142 and CDMA module 144 wait and then perform their respective wakeup processes at their predetermined times as discussed below. On the other hand, if step 316 finds that the next scheduled bluetooth wakeup time is after the next scheduled CDMA wakeup time (as shown in fig. 2A-2B), then process 300 proceeds to step 319.

At step 319, processor 146 advances bluetooth clock 158 to prevent a rollover (rescheduled as 280) that may occur during bluetooth wakeup process 250. This is done in advance by timing the bluetooth clock 158 by an amount of time 259. Optionally, the adjustment of the clock 158 may be performed conditionally, i.e., only when a roll-over would otherwise occur during the bluetooth wakeup process 280. A simpler option that does not need to consider the length of process 280, but rather limits the clock advance to the point where bluetooth clock rollover will occur after time 208, thus assuming the worst case is that rollover will occur during process 280.

In the illustrated embodiment, only step 319 is performed, if appropriate. That is, if the bluetooth module 142 is in the page scan mode, the inquiry scan mode, or another sleep mode in which communication with another bluetooth device has not been established (and a bluetooth time has not been established by referring to a signal from another bluetooth device), only step 319 is performed. In hold, listen, or park mode, the reset of the bluetooth clock 158 is skipped because the clock is automatically set by the bluetooth master and is not free to advance it. Additionally, during the same sleep mode, step 319 may be skipped during the second and subsequent passes through the sequence 300 (via 316, 323, 312, etc.), assuming that the first execution of step 319 has the effect of setting the bluetooth clock, and thus the rollover will not occur during future wakeup processes.

At step 320, processor 146 synchronizes the next scheduled bluetooth wakeup time 248 with the next scheduled CDMA wakeup time 208, i.e., rescheduling the bluetooth wakeup to occur at 278 instead of 248. In other words, since the processor 146 determines in step 316 that the next CDMA wakeup process 214 is scheduled to be executed before the next bluetooth wakeup process 250, the processor 146 "reschedules" the next bluetooth wakeup process 250 to 280 in step 320, which will be executed simultaneously with the next CDMA wakeup process 214.

In step 322, the bluetooth module 142 waits and then executes the bluetooth wakeup process 280 when the next scheduled bluetooth wakeup time 278 is reached. CDMA module 144 also executes its CDMA wakeup process at step 322. Here, the bluetooth module 142 and the CDMA module 144 perform their wake-up processes at the same time, and power consumption of the wireless mobile device 140 is greatly reduced since both modules are powered on at the same time. Advantageously, in the case of either page scan mode or inquiry scan mode, step 319 is performed in advance so that rescheduling of clock flipping occurs at 278, and thus processor 146 can sleep through bluetooth wakeup process 280 while bluetooth module 142 scans for other bluetooth devices, thus facilitating energy conservation in device 140. The routine 300 ends at step 322 where the CDMA and bluetooth wakeup processes (now synchronized) are repeated as scheduled until one or both of the modules 142, 144 are awakened.

As described above, if the next scheduled bluetooth wakeup process has been scheduled to occur earlier than the next scheduled CDMA wakeup process, step 316 proceeds to step 323. In this case, there is no advantage to be realized in scheduling the next scheduled bluetooth wakeup time, no matter how early it is, because it is already earlier than the next scheduled CDMA wakeup time. Thus, step 323 is performed in which bluetooth module 142 and CDMA module 144 wait and then perform their respective wakeup processes at their scheduled times in the same manner as step 322. After step 323, the routine 300 returns to step 312 to determine the next scheduled Bluetooth and CDMA wakeup processes. The process 300 continues until, for example, the bluetooth module 142 stops the sleep mode or the CDMA module 144 stops the idle mode.

OTHER EMBODIMENTS

The previous description of the various disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Those of ordinary skill in the art would understand that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

Those of ordinary skill would further appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. For purposes of illustrating some example embodiments, the functional aspects of the present invention have been described in connection with various blocks, modules, circuits, and steps. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, software, or both depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing idle mode wakeup times for a bluetooth module and a wireless module in a dual mode bluetooth/wireless device, the method comprising the acts of:

judging whether the awakening time of the next planned wireless module is earlier than the awakening time of the next planned Bluetooth module;

if the next scheduled wireless module wakeup time is earlier than the next scheduled bluetooth module wakeup time, performing the following operations:

determining whether a next bluetooth scan frequency change is scheduled to occur after a next scheduled radio module wakeup time, and only in such event, performing the following: rescheduling that the next bluetooth scan frequency change occurs substantially at the next scheduled wireless module wakeup time;

the rescheduling of the next scheduled bluetooth module wakeup time generally occurs at the next scheduled wireless module wakeup time.

2. The method of claim 1, the operation of determining whether the next bluetooth scanning frequency change is scheduled to occur after the next scheduled radio module wakeup time comprising the operations of:

it is determined whether the next bluetooth scan frequency change is scheduled to occur during a bluetooth wakeup/scan procedure that begins at the next scheduled bluetooth module wakeup time.

3. The method of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

starting a predetermined bluetooth wakeup process substantially at a next scheduled bluetooth module wakeup time;

the scheduled wireless wakeup process is started substantially at the next scheduled wireless module wakeup time.

4. The method of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

if the next scheduled wireless module wakeup time is later than the next scheduled bluetooth module wakeup time, keeping the next scheduled bluetooth module wakeup time unchanged.

5. The method of claim 1, the operations further comprising one of:

adjusting the delay time interval between the continuous scheduled wakeup times of the Bluetooth modules to be integral multiples of the delay time interval between the continuous wakeup times of the wireless modules;

the delay time interval between successive scheduled bluetooth module wakeup times is adjusted such that the delay time interval between successive wireless module wakeup times is an integer multiple of the delay time interval between successive bluetooth module wakeup times.

6. The method of claim 1, the bluetooth module including a clock, the operation of rescheduling the next bluetooth scan frequency change comprising advancing the clock such that the predetermined rollover event occurs substantially at the next scheduled wireless module wakeup time.

7. A method for synchronizing idle mode wakeup times for a bluetooth module and a wireless module in a dual mode bluetooth/wireless device, the method comprising the acts of:

advancing the bluetooth clock only when the bluetooth module is not in a sleep mode for communicating with another bluetooth device and a next bluetooth clock rollover event is scheduled after a next scheduled wireless module wake-up time, such that the rollover event will occur substantially at the next scheduled wireless module wake-up time;

8. A management configuration device for a digital data processor that, when coupled to said digital data processor, performs operations for synchronizing idle mode wakeup times for a bluetooth module and a wireless module in a dual mode bluetooth/wireless device, said management configuration device comprising:

a management configuration module configured to configure the digital data processor to determine whether a next scheduled wireless module wakeup time is earlier than a next scheduled bluetooth module wakeup time;

a management configuration module for configuring the digital data processor, if the next scheduled wireless module wake-up time is earlier than the next scheduled Bluetooth module wake-up time, executing the following operations:

9. The management configuration device of claim 8, wherein the operation of determining whether the next bluetooth scanning frequency change is scheduled to occur after the next scheduled radio module wakeup time comprises the operations of:

10. The management configuration device of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

11. The management configuration device of claim 8, wherein the management configuration module that configures the operations further performs:

12. The management configuration device of claim 8, wherein the management configuration module that configures the execution of the operations further performs one of:

13. The management configuration device of claim 8, the bluetooth module including a clock, the operation of rescheduling the next bluetooth scan frequency change including advancing the clock such that the predetermined rollover event occurs substantially at the next scheduled wireless module wakeup time.

14. A management configuration device for a digital data processor that, when coupled to said digital data processor, performs operations for synchronizing idle mode wakeup times for a bluetooth module and a wireless module in a dual mode bluetooth/wireless device, said management configuration device comprising:

15. A device including a plurality of electronically interconnected conductive elements configured to perform operations to synchronize idle mode wakeup times for a bluetooth module and a wireless module in a dual mode bluetooth/wireless device, the device comprising:

means for determining whether the next scheduled wireless module wakeup time is earlier than the next scheduled bluetooth module wakeup time;

means for performing the following if the next scheduled wireless module wakeup time is earlier than the next scheduled bluetooth module wakeup time:

16. The apparatus of claim 15, the operation of determining whether the next bluetooth scan frequency change is scheduled to occur after the next scheduled radio module wakeup time comprising the operations of:

17. The device of claim 15, the operations further comprising:

18. The apparatus of claim 15, the means for configuring to perform operations further performs:

19. The apparatus of claim 15, the means for configuring to perform operations further to perform one of:

20. The apparatus of claim 15, the bluetooth module including a clock, the operation of rescheduling the next bluetooth scan frequency change including advancing the clock such that the predetermined rollover event occurs substantially at the next scheduled wireless module wakeup time.

21. A device including a plurality of electronically interconnected conductive elements configured to perform operations to synchronize idle mode wakeup times for a bluetooth module and a wireless module in a dual mode bluetooth/wireless device, the device comprising:

22. A wireless mobile device, comprising:

a wireless module configured to enter an idle mode under a predetermined environment, during which the wireless module starts a wireless wakeup process at a next scheduled wireless module wakeup time;

the Bluetooth module is used for entering a sleep mode under a preset condition, and during the sleep mode, the Bluetooth module starts an idle mode Bluetooth awakening process at the next scheduled Bluetooth module awakening time;

a processing circuit, coupled to the wireless module and the Bluetooth module, configured to synchronize the wakeup times of the Bluetooth module and the wireless module by performing the following operations:

23. A wireless mobile device, comprising:

a wireless module for entering an idle mode under a predetermined environment and starting a wireless wake-up procedure at a next scheduled wireless module wake-up time during the idle mode;

the Bluetooth module is used for entering a sleep mode under a preset condition, and during the sleep mode, the Bluetooth module starts a Bluetooth awakening process at the next scheduled Bluetooth module awakening time;

processing circuitry, coupled to the wireless module and the Bluetooth module, configured to perform the following operations: synchronizing each next scheduled bluetooth module wakeup time to any next scheduled wireless module wakeup time scheduled before the next scheduled bluetooth module wakeup time, determining whether a next bluetooth scanning frequency change is scheduled to occur after the next scheduled wireless module wakeup time, and only in such event, performing the following: the rescheduling of the next bluetooth scan frequency change occurs substantially at the next scheduled wireless module wakeup time.

24. A wireless mobile device, comprising:

a bluetooth clock for providing an indication of bluetooth time;

processing circuitry, coupled to the wireless module and the Bluetooth module, configured to perform the following operations:

synchronizing each next scheduled Bluetooth module wakeup time to any next scheduled wireless module wakeup time scheduled before the next scheduled Bluetooth module wakeup time,

determining whether the following predetermined conditions exist: (1) the next scheduled wireless module wakeup time is earlier than the next scheduled bluetooth module wakeup time, (2) the bluetooth module is not in a sleep mode to communicate with another bluetooth device, and (3) the next rollover event of the bluetooth clock is scheduled to occur after the next scheduled wireless module wakeup time;

only when the predetermined condition exists, the bluetooth clock is advanced so that the roll-over will generally occur at the next scheduled wireless module wake-up time.