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US 7,073,080 B2Granted
System and method for dynamically regulating voltage in a wireless interface device while maintaining an acceptable bit error rate
AssigneeBroadcom Corporation
InventorWenkwei Lou
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for dynamically managing power in a wireless interface device while maintaining an acceptable bit error rate. The wireless interface device includes a wireless interface unit, a bit error detection unit that monitors the bit error rate a data stream in the wireless interface unit, a processing unit, and a power management unit. The power management unit operates in a conjunction with the processing unit and the bit error detection unit to monitor the bit error rate and to dynamically adjust the voltage levels in the wireless interface unit to ensure that the bit error rate remains in an acceptable range.
Claims21
A system for dynamically regulating voltage in a data communications system, comprising:
- a data unit operable to generate a data stream;
- a bit error detection unit communicatively coupled to the data unit, wherein the bit error detection unit is operable to generate an error signal indicating a bit error rate in the data stream;
- a processing unit operably coupled to the data unit and the bit error detection unit, wherein the processing unit to process the error signal to determine if the bit error rate is less than a maximum acceptable value and to generate a voltage regulation reference signal to incrementally decrease a voltage level provided to the data unit if the bit error rate is less than the maximum acceptable value, until the maximum acceptable value or a minimum voltage level is reached, but if the bit error rate is not less than the maximum acceptable value, the processing unit to generate the voltage regulation reference signal to incrementally increase the voltage level provided to the data unit until the maximum acceptable value or a maximum voltage level is reached, the processing unit to continually monitor the error signal to increase or decrease the voltage level provided to the data unit to maintain the voltage level at the maximum acceptable value for the bit error rate;
- and
- a power management unit operably coupled to the data unit, and the processing unit, wherein the power management unit uses the voltage regulation reference signal to control the voltage level provided to the data unit to maintain the bit error rate at the maximum acceptable value.
2 more elements
A system for dynamically regulating voltage in a wireless interface device that services communications between a wirelessly enabled host and at least one user input device, comprising:
- a wireless interface unit that wirelessly interfaces with the wirelessly enabled host via a data stream;
- a bit error detection unit in the wireless interface unit, the bit error detection unit being operable to generate an error signal indicating a bit error rate in the data stream;
- a processing unit operably coupled to the wireless interface unit and the bit error detection unit, wherein the processing unit to process the error signal to determine if the bit error rate is less than a maximum acceptable value and to generate a voltage regulation reference signal to incrementally decrease a voltage level provided to the wireless interface unit if the bit error rate is less than the maximum acceptable value, until the maximum acceptable value or a minimum voltage level is reached, but if the bit error rate is not less than the maximum acceptable value, the processing unit to generate the voltage regulation reference signal to incrementally increase the voltage level provided to the wireless interface unit until the maximum acceptable value or a maximum voltage level is reached, the processing unit to continually monitor the error signal to increase or decrease the voltage level provided to the data unit to maintain the voltage level at the maximum acceptable value for the bit error rate;
- and
- a power management unit operably coupled to the wireless interface unit, the processing unit, and the bit error detection unit, wherein the power management unit uses the voltage regulation reference signal to generate voltage level control signals to control the voltage level provided to the wireless interface unit to maintain the bit error rate at the maximum acceptable value.
2 more elements
A method for dynamically regulating voltage in a data communications system, comprising:
- generating a data stream from a data unit;
- monitoring the bit error rate of the data stream and generating an error signal indicating a bit error rate in the data stream;
- processing the error signal to determine if the bit error rate is less than a maximum acceptable value and generating a voltage regulation reference signal to incrementally decrease a voltage level provided to the data unit if the bit error ate is less than the maximum acceptable value, until the maximum acceptable value or a minimum voltage level is reached, but if the bit error rate is not less than the maximum acceptable value, generating the voltage regulation reference signal to incrementally increase the voltage level provided to the data unit until the maximum acceptable value or a maximum voltage level is reached, the processing to continually monitor the error signal to increase or decrease the voltage level provided to the data unit to maintain the voltage level at the maximum acceptable value for the bit error rate;
- and
- using the voltage regulation reference signal to generate voltage level control signals to control the voltage level provided to the data unit to maintain the bit error rate at the maximum acceptable value.
2 more elements
A system the services communications between a wirelessly enabled host and at least one user input device, comprising:
- a wireless interface unit that wirelessly interfaces with the wirelessly enabled host via a data stream;
- a processing unit operably coupled to the wireless interface unit;
- an input/output unit operably coupled to the wireless interface unit and to the processing unit, wherein the input/output unit also operably couples to the user input device;
- and
- a dynamic voltage regulation system, comprising:
- a bit error detection unit operable to generate an error signal indicating a bit error rate in the data stream;
- wherein the processing unit is operably coupled to the bit error detection unit, wherein the processing unit to process the error signal to determine if the bit error rate is less than a maximum acceptable value and to generate a voltage regulation reference signal to incrementally decrease a voltage level provided to the wireless interface unit if the bit error rate is less than the maximum acceptable value, until the maximum acceptable value or a minimum voltage level is reached, but if the bit error rate is not less than the maximum acceptable value, the processing unit to generate the voltage regulation reference signal to incrementally increase the voltage level provided to the wireless interface unit until the maximum acceptable value or a maximum voltage level is reached, the processing unit to continually monitor the error signal to increase or decrease the voltage level provided to the data unit to maintain the voltage level at the maximum acceptable value for the bit error rate;
- and
- a power management unit operably coupled to the processing unit, and the bit error detection unit, wherein the power management unit uses the voltage regulation reference signal to generate voltage level control signals to control the voltage level provided to the wireless interface unit to maintain the bit error rate at the maximum acceptable value.
6 more elements
An integrated circuit, comprising:
- a data unit operable to generate a data stream;
- a bit error detection unit communicatively coupled to the data unit, wherein the bit error detection unit is operable to generate an error signal indicating a bit error rate in the data stream;
- a data processing unit operably coupled to the data unit and the bit error detection unit, wherein the data processing unit to process the error signal to determine if the error rate is less than a maximum acceptable value and to generate a voltage regulation reference signal to incrementally decrease a voltage level provided to the data unit if the bit error rate is less than the maximum acceptable value, until the maximum acceptable value or a minimum voltage level is reached, but if the bit error rate is not less than the maximum acceptable value, the processing unit to generate the voltage regulation reference signal to incrementally increase the voltage level provided to the data unit until the maximum acceptable value or a maximum voltage level is reached, the processing unit to continually monitor the error signal to increase or decrease the voltage level provided to the data unit to maintain the voltage level at the maximum acceptable value for the bit error rate;
- a power management unit operably coupled to the data unit, the data processing unit, and the bit error detection unit, wherein the power management unit uses the voltage regulation reference signal to generate voltage level control signals;
- and
- a voltage regulation circuitry that couples the data unit to a voltage source, wherein the voltage regulation circuitry uses the voltage level control signals to control the voltage level provided to the data unit to maintain the bit error rate at the maximum acceptable value.
3 more elements
A system for dynamically regulating voltage in a data communications system, comprising:
- means for generating a data stream;
- means for monitoring a bit error rate of the data stream and generating an error signal indicating the bit error rate in the data stream;
- means for processing the error signal to determine if the bit error rate is less than a maximum acceptable value and to generate a voltage regulation reference signal to incrementally decrease a voltage level provided to the means for generating the data stream if the bit error rate is less than the maximum acceptable value, until the maximum acceptable value or a minimum voltage level is reached, but if the bit error rate is not less than the maximum acceptable value, the means for processing to generate the voltage regulation reference signal to incrementally increase the voltage level provided to the means for generating the data stream until the maximum acceptable value or a maximum voltage level is reached, the means for processing to continually monitor the error signal to increase or decrease the voltage level provided to the means for generating the data stream to maintain the voltage level at the maximum acceptable value for the bit error rate;
- and
- means for generating a voltage level control signal, based on the voltage regulation reference signal, to control the voltage level provided to the means for generating a data stream to maintain the bit error rate at the maximum acceptable value.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.