US 8,621,254 B2Granted

Electronic apparatus having reducible power consumption in the readiness state

AssigneeSiemens Enterprise Communications GmbH & Co. KG

InventorsAnnette Roder, Mike Thoms, Jurgen Brieskorn, Edmund Ernst, Karl Klug, Stephan Schaade

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Method for an electronic device (IT) that is controllable in at least one operating state (OP) and one standby state (SBY), with which a main processing unit (MPU) controls the operating state (OP) and a preprocessing unit (PPU) controls the standby state (SBY), such that, by means of the preprocessing unit (PPU), the main processing unit (MPU) and, to some extent, the functional units of the electronic device (IT) that are implemented by circuitry are switched by the control into at least one state having reduced energy consumption. An advantage can be seen in the fact that, by using a preprocessing unit (PPU), in the operating state of “standby” (SBY) the total energy consumption of the electronic device (IT) is reduced, both due to the significantly reduced energy consumption of a preprocessor (PPE) in the preprocessing unit (PPU) and to the units (MPU) that have been switched by the control into a state having reduced energy consumption, and the electronic device can therefore be operated more economically. An additional advantage is that the reduction of the energy consumption is achieved exclusively by circuitry measures and that no implementations must be included in the programs of the electronic device (IT).

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method for operating an electronic device of a communication network that is controllable at least into a first operational state and a second operational state, the electronic device requiring a first amount of power when operating in the first operational state and a second amount of power when operating in the second operational state, the first amount of power being greater than the second amount of power, the method comprising:

a first processing unit of the electronic device controlling the electronic device when the electronic device operates in the first operational state;
a second processing unit controlling the electronic device when the electronic device operates in the second operational state such that the first processing unit and functional units of the electronic device implemented in circuitry of the electronic device are controlled into a state with reduced power consumption;
when in the second operational state, monitoring at least one input unit of the electronic device, at least one activation unit of the electronic device, and at least one communication network interface unit of the electronic device to detect a first indication, the first indication indicating a need for a transition to the first operational state;
and
in response to detecting the first indication, switching the electronic device into the first operational state;
when the electronic device is in the first operational state, monitoring the at least one input unit, the at least one activation unit, and the at least one communication network interface unit to detect a second indication, the second indication indicating when the electronic device is not in use for a telephone call and that no telephone call is being signaled by the electronic device;
upon determining that the electronic device is not in use for a telephone call and that no telephone call is being signaled by the electronic device, switching the electronic device into the second operational state;
and
wherein the second processing unit performs the monitoring of the at least one input unit, the at least one activation unit, and the at least one communication network interface unit to detect the second indication and the second processing unit causes the switching of the electronic device into the second operational state upon determining that the electronic device is not in use for a telephone call and that no telephone call is being signaled by the electronic device.

6 more elements

An electronic device having a first operational state and a second operational state, the electronic device requiring a first amount of power when operating in the first operational state and a second amount of power when operating in the second operational state, the first amount of power being greater than the second amount of power, the electronic device comprising:

a first processor;
a second processor;
a solar generator that generates power for the electronic device;
at least one unit selected from the group of units consisting of an input unit, an activation unit, and a communications interface unit, the at least one unit connected to the first processor and the at least one unit connected to the second processor;
and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executed by the first and second processors to carry out the steps of:
the first processor controlling the electronic device when the electronic device operates in the first operational state;
the second processor controlling the electronic device when the electronic device operates in the second operational state such that the first processor is controlled into a state with reduced power consumption;
when in the second operational state, the second processor monitoring the at least one unit to detect a first indication, the first indication indicating a need for a transition to the first operational state;
and
in response to detecting the first indication, the second processor switching the electronic device into the first operational state;
when the electronic device is in the first operational state, the second processor monitoring the at least one unit to detect a second indication, the second indication indicating when the electronic device is not in use for a telephone call and that no telephone call is being signaled by the electronic device;
and
upon determining that the electronic device is not in use for a telephone call and that no telephone call is being signaled by the electronic device, the second processor switching the electronic device into the second operational state.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/739,007Filed 25 Nov 2008
Priority: DE 10 2007 057 66830 Nov 2007
Published: US 2011/0022863 A127 Jan 2011
Granted: 31 Dec 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H04W 52/028
By switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof: switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
H04M 1/2535
Telephone sets using digital voice transmission: adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network (Voice over Internet…
H04M 2250/12
Details of telephonic subscriber devices: including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
Y02D 30/70
Reducing energy consumption in communication networks: in wireless communication networks