Patent ID: 6397053
Filing Date: 2002-05-28
Classification: H04W,Y02D

Abstract:
A method of reducing power consumption of a receiver of a communications device, the receiver having an internal power source and a corresponding base unit, the receiver adapted to receive a transmitted signal in the form of a data stream, the data stream defined by a plurality of frames, each of the frames including a synchronization sub-frame, the method comprising the steps of:detecting the activity status of the receiver with respect to the transmitted signal, the receiver being in an idle state when not receiving a transmitted signal, the idle state defined by a predetermined number of frames that include a set of active state frames and inactive state frames that combine to define a duration of the idle state; generating a clock signal that has an output frequency that varies as a function of the active and inactive frames, the clock frequency being higher in the active state and lower in the inactive state, such that the receiver consumes more power during the active state then when in the inactive state; synchronizing the receiver with the sub-frame of the transmitted signal during the idle state; and reducing power consumption of the receiver by reducing the clock frequency as the number of inactive frames within the idle state are increased, power consumption being a function of the power consumed during the active and inactive states and the duration of the idle state.