Microsoft patents method to save power in 5G network equipment
Microsoft describes a system that adjusts the power usage of cell tower computers based on how many people are connected and how fast data needs to move. It uses sensors to check network traffic and then switches the computer chips to a lower-energy mode when heavy processing is not needed.
In the filing’s own words
Methods and apparatuses for improving the performance and energy efficiency of Radio Access Networks (RANs) are described. Various power control schemes may dynamically adjust RAN power consumption based on fluctuations in network traffic, throughput, latency, queue sizes, and/or packet error rates with the goal of increasing energy efficiency while maintaining quality of service metrics. The power control schemes may be implemented using a PRB controller for dynamically allocating physical resource blocks (PRBs) to user devices and a CPU controller for assigning CPU power profiles based on PRB allocations for the user devices. The PRB controller and CPU controller may periodically acquire real-time telemetry data and wireless network performance information and then adjust the number of PRBs for user devices and adjust the CPU power profiles for executing RAN functions based on the telemetry data and wireless network performance information.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A method for adjusting power consumption of a radio access network, comprising: detecting a change in user device traffic between the radio access network and a user device; determining a number of physical resource blocks for transmitting data between the radio access network and the user device subsequent to detecting the change in the user device traffic between the radio access network and the user device; acquiring a network latency requirement for the user device; identifying a first CPU power profile out of a plurality of CPU power profiles that provides a CPU configuration for the radio access network with the lowest power consumption that satisfies the network latency requirement for the user device given the number of physical resource blocks; storing the first CPU power profile; and configuring the radio access network using the first CPU power profile.
Facts
- Company
- Microsoft (Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC)
- Official title
- CPU POWER MANAGEMENT FOR VIRTUALIZED RADIO ACCESS NETWORKS
- Publication number
- US20260292676A1
- Application number
- 19685025
- Filed
- May 21, 2026
- Published
- Sep 24, 2026
- Inventors
- 5
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
H04W 52/0203 Electricity & electronicsH04W 72/12 Electricity & electronicsH04W 72/543 Electricity & electronicsMore from Microsoft in Networks & wireless
- Microsoft patents camera-based data transfer between server displays Sep 22, 2026
- Microsoft patents system that uses AI to plan network capacity Oct 13, 2026
- Microsoft patents method to spot cloud outages by checking individual user traffic Sep 10, 2026
- Microsoft patents hand gestures to control devices without menus Sep 24, 2026
- Microsoft patents image-based method to detect phone tethering Oct 1, 2026
Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.