Power control method and apparatus for reducing power consumption

• US 10,261,573 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2015
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Sunwoo, Seunghui, Kim, Junyun, Kim, Seongeun, Park, Jungsik, Shin, Heungsik, Kim, Jinwoo, Hong, Hyunju
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean A
• Application Number:
  US14/947,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20160147292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 455522, 455 134, 455566, 455572
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3218 of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Provided are a method and apparatus for controlling at least part of one or more functions of an electronic device so as to reduce power consumption. According to various embodiments, the electronic device may perform operations of identifying the number of one or more displays functionally connected with the electronic device, executing at least part of one or more functions of the one or more displays in a first power consumption mode if the number of one or more displays is singular, and executing at least part of one or more functions of the one or more displays in a second power consumption mode if the number of one or more displays is plural.

Claims

1. A method performed by an electronic device, comprising:

identifying a number of displays that are functionally connected with the electronic device; and

selecting one of two power function modes for executing functions of the displays that are functionally connected with the electronic device based on the number, wherein;

the selected power function mode is a first power consumption mode when the number is one, and

the selected power function mode is a second power consumption mode having a lower power consumption than in the first power consumption mode when the number is greater than one,

wherein the executing in the second power consumption mode includes changing a number of cores or a speed of a core assigned to the functionally connected plural displays.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the executing in the second power consumption mode includes executing a low power consumption mode, based on an angle or a relative distance between the functionally connected plural displays.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the executing in the second power consumption mode includes executing a low power consumption mode, depending on a type of application or combination of applications displayed through the functionally connected plural displays.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the executing in the second power consumption mode includes operating, in a low power consumption mode, a specific display irrelevant to a user'"'"'s gaze among the functionally connected plural displays.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying another display as functionally connected with the electronic device; and

executing, in a low power consumption mode, at least one of the number of functionally connected displays and the another display.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the executing in the second power consumption mode includes changing at least one of a touch rate of and an input standby time of the functionally connected plural displays, based on at least one of a resolution of the functionally connected plural displays and a type of an application displayed on the functionally connected plural displays.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the executing in the second power consumption mode includes changing at least one of luminance of and a frame rate of the functionally connected plural displays, based on an application displayed on the functionally connected plural displays.

8. A method performed by an electronic device, comprising:

identifying a number of displays that are functionally connected with the electronic device; and

selecting one of two power function modes for executing functions of the displays that are functionally connected with the electronic device based on the number, wherein;

the selected power function mode is a first power consumption mode when the number is one, and

the selected power function mode is a second power consumption mode having a lower power consumption than in the first power consumption mode when the number is greater than one,

wherein the executing in the second power consumption mode includes changing at least one of a size of and a number of buffers associated with the functionally connected plural displays.

9. An electronic device comprising:

one or more displays; and

a power control module functionally connected with the one or more displays,

wherein the power control module is configured to;

identify a number of displays that are functionally connected with the electronic device;

when the number is singular, execute at least part of one or more functions of the functionally connected single display in a first power consumption mode, and

when the number is plural, execute at least part of one or more functions of the functionally connected plural displays in a second power consumption mode having smaller current consumption than in the first power consumption mode,

wherein the power control module is further configured to change a touch detection cycle of at least part of the functionally connected plural displays, based on at least one of a frequency of and a size of a touch input detected through the functionally connected plural displays.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the one or more displays are attachable to or detachable from the electronic device.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the power control module is further configured to adjust luminance of the functionally connected plural displays, based on an application displayed through at least part of the functionally connected plural displays.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the power control module is further configured to change at least one of a number of cores and a speed of a core assigned to the functionally connected plural displays, depending on a type of application or combination of applications displayed through the functionally connected plural displays.

13. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the power control module is further configured to change at least one of resolution, luminance, and a frame rate of the functionally connected plural displays, based on a current battery level of the electronic device.

14. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the power control module is further configured to operate the functionally connected single display in the first power consumption mode when a current battery level is within a first range, and to operate the functionally connected plural displays in the second power consumption mode when the current battery level is within a second range.

15. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the power control module is further configured to turn on or off each of the functionally connected plural displays, based on an angle or a relative distance between the functionally connected plural displays.

16. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the power control module is further configured to change an application displayed on the functionally connected plural displays, based on an angle or a relative distance between the functionally connected plural displays.

17. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the power control module is further configured to change electric power supplied to the functionally connected plural displays, based on a touch input time of the functionally connected plural displays.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium recording thereon a program for executing operations of:

identifying a number of displays that are functionally connected with an electronic device; and

selecting one of two power function modes for executing functions of the displays that are functionally connected with the electronic device based on the number, wherein;

the selected power function mode is a first power consumption mode when the number is one, and

the selected power function mode is a second power consumption mode having a lower power consumption than in the first power consumption mode when the number is greater than one,

wherein the executing in the second power consumption mode includes changing a number of cores or a speed of a core assigned to the functionally connected plural displays.