Method for controlling schedule of executing application in terminal device and terminal device implementing the method

• US 10,338,936 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2016
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kato, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Eric
• Application Number:
  US15/377,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20170090951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3228 Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4418 Suspend and resume; Hibernate and awake
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4837 time dependent
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method may include associating, with a timer-B, a second application in a terminal device; setting the terminal device in a standby mode; and executing the second application when a processor in the terminal device wakes up after the timer-B measures a second amount of elapsed time. The timer-B may not initiate wake-up of the processor. The method may further include determining whether the second application is associated with the timer-B or a timer-A when the terminal device receives a command of setting the terminal device in the standby mode; and when the second application is determined as being associated with the timer-A, unassociating the second application with the timer-A. The timer-A may initiate wake-up of the processor when the timer-A measures another second amount of elapsed time while the terminal device is the standby mode. A timer associated with a first application may initiate wakeup of the processor.

Claims

1. A terminal device comprising:

a memory configured to store a first application and a second application, the first application and the second application being applications that have data related with the first application and the second application respectively preserved while in a standby mode; and

circuitry, comprising a processor, configured to

implement a first timer associated with the first application;

implement a second timer different from the first timer;

determine whether the first timer wakes up the processor;

in a case where the circuitry determines the first timer wakes up the processor, wake up the processor from the standby mode when the first timer measures a first predetermined amount of elapsed time and, after the processor is woken up, execute the first application and the second application on the processor, wherein the second application does not have a function to wake up the processor from the standby mode in the case where the circuitry determines the first timer wakes up the processor; and

in a case where the circuitry determines the first timer does not wake up the processor, wake up the processor from the standby mode when the second timer measures a second predetermined amount of elapsed time and, after the processor is woken up, execute the first application and the second application on the processor, wherein neither the first application nor the second application has a function to wake up the processor from the standby mode in the case where the circuitry determines the first timer does not wake up the processor.

2. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the second timer is associated with an operating system.

3. A method performed on a terminal device that has a memory and circuitry including a processor, the method comprising:

storing in the memory a first application and a second application, the first application and the second application being applications that have data related with the first application and the second application respectively preserved while in a standby mode; and

implementing, in the circuitry, a first timer associated with the first application;

implementing, in the circuitry, a second timer different from the first timer;

determining whether the first timer wakes up the processor;

in a case where the determining determines the first timer wakes up the processor, waking up the processor from the standby mode when the first timer measures a first predetermined amount of elapsed time and, after the processor is woken up, executing the first application and the second application on the processor, wherein the second application does not have a function to wake up the processor from the standby mode in the case where the determining determines the first timer wakes up the processor; and

in a case where the determining determines the first timer does not wake up the processor, waking up the processor from the standby mode when the second timer measures a second predetermined amount of elapsed time and, after the processor is woken up, executing the first application and the second application on the processor, wherein neither the first application nor the second application has a function to wake up the processor from the standby mode in the case where the determining determines the first timer does not wake up the processor.

4. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed on a terminal device that has a memory and circuitry including a processor, control the terminal device to perform a method comprising:

storing in the memory a first application and a second application, the first application and the second application being applications that have data related with the first application and the second application respectively preserved while in a standby mode; and

implementing, in the circuitry, a first timer associated with the first application;

implementing, in the circuitry, a second timer different from the first timer;

determining whether the first timer wakes up the processor;

in a case where the determining determines the first timer wakes up the processor, waking up the processor from the standby mode when the first timer measures a first predetermined amount of elapsed time and, after the processor is woken up, executing the first application and the second application on the processor, wherein the second application does not have a function to wake up the processor from the standby mode in the case where the determining determines the first timer wakes up the processor; and

in a case where the determining determines the first timer does not wake up the processor, waking up the processor from the standby mode when the second timer measures a second predetermined amount of elapsed time and, after the processor is woken up, executing the first application and the second application on the processor, wherein neither the first application nor the second application has a function to wake up the processor from the standby mode in the case where the determining determines the first timer does not wake up the processor.