Efficient context monitoring

• US 10,594,835 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2016
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Brown, Alexander Barraclough, Vaishampayan, Umesh S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dustin
• Application Number:
  US15/151,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20160360008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3024 where the computing system component is a central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/461 Saving or restoring of program or task context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0264 by selectively disabling software applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for efficiently monitoring the operating context of a computing device. In some implementations, the context daemon and/or the context client can be terminated to conserve system resources. For example, if the context daemon and/or the context client are idle, they can be shutdown to conserve battery power or free other system resources (e.g., memory). When an event occurs (e.g., a change in current context) that requires the context daemon and/or the context client to be running, the context daemon and/or the context client can be restarted to handle the event. Thus, system resources can be conserved while still providing relevant context information collection and callback notification features.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a context daemon executing on a computing device, a first context callback request from a context client, the first context callback request initiating a first communication session between the context client and the context daemon;

terminating the context client after the context daemon receives the first context callback request and in response to determining that the context client is idle;

receiving, by the context daemon, current context information;

determining that the current context information corresponds to the first context callback request;

in response to the determining, detecting, by the context daemon, that the first communication session with the context client has terminated; and

in response to the detecting, sending, by the context daemon, a restart message to a launch daemon requesting that the launch daemon restart the context client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first context callback request includes a client identifier, and further comprising:

sending, by the context daemon, the client identifier to the launch daemon in the restart message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the current context information includes one or more context items that describe a current state of the computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first context callback request specifies conditions for notifying the context client based on the current context information received by the context daemon.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon receipt of the restart message, restarting, by the launch daemon, the context client;

after the context client has been restarted, receiving, by the context daemon, a second context callback request from the context client;

comparing the second context callback request to the current context information; and

in response to the comparing, notifying the context client that the current context information corresponds to the second context callback request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second context callback request establishes a second communication session between the context client and the context daemon, and wherein the context daemon uses the second communication session established by the context client to notify the context client that the current context information corresponds to the second context callback request.

7. A computing device for efficient context monitoring comprising:

a hardware processor; and

logic, which when executed by the hardware processor on the computing device, causes a context daemon to;

receive a first context callback request from a context client, the first context callback request initiating a first communication session between the context client and the context daemon;

terminate the context client after the context daemon receives the first context callback request and in response to determining that the context client is idle;

receive current context information;

determine that the current context information corresponds to the first context callback request;

detect, in response to the determination, that the first communication session with the context client has terminated; and

send, in response to the detection, a restart message to a launch daemon requesting that the launch daemon restart the context client.

8. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the first context callback request includes a client identifier, and wherein the logic is further executed to cause the context daemon to:

send the client identifier to the launch daemon in the restart message.

9. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the current context information includes one or more context items that describe a current state of the computing device.

10. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the first context callback request specifies conditions for notifying the context client based on the current context information received by the context daemon.

11. The computing device of claim 7, wherein the logic is further executed to cause the context daemon to:

upon receipt of the restart message, restart, by the launch daemon, the context client;

after the client has been restarted, receive a second context callback request from the context client;

compare the second context callback request to the current context information; and

in response to the comparison, notify the context client that the current context information corresponds to the second context callback request.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the second context callback request establishes a second communication session between the context client and the context daemon, and wherein the context daemon uses the second communication session established by the context client to notify the context client that the current context information corresponds to the second context callback request.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause a context daemon of the computing device to:

receive a first context callback request from a context client, the first context callback request initiating a first communication session between the context client and the context daemon;

terminate the context client after the context daemon receives the first context callback request and in response to determining that the context client is idle;

receive current context information;

determine that the current context information corresponds to the first context callback request;

detect, in response to the determination, that the first communication session with the context client has terminated; and

send, in response to the detection, a restart message to a launch daemon requesting that the launch daemon restart the context client.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first context callback request includes a client identifier, and further comprising instructions, which when executed, cause the context daemon to:

send the client identifier to the launch daemon in the restart message.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the current context information includes one or more context items that describe a current state of the computing device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first context callback request specifies conditions for notifying the context client based on the current context information received by the context daemon.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions, which when executed, cause the context daemon to:

upon receipt of the restart message, restart, by the launch daemon, the context client;

after the client has been restarted, receive a second context callback request from the context client;

compare the second context callback request to the current context information; and

in response to the comparison, notify the context client that the current context information corresponds to the second context callback request.