System and method for powering down a mobile device

• US 20020174371A1
• Filed: 05/21/2001
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Taylor, Matthew W., Padawer, Andrew D., Enns, Neil R.N.
• Granted Patent: US 6,865,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0248 dependent on the time of the day, e.g. according to expected transmission activity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Described is a mechanism for mobile devices that allows a user to set a time at which the mobile device will automatically power down, and another time at which the mobile device will wake up. The mechanism further allows the mobile device to be awakened earlier than the wake up time if an event is scheduled to occur prior to the wake up time. Furthermore, the mechanism provides for the cancellation of the automatic power down or wake up, based on user input.

Claims

1. A system for managing power consumption on a mobile device having a switch, the system comprising:

a timer configured to generate a wake event upon the expiration of a countdown time;

a first set of data including a sleep time and a wake time;

a second set of data including other times; and

an application configured to put the mobile device in a low power consumption state substantially near the sleep time, and to bring the mobile device out of the low power consumption state at substantially the earlier of the wake time or one of the other times.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the application is further configured to not bring the mobile device out of the low power consumption state if the mobile device has been shut off by the switch.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface configured to receive the first set of data and the second set of data.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the user interface provides a countdown mechanism to allow an abort signal to be sent to the application prior to putting the mobile device into the low power consumption state.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the user interface provides a countdown mechanism to allow an abort signal to be sent to the application prior to bringing the mobile device out of the low power consumption state.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the other times include times at which a predetermined event occurs.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the predetermined event includes an appointment time.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the predetermined event includes a meeting time.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the predetermined event includes a task expiration time.

10. A computer-readable medium on a mobile computing device having computer-executable instructions for performing steps, comprising:

receiving from an operating system a notice to place the mobile computing device into a low power consumption state;

retrieving a first set of event data associated with placing the mobile computing device into the low power consumption state, the first set of event data comprising;

a user defined sleep time at which to put the mobile computing device into the low power consumption state, and

a user defined wake time at which to bring the mobile computing device out of the low power consumption state;

accessing a data store to retrieve a second set of event data, the second set of event data comprising additional user defined times;

comparing the sleep time to each user defined time to determine an earliest occurring time;

setting a timer to trigger a wake event at the earliest occurring time; and

putting the mobile computing device into the low power consumption state.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising:

prior to putting the mobile computing device into the low power consumption state, determining if the mobile computing device is in use, and if so, delaying the step of putting the mobile computing device into the low power consumption state.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein delaying the step of putting the mobile computing device into the low power consumption state comprises adding a predetermined amount of time to the sleep time.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein delaying the step of putting the mobile computing device into the low power consumption state comprises aborting the step of putting the mobile computing device into the low power consumption state.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising:

prior to the step of putting the mobile computing device into the low power consumption state, setting the operating system to suspend a subsequent boot process until receipt of an acknowledgement.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the acknowledgement is based on a user prompt presented to a user in conjunction with the subsequent boot process.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising:

prior to the step of putting the mobile computing device into the low power consumption state, determining if a user provided command to cease the placement of the device into the low power consumption state has been received, and if so, withholding the step of putting the mobile computing device into the low power consumption state.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein withholding the step of putting the mobile computing device into the low power consumption state comprises aborting the step of putting the mobile computing device into the low power consumption state.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein if the command has been received, leaving the mobile computing device in the low power consumption state.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein determining if the user provided command has been received comprises prompting a user to cancel bringing the mobile computing device out of the low power consumption state.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein prompting the user to cancel includes providing the user with a predetermined amount of time in which to cancel.

18. A computer-readable medium on a mobile computing device having computer-executable instructions for performing steps, comprising:

receiving a notice to bring the mobile computing device out of a low power consumption state;

determining if a user provided command to cease bringing the mobile computing device out of the low power consumption state has been received; and

if the command has not been received, issuing an instruction to the operating system to bring the mobile computing device out of the low power consumption state.

22. A computer-implemented method for managing power consumption on a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving from an operating system a notice to place the mobile computing device into a low power consumption state;

retrieving a first set of event data associated with placing the mobile computing device into the low power consumption state, the first set of event data comprising;

a user defined sleep time at which to put the mobile computing device into the low power consumption state, and

a user defined wake time at which to bring the mobile computing device out of the low power consumption state;

accessing a data store to retrieve a second set of event data, the second set of event data comprising additional user defined times;

comparing the sleep time to each user defined time to determine an earliest occurring time;

setting a timer to trigger a wake event at the earliest occurring time;

putting the mobile computing device into the low power consumption state;

receiving a notice to bring the mobile computing device out of a low power consumption state;

determining if a user provided command to cease bringing the mobile computing device out of the low power consumption state has been received; and

if the command has not been received, issuing an instruction to the operating system to bring the mobile computing device out of the low power consumption state.