Method and apparatus for power management for mobile devices

• US 20090225230A1
• Filed: 08/22/2006
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Woch, Thomas James, Arroyo, Bernal Antonio
• Application Number:
  US11/990,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20090225230A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/730
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

There are provided a method and apparatus for power management in a mobile device. The apparatus includes a mode detector and a power manager. The mode detector is for detecting a current operating mode of the mobile device. The power manager (120) is for managing a power consumption of the mobile device based on the detected current operating mode. The power manager activates or deactivates at least one digital television function of the mobile device to manage the power consumption of the mobile device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for power management in a mobile device, comprising:

a mode detector for detecting a current operating mode of the mobile device; and

a power manager for managing a power consumption of the mobile device based on the detected current operating mode,

wherein the power manager activates or deactivates at least one digital television function of the mobile device to manage the power consumption of the mobile device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said mode detector detects the current operating mode of the mobile device based on one or more hardware states relating to hardware of the mobile device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said mode detector determines the hardware states using at least one of interrupts and polling.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said mode detector polls the hardware of the mobile device to obtain data used to detect the current operating mode of the mobile device.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the hardware states include at least one of whether a universal serial bus device is attached to the mobile device, a current charge level of a battery powering the mobile device, whether an external power source is applied to the mobile device, and whether a television out connection is currently active.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said mobile device includes at least one front end sub-system and at least one middleware sub-system, and said power manager notifies at least one of the at least one front end sub-system and the at least one middleware sub-system of any changes to a pre-specified group of the hardware states relating to a pre-specified group of the hardware elements.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said power manager activates or deactivates hardware supporting the at least one digital television function to manage the power consumption of the mobile device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one digital television function relates to at least one of a diversity mode function, a display function, and a digital-to-analog (DAC) conversion function.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said power manager manages the power consumption of the mobile device by selecting from among a plurality of different power consumption profiles.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said power manager activates or deactivates various hardware of the mobile device in accordance with the selected power consumption profile.

11. A method for power management in a mobile device, comprising:

detecting a current operating mode of the mobile device; and

managing a power consumption of the mobile device based on the detected current operating mode,

wherein said managing step activates or deactivates at least one digital television function of the mobile device to manage the power consumption of the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said detecting step detects the current operating mode of the mobile device based on one or more hardware states relating to hardware of the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said detecting step determines the hardware states using at least one of interrupts and polling.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said detecting step polls the hardware of the mobile device to obtain data used to detect the current operating mode of the mobile device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the hardware states include at least one of whether a universal serial bus device is attached to the mobile device, a current charge level of a battery powering the mobile device, whether an external power source is applied to the mobile device, and whether a television out connection is currently active.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said mobile device includes at least one front end sub-system and at least one middleware sub-system, and the method further comprises notifying at least one of the at least one front end sub-system and the at least one middleware sub-system of any changes to a pre-specified group of the hardware states relating to a pre-specified group of the hardware elements.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said managing step activates or deactivates hardware supporting the at least one digital television function to manage the power consumption of the mobile device.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one digital television function relates to at least one of a diversity mode function, a display function, and a digital-to-analog (DAC) conversion function.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein said managing step manages the power consumption of the mobile device by selecting from among a plurality of different power consumption profiles.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein said managing step activates or deactivates various hardware of the mobile device in accordance with the selected power consumption profile.