Self-Powered Devices and Methods

• US 20090300391A1
• Filed: 05/26/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Invent.ly LLC
• Original Assignee: Clive A. Hallatt, Daylyn M. Meade, Holden D. Jessup, Timothy P. Flood
• Inventors: Flood, Timothy P., Hallatt, Clive A., Jessup, Holden D., Meade, Daylyn M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,127,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/329 by task scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40039 Details regarding the setting of the power status of a node according to activity on the bus
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A system includes a computing device that selectively communicates with a self-powered device. The self-powered device has several modes of operation, including a first low-power mode of operation and a second high-power mode of operation. The self-powered device is to communicate with the computing device when the self-powered device is in the second mode of operation. The self-powered device may conserve power by alternating between the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation such that the self-powered device is in the second mode of operation during pre-determined or adaptively-determined time intervals. A duty-cycle of the second mode of operation relative to the first mode of operation may be in accordance with a power budget for the self-powered device.

Claims

1. A self-powered device configured to selectively communicate with a remote computing device, the self-powered device comprising:

means for selecting one of a plurality of modes of operation, wherein the plurality of modes of operation include a first mode of operation in which the self-powered device consumes less than a pre-determined or adaptively-determined amount of power, and a second mode of operation in which self-powered device consumes more than the pre-determined or adaptively-determined amount of power;

means for conserving power by alternating between the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation, such that the self-powered device is in the second mode of operation during pre-determined or adaptively-determined time intervals, and wherein a duty-cycle of the second mode of operation relative to the first mode of operation is in accordance with a power budget for the self-powered device; and

means for communicating with the remote computing device only during the second mode of operation.