Power saving method of portable internet device and portable internet device thereof, and instant messaging system using the same

• US 20100042856A1
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Inventors: Tsai, Chuan-Ming, Lin, Yung-Sen, Tsai, Chieh-Chih
• Granted Patent: US 8,060,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3218 of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5683 Storage of data provided by user terminals, i.e. reverse caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention discloses a power saving method of a portable Internet device, the portable Internet device and its instant messaging system. If a screen of the portable Internet device is in non-view state, for example, both backlight module and LCD panel are turned off, it means that a user is not viewing the screen, and thus the message update frequency of the instant messaging program is lowered to prevent unnecessary transmission and receiving of wireless signals, so as to reduce power comsumption of the portable Internet device.

Claims

1. A power saving method for sending and receiving instant messages from a portable Internet device using an instant messaging program comprising:

monitoring a display unit of the portable Internet device;

controlling the instant messaging program to enter into a first mode, when the display unit is in a view state; and

controlling the instant messaging program to enter into a second mode, when the display unit is in a non-view state;

wherein the message update frequency of the instant messaging program in the second mode is lower than the message update frequency in the first mode.

2. The power saving method of claim 1, wherein the display unit comprises a backlight module and an LCD panel, and the view state is when the backlight module is lit, and the non-view state is when the backlight module is not lit.

3. The power saving method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing a proxy;

connecting the proxy while the instant messaging program is excuted;

transmitting a user ID information to an instant messaging platform through the proxy to complete a logon procedure; and

transmitting a data to the instant messaging platform through the proxy.

4. The power saving method of claim 3, further comprising a step of temporarily storing a data coming from the instant messaging platform in the proxy to lower the data receiving frequency of the portable Internet device, when the instant messaging program enters into the second mode.

5. The power saving method of claim 4, further comprising a step of transmitting a temporarily stored data to the portable Internet device by the proxy, when the instant messaging program returns to the first mode from the second mode.

6. The power saving method of claim 5, wherein the temporarily stored data is the most updated data only.

7. The power saving method of claim 3, wherein the proxy receives a paging of the portable Internet device through a wireless communication base station connected to the portable Internet device to determine whether or not the instant messaging program is still running according to the paging.

8. The power saving method of claim 7, further comprising the step of disabling the function of the instant messaging program for periodically transmitting a connection keep-alive message or a conversation keep-alive message, and selectively transmitting the connection keep-alive message or the conversation keep-alive message by the proxy to the instant messaging platform according to the determination result.

9. The power saving method of claim 3, wherein the proxy keeps transmitting a confirm signal to the portable Internet device and determines whether or not the instant messaging program code is still operated according to a determination of whether or not the confirm signal is transmitted successfully.

10. The power saving method of claim 9, further comprising the step of disabling the function of the instant messaging program for periodically transmitting a connection keep-alive message or a conversation keep-alive message, and selectively transmitting the connection keep-alive message or the conversation keep-alive message by the proxy to the instant messaging platform according to the determination result.

11. The power saving method of claim 1, wherein the instant messaging program connects to an instant messaging platform when being executed, and transmits a user ID information to the instant messaging platform to complete a logon procedure, and performs a data transmission with the instant messaging platform, and when the instant messaging program enters into the second mode, the instant messaging platform temporarily stores a data to be transmitted to the portable Internet device, so as to lower the frequency of receiving data by the portable Internet device.

12. A portable Internet device, comprising:

a network transmission unit;

a display unit;

an instant messaging unit, capable of transmitting and receiving an instant message through the network transmission unit;

a processing unit, electrically coupled to the network transmission unit, the instant messaging unit and the display unit, capable of controlling the display unit to enter into a view state or a non-view state; and

a power supply unit, capable of supplying electric power required by the operation of the portable Internet device;

wherein when the display unit enters into the view state, the instant messaging unit enters into a first mode, and when the display unit enters into the non-view state, then the instant messaging program unit enters into a second mode, and the message update frequency of the instant messaging program in the second mode is lower than the message update frequency in the first mode.

13. The portable Internet device of claim 12, wherein the display unit comprises a backlight module and an LCD panel, and the view state is when the backlight module is lit, and the non-view state is when the backlight module is not lit.

14. The portable Internet device of claim 12, wherein the instant messaging unit is connected to a proxy, for transmitting a user ID information to an instant messaging platform through the proxy to complete a logon procedure, and transmit data with the instant messaging platform through the proxy.

15. The portable Internet device of claim 14, wherein when the instant messaging program enters into the second mode, the proxy temporarily stores a data coming from the instant messaging platform to lower the data receiving frequency of the portable Internet device.

16. The portable Internet device of claim 12, wherein the instant messaging unit is connected to an instant messaging platform, for transmitting a user ID information to the instant messaging platform to complete a logon procedure, and transmit data with the instant messaging platform, and when the instant messaging program enters into the second mode, the instant messaging platform temporarily stores a data to be transmitted to the portable Internet device to lower the data receiving frequency of the portable Internet device.

17. An instant messaging system, comprising:

a proxy capable of establishing an online connection with an instant messaging platform; and

a portable Internet device capable of establishing an online connection with the proxy, and executing an instant messaging program, and transmitting a user ID information to the instant messaging platform through the proxy to complete a logon procedure, and the portable Internet device transmitting data with the instant messaging platform through the proxy;

wherein when the proxy detects the portable Internet device entering into an idle state, then the proxy temporarily stores a data from the instant messaging platform to lower the data receiving frequency of the portable Internet device.

18. The instant messaging system of claim 17, wherein the proxy transmits the temporarily stored data to the portable Internet device when the proxy detects that the portable Internet device has exited the idle state.

19. The instant messaging system of claim 17, wherein the executing instant messaging program notifies the proxy that the portable Internet device has entered into an idle state when the display unit of the portable Internet device is in a non-view state;

and the executing instant messaging program notifies the proxy that the portable Internet device has exited the idle state when the display unit of the portable Internet device is in a view state.

20. The instant messaging system of claim 19, wherein the display unit of the portable Internet device comprises a backlight module and an LCD panel, and the view state is when the backlight module is lit, and the non-view state is when the backlight module is not lit.

21. The instant messaging system of claim 17, wherein the temporarily stored data is the most updated data only.

22. The instant messaging system of claim 17, wherein the proxy receives a paging of the portable Internet device through a wireless communication base station coupled to the portable Internet device, and determines whether or not the instant messaging program code is still operated according to the paging.

23. The instant messaging system of claim 22, wherein the executing instant messaging program disables the function of periodically transmitting a connection keep-alive message or a conversation keep-alive message, and the proxy selectively transmits the connection keep-alive message or the conversation keep-alive message to the instant messaging platform according to the determination result.

24. The instant messaging system of claim 17, wherein the proxy keeps transmitting a confirm signal to the portable Internet device, and determines whether or not the instant messaging program code is still operated according to the determination of successfully transmitting the confirm signal.

25. The instant messaging system of claim 24, wherein the executing instant messaging program disables the function of periodically transmitting a connection keep-alive message or a conversation keep-alive message, and the proxy selectively transmits the connection keep-alive message or the conversation keep-alive message to the instant messaging platform according to the determination result.