Location-Based Power Profiles

• US 20110018346A1
• Filed: 07/27/2009
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Dixon, Ryan G.
• Application Number:
  US12/510,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20110018346A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Power management of an electronic device based upon the location of the electronic device is disclosed. In one embodiment, an electronic device can have at least one power consumption component and a processor configured to: i) create at least one location marker, the at least one location marker representing a reference location; ii) associate the at least one location marker to a power profile, the power profile having utilization instructions for the at least one power consumption component; and iii) automatically manage utilization of the at least one power consumption component in accordance with the power profile when it is determined that the portable electronic device is located at the reference location corresponding to the location marker associated with the power profile.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

at least one power consumption component; and

a processor configured to;

i) create at least one location marker, the at least one location marker representing a reference location;

ii) associate the at least one location marker to a power profile, the power profile having utilization instructions for the at least one power consumption component; and

iii) automatically manage utilization of the at least one power consumption component in accordance with the power profile when it is determined that the portable electronic device is located at the reference location corresponding to the location marker associated with the power profile.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the power profile comprises instructions to enable or disable the at least one power consumption component.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the portable electronic device stores a plurality of different power profiles each associated with different location markers representing different reference locations.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a memory coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store the power profile.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

i) enable a wireless locator device on the portable electronic device if it is determined to be deactivated;

ii) use the wireless locator device to determine the location of the portable electronic device.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one power consumption component is selected from the group consisting of a wireless locator device, a wireless network access, and a peripheral device.

7. A method to conserve power consumption on a portable electronic device, comprising:

determining a location of the portable electronic device;

retrieving a power profile based on the determined location of the portable electronic device, the power profile stored on the portable electronic device; and

automatically configuring the portable electronic device based on the power profile.

8. The method of claim 7, the automatic configuring comprising:

automatically activating or deactivating at least one power consumption component of the portable electronic device in accordance with the power profile.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

creating a power profile;

storing the power profile on the portable electronic device;

creating at least one location marker, the at least one location marker representing a pre-determined location; and

associating the at least one location marker with the power profile.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the retrieving a power profile comprises:

determining whether the determined location matches at least one location marker; and

retrieving the power profile corresponding with the at least one location marker that is determined to match the determined location.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the retrieving a power profile further comprises:

retrieving a default power profile if the determined location does not match the at least one location marker.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining a location further comprises:

determining if a wireless locator device on the portable electronic device is activated;

enabling a wireless locator device on the portable electronic device if it is determined to be deactivated; and

using the wireless locator device to determine the location of the portable electronic device.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one power consumption component is selected from the group consisting of a wireless locator device, a wireless network access, and a peripheral device.

14. A method to conserve power consumption on a portable electronic device, comprising:

creating at least one location marker, the at least one location marker representing a reference location;

listing a plurality of power consumption components of the portable electronic device on a display of the portable electronic device;

receiving, at the portable electronic device, at least one input to configure at least one power consumption component listed on the display;

creating a power profile based on the received at least one input;

associating the power profile to the at least one location marker; and

automatically configuring the portable electronic device based on the power profile when it is determined that the portable electronic device is located at the reference location associated with the location marker.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the automatically configuring comprises:

disabling at least one of the power consumption components based on the power profile.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the automatically configuring comprises:

enabling another of the power consumption components based on the power profile.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining a location of the portable electronic device;

identifying a power profile having an associated location marker that matches the determined location; and

.

automatically disabling at least one power consumption component based on the identified power profile.

18. A computer readable medium including at least computer program code stored thereon for conserving power consumption on a portable electronic device, comprising:

computer program code for obtaining a location of the portable electronic device;

computer program code for retrieving a power profile based on the determined location of the portable electronic device, the power profile stored on the portable electronic device; and

computer program code for automatically configuring the portable electronic device based on the power profile.