POWER MANAGEMENT OF A MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE

• US 20110072292A1
• Filed: 09/22/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fudally, Scott A., Khawand, Charbel
• Granted Patent: US 9,047,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/340
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3062 where the monitored property is the power consumption power management in a computing system G06F1/3203
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A user interface for power management of a mobile communications device is described. In an implementation, power consumption used in performance of a plurality of tasks is monitored by a mobile communications device. A determination is made as to an amount of power that remains in a battery of the mobile communications device. A user interface is displayed on a display device of the mobile communications device that describes an amount of time each of the plurality of tasks may be performed based on the determined amount of power that remains in the battery.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a mobile communications device, the method comprising:

monitoring power consumption used in performance of a plurality of tasks by the mobile communications device;

determining an amount of power that remains in a battery of the mobile communications device; and

displaying a user interface on a display device of the mobile communications device that describes an amount of time each of the plurality of tasks may be performed based on the determined amount of power that remains in the battery.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more of the tasks include execution of an application by the mobile communications device and the user interface displays the amount of time that the application is executable based on the determined amount of power that remains in the battery.

3. A method as described in claim 2, wherein the application is a web browser and the amount of time reflects time that is spendable to browse an Internet using the web browser.

4. A method as described in claim 2, wherein the application is a media player and the amount of time reflects time that is spendable to render media for output by the mobile communications device.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more of the tasks include data synchronization and the user interface displays a number of times the data synchronization is performable based on the determined amount of power that remains in the battery.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more of the tasks include a plurality of applications that are currently being executed by the mobile communications device and the user interface displays an amount of time the plurality of applications are executable on the mobile communications device based on the determine amount of power that remains in the battery.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more of the displayed tasks take into an account at least a plurality of different network connections that are usable to perform the task.

8. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the determining and the displaying are repeated at predetermined intervals to update the user interface.

9. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the amount of time displayed for at least one said task indicates how long until the mobile communications device enters an emergency threshold in which non-emergency telephone calls are restricted from being performed.

10. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the displaying includes a combinatory list of tasks that are allowed to be performed based on the determined amount of power that remains in the battery.

11. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

indicating the amount of time to at least one application that corresponds to at least one said task; and

adjusting performance of the at least one said task by the application in response to the indicated amount of time such that an amount of power consumed to perform the task is reduced.

12. A method as described in claim 11, wherein the adjusting includes changing how hardware resources of the mobile communications device are used to perform the at least one said task

13. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising instructions that are executable by a mobile communications device to provide an operating system that is executable to determine battery usage of the mobile communications device to perform one or more tasks and expose data generated from the determined usage via an application programming interface (API) to one or more applications that are executable on the mobile communications device to adjust power consumption by the one or more applications.

14. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 13, wherein the power consumption by the one or more applications is adjusted by reducing a frequency at which at least one task of the one or more applications is performed.

15. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 14, wherein the usage is determined statistically using data that is received by the mobile communications device that describes the amount of power used to perform the one or more tasks.

16. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 13, wherein the power consumption by the one or more applications is adjusted by causing at least one said application to terminate execution on the mobile communications device.

17. One or more computer-readable media as described in claim 13, wherein the power consumption by the one or more applications is adjusted by restricting hardware resources used by the one or more applications.

18. A mobile communications device comprising:

a battery;

a processor; and

memory configured to maintain instructions that are executable on the processor to;

monitor an amount of power that remains in the battery; and

if the amount of power drops below a threshold level that is set to enable a telephone call, restrict telephone calls from being performed that are directed at a non-emergency telephone numbers.

19. A mobile communications device as described in claim 18, wherein the threshold level is set to enable a plurality of emergency telephone calls to be made based on monitored usage of telephone functionality of the mobile communications device.

20. A mobile communications device as described in claim 18, further comprising if the amount of power drops below a threshold level that is set to enable global positioning system functionality, restrict at least one task from being performed by the mobile communications device.