Anticipatory Power Management for Battery-Powered Electronic Device

• US 20110083025A1
• Filed: 12/13/2010
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael M. Lee
• Original Assignee: Michael M. Lee
• Inventors: Lee, Michael M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,407,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/329 by task scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for managing power consumption of a battery-powered electronic device are disclosed. According to one embodiment, power management can take action to reduce power consumption to accommodate estimated power requirements. According to another embodiment, power management can notify a user when a power deficiency is anticipated. According to still another embodiment, power management can advise a user to charge a battery of the battery-powered electronic device. According to still another embodiment, a user can influence power management by user selections.

Claims

1. A method for managing power utilization by a multi-function electronic device powered by a battery, the method comprising:

receiving a user request for activation of a supported function of the multi-function electronic device;

identifying an impending device usage, the identifying of the impending device usage being based at least in part on the user request to activate the supported function;

obtaining a power estimate for the multi-function electronic device to complete the impending device usage;

obtaining a battery characteristic associated with the battery;

determining, based on the battery characteristic, whether the battery has adequate capacity to satisfy the power estimate for the multi-function electronic device is to complete the impending device usage; and

reducing power consumption of the multi-function electronic device during at least the impending device usage by disabling one or more other supported functions of the multi-function electronic device when the determining determines that the battery has inadequate charge capacity to satisfy the power estimate for the multi-function electronic device to complete the impending device usage.