Method and Apparatus for Modifying a Transition to an Altered Power State of an Electronic Device Based on Accelerometer Output

• US 20110267026A1
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ulrich, Sean Michael, Locker, Howard, Perrin, Steven Richard, Matthews, Michael Thano, Davis, Mark Charles
• Granted Patent: US 9,122,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 323/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• 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 11/3058 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for modifying a transition to an altered power state of an electronic device based on accelerometer output. The apparatus includes an electronic device having a display and an accelerometer. The apparatus also includes a determination module, and a modification module. The determination module determines an in-use condition of the electronic device based on accelerometer output for the electronic device. The modification module modifies a transition to an altered power state of the electronic device in response to the determination module determining the in-use condition.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an electronic device having a display and an accelerometer;

a determination module determining an in-use condition of the electronic device based on accelerometer output for the electronic device; and

a modification module modifying a transition to an altered power state of the electronic device in response to the determination module determining the in-use condition.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determination module monitors changes in one or more accelerometer values of the accelerometer output over a period of time, wherein the determination module determines the in-use condition based on the changes in the one or more accelerometer values over the period of time.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the determination module determines the in-use condition in response to determining that the changes in the one or more accelerometer values correspond with an in-use definition, the in-use definition indicative of a user using the electronic device.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the determination module further comprises a filtering module filtering particular changes in the one or more accelerometer values out of the accelerometer output, the particular changes characteristic of a type of movement of the electronic device, the determination module determining the in-use condition from the filtered accelerometer output.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a learning module, monitoring user interaction with the electronic device;

associating the monitored user interaction with a portion of the accelerometer output; and

adapting an in-use definition based on the association of the monitored user interaction with the portion of the accelerometer output.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the modification module extends time of one or more timers associated with the transition to the altered power state of the electronic device in response to the determination module determining the in-use condition.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the altered power state of the electronic device comprises one or more of a quiesced state, a low-power state, a high-power state, a state in which one or more operations of the electronic device are operating at a high capacity, and a state in which one or more operations of the electronic device are one of suspended and operating at a reduced capacity.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises one of a portable information handling device, mobile phone, and a peripheral device.

9. A method comprising:

determining an in-use condition of an electronic device based on accelerometer output for the electronic device; and

modifying a transition to an altered power state of the electronic device in response to determining the in-use condition.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the in-use condition further comprises monitoring changes in one or more accelerometer values of the accelerometer output over a period of time and determining the in-use condition based on the changes in the one or more accelerometer values over the period of time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the in-use condition is determined in response to determining that the changes in the one or more accelerometer values correspond with an in-use definition, the in-use definition indicative of a user using the electronic device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining the in-use condition further comprises filtering particular changes in the one or more accelerometer values out of the accelerometer output and determining the in-use condition from the filtered accelerometer output, the particular changes characteristic of a type of movement of the electronic device.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising,

monitoring user interaction with the electronic device;

associating the monitored user interaction with a portion of the accelerometer output; and

adapting an in-use definition based on the association of the monitored user interaction with the portion of the accelerometer output.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein modifying the transition to the altered power state further comprises extending time of one or more timers associated with the transition to the altered power state of the electronic device in response to determining the in-use condition.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the altered power state of the electronic device comprises one or more of a quiesced state, a low-power state, a high-power state, a state in which one or more operations of the electronic device are operating at a high capacity, and a state in which one or more operations of the electronic device are one of suspended and operating at a reduced capacity.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the electronic device comprises one of a portable information handling device, a mobile phone, and a peripheral device.

17. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium storing computer usable program code executable to perform operations comprising:

determining an in-use condition of an electronic device based on accelerometer output for the electronic device; and

modifying a transition to an altered power state of the electronic device in response to determining the in-use condition.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein determining the in-use condition further comprises monitoring patterns in one or more accelerometer values of the accelerometer output over a period of time and determining the in-use condition based on the patterns in the one or more accelerometer values over the period of time.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the in-use condition is determined in response to determining that the patterns in the one or more accelerometer values correspond with an in-use definition, the in-use definition indicative of a user using the electronic device.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the altered power state of the electronic device comprises one or more of a quiesced state, a low-power state, a high-power state, a state in which one or more operations of the electronic device are operating at a high capacity, and a state in which one or more operations of the electronic device are one of suspended and operating at a reduced capacity, wherein modifying the transition to the altered power state further comprises extending time of one or more timers associated with the transition to the altered power state of the electronic device in response to determining the in-use condition.