EXTENDING BATTERY LIFE OF A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20120169608A1
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Forutanpour, Babak, Stern, Ronen R., Shahri, Homayoun, Aziz, Farhan M., Romera Jolliff, Maria E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,665,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• 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 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/342 using several illumination sources separately controlled corresponding to different display panel areas, e.g. along one dimension such as lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• 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: H04W 52/0264 by selectively disabling software applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• 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

A particular method includes determining a battery charge value of a battery at a particular time and comparing the battery charge value at the particular time to a threshold battery charge value of a battery usage profile associated with the particular time, where the threshold battery charge value varies over time (e.g., a dynamic threshold). When the battery charge value does not satisfy the threshold battery charge value, the method includes prompting a user to select a power save mode. For example, the power save mode may include activating a different backlight element of a plurality of backlight elements of a display device in response to a motion sensor of a portable electronic device detecting movement of the portable electronic device from a first orientation to a second orientation.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

activating a first backlight element of a plurality of backlight elements of a portable electronic device when the portable electronic device has a first orientation, wherein each backlight element of the plurality of backlight elements is associated with a particular portion of a display device of the portable electronic device, and wherein the first backlight element is associated with a first portion of the display device; and

activating a second backlight element of the plurality of backlight elements in response to a motion sensor of the portable electronic device detecting movement of the portable electronic device from the first orientation to a second orientation, wherein the second backlight element is associated with a second portion of the display device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising deactivating the first backlight element in response to activation of the second backlight element.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising activating a third backlight element of the plurality of backlight elements in response to the motion sensor detecting movement of the portable electronic device from the second orientation to a third orientation, wherein the third backlight element is associated with a third portion of the display device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising deactivating the second backlight element in response to activation of the third backlight element.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the movement includes a change in pitch of the portable electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the movement includes a change in one of roll and yaw of the portable electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor includes an accelerometer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor includes one of a gyroscope and a compass.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of backlight elements of the portable electronic device other than the first backlight element is deactivated when the portable electronic device has the first orientation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of backlight elements of the portable electronic device other than the second backlight element is deactivated when the portable electronic device has the second orientation.

11. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a display device;

a plurality of backlight elements, wherein each backlight element of the plurality of backlight elements is associated with a particular portion of the display device;

a motion sensor; and

logic configured to;

activate a first backlight element of the plurality of backlight elements when the portable electronic device has a first orientation, wherein the first backlight element is associated with a first portion of the display device; and

activate a second backlight element of the plurality of backlight elements in response to the motion sensor detecting movement of the portable electronic device from the first orientation to a second orientation, wherein the second backlight element is associated with a second portion of the display device.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 11, wherein the logic is further configured to activate a third backlight element of the plurality of backlight elements in response to the motion sensor detecting movement of the portable electronic device from the first orientation to a third orientation, wherein the third backlight element is associated with a third portion of the display device.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 12, wherein the motion sensor includes an accelerometer, wherein the second backlight element is activated in response to the accelerometer detecting a change of pitch in a first direction, and wherein the third backlight element is activated in response to the accelerometer detecting a change of pitch in a second direction.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 11, wherein the logic is further configured to activate all of the plurality of backlight elements in response to the motion sensor detecting a shaking motion.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of backlight elements other than the first backlight element is deactivated when the portable electronic device has the first orientation, and wherein each of the plurality of backlight elements other than the second backlight element is deactivated when the portable electronic device has the second orientation.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

means for detecting movement of a portable electronic device;

means for activating a first backlight element of a plurality of backlight elements of a display device when the portable electronic device has a first orientation, wherein each backlight element of the plurality of backlight elements is associated with a particular portion of the display device, and wherein the first backlight element is associated with a first portion of the display device; and

means for activating a second backlight element of the plurality of backlight elements in response to detection of movement of the portable electronic device from the first orientation to a second orientation, wherein the second backlight element is associated with a second portion of the display device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising means for activating a third backlight element of the plurality of backlight elements in response to detection of movement of the portable electronic device to a third orientation, wherein the third backlight element is associated with a third portion of the display device.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising means for deactivating the first backlight element when the second backlight element is activated.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

activate a first backlight element of a plurality of backlight elements of a portable electronic device when the portable electronic device has a first orientation, wherein each backlight element of the plurality of backlight elements is associated with a particular portion of a display device of the portable electronic device, and wherein the first backlight element is associated with a first portion of the display device; and

activate a second backlight element of the plurality of backlight elements in response to the portable electronic device moving from the first orientation to a second orientation, wherein the second backlight element is associated with a second portion of the display device.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to activate a third backlight element of the plurality of backlight elements in response to the portable electronic device moving to a third orientation, wherein the third backlight element is associated with a third portion of the display device.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to deactivate the first backlight element when the second backlight element is activated.

22. A method, comprising:

determining a battery charge value of a battery of a portable electronic device at a particular time;

comparing the battery charge value determined at the particular time to a threshold battery charge value of a battery usage profile associated with the particular time, wherein the threshold battery charge value varies over time; and

when the battery charge value does not satisfy the threshold battery charge value, prompting a user to select a power save mode.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein prompting the user to select the power save mode includes initiating a display that includes options to select the power save mode from multiple selectable power save modes.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein one of the multiple selectable power save modes includes a windowing display mode that activates one or more backlight elements of a plurality of backlights of the portable electronic device based on an orientation of the portable electronic device.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein one of the multiple selectable power save modes includes a touchscreen gestures mode that disables illumination of a touchscreen display of the portable electronic device, wherein the touchscreen display is not illuminated in response to received touchscreen input when the touchscreen display is disabled.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein an action is invoked in response to the received touchscreen input without illuminating the touchscreen display when the touchscreen display is disabled.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein prompting the user to select a power save mode includes initiating display of information indicating that the battery charge value does not satisfy the threshold battery charge value.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising displaying one or more suggestions to reduce power consumption.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the one or more suggestions to reduce power consumption include a suggestion to deactivate a first application with a first power consumption level and to activate an alternative application with a reduced power consumption level.

30. The method of claim 22, further comprising executing an application to retrieve data and to store the data at the portable electronic device in response to determining that the portable electronic device is operating under conditions indicating that a user of the portable electronic device is inactive.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the conditions include one or more of an ambient light condition, a lack of movement, a presence at a prior location, and a time of day.

32. An apparatus, comprising:

means for determining a battery charge value of a battery of a portable electronic device at a particular time;

means for comparing the battery charge value determined at the particular time to a threshold battery charge value of a battery usage profile associated with the particular time, wherein the threshold battery charge value varies over time; and

means for prompting a user to select a power save mode when the battery charge value does not satisfy the threshold battery charge value.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising:

means for disabling illumination of a touchscreen display of the portable electronic device, wherein the touchscreen display is not illuminated in response to received touchscreen input when the illuminated touchscreen display is disabled; and

means for invoking an action in response to the received touchscreen input without illuminating the touchscreen display when the illuminated touchscreen display is disabled.

34. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

determine a battery charge value of a battery at a particular time;

compare the battery charge value determined at the particular time to a threshold battery charge value of a battery usage profile associated with the particular time, wherein the threshold battery charge value varies over time; and

prompt a user to select a power save mode when the battery charge value does not satisfy the threshold battery charge value.

35. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 34, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

disable illumination of a touchscreen display, wherein the touchscreen display is not illuminated in response to received touchscreen input when the illumination of the touchscreen display is disabled; and

invoke an action in response to the received touchscreen input without illuminating the touchscreen display when the illumination of the touchscreen display is disabled.

36. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 34, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

determine a wireless signal strength; and

selectively download one or more content items based at least partially on the determined wireless signal strength, wherein the one or more content items are downloaded when the determined wireless signal strength satisfies a wireless signal strength threshold, and wherein the one or more content items are not downloaded when the determined wireless signal strength does not satisfy the wireless signal strength threshold.