METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANAGING POWER LEVELS IN A HANDHELD MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20120221877A1
• Filed: 02/25/2011
• Published: 08/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Prabu, Ganesh J.
• Application Number:
  US13/035,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20120221877A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/340
• 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: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0264 by selectively disabling software applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• 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 method includes: monitoring a battery charge level in a mobile communication device operable to receive new e-mail messages when an e-mail polling operation is executed; and varying an email polling interval as a function of the battery charge level.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring a battery charge level in a mobile communication device operable to receive new e-mail messages when an e-mail polling operation is executed; and

varying an email polling interval as a function of the battery charge level.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein varying the e-mail polling interval as a function of the battery charge level comprises varying the e-mail polling interval as a function of a rate of change of the battery charge level.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein monitoring the battery charge level comprises determining if the battery charge level has reached a threshold, and varying the e-mail polling interval comprises increasing the e-mail polling interval when the battery charge level reaches the threshold.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein monitoring the battery charge level comprises determining the rate of change in the battery charge level over a period of time, and varying the e-mail polling interval comprises increasing the e-mail polling interval as the rate of change in the battery charge level increases.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein monitoring the battery charge level comprises determining when the battery charge level in the mobile communication device has reached one of a number of thresholds, and varying the e-mail polling interval comprises increasing the e-mail polling interval each time another one of the number of thresholds is reached.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the e-mail polling interval is varied linearly.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising varying the e-mail polling interval in response to an expected rate of change in the battery charge level associated with a device function.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the device function is one of:

text messaging, Internet browsing and telephony communications executable by a processor.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the battery charge level reaches a threshold, disabling a device function and decreasing the e-mail polling interval.

10. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable on a processor of the mobile communication device for implementing the method of claim 1.

11. A mobile communication device operable to receive new e-mail messages when an email polling operation is executed, the device comprising:

a processor in electrical communication with a battery for monitoring a battery charge level and varying an e-mail polling interval as a function of the battery charge level; and

a memory in electrical communication with the processor and a communication subsystem for storing the e-mail polling interval.

12. A mobile communication device as claimed in claim 11, comprising a power management subsystem in electrical communication with the battery and the processor for determining the battery charge level.

13. A mobile communication device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the power management subsystem is an integrated circuit in electrical communication with the battery and the processor for determining the battery charge level.

14. A mobile communication device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the e-mail polling interval is varied linearly.

15. A mobile communication device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the processor varies the e-mail polling interval as a function of a rate of change of the battery charge level.

16. A mobile communication device as claimed in claim 11, wherein when the battery charge level has reached a threshold, the processor increases the e-mail polling interval.

17. A mobile communication device as claimed in claim 11, wherein when the battery charge level in the mobile communication device has reached one of a number of thresholds, the processor increases the e-mail polling interval each time another one of the number of thresholds is reached.

18. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the e-mail polling interval is varied in response to an expected rate of change in the battery charge level associated with a device function.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the device function is one of:

text messaging, Internet browsing and telephone communications executable by a processor.

20. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein when the battery charge level reaches a threshold, a device function is disabled and the e-mail polling interval is decreased.