ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR APPLICATION AND PROFILE SENSITIVE BATTERY POWER MANAGEMENT

• US 20120239949A1
• Filed: 03/14/2011
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: KALYANASUNDARAM, Sanjay, GOPALAN, Balaji
• Application Number:
  US13/047,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20120239949A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/320
• 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 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/329 by task scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4893 taking into account power or heat criteria power management in computers in general G06F1/3203; thermal management in computers in general G06F1/206
• 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 of power management in a portable electronic device powered by a finite power supply, such as a battery, is provided. The method comprises determining a residual power level in the finite power supply; and selectively disabling one or more applications installed on the portable electronic device based on an application ranking profile of each of the one or more applications when the residual power level falls below a threshold power level.

Claims

1. A method of power management in a portable electronic device powered by a finite power supply, the method comprising:

determining a residual power level in the finite power supply; and

,

selectively disabling one or more applications installed on the portable electronic device based on an application ranking profile of each of the one or more applications when the residual power level falls below a threshold power level.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein selectively disabling one or more applications installed on the portable electronic device includes preventing launching of an application.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the application ranking profile of each of the one or more applications includes a relative importance indicator.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the relative importance indicator is determined as a function of at least one of user preference, application developer preference, and device manufacturer preference.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the relative importance indicator is automatically determined based on a frequency of use of each of the one or applications.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating a notification of the selectively disabled applications.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the threshold power level is a first threshold power level, the method further comprising:

repeating the selective disabling of the one or more applications when the residual power level in the power supply falls below a second threshold power level.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

automatically reactivating the selectively disabled applications based on the application ranking profile of the one or more applications as the power supply is recharged.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more applications are grouped into a plurality of groups based on a grouping criteria, each group having an associated group application ranking profile, and

the plurality of groups are selectively disabled based on the group application ranking profile as the residual power in the power supply falls below the threshold power level.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining network connectivity of the portable electronic device while selectively disabling one or more applications.

11. A portable electronic device powered by a finite power supply comprising:

a memory unit; and

a processor operably connected to the memory unit to execute a program stored in the memory unit to cause the portable electronic device to;

determine a residual power in finite power supply; and

,

selectively disable one or more applications installed on the portable electronic device based on an application ranking profile of the one or more applications when the residual power level falls below a threshold power level.

12. The portable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein selectively disabling one or more applications installed on the portable electronic device includes preventing launching of an application.

13. The portable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the application ranking profile of each of the one or more applications includes a relative importance indicator.

14. The portable electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the relative importance indicator is determined as a function of at least one of user preference, application developer preference, and device manufacturer preference.

15. The portable electronic device according to claim 13, wherein the relative importance indicator is automatically determined based on a frequency of use of each of the one or more applications.

16. The portable electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the processor further causes the portable electronic device to:

generate a notification of the selectively disabled applications.

17. The portable electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the threshold power level is a first threshold power level and the processor further causes the portable electronic device to:

repeat the selective disabling of one or more applications as the residual power in the power supply falls below a second threshold power level.

18. The portable electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the processor further causes the portable electronic device to:

automatically reactivate the selectively disabled applications based on the application ranking profile of the one or more applications as the power supply is recharged.

19. The portable electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the one or more applications are grouped into a plurality of groups based on a grouping criteria, each group having an associated group application ranking profile, and

the plurality of groups are selectively disabled based on the group application ranking profile as the residual power in the power supply falls below the threshold power level.

20. The portable electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the processor further causes the portable electronic device.

maintain network connectivity of the portable electronic device while selectively disabling one or more applications.

21. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium having computer-readable code embodied therein executable by a processor of a portable electronic device powered by a finite power supply to cause the portable electronic device to:

determine a residual power in the power supply; and

,

selectively disable one or more applications installed on the portable electronic device based on an application ranking profile of the one or more applications when the residual power level falls below a threshold power level.

22. A method comprising:

presenting a user with a list of applications installed on a portable electronic device and a relative importance indicator for each application;

receiving input from the user; and

modifying at least one relative importance indicator as a function of the received input.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising:

selectively disabling one or more applications based on the relative importance indicator as a residual power in a finite power supply of the portable electronic device falls below a threshold power level.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising:

presenting the user with a notification of the selectively disabled applications.