PREDICTING BATTERY POWER USAGE

• US 20120254634A1
• Filed: 04/01/2011
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chakra, Al, Goldberg, Itzhack, Harpur, Liam, Rice, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,949,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision

Abstract

A method for predicting battery power usage includes, collecting information relating to battery power consumption due to tasks performed by the physical computing system powered by a battery, and notifying a user in response to a determination that tasks associated with an upcoming event stored in a calendar application of the physical computing system are projected to exhaust the battery. A computing system includes a processor, a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, and a battery to power the computing system. The processor is configured to collect information relating to battery power consumption due to tasks performed by the computing system, and notify a user in response to a determination that tasks associated with an upcoming event stored in a calendar application of the computing system are projected to exhaust the battery.

Claims

1. A method for predicting battery power usage, the method comprising:

with a physical computing system powered by a battery, collecting information relating to battery power consumption due to tasks performed by said physical computing system; and

with said physical computing system, notifying a user in response to a determination that tasks associated with an upcoming event stored in a calendar application of said physical computing system are projected to exhaust said battery.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said information relating to battery power consumption due to said tasks is correlated with past events stored in said calendar application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said determination is further based in part on conditions associated with a location of said event.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said conditions comprise at least one of:

availability of alternative power sources and availability of independently powered peripheral devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said tasks comprise at least one of:

running software applications, using specific pieces of hardware, and powering peripheral devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein notifying said user comprises at least one of:

reminding said user to bring a charging device for said physical computing system to said event and reminding said user to fully charge said battery before said event.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said tasks associated with said event are determined by at least one of:

historical data from past events and user specification.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein notifying said user comprises suggesting to said user to use an alternate method of presentation for said event if said event comprises a presentation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said event comprises a plurality of back-to-back events, the combination of said events being projected to exhaust said battery.

10. A computing system comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to said processor; and

a battery to power said computing system;

in which said processor is configured to;

collect information relating to battery power consumption due to tasks performed by said computing system; and

notify a user in response to a determination that tasks associated with an upcoming event stored in a calendar application of said computing system are projected to exhaust said battery.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said information relating to battery power consumption due to said tasks is correlated with past events stored in said calendar application

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said tasks comprise at least one of:

running software applications, using specific pieces of hardware, and powering peripheral devices.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein to notify said user, said processor is configured to at least one of:

remind said user to bring a charging device for said physical computing system to said event and remind said user to fully charge said battery before said event.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein said tasks associated with said event are determined by at least one of historical data from past events and user specification.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein to notify said user, said processor is configured to suggest to said user to use an alternate method of presentation for said event if said event comprises a presentation.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein said event comprises a plurality of back-to-back events, the combination of said events being projected to exhaust said battery.

17. A computer program product for predicting battery power usage, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable code embodied therewith, said computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to collect information relating to battery power consumption due to tasks performed by a physical computing system running said computer program product; and

computer readable program code configured to notify a user in response to a determination that tasks associated with an upcoming event stored in a calendar application of said physical computing system are projected to exhaust said battery.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said determination is further based in part on conditions associated with a location of said event.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said conditions comprise at least one of:

availability of alternative power sources and availability of independently powered peripheral devices.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said tasks comprise at least one of:

running software applications, using specific pieces of hardware, and powering peripheral devices.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein to notify said user, said computer readable program code is configured to at least one of:

remind said user to bring a charging device for said physical computing system to said event and remind said user to fully charge said battery before said event.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein to notify said user, said computer readable program code is configured to suggest to said user to use an alternate method of presentation for said event if said event comprises a presentation.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said event comprises a plurality of back-to-back events, the combination of said events being projected to exhaust said battery.

24. A method for predicting battery power usage, the method comprising:

with a physical computing device powered by a battery, collecting information relating to battery power consumption of tasks performed by said physical computing system during events stored in a calendar application of said physical computing system;

with said physical computing system, determining which of said tasks are used for one of said events;

with said physical computing system, determining whether said tasks will exhaust said battery power during said one of said events; and

with said physical computing system, notifying a user if said physical computing system will be powered solely by said battery during said event and said tasks are projected to exhaust said battery.

25. A computing system comprising:

a processor;

a memory communicatively coupled to said processor; and

a battery to power said computing system;

in which said processor is configured to;

collect information relating to battery power consumption of tasks performed by said computing system during events stored in a calendar application on said computing system;

determine which of said tasks are used for one of said events;

determine whether said tasks will exhaust said battery power during said one of said events; and

notify a user if said computing system will be powered solely by said battery during said event and said tasks are projected to exhaust said battery.