TRACKING POWER STATES OF A PERIPHERAL DEVICE

• US 20140067295A1
• Filed: 09/26/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Putman, Andrew D., Devine, Jesse M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,121,210 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/61
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2204/14 Displaying of utility usage with respect to time, e.g. for monitoring evolution of usage or with respect to weather conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

During operation, an electronic device monitors data associated with different power states received from another electronic device via an interface circuit. Using the monitored data, the electronic device calculates a time duration that the other electronic device is in an active operating mode. Moreover, the electronic device determines power states of the other electronic device based on the calculated time duration and/or a time duration between times when data is received. Next, the electronic device calculates the power-consumption history of the other electronic device based on the determined power states and at least a model of power consumption in different power states of the other electronic device. By calculating the power-consumption history of the other electronic device, the electronic device may significantly improve the accuracy of a power-usage model for the other electronic device.

Claims

1. An electronic-device-implemented method for calculating a power-consumption history of another electronic device, wherein the method comprises:

monitoring information received from the other electronic device via an interface circuit;

calculating a time duration that the other electronic device is in an active operating mode based on the monitored information;

determining power states of the other electronic device based on the calculated time duration; and

calculating the power-consumption history of the other electronic device based on the determined power states and at least a model of power consumption in different power states of the other electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the power states involves determining power sub-states within an operating mode of the electronic device after an instance of the active operating mode has ceased and before a subsequent instance of the active operating mode begins.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises modifying a user experience based on the calculated power-consumption history.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes data associated with different components in the other electronic device;

and

wherein the power-consumption history of the other electronic device is calculated based on the determined power states and models of the power consumption in different power states of the different components in the other electronic device.

5. An electronic device, comprising:

an interface circuit configured to communicate with another electronic device;

a processor coupled to the interface circuit and a memory; and

the memory, wherein the memory stores a program module, and wherein the program module is configurable to be executed by the processor to facilitate calculation of a power-consumption history of another electronic device, the program module including;

instructions for monitoring information received from the other electronic device via an interface circuit;

instructions for calculating a time duration that the other electronic device is in an active operating mode based on the monitored information;

instructions for determining power states of the other electronic device based on the calculated time duration; and

instructions for calculating the power-consumption history of the other electronic device based on the determined power states and at least a model of power consumption in different power states of the other electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the program module further includes instructions for storing the calculated power-consumption history in the memory.

7. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the instructions for determining the power states include determining power sub-states within an operating mode of the electronic device after an instance of the active operating mode has ceased and before a subsequent instance of the active operating mode begins.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein an instance of the active operating mode is associated with receiving information from the other electronic device.

9. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the information includes bursts of data.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the other electronic device is in the active operating mode when data is received and is in an idle mode when data is not received.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the other electronic device is in the active operating mode when data is received and is in another operating mode, which is other than an idle mode, during time intervals between when data is received.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the other electronic device is in an active operating mode when data is received and is in another operating mode, which is other than an idle mode, when time-invariant data is received.

13. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the program module further includes instructions for modifying a user experience based on the calculated power-consumption history.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the electronic device further includes a power source;

and

wherein the user experience includes an operating time before the power source is recharged.

15. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein modifying the user experience involves changing a performance of the electronic device.

16. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the information includes data associated with different components in the other electronic device;

and

wherein the power-consumption history of the other electronic device is calculated based on the determined power states and models of the power consumption in different power states of the different components in the other electronic device.

17. A computer-program product for use in conjunction with an electronic device, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a computer-program mechanism embedded therein, to facilitate calculation of a power-consumption history of another electronic device, the computer-program mechanism including:

instructions for monitoring information received from the other electronic device via an interface circuit;

instructions for calculating a time duration that the other electronic device is in an active operating mode based on the monitored information;

instructions for determining power states of the other electronic device based on the calculated time duration; and

instructions for calculating the power-consumption history of the other electronic device based on the determined power states and at least a model of power consumption in different power states of the other electronic device.

18. The computer-program product of claim 17, wherein the instructions for determining the power states include determining power sub-states within an operating mode of the electronic device after an instance of the active operating mode has ceased and before a subsequent instance of the active operating mode begins.

19. The computer-program product of claim 17, wherein the program module further includes instructions for modifying a user experience based on the calculated power-consumption history.

20. The computer-program product of claim 17, wherein the information includes data associated with different components in the other electronic device;

and

wherein the power-consumption history of the other electronic device is calculated based on the determined power states and models of the power consumption in different power states of the different components in the other electronic device.