METHODS AND APPARATUS TO MANAGE POWER AND PERFORMANCE OF COMPUTING DEVICES BASED ON USER PRESENCE

• US 20200133374A1
• Filed: 12/27/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sinha, Vishal, Diefenbaugh, Paul, Fleming, Kristoffer, Rivas Toledano, Raoul, Kirubakaran, Deepak Samuel, Braun, William
• Granted Patent: US 11,733,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to manage power and performance of computing devices based on user presence are disclosed. An apparatus includes an engagement detector to determine an engagement of a user with a device based on at least one of image data generated by an image sensor or an application running on the device; and an operation mode selector to select one of a plurality of operation modes for the device based on a level of engagement of the user, the plurality of operation modes including (1) a first operation mode associated with the device operating at a first performance level and a first power level and (2) a second operation mode associated with the device operating at a second performance level and a second power level, the first performance level being higher than the second performance level, the first power level being higher than the second power level.

Claims

1. An apparatus to manage power consumption and performance of a computing device, the apparatus comprising:

an engagement detector to determine an engagement of a user with the computing device based on at least one of image data generated by an image sensor of the computing device or an application running on the computing device; and

an operation mode selector is to select one of a plurality of operation modes for the computing device based on a level of engagement of the user in operation of the computing device, the plurality of operation modes including (1) a first operation mode associated with the computing device operating at a first performance level and a first power level and (2) a second operation mode associated with the computing device operating at a second performance level and a second power level, the first performance level being higher than the second performance level, the first power level being higher than the second power level.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a performance parameter manager to set a plurality of performance parameters associated with the computing device based on whether the operation mode selector selected the first operation mode or the second operation mode.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the performance parameter manager is to:

assign a first limit to a package power limit for the computing device when the first operation mode is selected; and

assign a second limit to the package power limit for the computing device when the second operation mode is selected, the first limit higher than the second limit.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the performance parameter manager is to:

assign a first value to an energy performance preference parameter for the computing device when the first operation mode is selected; and

assign a second value to the energy performance preference parameter for the computing device when the second operation mode is selected, the first value indicating a higher priority is given to performance than the second value, the first value indicating a lower priority is given to power saving than the second value.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second value corresponds to a balance in priorities between performance and power saving.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the performance parameter manager is to:

set a first power state cap for the computing device when the first operation mode is selected; and

set a second power state cap for the computing device when the second operation mode is selected, the first power state cap enabling higher power consuming power states than the second power state cap.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first power state cap does not limit available power states of the computing device and the second power state cap corresponds to an efficient power state for the computing device.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first power state cap corresponds to an efficient power state for the computing device and the second power state cap corresponds to less than the efficient power state.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the performance parameter manager is to:

set a first background activity limit for the computing device when the first operation mode is selected; and

set a second background activity limit for the computing device when the second operation mode is selected, the first background activity limit limiting background activity more than the second background activity limit.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a user presence detector to determine a presence of the user relative to the computing device based on the image data.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the operation mode selector is to:

select the first operation mode when the user is present and actively engaged with the computing device; and

select the second operation mode when the user is present and passively engaged with the computing device.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the operation mode selector is to:

select the first operation mode when the user is present and engaged with the computing device; and

select the second operation mode when the user is present but not engaged with the computing device.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the operation mode selector is to:

select the first operation mode when the user is absent and the computing device is implementing an ongoing user-initiated task; and

select the second operation mode when the user is absent and no ongoing user-initiated task is being implemented.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of operation modes includes a third operation mode associated with the computing device operating at a third performance level and a third power level, the third performance level being lower than the second performance level, the third power level being lower than the second power level.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the operation mode selector is to:

select the first operation mode when the user is actively engaged with computing device;

select the second operation mode when the user is passively engaged with the computing device; and

select the third operation mode when the user is not engaged with the computing device.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the engagement detector includes a user interaction detector, the user interaction detector to detect the user is actively engaged with the computing device based on detection of user inputs received at the computing device.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the engagement detector includes a gaze detector, the gaze detector to:

determine a direction of gaze of the user based on the image data; and

determine whether the user is passively engaged or not engaged based on the direction of gaze of the user.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the engagement detector includes an application usage detector, the application usage detector to determine whether the user is passively engaged or not engaged based on whether the application running on the computing device corresponds to an ongoing user-initiated task.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to at least:

determine an engagement of a user with a computing device based on at least one of image data generated by an image sensor of the computing device or an application running on the computing device; and

select one of a plurality of operation modes for the computing device based on a level of engagement of the user in operation of the computing device, the plurality of operation modes including (1) a first operation mode associated with the computing device operating at a first performance level and a first power level and (2) a second operation mode associated with the computing device operating at a second performance level and a second power level, the first performance level being higher than the second performance level, the first power level being higher than the second power level.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to determine a presence of the user relative to the computing device based on the image data.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

select the first operation mode when the user is present and actively engaged with the computing device; and

select the second operation mode when the user is present and passively engaged with the computing device.

30. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

select the first operation mode when the user is present and engaged with the computing device; and

select the second operation mode when the user is present but not engaged with the computing device.

31. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

select the first operation mode when the user is absent and the computing device is implementing an ongoing user-initiated task; and

select the second operation mode when the user is absent and no ongoing user-initiated task is being implemented.

20-27. -27. (canceled)

32-36. -36. (canceled)

37. A method to manage power consumption and performance of a computing device, the method comprising:

determining, by executing an instruction with at least one processor, an engagement of a user with the computing device based on at least one of image data generated by an image sensor of the computing device or an application running on the computing device; and

selecting, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, one of a plurality of operation modes for the computing device based on a level of engagement of the user in operation of the computing device, the plurality of operation modes including (1) a first operation mode associated with the computing device operating at a first performance level and a first power level and (2) a second operation mode associated with the computing device operating at a second performance level and a second power level, the first performance level being higher than the second performance level, the first power level being higher than the second power level.

38. The method of claim 37, further including setting a plurality of performance parameters associated with the computing device based on the selection of the first operation mode or the second operation mode.

39-54. -54. (canceled)