LOW POWER MODE

• US 20200133384A1
• Filed: 12/30/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: ANDREWS, Jonathan J., DE LA CROPTE DE CHANTERAC, Cyril, KIM, Eugene
• Granted Patent: US 10,983,588 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

Examples of the disclosure are directed to a method of, after hitting a UVLO threshold, rebooting an electronic device in a low power mode having a lower UVLO threshold, such that the device can continue to be used past the first UVLO threshold. For example, in a high power mode, the device may be capable of a number of functionalities of a modern portable electronic device, such as network access, the ability to run applications, Bluetooth connections, etc. In a low power mode, the device may only be able to check and display a current time, play an alarm sound at a predefined time, perform near field communication (NFC) transactions/payments, among other possibilities described herein. The limited functionality and reduced usage of peripherals in the low power mode may prevent the battery from experiencing peaks in current level that may be problematic at relatively low levels of voltage.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at an electronic device;

operating the electronic device in a high power mode, wherein in the high power mode, the electronic device is configured to perform a first set of functions, including performing a type of transaction that requires authorization information;

while operating the electronic device in the high power mode, determining that one or more criteria have been satisfied; and

in response to determining that the one or more criteria have been satisfied, transitioning the electronic device from operating in the high power mode to operating in a low power mode, wherein;

the transitioning includes storing the authorization information for performing the type of transaction that requires the authorization information, and

in the low power mode, the electronic device is configured to perform only a second set of functions, a subset of the first set of functions and including fewer functions than the first set of functions, including performing one or more transactions using the stored authorization information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining that the one or more criteria have been satisfied includes;

obtaining a first characteristic of a battery of the electronic device;

determining that the first characteristic is lower than a first threshold; and

in accordance with the determination that the first characteristic is lower than the first threshold, enabling the low power mode.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein transitioning the electronic device from operating in the high power mode to operating in the low power mode includes:

after enabling the low power mode, initiating a booting process;

obtaining a second characteristic of the battery;

determining whether the second characteristic is lower than a second threshold, higher than the first threshold;

in accordance with a determination that the second characteristic is lower than the second threshold, continuing the booting process according to the low power mode and storing the authorization information; and

in accordance with a determination that the second characteristic is higher than the second threshold, continuing the booting process according to the high power mode.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

in the low power mode, only powering on a subset of modules of the electronic device; and

in the high power mode, powering on the subset of modules of the electronic device and powering on one or more additional modules of the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

in the high power mode, invoking a first operating system configured to perform the first set of functions; and

in the low power mode, invoking a second operating system configured to perform only the second set of functions, a subset of the first set of functions and including fewer functions than the first set of functions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein transitioning the electronic device from operating in the high power mode to operating in the low power mode includes:

storing a local time offset from a reference time, the reference time different than a local time at the electronic device, and the local time offset reflecting a difference between the reference time and the local time,

wherein in the low power mode, the electronic device is configured to display the local time at a display of the electronic device by determining a current reference time, and applying the stored local time offset to the current reference time to obtain the local time.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, in the low power mode:

obtaining the current reference time;

applying the local time offset to the current reference time to obtain the local time at the electronic device; and

displaying, on the display, the local time at the electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in the low power mode, obtaining a characteristic of a battery of the electronic device;

determining that the characteristic is lower than a threshold; and

in accordance with a determination that the characteristic is lower than the threshold, powering off the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more transactions are payment transactions.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, configured to be executed by an electronic device, for:

operating the electronic device in a high power mode, wherein in the high power mode, the electronic device is configured to perform a first set of functions, including performing a type of transaction that requires authorization information;

while operating the electronic device in the high power mode, determining that one or more criteria have been satisfied; and

in response to determining that the one or more criteria have been satisfied, transitioning the electronic device from operating in the high power mode to operating in a low power mode, wherein;

the transitioning includes storing the authorization information for performing the type of transaction that requires the authorization information, and

in the low power mode, the electronic device is configured to perform only a second set of functions, a subset of the first set of functions and including fewer functions than the first set of functions, including performing one or more transactions using the stored authorization information.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein:

determining that the one or more criteria have been satisfied includes;

obtaining a first characteristic of a battery of the electronic device;

determining that the first characteristic is lower than a first threshold; and

in accordance with the determination that the first characteristic is lower than the first threshold, enabling the low power mode.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein transitioning the electronic device from operating in the high power mode to operating in the low power mode includes:

after enabling the low power mode, initiating a booting process;

obtaining a second characteristic of the battery;

determining whether the second characteristic is lower than a second threshold, higher than the first threshold;

in accordance with a determination that the second characteristic is lower than the second threshold, continuing the booting process according to the low power mode and storing the authorization information; and

in accordance with a determination that the second characteristic is higher than the second threshold, continuing the booting process according to the high power mode.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further for:

in the high power mode, invoking a first operating system configured to perform the first set of functions; and

in the low power mode, invoking a second operating system configured to perform only the second set of functions, a subset of the first set of functions and including fewer functions than the first set of functions.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein transitioning the electronic device from operating in the high power mode to operating in the low power mode includes:

storing a local time offset from a reference time, the reference time different than a local time at the electronic device, and the local time offset reflecting a difference between the reference time and the local time,

wherein in the low power mode, the electronic device is configured to display the local time at a display of the electronic device by determining a current reference time, and applying the stored local time offset to the current reference time to obtain the local time.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions are further for:

in the low power mode, obtaining a characteristic of a battery of the electronic device;

determining that the characteristic is lower than a threshold; and

in accordance with a determination that the characteristic is lower than the threshold, powering off the electronic device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the one or more transactions are payment transactions.

17. An electronic device comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions, configured to be executed by the one or more processors, for;

operating the electronic device in a high power mode, wherein in the high power mode, the electronic device is configured to perform a first set of functions, including performing a type of transaction that requires authorization information;

while operating the electronic device in the high power mode, determining that one or more criteria have been satisfied; and

in response to determining that the one or more criteria have been satisfied, transitioning the electronic device from operating in the high power mode to operating in a low power mode, wherein;

the transitioning includes storing the authorization information for performing the type of transaction that requires the authorization information, and

in the low power mode, the electronic device is configured to perform only a second set of functions, a subset of the first set of functions and including fewer functions than the first set of functions, including performing one or more transactions using the stored authorization information.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein:

determining that the one or more criteria have been satisfied includes;

obtaining a first characteristic of a battery of the electronic device;

determining that the first characteristic is lower than a first threshold; and

in accordance with the determination that the first characteristic is lower than the first threshold, enabling the low power mode.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein transitioning the electronic device from operating in the high power mode to operating in the low power mode includes:

after enabling the low power mode, initiating a booting process;

obtaining a second characteristic of the battery;

determining whether the second characteristic is lower than a second threshold, higher than the first threshold;

in accordance with a determination that the second characteristic is lower than the second threshold, continuing the booting process according to the low power mode and storing the authorization information; and

in accordance with a determination that the second characteristic is higher than the second threshold, continuing the booting process according to the high power mode.

20. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further for:

in the high power mode, invoking a first operating system configured to perform the first set of functions; and

in the low power mode, invoking a second operating system configured to perform only the second set of functions, a subset of the first set of functions and including fewer functions than the first set of functions.

21. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein transitioning the electronic device from operating in the high power mode to operating in the low power mode includes:

storing a local time offset from a reference time, the reference time different than a local time at the electronic device, and the local time offset reflecting a difference between the reference time and the local time,

wherein in the low power mode, the electronic device is configured to display the local time at a display of the electronic device by determining a current reference time, and applying the stored local time offset to the current reference time to obtain the local time.

22. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further for:

in the low power mode, obtaining a characteristic of a battery of the electronic device;

determining that the characteristic is lower than a threshold; and

in accordance with a determination that the characteristic is lower than the threshold, powering off the electronic device.

23. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the one or more transactions are payment transactions.