Method and system with adaptive data transfer policy based on a power state of a computing device

• US 6,938,174 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2001
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Karidis, John Peter, Inoue, Ken, Dumarot, Dan Peter, Kesavarapu, Sreenivasulu, Seminara, Mary R., LeKuch, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Chun
• Application Number:
  US09/854,980
• Publication Number:
  US 20020042888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 713/320, 713/323, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 709/203, 455/446
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/165 the additional display being small, e.g. for presenting status information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus

Abstract

The present invention pertains to a computing system having an input system with local storage interfaced with a computing device, wherein input information is transferred from the digitizer input system to the interfaced computing device based on an adaptive transfer policy that extends the battery life of the interfaced computing device. The interfaced computing device may be a PC. The digitizer input system can support automated, selective transfer policies based on the power management configuration of the PC interfaced with the digitizer input system and user-selected transfer policies.

Claims

1. A computing system, said computing system comprising:

a first computing device comprising local storage and a detector for detecting signals emitted from a pen input device for generating stroke information therefrom; and

a second computing device coupled to said first computing device, wherein said detected stroke information is selectively transferred or not transferred to said second computing device based on an adaptive transfer policy that is dependent at least on a power state of said second computing device.

2. The computing system of claim 1 wherein said transfer policy automatically adapts to a power state of said second computing device.

3. The computing system of claim 1 wherein said transfer policy automatically adapts to extend a battery life of said second computing device.

4. The computing system of claim 2, wherein said second computing device resides in a power state selected from one of an Off state, an On/Low Power state, and a Normal/High Power state.

5. The computing system of claim 1, wherein said transfer policy of said stroke information is based on a user-selected setting.

6. The computing system of claim 5, wherein said user-selected setting is based on at least one of a transfer interval or a rate of stroke information detection.

7. The computing system of claim 1, wherein said transfer of said stroke information is based on one of an amount of stroke information stored in said local storage, a duration of stroke information detection and a rate of stroke information detection.

8. The computing system of claim 1, wherein said transfer policy is based on a power management configuration of said second computing device.

9. The computing system of claim 1, wherein said transfer policy automatically adapts to a change in a pattern of the detected user input.

10. A method for selectively transferring information from a first computing device to a second computing device of a computing system, said steps comprising:

detecting an emitted signal from a pen input device of a first computing device for generating stroke information therefrom;

determining a power state of said second computing device; and

transferring or not transferring said stroke information from said first computing device to said second computing device in accordance with a transfer policy that at least depends on said determined power state.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said transfer policy automatically adapts to extend a battery life of said second computing device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said power state is selected from one of an Off state, an On/Low Power state, and a Normal/High Power state.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said transfer policy of said stroke information is dependent on a user-selected setting.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said user-selected setting is either a transfer interval or a rate of stroke information detection.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said transfer of said stroke information is based on one of an amount of stroke information stored in a local storage, a duration of stroke information detection and a rate of stroke information detection.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein said transfer policy is based on a power management configuration of said second computing device.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein said transfer policy is based on a change in a pattern of the detected user input.

18. A storage medium having computer readable program instructions embodied therein for selectively transferring information from a first computing device to a second computing device of a computing system, said storage media comprising:

program instructions for detecting a signal emitted from a pen input device of a first computing device for generating stroke information therefrom;

program instructions for determining a power state of said second computing device; and

program instructions for transferring or not transferring said stroke information from said first computing device to said second computing device depending at least on said determined power state.

19. The storage medium of claim 18 further including program instructions for automatically adapting said transfer policy to extend a battery life of said second computing device.

20. The storage medium of claim 18 further including program instructions for determining said power state of said second computing device from one of an Off state, an On/Low Power state, and a Normal/High Power state.

21. The storage media of claim 18 further including program instructions for basing said transfer policy of said stroke information on a user-selected setting.

22. The storage media of claim 21 further including program instructions for determining whether said user-selected setting is either a transfer interval or a rate of stroke information detection.

23. The storage media of claim 18 including program instructions for basing said transfer of said stroke information on one of an amount of stroke information stored in said local storage, a duration of stroke information detection, and a rate of stroke information detection.

24. The storage media of claim 18 further including program instructions for basing said transfer of said stroke information on a power management configuration of said second computing device.

25. The storage media of claim 18 further including program instructions for basing said transfer of said stroke information on a change in a pattern of the detected user input.

26. A computing system, said computing system comprising:

a first computing device comprising local storage and a detector for detecting user input to said first computing device; and

a second computing device coupled to said first computing device, wherein said detected user input is transferred to said second computer based on an adaptive transfer policy that is dependent at least on a power state of said second computing device.

27. The computing system of claim 26 wherein said transfer policy automatically adapts to a power state of said second computing device.

28. The computing system of claim 27 wherein said second computing device resides in a power state selected from one of an Off state, an On/Low Power state, and a Normal/High Power state.

29. The computing system of claim 26 wherein said transfer policy automatically adapts to a change in a pattern of the detected user input.

30. The computing system of claim 26 wherein said detector detects audible signals.

31. The computing system of claim 26 wherein said detector detects signals emitted from a pen input device for generating stroke information.

32. The computing system of claim 26 wherein said detector detects keyboard or keypad entries.