Apparatus, system, and method for autonomic power adjustment in an electronic device

• US 7,117,380 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kangas, Paul Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): ELAMIN, ABDELMONIEM I
• Application Number:
  US10/677,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20050071698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 713320-324, 713/330, 713/340
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An apparatus, a system, and a method are provided for autonomic power adjustment in an electronic device. The apparatus, system, and method include a collector configured to collect indicia of a user'"'"'s body position in relation to an electronic device for a user who maintains close proximity to the electronic device. A determination module is provided that determines a power state for the electronic device based on the indicia. A power control module selectively adjusts power supplied to subsystems of the electronic device to transition to the determined power state.

Claims

1. An apparatus for autonomic power adjustment in an electronic device, comprising:

a collector configured to collect indicia representative of one of a plurality of anatomical states associated with different user body positions in relation to an electronic device for a user who maintains close proximity to the electronic device;

a determination module configured to determine a power state for the electronic device based on the indicia, the power state is representative of one of a plurality of hierarchical power states; and

a power control module configured to selectively adjust power supplied to subsystems of the electronic device to transition to the determined power state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determination module is further configured to select a lowest power state in response to the indicia.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determination module is further configured to select a lower power state in response to the indicia.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determination module is further configured to measure a time interval that a user maintains a body position and select the power state such that the time interval exceeds a latency period associated with the selected power state.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s body position comprises focusing an eye on a display coupled to the electronic device to study the display.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the collector is further configured to capture a series of images of the user in proximity to the electronic device, identify control points in the images, and determine indicia of a user'"'"'s body position based on the control points.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the collector is further configured to poll a plurality of sensors configured to detect characteristics of the user'"'"'s body position.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the collector is further configured to receive signals from sensors that continuously monitor characteristics of a user'"'"'s body position.

9. A system for autonomic power adjustment, comprising:

a display and human input device coupled to a processing subsystem;

a power regulator configured to control a power supply to the display, human input device, and processing subsystem;

one or more sensors configured to detect characteristics of a user'"'"'s body position while the user'"'"'s body is positioned in close proximity to the display or human input device;

a collector in communication, with the sensors and configured to collect indicia representative of one of a plurality of anatomical states associated with different user body positions in relation to the display or human input device;

a determination module configured to determine a power state based on the indicia, the power state is representative of one of a plurality of hierarchical power states; and

a power control module configured to selectively adjust power supplied to the display, human input device, and processing subsystem to transition to the determined power state.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the determination module is further configured to select a higher power state in response to the indicia.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the determination module is further configured to measure a time interval that a user maintains a body position and select the power state such that the time interval exceeds a latency period associated with the selected power state.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the determination module is further configured to adapt to changes in the time interval such that the optimal power state is selected.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the user'"'"'s body position comprises focusing an eye on the display.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising a digital camera configured to capture a series of images of the user in proximity to the display and human input device, the collector further configured to identify control points in the images and determine indicia of a user'"'"'s body position based on the control points.

15. A method for autonomic power adjustment in an electronic device, comprising:

collecting indicia representative of one of a plurality of anatomical states associated with different user body positions in relation to an electronic device while the user is in close proximity to the electronic device;

determining a power state for the electronic device based on the indicia, the power state is representative of one of a plurality of hierarchical power states;

measuring a time interval that a user maintains a body position such that the power state is determined such that the time interval exceeds a latency period associated with the determined power state; and

selectively adjusting power supplied to subsystems of the electronic device to transition to the determined power state.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining a power state further comprises selecting a lowest power state in response to the indicia.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein determining an power state further comprises selecting a lower power state in response to the indicia.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the user'"'"'s body position comprises focusing an eye on a display coupled to the electronic device to study the display.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein collecting indicia of a user'"'"'s body position further comprises:

capturing a series of images of the user while the user remains in close proximity to the electronic device;

identifying control points in the images; and

determining indicia of a user'"'"'s body position based on the control points.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein collecting indicia of a user'"'"'s body position further comprises polling a plurality of sensors configured to detect characteristics of the user'"'"'s body position.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein collecting indicia of a user'"'"'s body position further comprises receiving signals from sensors that continuously monitor characteristics of a user'"'"'s body position.

22. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a processor and embodying one or more instructions executable by a processor to perform a method for autonomic power adjustment in an electronic device, the method comprising:

collecting indicia representative of one of a plurality of anatomical states associated with different user body positions in relation to an electronic device while the user is in close proximity to the electronic device, the indicia polled from a plurality of sensors configured to detect characteristics of the user'"'"'s body position;

determining a power state for the electronic device based on the indicia, the power state is representative of one of a plurality of hierarchical power states;

measuring a time interval that a user has historically maintained a body position such that the power state is determined such that the time interval exceeds a latency period associated with the determined power state; and

selectively adjusting power supplied to subsystems of the electronic device to transition to the determined power state.

23. An apparatus for autonomic power adjustment in an electronic device, comprising:

means for collecting indicia representative of one of a plurality of anatomical states associated with different user body positions in relation to an electronic device while the user is in close proximity to the electronic device, the indicia polled from a plurality of sensors configured to detect characteristics of the user'"'"'s body position;

means for determining a power state for the electronic device based on the indicia, the power state is representative of one of a plurality of hierarchical power states;

means for measuring a time interval that a user maintains a body position such that the power state is determined such that the time interval exceeds a latency period associated with the determined power state; and

means for selectively adjusting power supplied to subsystems of the electronic device to transition to the determined power state.