Information processing device, power supply control method, and computer program

• US 7,333,054 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Liao, Baiping, Ueno, Ichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza; Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mull; Fred H.
• Application Number:
  US11/607,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20070182627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 342/357.06, 348/231.2, 348/231.3, 348/552, 396301-303, 396310-321, 455/343.1, 455/343.2, 713/320, 713323-324, 713/340
• US Class Current: 342/357.74
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An information processing device includes a global positioning system (GPS) device configured to execute position calculation processing based on data received from a satellite; a power supply controller configured to control power supply to the GPS device; and a device controller configured to monitor a state of use of the information processing device by a user, to calculate a use frequency of the information processing device per unit time, and to cause the power supply controller to intermittently supply power to the GPS device if the calculated use frequency is lower than a predefined threshold value.

Claims

1. An information processing device, comprising:

a global positioning system (GPS) device configured to execute position calculation processing based on data received from a satellite;

a power supply controller configured to control power supply to the global positioning system device; and

a device controller configured to monitor a state of use of the information processing device by a user, to calculate a use frequency of the information processing device per unit time, and to cause the power supply controller to intermittently supply power to the global positioning system device if the calculated use frequency is lower than a predefined threshold value.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the device controller is configured to cause the power supply controller to continuously supply power to the global positioning system device if the calculated use frequency is equal to or greater than the predefined threshold value.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the device controller is configured to calculate an imaging frequency of an imaging device, to cause the power supply controller to intermittently supply power to the global positioning system device if the calculated imaging frequency is lower than a predetermined threshold value, and to cause the power supply controller to continuously supply power to the global positioning system device if the calculated imaging frequency is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the device controller is configured to periodically verify a validity period of an already acquired navigation message in the global positioning system device, and to cause the global positioning system device to execute a process of updating navigation data if the already acquired navigation message has expired.

5. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the device controller is configured to implement control so that a timing of resumption of power supply to the global positioning system device in an execution period of intermittent power supply to the global positioning system device is matched to a timing at which position information is input from the global positioning system device to the device controller.

6. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the device controller is configured to implement control so that a period shorter than a validity period of a navigation message is employed as a maximum duration of an OFF-state of a power supply of the global positioning system device in an execution period of intermittent power supply to the global positioning system device.

7. A power supply control method in an information processing device including a global positioning system (GPS) device, the method comprising:

monitoring a state of use of the information processing device by a user and calculating a use frequency of the information processing device per unit time; and

controlling power supply so that power is intermittently supplied to the global positioning system device if the calculated use frequency is lower than a predefined threshold value.

8. The power supply control method according to claim 7, wherein the controlling power supply step includes continuously supplying power to the global positioning system device if the calculated use frequency is equal to or greater than the predefined threshold value.

9. The power supply control method according to claim 7, wherein the controlling power supply step includes calculating an imaging frequency of an imaging device, intermittently supplying power to the global positioning system device if the calculated imaging frequency is lower than a predetermined threshold value, and continuously supplying power to the global positioning system device if the calculated imaging frequency is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold value.

10. The power supply control method according to claim 7, further comprising:

periodically verifying a validity period of an already acquired navigation message in the global positioning system device, and causing the global positioning system device to execute a process of updating navigation data if the already acquired navigation message has expired.

11. The power supply control method according to claim 7, wherein the controlling power supply step includes matching a timing of resumption of power supply to the global positioning system device in an execution period of intermittent power supply to the global positioning system device to a timing at which position information is input from the global positioning system device to a device controller.

12. The power supply control method according to claim 7, wherein the controlling power supply step includes employing a period shorter than a validity period of a navigation message as a maximum duration of an OFF-state of a power supply of the global positioning system device in an execution period of intermittent power supply to the global positioning system device.

13. A computer program for causing execution of a power supply control method in an information processing device including a global positioning system (GPS) device, the power supply control method comprising:

monitoring a state of use of the information processing device by a user and calculating a use frequency of the information processing device per unit time; and

controlling power supply so that power is intermittently supplied to the global positioning system device if the calculated use frequency is lower than a predefined threshold value.