Selecting input/output devices to control power consumption of a computer system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of selecting input/output (I/O) devices to control power consumption of a computer system, the method comprising:
- determining a power consumption metric for each of a plurality of I/O devices connected to the computer system while the plurality of I/O devices are connected to the computer system, wherein the plurality of I/O devices are user interfaces for the computer system and are configured to be used by a user to input information to the computer system or to output information from the computer system to the user;
identifying top power consuming I/O devices of the plurality of I/O devices based on the power consumption metric; and
identifying low-power I/O device alternatives to using the top power consuming I/O devices.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Input/output (I/O) devices may be controlled to reduce power consumption of a computer system. A power consumption metric for the I/O devices connected to the computer system is determined. At least one of the I/O devices is selected based on the determined power consumption metric, and power consumption for the selected I/O device is reduced.
114 Citations
33 Claims
-
1. A method of selecting input/output (I/O) devices to control power consumption of a computer system, the method comprising:
-
determining a power consumption metric for each of a plurality of I/O devices connected to the computer system while the plurality of I/O devices are connected to the computer system, wherein the plurality of I/O devices are user interfaces for the computer system and are configured to be used by a user to input information to the computer system or to output information from the computer system to the user; identifying top power consuming I/O devices of the plurality of I/O devices based on the power consumption metric; and identifying low-power I/O device alternatives to using the top power consuming I/O devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method of selecting input/output (I/O) devices to control power consumption of a computer system, the method comprising:
-
determining a power consumption metric for each of a plurality of I/O devices connected to the computer system while the plurality of I/O devices are connected to the computer system, wherein the plurality of I/O devices are user interfaces for the computer system and are configured to be used by a user to input information to the computer system or to output information from the computer system to the user, wherein the power metric comprises an estimated future power consumption and determining a power consumption metric further comprises determining recent use of each of the plurality of I/O devices; and estimating future power consumption based on the recent use for each of the plurality of I/O devices; and selecting at least one of the plurality of I/O devices based on the estimated future power consumption; and reducing power consumption of the at least one selected I/O device.
-
-
17. A method of selecting input/output (I/O) devices to control power consumption of a computer system, the method comprising:
-
determining a power consumption metric for each of a plurality of I/O devices connected to the computer system while the plurality of I/O devices are connected to the computer system, wherein the plurality of I/O devices are user interfaces for the computer system and are configured to be used by a user to input information to the computer system or to output information from the computer system to the user; selecting at least one of the plurality of I/O devices based on the determined power consumption metric; identifying a setting associated with the at least one of the plurality of devices, wherein the setting specifies a constraint on reducing power consumption for the at least one of the plurality of I/O devices; and reducing power consumption of the at least one of the plurality of I/O devices if the constraint specified in the setting can be maintained. - View Dependent Claims (18)
-
-
19. A method of selecting input/output (I/O) devices to control power consumption of a computer system, the method comprising:
-
determining a power consumption metric for each of a plurality of I/O devices connected to the computer system while the plurality of I/O devices are connected to the computer system, wherein the plurality of I/O devices are user interfaces for the computer system and are configured to be used by a user to input information to the computer system or to output information from the computer system to the user, wherein the power consumption metric comprises usage of each of the plurality of I/O devices and is determined by profiling usage of each of the plurality of I/O devices; generating a usage model from the profiling; selecting at least one of the plurality of I/O devices based on the usage model; and reducing power consumption of the at least one selected I/O device. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
-
-
22. The method of selecting input/output (I/O) devices to control power consumption of a computer system, the method comprising:
-
determining a power consumption metric for each of a plurality of I/O devices connected to the computer system while the plurality of I/O devices are connected to the computer system, wherein the plurality of I/O devices are user interfaces for the computer system and are configured to be used by a user to input information to the computer system or to output information from the computer system to the user, wherein the power consumption metric comprises power consumption of each of the plurality of I/O devices and is determined by profiling power consumption of each of the I/O devices; generating a power model from the profiting; selecting at least one of the plurality of I/O devices based an the power model; and reducing power consumption of the at least one selected I/O device.
-
-
23. A method of controlling power consumption of I/O devices for a computer system, the method comprising:
-
profiling usage patterns of the I/O devices to establish a usage model, wherein the I/O devices are user interfaces for the computer system and are configured to be used by a user to input information to the computer system or to output information from the computer system to the user; identifying low-power alternatives to using at least one of the I/O devices using the usage model; profiling power consumption of the I/O devices to establish a power model; selecting at least one of the low-power alternatives to reduce power consumption of the computer system based on the power model. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
-
-
26. An apparatus comprising:
-
means for identifying a plurality of low-power alternative means to using an I/O device connected to a computer system using a usage model; means for selecting at least one of the low-power alternatives means to reduce power consumption of the computer system using a power model; means for determining whether a power consumption of the computer system or an estimated future power consumption of the computer system exceeds a threshold; and means for activating the means for identifying a plurality of low-power alternative means and the means for selecting at least one of the low-power alternatives means in response to the threshold being exceeded. - View Dependent Claims (27)
-
-
28. Computer software embedded on a computer readable storage medium, the computer software comprising instructions of:
-
determining a power consumption metric for each of a plurality of I/O devices connected to a computer system, while the plurality of I/O devices are connected to the computer system, wherein the plurality of I/O devices are user interfaces for the computer system and are configured to be used by a user to input information to the computer system or to output information from the computer system to the user; identifying top power consuming I/O devices of the plurality of I/O devices based on the power consumption metric; and identifying low-power I/O device alternatives to using the top power consuming I/O devices. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
-
-
33. A computer system comprising:
-
a processor; and a battery, wherein the processor is operable to determine a power consumption metric for each of a plurality of I/O devices connected to the computer system, select at least one of the plurality of I/O devices based on the determined power consumption metric, and control the at least one selected I/O device to reduce power consumption in response to remaining battery life falling below a threshold, wherein usage is profiled for each of the plurality of I/O devices and a usage model is generated from the profiling and the processor selects the at least one of the plurality of I/O devices based on the usage model.
-
Specification