Power saving mobility aware system and method

• US 7,685,606 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2003
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ting-Mao Chang
• Original Assignee: Ting-Mao Chang
• Inventors: Chang, Ting-Mao
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Andy
• Application Number:
  US10/518,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20050219120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,462 Days
• Field of Search: 719/318, 342/357.08, 455/574, 370/311, 713/320
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0264 by selectively disabling software applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/00 Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method reduces the power consumption by putting the system in sleep and use mobility context receiving device continue to monitor the context and wake up the system when discover the trigger state. After the system waked up, the application executes the job that is triggered by said trigger state. Said job might include reminder, TODO-List warning, e-mail retrieval, computer system or network login, control other appliances, etc. Said mobility context receiving device may also automatically interrupt the said application while the system is powered on. Said mobility context receiving device includes wireless communication interface or positioning device. Said application might be a person sensitive reminder, a TO-DO list warning system, automatic login and e-mail retriever, and automatic appliance controller, proximity sensitive file manager, etc.

Claims

1. A method for a computer peripheral device of a computer system to monitor at least one proximity context and response to said proximity context change, the method comprising:

receiving information related to at least one trigger condition;

storing said trigger condition in said device;

monitoring current state of said proximity context, wherein said proximity context is related to the presence of one or more wireless communication interfaces in proximity of said device;

evaluating trigger condition based on said current state; and

outputting a signal to change the power saving state of a part of said computer system if said current state satisfies the criteria of said trigger condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said changing the power saving state is to wake up said computer system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said signal further interrupts said computer system for executing a job that is associated with said trigger condition.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said information further comprises a callback identifier that is associated with said trigger condition, and said callback identifier is send to said computer system if said current state satisfies the criteria of said trigger condition.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said information is related to multiple trigger conditions and one trigger condition is used to enable or disable another trigger condition.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring current state further comprising:

receiving message on wireless media; and

decoding said message according to a communication protocol, wherein a wireless communication interface becomes present in proximity of said device if the identifier of this wireless communication interface is decoded from said message.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said trigger condition comprises a rule related to the presence of one or more pre-selected peer wireless communication interfaces and each has an identifier.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising recording the individual last detecting time of said pre-selected peer wireless for deriving the individual absence of said pre-selected peer wireless communication interfaces.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said identifier pertains to the physical link mechanism or the medium access control mechanism of said communication protocol.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said identifier is a media access control address.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said identifier pertains to the network layer of said communication protocol or the upper layer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said trigger identifier is an Internet protocol (IP) address.

13. A computer peripheral device of a computer system to monitor at least one proximity context and response to the change of said proximity context, the peripheral device comprising:

at least one receiver for receiving information related to the current state of said proximity context, wherein said proximity context is the presence of one or more wireless communication interfaces in proximity of said device;

at least one trigger condition that defines a trigger state of said proximity context;

a memory for storing said trigger condition; and

a checker configured to evaluate said trigger condition based on said current state and output a signal to change the power saving state of a part of said computer system when said current state meet the criteria of said trigger condition.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein said changing the power saving state is to wake up said computer system.

15. The device of claim 13, further comprising a bus interface for connecting to a bus of said computer system.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein said signal interrupts said computer system for executing a job that is associated with said trigger condition.

17. The device of claim 13, further comprising a callback identifier that associates with said trigger condition, wherein said callback identifier is stored in said device and is transmitted to said computer system when said trigger condition is satisfied.

18. The device of claim 13, further comprising a second trigger condition, wherein the first said trigger condition can be enabled or disabled when said current state satisfies the criteria of said second trigger condition.

19. The device of claim 13, wherein said receiver contains a processor configured to decoding message on wireless media according to a communication protocol, wherein a wireless communication interface becomes present in proximity of said device if the identifier of this wireless communication interface is decoded from said message.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein said trigger condition comprises a rule related to the presence of one or more pre-selected wireless communication interfaces in proximity of said device and each have an identifier.

21. The device of claim 20, further comprising means to record the individual last detecting time of said pre-selected wireless communication interfaces for deriving the individual absence of said pre-selected wireless communication interfaces.

22. The device of claim 20, wherein said identifier pertains to the physical link mechanism or the medium access control mechanism of said communication protocol.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein said identifier is a media access control address.

24. The device of claim 20, wherein said identifier pertains to the network layer of said communication protocol or the upper layer.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein said identifier is an Internet protocol (IP) address.