Waking a main computer system to pre-fetch data for an auxiliary computing device

• US 7,711,868 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2004
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bernstein, Michael S., Fuller, Andrew J., Rhoten, Matthew P., Berkes, Otto G., Polivy, Daniel J., Wynn, Roger H.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, ALAN S
• Application Number:
  US10/996,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20060129855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,988 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

An auxiliary computing device wakes an associated main computer system to obtain data as needed, on-demand and/or in anticipation of demand. The wakeup operation is ordinarily temporary to fetch data, whereby only a small amount of power is consumed by the main computer system. In one implementation, a control channel between the auxiliary device and the main computer system is used to signal a wakeup. A main data channel is used to obtain the data, whereby the auxiliary device has access to a larger amount of data than it can cache. Moreover, the components of the main computer system may be leveraged, such as to use the main computer system'"'"'s digital rights management mechanisms. Additional data may be intelligently requested by the auxiliary device while the main computer system is powered up, e.g., to buffer media, and/or request a synchronization of calendar data, email data, and so forth.

Claims

1. In a computing environment having a main computer system and an auxiliary device communicatively coupled to the computer system, a method for waking the main computer system, the method comprising:

the auxiliary device maintaining a data cache, the data cache having been transferred from the main computer and stored within the auxiliary device;

after having transferred the data cache to the auxiliary device, the main computer entering a sleep state;

processing data from the data cache for output via the auxiliary device;

the auxiliary device performing auxiliary functionality while the main computer system is in the sleep state;

detecting a need for other data at the auxiliary device, the other data being stored within or accessible by the main computer system;

the auxiliary device determining that the other data is not contained within the stored data cache;

the auxiliary device waking the main computer system from the sleep state into a state in which the main computer system is capable of accessing and communicating the other data; and

the auxiliary device receiving the other data from the main computer system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, returning the main computer system to a sleep state that consumes less power than the main computer system consumes in the awakened state.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising, determining on the auxiliary display whether while in the awakened state, the main computer system has been otherwise used in a manner that would awaken it, and if so, leaving the computer system in a current state, and if not, returning the main computer system to a sleep state that consumes less power than the main computer system consumes in the awakened state.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, determining on the main computer system whether while in the awakened state, the main computer system has been otherwise used in a manner that would awaken it, and if so, the main computer system leaving itself in a current state, and if not, the main computer system returning itself to a sleep state that consumes less power than the main computer system consumes in the awakened state.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein waking the main computer system comprises sending a signal on a control channel.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising, listening at the auxiliary device for data on the control channel.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the other data from the main computer system comprises receiving media data.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising, requesting the other data and requesting additional data beyond the other data after waking the main computer system.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the additional data is obtained from a separate source with respect to the source of the other data.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising, rescheduling a timed retrieval of the additional data after receiving the additional data.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising, detecting that no more data is presently needed after receiving the other data from the main computer system.

12. At least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions which when executed perform the method of claim 1.