Power management system and method

• US 7,934,107 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2007
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Walrath, Craig A.
• Primary Examiner(s): ELAMIN, ABDELMONIEM I
• Application Number:
  US11/657,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20080178032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/310, 713320-324, 713/330, 713/340
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A power management system comprises a power management module configured to determine a power draw limit for operating an electronic device by a power source, the power management module configured to control use of power-consuming elements of the electronic device based on a prioritization of the power-consuming elements to limit a power draw by the electronic device from the power source to the power draw limit.

Claims

1. A power management system, comprising:

a power monitor configured to monitor power draw by an electronic device; and

a power management module configured to determine a power draw limit for operating the electronic device by a power source, the power management module configured to control use of power-consuming elements of the electronic device based on a prioritization of the power-consuming elements to limit power draw by the electronic device from the power source to the power draw limit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the power management module is configured to adjust functionality of the electronic device by adjusting displayed colors of a display of the electronic device to only black and white to reduce power draw.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the power monitor is configured to monitor power draw associated with at least one power-consuming element of the electronic device, wherein power draw comprises a rate of power consumption.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the power management module is configured to enable an element from the power-consuming elements and to set enablement for the element based on historical information of power draw for the element.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the power management module is configured to control use of at least one of the power-consuming elements in response to initiation of use of at least another of the power-consuming elements.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the prioritization comprises at least two priority levels of the power-consuming elements, and wherein the prioritization comprises priority levels for a majority of the power-consuming elements in the electronic device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the power management module is configured to cease use of at least one of the power-consuming elements.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interface for receiving from a user the power draw limit.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the power draw limit comprises an average power draw limit.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the power management module is configured to dynamically compare the power draw of the electronic device to the power draw limit.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the power management module is configured to dynamically respond to a change in an amount of power available from the power source.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the power management module is configured to enable use of at least one power-consuming element in response to inactivation of at least another power-consuming element.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein the power management module comprises the power monitor.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein the power management module is configured to adjust functionality of a selected element from the power-consuming elements to reduce power draw used by the selected element while enabling continued use of the selected element.

32. The system of claim 1, wherein the power management module is configured to adjust functionality of the electronic device by decreasing a resolution setting for a display of the electronic device to reduce power draw.

13. A power management system, comprising:

means for determining a power draw limit for operating an electronic device by a power source;

means for monitoring power draw of the electronic device; and

means for controlling use of power-consuming elements of the electronic device based on a prioritization of the power-consuming elements to limit power draw by the electronic device from the power source to the power draw limit.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the prioritization comprises at least two different levels of prioritization for the power-consuming elements.

15. The system of claim 13, where the means for controlling use is configured to enable an element from the power-consuming elements and to set a degree of enablement based on historical information of power draw for the element.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the controlling means comprises means for controlling at least one of the power-consuming elements in response to an initiation of use of another of the power-consuming elements.

17. A power management method, comprising:

determining a power draw limit for operating an electronic device by a power source;

monitoring power draw by the electronic device; and

controlling use of power-consuming elements of the electronic device based on a prioritization of the power-consuming elements to limit power draw by the electronic device from the power source to the power draw limit.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the prioritization comprises priority levels of the power-consuming elements.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising controlling use of at least one of the power-consuming elements in response to initiation of use of at least another of the power-consuming elements.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising automatically ceasing use of at least one of the power-consuming elements.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising identifying a level of prioritization for at least one of the power-consuming elements.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving from a user of the electronic device the power draw limit.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the power draw limit comprises determining a peak power draw limit or an average power draw limit, or a combination thereof.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising determining a power draw associated with at least one power-consuming element of the electronic device.

33. The method of claim 17, wherein the power draw comprises a rate of power consumption.

34. The method of claim 17, wherein the prioritization comprises sets of priorities for the power-consuming elements.

25. A power management system, comprising:

a power monitor configured to monitor power draw by an electronic device, wherein the power draw comprises a rate of power consumption; and

a power management module configured to determine a power draw limit setting for the electronic device, the power management module configured to dynamically control use of at least one power-consuming element of the electronic device to limit the power draw by the electronic device from a power source to the power draw limit setting.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the power management module is configured to enable a selected element from the power-consuming elements and set a power amount of enablement based on historical information of power draw for the selected element.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the power management module is configured to dynamically adjust a priority level of at least one power-consuming element.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the power management module is configured to determine an amount of power usage associated with at least one power-consuming element of the electronic device to determine which power-consuming element to control.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the power management module is configured to dynamically adjust a priority level of at least one power-consuming element of the electronic device in response to use of the at least one power-consuming element.