Information processing device and mobile phone including comparison of power consumption information and remaining power

• US 8,156,363 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Socionext Inc.
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Keita, Morita, Ryoko, Ito, Yusuke, Ichinose, Naoya, Araki, Shoichi, Nishimura, Osamu, Sasaoka, Toshio, Matsushima, Yoko
• Primary Examiner(s): BUTLER, DENNIS
• Application Number:
  US12/164,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20090013204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,380 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/340
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An information processing device and a mobile terminal include a power consumption calculator which calculates, for each processing executed by the information processing device (or mobile terminal), power consumption information concerning an amount of power consumed by executing each processing. A request generator compares the amount of power indicated by the power consumption information and a remaining amount of power of the information processing device(or mobile terminal), and generates a request to execute predetermined processing according to a result of the comparison. A request processor executes the predetermined processing in response to the generated request.

Claims

1. An information processing device configured to measure power consumption of a specific function of said information processing device, and execute predetermined processing when a remaining amount of power of said information processing device becomes equal to or smaller than an amount of power consumption necessary for executing the specific function for a specific period of time with the measured power consumption, said information processing device comprising:

a power consumption calculator configured to calculate, for each processing executed by said information processing device, power consumption information concerning an amount of power consumed by executing each processing;

a request generator configured to compare the amount of power indicated by the power consumption information and a remaining amount of power of said information processing device, and to generate a request to execute the predetermined processing according to a result of the comparison; and

a request processor configured to execute the predetermined processing in response to the request generated by said request generator,

wherein the power consumption information includes;

an ensured minimum execution time period, which is a minimum period of time for which a user wishes to execute the processing, and power consumption, which is an amount of power consumed when the processing is executed for a unit of time, and

said power consumption calculator is further configured to manage the power consumption information through historical management based upon previously calculated power consumption information.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1,

wherein said power consumption calculator is configured to calculate, as the power consumption, an average of the power consumption managed through historical management.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1,

wherein said power consumption calculator is configured to update the power consumption when the power consumption managed through historical management and current power consumption satisfy a predetermined condition.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1,

wherein the power consumption information further includes a processing operation mode in which processing is executed, and

said power consumption calculator is configured to calculate power consumption based on the power consumption managed through historical management and on the processing operation mode.

5. The information processing device according to claim 1,

wherein said power consumption calculator is configured to calculate power consumption by dividing, by an execution time period, an amount of power consumption for execution, the execution time period being a period of time for which processing is executed, and the amount of power consumption for execution being an amount of power consumed when the processing is executed for the execution time period.

6. The information processing device according to claim 5,

wherein the amount of power consumption for execution is calculated based on:

a remaining amount of power of said information processing device at a start of the processing;

and a remaining amount of power of said information processing device at termination of the processing, and

the execution time period is calculated based on a time at the start of the processing and a time at the termination of the processing.

7. The information processing device according to claim 1,

wherein said power consumption calculator is configured to calculate power consumption based on:

an amount of power consumption for execution, which is an amount of power consumed when the processing is executed for an execution time period, the execution time period, which is a period of time for which processing is executed and an external factor coefficient, which is a value determined based on an external factor affecting the power consumption.

8. The information processing device according to claim 7,

wherein said power consumption calculator is configured to calculate power consumption by multiplying, by the external factor coefficient, a value calculated by dividing the amount of power consumption for execution by the execution time period.

9. The information processing device according to claim 7,

wherein the external factor coefficient is determined based on an operation mode of a processor of said information processing device.

10. The information processing device according to claim 1,

wherein the ensured minimum execution time period is a value set in advance.

11. The information processing device according to claim 1,

wherein said power consumption calculator is configured to update the ensured minimum execution time period at a predetermined timing.

12. The information processing device according to claim 1,

wherein said power consumption calculator is configured to calculate the power consumption information when periodically occurs event is processed.

13. The information processing device according to claim 1,

wherein the power consumption information further includes an ensured amount of power, which is, an amount of power necessary for ensuring execution of processing for the ensured minimum execution time period, and

said request generator is configured to generate the request to execute the predetermined processing when a total ensured amount of power and the remaining amount of power satisfy a predetermined condition, the total ensured amount of power being a sum of ensured amounts of power of all processing.

14. The information processing device according to claim 1, the historical management being based upon a previously calculated history of power consumption, an ensured minimum execution time period and an operation mode.

15. A mobile terminal configured to measure power consumption of a specific function of an information processing device, and execute predetermined processing when a remaining amount of power of the information processing device becomes equal to or smaller than an amount of power consumption necessary for executing, with the measured power consumption, the specific function for a specific period of time, said mobile terminal comprising:

a power consumption calculator configured to calculate, for each processing executed by said information processing device, power consumption information concerning an amount of power consumed by executing each processing;

a request generator configured to compare the amount of power indicated by the power consumption information and a remaining amount of power of said information processing device, and to generate a request to execute the predetermined processing according to a result of the comparison; and

a request processor configured to execute the predetermined processing in response to the request generated by said request generator,

wherein the power consumption information includes;

an ensured minimum execution time period, which is a minimum period of time for which a user wishes to execute the processing, and power consumption, which is an amount of power consumed when the processing is executed for a unit of time, and

said power consumption calculator is further configured to manage the power consumption information through historical management based upon previously calculated power consumption information.

16. The mobile terminal according to claim 15,

wherein the predetermined processing executed by the information processing device comprises processing to display a message on said mobile terminal.

17. The mobile terminal according to claim 15,

wherein the predetermined processing executed by the information processing device comprises processing to switch said mobile terminal to a power-saving mode.

18. The mobile terminal according to claim 15,

wherein the predetermined processing executed by the information processing device comprises processing to notify another terminal of predetermined information.

19. The mobile terminal according to claim 15,

wherein the predetermined processing executed by the information processing device comprises processing to either prohibit or permit execution of a specific function of said mobile terminal.

20. The mobile terminal according to claim 15,

wherein the predetermined processing executed by the information processing device comprises processing to display, on said mobile terminal a location of a charging facility.

21. The mobile terminal according to claim 15,

wherein the predetermined processing executed by the information processing device comprises processing to switch between operation modes of a specific function of said mobile terminal.

22. The mobile terminal according to claim 15,

wherein the predetermined processing executed by the information processing device comprises processing to power off said mobile terminal.

23. The mobile terminal according to claim 15,

wherein the predetermined processing executed by the information processing device comprises processing to cause another mobile terminal to continue with execution of an operation which has been executed by said mobile terminal.

24. The mobile terminal according to claim 15, the historical management being based upon a previously calculated history of power consumption, an ensured minimum execution time period and an operation mode.