Multi-modal device power/mode management

• US 8,180,465 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sinclair, Michael J., Williams, David W., Zhang, Zhengyou, Liu, Zicheng
• Primary Examiner(s): VON BUHR, MARIA N
• Application Number:
  US12/014,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20080126282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,582 Days
• Field of Search: 700/22, 700/56, 700/66, 700/286, 700/291, 700/295, 700/297, 700/298, 715/708, 345/169, 713/300, 713/320, 713/323, 713/324, 600/300, 600/301, 361/679.55, 361/679.56, 455/574
• US Class Current: 700/66
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system that facilitates managing resources (e.g., functionality, services) based at least in part upon an established context. More particularly, a context determination component can be employed to establish a context by processing sensor inputs or learning/inferring a user action/preference. Once the context is established via context determination component, a power/mode management component can be employed to activate and/or mask resources in accordance with the established context. The power and mode management of the device can extend life of a power source (e.g., battery) and mask functionality in accordance with a user and/or device state.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates dynamic power management, comprising:

a portable multi-modal device including an onboard power source that provides power to portable multi-modal device during normal operation of the portable multi-modal device,

a context determination component that determines, independent of a user action, a context based at least in part on at least one of external environment data or internal application data, and

a power/mode management component including a power conservation component that dynamically enables an alternate power source based at least in part on the context in order to supplement the onboard power source and place the portable multi-modal device in a low power consumption state.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system includes a plurality of sensors to obtain external environment data describing an environment external to the portable multi-modal device, the plurality of sensors including:

a first sensor to obtain physiological data relating to a physiology of a user;

or

a second sensor to obtain environmental data relating to an environment of the user; and

the content determination component determines the context based at least in part on the physiological data or the environmental data.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of sensors include a global positioning system (GPS) that identifies at least one of the user'"'"'s present location or movement.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the portable multi-modal device is at least one of a personal data assistant (PDA), smart-phone, cellular phone, pocket computer, or personal music player.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the power/mode management component places a subset of device functionalities into a sleep mode in accordance with the context.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the power/mode management component bypasses a subset of device functionalities in accordance with the context.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the power/mode management component places a subset of device functionalities in a low power consumption state based at least in part on the context, and the device functionalities include at least an indicator, a display, a hard disk, a volume control, an image capture function, or an audible alert.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a rules-based logic component to determine which subset of device functionalities to place in low power consumption state in accordance with the context.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the context is inferred using one of probabilistic or statistical-based analysis.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the power/mode management component is configured to determine whether operating a specific sensor of the plurality of sensors would consume more power than providing services associated with the specific sensor, and configured to respond to the determination in a manner that conserves the most power.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the power/mode management component and the context determination component are configured to anticipate a context and automatically manage functionalities of the portable multi-modal device in accordance with the anticipated context.

12. A method for dynamically managing power consumption of a portable multi-modal device, comprising:

monitoring personal information manager (PIM) data to establish a present state of a user;

determining the present state of the user based at least in part on the PIM data;

determining priorities amongst functionalities of the portable multi-modal device in accordance with the present state of the user; and

independent of user action, placing a subset of functionalities of the portable multi-modal device in a low power consumption state based at least in part on the priorities, wherein placing the subset of functionalities in the low power consumption state comprises reducing performance of the subset of functionalities to conserve power.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

employing an artificial intelligence scheme to infer when to place the portable multi-modal device in a low power consumption state.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

employing rules-based logic to determine which subset of functionalities to place in the low power consumption state given the user state.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

inferring the user state using one of probabilistic or statistical-based analysis.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

bringing a second subset of functionalities out of low power consumption state based at least in part on the determined user state.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

placing the subset of functionalities in the low power consumption state based on an inferred user preference.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

employing a global positioning system (GPS) to determine the location context for the user.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining that the subset of functionalities is unnecessary given the present state of the user; and

automatically deactivating the subset of functionalities based on the present state of the user.

20. A system that facilitates optimization of power consumption, comprising;

means for determining, independent of user action, that a user is unable to receive telephone calls; and

means for placing, independent of user action, a subset of functionalities of an electronic device that are unnecessary for telephone calls in a low power consumption state based at least in part on the determining.