Methods and apparatus for power state based backup

• US 8,255,731 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Freedman, Gordon J., Ganatra, Nitin K., Kelly, Sean B., Schmidt, Edward T., Alsina, Thomas, McNeil, Kenneth B., Krugler, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Bae, Ji H
• Application Number:
  US13/250,586
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/340, 714/15, 714/22
• US Class Current: 713/340
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/30 Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations for resetting only G06F1/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability

Abstract

Methods and apparatus that receive, at a wireless device, power through wire or inductive pad are described. The received power is monitored to back up data from the device to a server in a network through an OTA (over the air) wireless interface. The data is transmitted to the server to back up the data on the device. While backing up the data, whether the power has been removed from the device is determined. The backing up of the data in the device can be terminated automatically and without user request, in response to the determination that the power has been removed.

Claims

1. A machine-readable non-transitory storage medium having instructions therein, which when executed by a machine, causes the machine to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, at a wireless device, power from a first power source through wire or inductive pad;

monitoring the power received;

backing up data from the device to a server in a network through an OTA (over the air) wireless interface, the data being transmitted to the server to back up data on the device;

determining, while backing up the data, that power to the device has changed to a second power source as a result of the power from the first power source being disconnected from the device;

automatically, and without user request, terminating the backing up of the data in the device in response to the determining that the power has been disconnected;

detecting that power to the device has changed back to the first power source as a result of a reconnection of the device to the first power source after the backing up the data has been terminated; and

resuming the backing up the data in response to the detected change back to the first power source.

2. The medium of claim 1, further comprising charging a battery inside the device from the power received from the first power source, wherein termination of the charging the battery indicates the power has been disconnected.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises:

detecting a disconnection of the power received from the first power source; and

generating a signal indicating that the power has been disconnected from the device.

4. The medium of claim 3, wherein the power is received from the first power source at the device via a power plug and wherein the disconnection is caused by an unplug event of the power plug from the device.

5. The medium of claim 3, wherein the power is received from the first power source at the device via a solar panel coupled to the device and wherein the disconnection is caused by lack of access to a solar source by the solar panel when the device relocates.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein the backing up the data comprises performing a plurality of backup operations, wherein the backing up the data is in progress with at least a remaining one of the backup operations yet to be performed when the power is disconnected from the device.

7. The medium of claim 6, wherein the backing up the data is terminated without performing the remaining backup operation.

8. The medium of claim 6, wherein the backing up the data is in progress for one of the backup operations, wherein the one backup operation is atomic and wherein the backing up the data is terminated after all of the one backup operation is completed.

9. The medium of claim 6, wherein the backing up the data is in progress for one of the backup operations, wherein the backing up the data is terminated before the one backup operation is completed.

10. The medium of claim 7, wherein the backing up the data further comprises:

tracking a terminated state of the backing up the data, wherein the terminated state indicates which of the backup operations have been completed when the power from the first power source is disconnected from the device.

11. The medium of claim 10, wherein the backing up the data is resumed from the terminated state without performing the backup operations which have been completed before detecting that power to the device has changed back to the first power source.

12. A machine-readable non-transitory storage medium having instructions therein, which when executed by a machine, causes the machine to perform a method, the method comprising:

monitoring a state of a first power source to a device, the state indicating whether the first power source is available;

backing up data from the device to a server in a network through a wireless interface to transmit the data to the server via a plurality of backup operations;

detecting that the power to the device has changed to a second power source as a result of the first power source being disconnected from the device, according to the state monitored when at least a remaining one of the backup operations has not been performed; and

terminating, and without user request, the backing up of the data in the device without performing the remaining operations in response to the detection that the first power source is disconnected;

detecting that the first power source is reconnected to the device, according to the state monitored after the backing up the data has been terminated; and

resuming the backing up the data without performing the backup operations which have been performed.

13. The medium of claim 12, wherein the backup operations includes a current backup operation for a current file in the device, and wherein the backing up the data comprises:

performing all of the current backup operation when the state indicates the first power source is disconnected, wherein the current backup operation is atomic.

14. The medium of claim 13, wherein the state indicates the first power source is disconnected before all of the current backup operation is completed and wherein the backing up of the data is terminated after all of the current backup operation is completed.

15. The medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

tracking an anchor of the backup operations for the backing up the data, wherein the anchor indicates which backup operations have been completed when the backing up the data is terminated.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein the data is backed up to a separate server from the server after the backing up the data is resumed.

17. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a wireless device, power from a first power source through wire or inductive pad;

monitoring the power received;

backing up data from the device to a server in a network through an OTA (over the air) wireless interface, the data being transmitted to the server to back up data on the device;

determining, while backing up the data, that power to the device has changed to a second power source as a result of the power from the first power source being disconnected from the device;

automatically, and without user request, terminating the backing up of the data in the device in response to the determining that the power has been disconnected;

detecting that power to the device has changed back to the first power source as a result of a reconnection of the device to the first power source after the backing up the data has been terminated; and

resuming the backing up the data in response to the detected change back to the first power source.

18. A computer implemented method comprising:

monitoring a state of a first power source to a device, the state indicating whether the first power source is available;

backing up data from the device to a server in a network through a wireless interface to transmit the data to the server via a plurality of backup operations;

detecting that the power to the device has changed to a second power source as a result of the first power source being disconnected from the device, according to the state monitored when at least a remaining one of the backup operations has not been performed; and

terminating, and without user request, the backing up of the data in the device without performing the remaining operations in response to the detection that the first power source is disconnected;

detecting that the first power source is reconnected to the device, according to the state monitored after the backing up the data has been terminated; and

resuming the backing up the data without performing the backup operations which have been performed.