Automatic power-off of bluetooth device from linked device

• US 8,412,964 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2011
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Michael M., Terlizzi, Jeffrey J., McKillop, Christopher D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elamin, M
• Application Number:
  US13/167,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20110250840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/310, 713320-324, 713/330, 713/340
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods and systems for powering-off a Bluetooth device from a linked device are provided. A device can transmit a Bluetooth signal to a linked device to instruct the linked device to power-off. In this manner, the user need only turn off one device manually which results in all linked devices being powered off. This process can be initiated by a user through a device directly linked with the device to be powered-off or through a device that is indirectly connected, through one or more Bluetooth networks, with the device to be powered-off. This process can also be automatically initiated by a device when a set of predetermined conditions exist. Once instructed to do so, a device can initiate a predetermined power-off process which can involve terminating any ongoing functions and turning off various subsystems. In accordance with the present invention, a user can initiate a power-off of all the devices on a Bluetooth network through a single device.

Claims

1. A method for switching a device to a low-power mode comprising:

receiving at a first device information from a second device about the battery level of the second device; and

in response to said receiving information, transmitting a signal from the first device to the second device using a Bluetooth communications protocol, wherein the signal instructs the second device to switch to a low-power mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the signal from the first device to the second device occurs in response to recognizing that the second device'"'"'s battery level has gone below a threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting a second signal from the first device to the second device using a Bluetooth communications protocol, wherein the second signal instructs the second device to switch to a full-power mode.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the transmitting the second signal from the first device to the second device occurs in response to recognizing that the second device is needed to perform a function.

5. A method for switching a device to a low-power mode comprising:

transmitting a signal from a first device to a second device using a Bluetooth communications protocol;

wherein the transmitting the signal from the first device to the second device occurs in response to recognizing that a battery level in the first device has gone below a threshold, wherein the signal instructs the second device to switch to a low-power mode.

6. A method for switching a device to a low-power mode comprising:

transmitting a signal from a first device to a second device using a Bluetooth communications protocol;

wherein the transmitting the signal from the first device to the second device occurs in response to recognizing that the first device has been switched to an airplane mode, wherein the signal instructs the second device to switch to a low-power mode.

7. A method for switching a device between a low-power mode and a full-power mode, the method comprising:

transmitting a first Bluetooth signal from a first device to a second device in response to recognizing that a battery level in the first device has gone below a threshold, wherein the first Bluetooth signal instructs the second device to switch to a low-power mode; and

transmitting a second Bluetooth signal from the first device to the second device, wherein the second Bluetooth signal instructs the second device to switch to a full-power mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the transmitting the second Bluetooth signal from the first device to the second device occurs in response to recognizing that the second device is needed to perform a function.

9. A method for switching a device between a low-power mode and a full-power mode, the method comprising:

transmitting a first Bluetooth signal from a first device to a second device in response to recognizing that the first device has been switched to an airplane mode, wherein the first Bluetooth signal instructs the second device to switch to a low-power mode;

transmitting a second Bluetooth signal from the first device to the second device, wherein the second Bluetooth signal instructs the second device to switch to a full-power mode.

10. A method for switching a device between a low-power mode and a full-power mode, the method comprising:

sending information from a second device about its battery level to a first device

after said sending information, receiving at the second device a first Bluetooth signal from the first device;

switching the second device to a low-power mode in response to the first Bluetooth signal;

receiving at the second device a second Bluetooth signal from the first device;

switching the second device to a full-power mode in response to the second Bluetooth signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the sending information occurs in response to recognizing that the second device'"'"'s battery level has gone below a threshold.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the switching the second device to the low-power mode comprises at least one of switching the second device to a Sniff mode, switching the second device to a Hold mode, and switching the second device to a Park mode.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the switching the second device to the low-power mode comprises disabling a function of the second device unrelated to communications.

14. A system for switching a device to a low-power mode comprising:

a first device configured to transmit a signal using a Bluetooth communications protocol; and

a second device configured to receive a signal using a Bluetooth communications protocol, wherein;

the first device is configured to transmit a signal to the second device using a Bluetooth communications protocol in response to recognizing that a battery level in the first device has gone below a threshold; and

the second device is configured to switch to a low-power mode in response to the transmitted signal.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first device is a master device and the second device is a slave device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the first device is a cellular telephone and the second device is a headset.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the second device is configured to switch to the low-power mode by at least one of switching the second device to a Sniff mode, switching the second device to a Hold mode, and switching the second device to a Park mode.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the second device is configured to switch to the low-power mode by configuring a subsystem in the second device for power conservation.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the first device is configured to transmit a second signal to the second device using a Bluetooth communications protocol; and

the second device is configured to switch to a full-power mode in response to the second signal.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the first device is configured to transmit the second signal to the second device in response to recognizing that the second device is needed to perform a function.

19. A system for switching a device to a low-power mode comprising:

a first device configured to transmit a signal using a Bluetooth communications protocol; and

a second device configured to receive a signal using a Bluetooth communications protocol, wherein;

the second device is configured to send information about its battery level to the first device;

the first device is configured to transmit a signal to the second device using a Bluetooth communications protocol in response to the information; and

the second device is configured to switch to a low-power mode in response to the transmitted signal.

22. A method for switching a device to a low-power mode comprising:

sending, by a second device, information about a battery level of the second device to a first device;

in response to sending the information, receiving, by the second device, a signal from the first device using a Bluetooth communications protocol; and

the second device switching to a low-power mode in response to the signal received from the first device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the second device switching to the low-power mode comprises at least one of switching the second device to a Sniff mode, switching the second device to a Hold mode, and switching the second device to a Park mode.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the second device switching to the low-power mode comprises disabling a function of the second device unrelated to communications.