Power management on portable devices

• US 8,532,004 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2011
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hunt, James Anthony, Novak, Joshua Neil, Waltermann, Rod D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): La, Phong
• Application Number:
  US12/987,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20120176946A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 370/311, 370/332, 370/334, 340/7.32, 340/7.38, 455/343.1, 455/343.2, 455/343.4, 455/343.5, 455/343.6
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• 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

A computing apparatus receives data that corresponds to a wireless network connection established with an access point. The computing apparatus determines whether the access point corresponds to a predetermined access point type, and also determines that a device is to transition to a reduced power state. When the access point corresponds to the predetermined access point type and the determines that the device is to transition to the reduced power state, the computing apparatus transitions the device from a first power state to a reduced power state, and maintains the wireless network connection by using at least a subset of wireless functionality operatively coupled to the device.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method comprising:

receiving data corresponding to a wireless network connection established with an access point;

determining, based upon the data, whether the access point corresponds to a predetermined access point type;

determining that a device is to transition to a reduced power state;

in response to determining that the access point corresponds to the predetermined access point type and determining that the device is to transition to the reduced power state;

transitioning the device from a first power state to the reduced power state;

maintaining the wireless network connection by using at least a subset of wireless functionality operatively coupled to the device;

in response to determining that the access point fails to correspond to the predetermined access point type and determining that the device is to transition to the reduced power state;

transitioning the device from the first power state to the reduced power state;

transitioning the wireless functionality to a reduced power wireless state, resulting in disconnecting the wireless network connection;

detecting a wake up indicator;

in response to detecting the wake up indicator, transitioning the wireless functionality from the reduced power wireless state to the first power wireless state;

detecting a subsequent access point in response to the wireless functionality entering the first power wireless state;

determining that the subsequent access point corresponds to the predetermined access point type;

establishing a subsequent wireless network connection with the subsequent access point;

determining that the device is to transition back to the reduced power state;

in response to determining that the subsequent access point corresponds to the predetermined access point type and determining that the device is to transition back to the reduced power state;

transitioning the device from the first power state to the reduced power state; and

maintaining the subsequent wireless network connection by using at least the subset of wireless functionality operatively coupled to the device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein, prior to detecting the subsequent access point, the method further comprises:

identifying a current geographical position;

identifying an access point location corresponding to the subsequent access point; and

computing a wake up time to invoke the wake up indicator based upon the current geographical position and the access point location.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving network connection policies; and

configuring the wireless functionality according to the retrieved network connection policies.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving override parameters over the wireless network connection, wherein the override parameters take precedence over the network connection policies; and

configuring the wireless functionality according to the override parameters.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting, over the wireless network connection, a message from the access point; and

in response to detecting the message, transitioning the device from the lower power state to the first power state; and

utilizing the device in the first power state to process the message.

6. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by at least one of the processors;

wireless functionality accessible by at least one of the processors;

a set of instructions stored in the memory and executed by at least one of the processors in order to perform actions of;

receiving data corresponding to a wireless network connection established with an access point;

determining, based upon the data, whether the access point corresponds to a predetermined access point type;

determining that a device is to transition to a reduced power state;

in response to determining that the access point corresponds to the predetermined access point type and determining that the device is to transition to the reduced power state;

transitioning the device from a first power state to the reduced power state;

maintaining the wireless network connection by using at least a subset of wireless functionality operatively coupled to the device;

in response to determining that the access point fails to correspond to the predetermined access point type and determining that the device is to transition to the reduced power state;

transitioning the device from the first power state to the reduced power state;

transitioning the wireless functionality to a reduced power wireless state, resulting in disconnecting the wireless network connection;

detecting a wake up indicator;

in response to detecting the wake up indicator, transitioning the wireless functionality from the reduced power wireless state to the first power wireless state;

detecting a subsequent access point in response to the wireless functionality entering the first power wireless state;

determining that the subsequent access point corresponds to the predetermined access point type;

establishing a subsequent wireless network connection with the subsequent access point;

determining that the device is to transition back to the reduced power state;

in response to determining that the subsequent access point corresponds to the predetermined access point type and determining that the device is to transition back to the reduced power state;

transitioning the device from the first power state to the reduced power state; and

maintaining the subsequent wireless network connection by using at least the subset of wireless functionality operatively coupled to the device.

7. The information handling system of claim 6 wherein, prior to detecting the subsequent access point, the set of instructions stored in the memory and executed by at least one of the processors further performs actions of:

identifying a current geographical position;

identifying an access point location corresponding to the subsequent access point; and

computing a wake up time to invoke the wake up indicator based upon the current geographical position and the access point location.

8. The information handling system of claim 7 wherein the wake up time is also computed based upon the velocity of the information handling system.

9. The information handling system of claim 6 wherein the set of instructions stored in the memory and executed by at least one of the processors in order to further perform actions of:

retrieving network connection policies;

configuring the wireless functionality according to the retrieved network connection policies;

receiving override parameters over the wireless network connection, wherein the override parameters take precedence over the network connection policies; and

configuring the wireless functionality according to the override parameters.

10. The information handling system of claim 6 wherein the set of instructions stored in the memory and executed by at least one of the processors in order to further perform actions of:

detecting, over the wireless network connection, a message from the access point; and

in response to detecting the message, transitioning the device from the lower power state to the first power state; and

utilizing the device in the first power state to process the message.

11. A computer program product stored in a computer readable storage medium, comprising functional descriptive material that, when executed by an information handling system, causes the information handling system to perform actions that include:

receiving data corresponding to a wireless network connection established with an access point;

determining, based upon the data, whether the access point corresponds to a predetermined access point type;

determining that a device is to transition to a reduced power state;

in response to determining that the access point corresponds to the predetermined access point type and determining that the device is to transition to the reduced power state;

transitioning the device from a first power state to the reduced power state;

maintaining the wireless network connection by using at least a subset of wireless functionality operatively coupled to the device;

in response to determining that the access point fails to correspond to the predetermined access point type and determining that the device is to transition to the reduced power state;

transitioning the device from the first power state to the reduced power state;

transitioning the wireless functionality to a reduced power wireless state, resulting in disconnecting the wireless network connection;

detecting a wake up indicator;

in response to detecting the wake UP indicator, transitioning the wireless functionality from the reduced power wireless state to the first power wireless state;

detecting a subsequent access point in response to the wireless functionality entering the first power wireless state;

determining that the subsequent access point corresponds to the predetermined access point type;

establishing a subsequent wireless network connection with the subsequent access point;

determining that the device is to transition back to the reduced power state;

in response to determining that the subsequent access point corresponds to the predetermined access point type and determining that the device is to transition back to the reduced power state;

transitioning the device from the first power state to the reduced power state; and

maintaining the subsequent wireless network connection by using at least the subset of wireless functionality operatively coupled to the device.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein, prior to detecting the subsequent access point, the information handling system further performs actions that include:

identifying a current geographical position;

identifying an access point location corresponding to the subsequent access point; and

computing a wake up time to invoke the wake up indicator based upon the current geographical position and the access point location.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the information handling system further performs actions that include:

retrieving network connection policies; and

configuring the wireless functionality according to the retrieved network connection policies.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the information handling system further performs actions that include:

detecting, over the wireless network connection, a message from the access point; and

in response to detecting the message, transitioning the device from the lower power state to the first power state; and

utilizing the device in the first power state to process the message.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the network connection policies include at least one policy for configuring the wireless functionality based on the time of day and at least one policy for configuring the wireless functionality based on the location of the information handling system.

16. A machine-implemented method comprising:

receiving data corresponding to a wireless network connection established with an access point;

determining, based upon the data, whether the access point corresponds to a predetermined access point type;

determining that a device is to transition to a reduced power state;

in response to determining that the access point corresponds to the predetermined access point type and determining that the device is to transition to the reduced power state;

transitioning the device from a first power state to the reduced power state;

maintaining the wireless network connection by using at least a subset of wireless functionality operatively coupled to the device;

in response to determining that the access point fails to correspond to the predetermined access point type and determining that the device is to transition to the reduced power state;

transitioning the device from the first power state to the reduced power state;

transitioning the wireless functionality to a reduced power wireless state, resulting in disconnecting the wireless network connection;

detecting a wake up indicator;

in response to detecting the wake up indicator, transitioning the wireless functionality from the reduced power wireless state to the first power wireless state;

detecting a subsequent access point in response to the wireless functionality entering the first power wireless state;

determining that the subsequent access point corresponds to the predetermined access point type;

establishing a subsequent wireless network connection with the subsequent access point;

determining that the device is to transition back to the reduced power state;

in response to determining that the subsequent access point corresponds to the predetermined access point type and determining that the device is to transition back to the reduced power state;

transitioning the device from the first power state to the reduced power state; and

maintaining the subsequent wireless network connection by using at least the subset of wireless functionality operatively coupled to the device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein in response to determining successively at least twice while in the reduced power state that data has not been sent to the device while in the reduced power state, powering off the device.