Context sensitive power management for a resource

• US 8,627,125 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2011
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gen Digital Inc.
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Kashyap, Anand
• Primary Examiner(s): Stoynov, Stefan
• Application Number:
  US13/081,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20120260112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 713/320, 713/323, 713/340, 345/212, 370/13.24, 370/311, 455/3.01, 455/574, 702/60, 702/64, 702/150, 702/187
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Power management systems and methods are presented. In one embodiment, implementation of a method for context specific power management of a resource, comprises: defining a context within which a resource operates, wherein the context is defined by one or more parameters; tracking a usage history of the resource operating within the context to determine passive user feedback related to a plurality of timeout values; and determining a timeout value for a current operation of the resource within the context based on the usage history.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer system causes the computer system to perform a method, comprising:

defining a context within which a resource operates, wherein said context is defined by one or more parameters;

tracking a usage history of said resource operating within said context to determine passive user feedback related to a plurality of timeout values; and

determining a timeout value for a current operation of said resource within said context based on said usage history.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein said tracking a usage history in said method comprises:

determining a last activity of said resource;

conserving power dedicated to said resource when a corresponding timeout period has elapsed in relation to said last activity;

tracking an annoyance period after said resource is sleeping; and

determining a positive feedback when a new activity occurs after said annoyance period has elapsed.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein said tracking a usage history in said method comprises:

determining a last activity of said resource;

conserving power dedicated to said resource when a corresponding timeout period has elapsed in relation to said last activity;

tracking an annoyance period after said resource is sleeping; and

determining a negative feedback when a new activity occurs before said annoyance period has elapsed.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein said determining a timeout value in said method comprises:

determining positive feedback in said usage history for a plurality of timeout values;

determining negative feedback in said usage history for said plurality of timeout values;

determining an annoyance value for each timeout value based on said positive feedback and said negative feedback; and

determining a timeout value having an annoyance value between an upper threshold and a lower threshold.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein said determining an annoyance value in said method comprises:

for a given timeout value, determining a percentage of negative feedback within all feedback for said given timeout value.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein in said method a parameter of said one or more parameters comprises a resource parameter or environmental parameter taken essentially from a group consisting of:

mobility;

network connectivity;

Wi-Fi card access;

power;

time; and

geo-location.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein said defining a context in said method comprises:

defining said context for a device including a display as said resource.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

for a new context, determining a pool of relevant contexts, each of which comprises at least one parameter also common to said new context;

determining positive feedback in said usage history for said pool of relevant contexts for a plurality of timeout values;

determining negative feedback in said usage history for said pool of relevant contexts for said plurality of timeout values;

determining an annoyance value for each timeout value based on said positive feedback and said negative feedback; and

determining a timeout value having an annoyance value between an upper threshold and a lower threshold.

9. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

memory coupled to said processor and having stored therein instructions that, if executed by said computer system, cause said computer to execute a method comprising;

defining a context within which a resource operates, wherein said context is defined by one or more parameters;

tracking a usage history of said resource operating within said context to determine passive user feedback related to a plurality of timeout values; and

determining a timeout value for a current operation of said resource within said context based on said usage history.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said tracking a usage history in said method comprises:

determining a last activity of said resource;

conserving power dedicated to said resource when a corresponding timeout period has elapsed in relation to said last activity;

tracking an annoyance period after said resource is sleeping; and

determining a positive feedback when a new activity occurs after said annoyance period has elapsed.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said tracking a usage history in said method comprises:

determining a last activity of said resource;

conserving power dedicated to said resource when a corresponding timeout period has elapsed in relation to said last activity;

tracking an annoyance period after said resource is sleeping; and

determining a negative feedback when a new activity occurs before said annoyance period has elapsed.

12. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said determining a timeout value in said method comprises:

determining positive feedback in said usage history for a plurality of timeout values;

determining negative feedback in said usage history for said plurality of timeout values;

determining an annoyance value for each timeout value based on said positive feedback and said negative feedback; and

determining a timeout value having an annoyance value between an upper threshold and a lower threshold.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein said determining an annoyance value in said method comprises:

for a given timeout value, determining a percentage of negative feedback within all feedback for said given timeout value.

14. The computer system of claim 9, wherein in said method a parameter of said one or more parameters comprises a resource parameter or environmental parameter taken essentially from a group consisting of:

mobility;

network connectivity;

Wi-Fi card access;

power;

time; and

geo-location.

15. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said defining a context in said method comprises:

defining said context for a device including a display as said resource.

16. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said method further comprises:

for a new context, determining a pool of relevant contexts, each of which comprises at least one parameter also common to said new context;

determining positive feedback in said usage history for said pool of relevant contexts for a plurality of timeout values;

determining negative feedback in said usage history for said pool of relevant contexts for said plurality of timeout values;

determining an annoyance value for each timeout value based on said positive feedback and said negative feedback; and

determining a timeout value having an annoyance value between an upper threshold and a lower threshold.

17. A computer implemented method for power management, comprising:

defining a context within which a resource operates, wherein said context is defined by one or more parameters;

tracking a usage history of said resource operating within said context to determine passive user feedback related to a plurality of timeout values; and

determining a timeout value for a current operation of said resource within said context based on said usage history.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said tracking a usage history comprises:

determining a last activity of said resource;

conserving power dedicated to said resource when a corresponding timeout period has elapsed in relation to said last activity;

tracking an annoyance period after said resource is sleeping;

determining a positive feedback when a new activity occurs after said annoyance period has elapsed; and

determining a negative feedback when said new activity occurs before said annoyance period has elapsed.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said determining a timeout value comprises:

determining positive feedback in said usage history for a plurality of timeout values;

determining negative feedback in said usage history for said plurality of timeout values;

determining an annoyance value for each timeout value based on said positive feedback and said negative feedback; and

determining a timeout value having an annoyance value between an upper threshold and a lower threshold.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

for a new context, determining a pool of relevant contexts, each of which comprises at least one parameter also common to said new context;

determining positive feedback in said usage history for said pool of relevant contexts for a plurality of timeout values;

determining negative feedback in said usage history for said pool of relevant contexts for said plurality of timeout values;

determining an annoyance value for each timeout value based on said positive feedback and said negative feedback; and

determining a timeout value having an annoyance value between an upper threshold and a lower threshold.