Apparatus for switching from a first communication mode to a second communication mode in response of determining that the a power pack of the communication device satisfies a condition to reduce energy consumption

• US 8,762,751 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2011
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Patino, Joseph, Rodriguez, Roberto
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prifti, Aurel
• Application Number:
  US13/174,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20130007482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/453, 713/153, 713/340, 713/320, 713/310, 713/322, 713/300, 370/230.1, 370/229, 340/636.13, 702/132
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3278 Power saving in modem or I/O interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An apparatus and method of determining a communications mode. An operating condition of a device is monitored to determine if the operating condition satisfies a condition for loss of charging of a power pack of the device. Examples of operating conditions that satisfy a condition for loss of charging of a power pack of the device include determining that a power pack temperature of the power pack exceeds a power reduction temperature threshold and determining that a net electrical current drawn from the power pack exceeds a net charging electrical current delivered to the power pack. In response to determining that an operating condition of a device satisfies a condition for loss of charging of a power pack of the device, a wireless communications mode of the device is switched from a first mode to a second mode, where the second mode consumes less energy than the first mode.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communication device, the method comprising:

performing the following with a processor;

determining that a measured power pack value of a communication device satisfies a condition to reduce energy consumption, the condition to reduce energy consumption comprising

a net electrical current drawn from the power pack exceeding a net charging electrical current delivered to the power pack, and

a power pack temperature exceeding a power reduction temperature threshold, the power reduction temperature threshold being less than a charging cutoff temperature threshold corresponding to a condition for loss of charging of the power pack of the device; and

switching, in response to determining that the measured power pack value of the communication device satisfies the condition to reduce energy consumption, a wireless communications mode of the device from a first mode to a second mode, the second mode consuming less energy than the first mode.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the determining that the measured power pack value of the device satisfies the condition to reduce energy consumption comprises determining that the power pack temperature of the power pack exceeds the power reduction temperature threshold, and

wherein the switching is in response to the determining that the power pack temperature of the power pack for the device exceeds the power reduction temperature threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second mode comprises communicating on a 2G wireless network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the power pack is being charged,

wherein the determining that the measured power pack value comprises determining, in response to determining that the power pack is being charged, that a net electrical current drawn from the power pack exceeds a net charging electrical current delivered to the power pack, and

wherein the switching is in response to determining that the net electrical current drawn from the power pack exceeds the net charging electrical current delivered to the power pack.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, in response to determining that the measured power pack value satisfies the condition for loss of power pack charging, that a transmitted radio frequency power level for the first mode exceeds a power threshold, and

wherein the switching is further performed in response to determining that the transmitted radio frequency power level for the first mode exceeds the power threshold.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the power threshold corresponds to a power level where a radio interface for the first mode draws a first radio interface electrical current that is greater than a second radio interface electrical current, the second radio interface electrical current corresponds to electrical current drawn by a radio interface for the second mode.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a power pack temperature receiver configured to receive a present power pack temperature of a power pack of the apparatus;

a power pack monitor, coupled to the power pack temperature receiver, configured to determine that a measured power pack value of the apparatus satisfies a condition to reduce energy consumption, the condition to reduce energy consumption comprising;

a net electrical current drawn from the power pack exceeding a net charging electrical current delivered to the power pack, and

a power pack temperature exceeding a power reduction temperature threshold, the power reduction temperature threshold being less than a charging cutoff temperature threshold corresponding to a condition for loss of power pack charging; and

a communications mode switcher, coupled to the power pack monitor, configured to switch, in response to the power pack monitor determining that the measured power pack value of the apparatus satisfies the condition to reduce energy consumption, a wireless communications mode of the apparatus from a first mode to a second mode, the second mode consuming less energy than the first mode.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the communications mode switcher is configured to determine that the measured power pack value of the apparatus satisfies the condition to reduce energy consumption by, at least in part, determining that a power pack temperature of the power pack exceeds a power reduction temperature threshold, and

wherein the communications mode switcher is configured to switch in response to the determining that the power pack temperature of the power pack exceeds the power reduction temperature threshold.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second mode comprises communicating on a 2G wireless network.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, the communications mode switcher being further configured to determine that the power pack is being charged,

wherein the communications mode switcher is configured to determine that the measured power pack value of the apparatus satisfies the condition to reduce energy consumption by, at least in part, determining, in response to determining that the power pack is being charged, that a net electrical current drawn from the power pack exceeds a net charging electrical current delivered to the power pack, and

wherein the communications mode switcher is configured to switch in response to determining that the net electrical current drawn from the power pack exceeds the net charging electrical current delivered to the power pack.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, the communications mode switcher further configured to determine, in response to determining that the measured power pack value of the apparatus satisfies the condition to reduce energy consumption, that a transmitted radio frequency power level for the first mode exceeds a power threshold, and

wherein the communications mode switcher is further configured to switch in further response to determining that the transmitted radio frequency power level for the first mode exceeds the power threshold.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the power threshold corresponds to a power level where a radio interface for the first mode draws a first radio interface electrical current that is greater than a second radio interface electrical current, the second radio interface electrical current corresponding to electrical current drawn by a radio interface for the second mode.

13. A computer program product comprising non-transient computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising instructions for:

determining that an measured power pack value of a device satisfies a condition to reduce energy consumption, the condition to reduce energy consumption comprising;

a net electrical current drawn from the power pack exceeding a net charging electrical current delivered to the power pack, and

a power pack temperature exceeding a power reduction temperature threshold, the power reduction temperature threshold being less than a charging cutoff temperature threshold corresponding to a condition for loss of charging of the power pack of the device; and

switching, in response to determining that the measured power pack value of the device satisfies the condition to reduce energy consumption, a wireless communications mode of the device from a first mode to a second mode, the second mode consuming less energy than the first mode.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the instructions for determining comprise instructions for determining that a power pack temperature of the power pack exceeds a power reduction temperature threshold, and

wherein the instructions for switching are executed in response to the determining that the power pack temperature of the power pack for the device exceeds the power reduction temperature threshold.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the second mode comprises communicating on a 2G wireless network.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, the computer readable program code further comprising instructions for determining that the power pack is being charged,

wherein the instructions for determining that the measured power pack value of the device satisfies the condition to reduce energy consumption comprise instructions for determining, in response to determining that the power pack is being charged, that a net electrical current drawn from the power pack exceeds a net charging electrical current delivered to the power pack, and

wherein the instructions for switching are executed in response to determining that the net electrical current drawn from the power pack exceeds the net charging electrical current delivered to the power pack.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, the computer readable program code further comprising instructions for:

determining, in response to determining that the measured power pack value of the device satisfies the condition to reduce energy consumption, that a transmitted radio frequency power level for the first mode exceeds a power threshold, and

wherein the instructions for switching are further executed in response to determining that the transmitted radio frequency power level for the first mode exceeds the power threshold.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the power threshold corresponds to a power level where a radio interface for the first mode draws a first radio interface electrical current that is greater than a second radio interface electrical current, the second radio interface electrical current corresponds to electrical current drawn by a radio interface for the second mode.

19. A communications circuit, comprising:

a power pack;

a radio interface configured to selectively wirelessly communicate according to a first wireless communications protocol and to wirelessly communicate in a second wireless communications protocol;

a power pack temperature receiver configured to receive a present power pack temperature of a power pack of a device;

a power pack monitor, coupled to the power pack temperature receiver, configured to determine, that a measured power pack value of the device satisfies a condition to reduce energy consumption, the condition to reduce energy consumption comprising;

a net electrical current drawn from the power pack exceeding a net charging electrical current delivered to the power pack, and

a power pack temperature exceeding a power reduction temperature threshold, the power reduction temperature threshold being less than a charging cutoff temperature threshold corresponding to a condition for loss of power pack charging; and

a communications mode switcher, coupled to the power pack monitor, configured to switch, in response to the power pack monitor determining that the measured power pack value of the device satisfies the condition to reduce energy consumption, a wireless communications mode of the device from a first mode to a second mode, the second mode consuming less energy than the first mode.

20. The communications circuit of claim 19, the communications mode switcher being further configured to determine that the power pack is being charged,

wherein the communications mode switcher is configured to determine that the measured power pack value of the device satisfies the condition to reduce energy consumption by, at least in part, determining, in response to determining that the power pack is being charged, that a net electrical current drawn from the power pack exceeds a net charging electrical current delivered to the power pack, and

wherein the communications mode switcher is further configured to switch in further response to determining that the net electrical current drawn from the power pack exceeds the net charging electrical current delivered to the power pack.

21. The communications circuit of claim 19, the communications mode switcher further configured to determine, in response to determining that the measured power pack value of the device satisfies the condition to reduce energy consumption, that a transmitted radio frequency power level for the first mode exceeds a power threshold, and

wherein the communications mode switcher is further configured to switch in response to determining that the transmitted radio frequency power level for the first mode exceeds the power threshold.

22. The communications circuit of claim 21, wherein the power threshold corresponds to a power level where a radio interface for the first wireless communications protocol draws a first radio interface electrical current that is greater than a second radio interface electrical current, the second radio interface electrical current corresponds to electrical current drawn by a radio interface for the second wireless communications protocol.

23. A portable electronic device that determines a communications mode, the portable electronic device comprising:

an operating circuit;

a power pack;

a processor, configured to;

determine, that a measured power pack value of the power pack satisfies a condition to reduce energy consumption, the condition to reduce energy consumption comprising

a net electrical current drawn from the power pack exceeding a net charging electrical current delivered to the power pack, and

a power pack temperature exceeding a power reduction temperature threshold, the power reduction temperature threshold being less than a charging cutoff temperature threshold corresponding to a condition for loss of charging of the power pack of the device; and

switch, in response to determining that the measured power pack value satisfies the condition to reduce energy consumption, a wireless communications mode of the device from a first mode to a second mode, the second mode consuming less energy than the first mode.