System and method for managing a power mode of a designated electronic device

• US 9,304,572 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Stefanov, Hristo Stefanov, Wuellner, Trond Thomas, Kuscher, Alexander Friedrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Abbaszadeh, Jaweed A
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOHNSON, TERRELL S
• Application Number:
  US13/631,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20140095901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 713/320, 455/456.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• 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: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• 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

A system and method for managing a power mode of a designated electronic device are provided. A geographical location of a mobile electronic device is determined. A comparison of the determined geographical location of the mobile electronic device and a stored location of a designated electronic device in a power-off mode is made. A wake-up signal is sent to the designated electronic device if the determined geographical location of the mobile electronic device is within a proximity threshold of the designated electronic device, where the designated electronic device is configured to enter a power-on mode upon receipt of the wake-up signal.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for managing a power mode of a designated electronic device, the method comprising:

determining a geographical location of a mobile electronic device;

comparing the determined geographical location of the mobile electronic device with a stored location of a designated electronic device in a power-off mode;

repeatedly sending a wake-up signal to the designated electronic device, for a designated period of time, if the determined geographical location of the mobile electronic device is within a proximity threshold of the designated electronic device, wherein the designated electronic device is configured to enter a power-on mode upon receipt of the wake-up signal;

periodically updating the geographical location of the mobile device; and

resetting the mobile electronic device if a distance between the updated geographical location of the mobile device and the stored location of the designated electronic device exceeds the proximity threshold,

wherein another wake-up signal is sent to the reset mobile electronic device if subsequent to entering the reset mode, the reset mobile electronic device is determined to be within a proximity threshold of the designated electronic device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user designated geographical location of the designated electronic device; and

storing the received user designated geographical location of the designated electronic device as the stored location.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the wake-up signal is transmitted from a Bluetooth component of the mobile electronic device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting one or more additional conditions for sending the wake-up signal to the designated electronic device,

wherein the wake-up signal is sent to the designated electronic device if the determined geographical location of the mobile electronic device is within a proximity threshold of the designated electronic device and each of the one or more additional conditions for sending the wake-up signal is met.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein one of the one or more additional conditions for sending the wake-up signal specifies a period of time during which sending the wake-up signal to the designated electronic device is permitted.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the designated electronic device is a computer.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the geographical location of the mobile electronic device is obtained from signals transmitted from a satellite navigation system component of the mobile electronic device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the geographical location of the mobile electronic device is obtained from signals transmitted from a WiFi component of the mobile electronic device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the reset mode corresponds to the resetting of the mobile electronic device, and comprises powering off the mobile electronic device followed by powering on the mobile electronic device.

10. A system for managing a power mode of a designated electronic device, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising;

determining a geographical location of a mobile electronic device, wherein the geographical location of the mobile electronic device is obtained from signals transmitted from a satellite navigation system component of the mobile electronic device;

comparing the determined geographical location of the mobile electronic device with a stored location of a designated electronic device in a power-off mode; and

repeatedly sending a wake-up signal to the designated electronic device, for a designated period of time, if the determined geographical location of the mobile electronic device is within a proximity threshold of the designated electronic device, wherein the designated electronic device is configured to enter a power-on mode upon receipt of the wake-up signal;

periodically updating the geographical location of the mobile device; and

resetting the mobile electronic device if a distance between the updated geographical location of the mobile device and the stored location of the designated electronic device exceeds the proximity threshold, wherein another wake-up signal is sent to the reset mobile electronic device if subsequent to entering the reset mode, the reset mobile electronic device is determined to be within a proximity threshold of the designated electronic device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the non-transitory machine-readable medium further comprises instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

determining a geographical location of the designated electronic device; and

storing the determined geographical location of the designated electronic device as the stored location, wherein the determined geographical location of the designated electronic device is stored locally on the mobile electronic device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the geographical location of the mobile electronic device is obtained from signals transmitted from a WiFi component of the mobile electronic device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the non-transitory machine-readable medium further comprises instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a user designated geographical location of the designated electronic device; and

storing the received user designated geographical location of the designated electronic device as the stored location.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the non-transitory machine-readable medium further comprises instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:

setting one or more additional conditions for sending the wake-up signal to the designated electronic device,

wherein the wake-up signal is sent to the designated electronic device if the determined geographical location of the mobile electronic device is within a proximity threshold of the designated electronic device and each of the one or more additional conditions for sending the wake-up signal is met.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein one of the one or more additional conditions for sending the wake-up signal specifies a period of time during which sending the wake-up signal to the designated electronic device is permitted.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a system, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

determining a geographical location of a smartphone device, wherein the geographical location of the smartphone electronic device is obtained from signals transmitted from a satellite navigation system component of the smartphone device;

comparing the determined geographical location of the smartphone device with a stored location of a computer in a power-off mode; and

repeatedly sending a wake-up signal to the computer, for a designated period of time, if the determined geographical location of the smartphone device is within a proximity threshold of the computer, wherein the computer is configured to enter a power-on mode upon receipt of the wake-up signal;

periodically updating the geographical location of the mobile device; and

resetting the mobile electronic device if a distance between the updated geographical location of the mobile device and the stored location of the designated electronic device exceeds the proximity threshold, wherein another wake-up signal is sent to the reset mobile electronic device if subsequent to entering the reset mode, the reset mobile electronic device is determined to be within a proximity threshold of the designated electronic device.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of 16, further comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a system, cause the system to perform operations comprising:

setting one or more additional conditions for sending the wake-up signal to the designated electronic device,

wherein the wake-up signal is sent to the designated electronic device if the determined geographical location of the mobile electronic device is within a proximity threshold of the designated electronic device and each of the one or more additional conditions for sending the wake-up signal is met.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of 17, wherein one of the one or more additional conditions for sending the wake-up signal specifies a period of time during which sending the wake-up signal to the designated electronic device is permitted.