Power management of networked devices

• US 9,454,209 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2013
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dhaani Systems Co.
• Original Assignee: Dhaani Systems Co.
• Inventors: Mukherjee, Shankar, Walrand, Jean, Bambos, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAU, PETER P
• Application Number:
  US13/942,586
• Publication Number:
  US 20140025977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/02 Power saving arrangements in wired systems H04L12/12; signaling of mobile application services, e.g. low battery notifications H04W4/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• 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 network-centric, power management system and method is disclosed for monitoring and controlling device nodes attached to a network. The monitoring and controlling includes collecting and processing information available on the network about the device nodes and using the collected information to manage power on the device nodes.

Claims

1. A system for managing power consumption of a device coupled to a communication device of a communication network by way of a communication link, the system comprising:

a control node coupled to the communication device and configured to;

calculate a plurality of probability values corresponding to a plurality of past time epochs, where each probability value of the plurality of probability values (a) is associated with a corresponding past time epoch of the plurality of past time epochs, (b) is calculated from an activity value of a plurality of activity values associated with the corresponding past time epoch of the plurality of past time epochs and (c) corresponds to a probability that the device is active during the corresponding past time epoch of the plurality of past time epochs;

automatically generate a command for setting the device into an operation mode based on at least two of the plurality of probability values where a first probability value in the at least two of the plurality of probability values corresponds to a first past time epoch of the plurality of past time epochs correlated to a current or a future time epoch, automatically generating the command is further based on either a sum of the at least two of the plurality of probability values or a maximum of two probability values, wherein one of the two probability values is based on the at least two of the plurality of probability values; and

send the automatically generated command to the device, through the communication link, for setting the device into the operation mode for the current or the future time epoch of the device where the operation mode uses a different amount of power than a previous operation mode of the device prior to execution of the automatically generated and sent command.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control node receives at least one activity trace from the device, wherein the at least one activity trace comprises all of or a portion of the plurality of activity values and each activity value of the plurality of activity values in the at least one activity trace represents at least one of:

no activity, activity or multiple activities at the device during each corresponding past time epoch of the plurality of past time epochs.

3. The system of claim 2, where the calculating is updating wherein the updating for each probability value in the at least two of the plurality of probability values includes mathematically combining a weighted portion for the corresponding activity value of the plurality of activity values with a weighted portion for the corresponding probability value in the at least two of the plurality of probability values respectively.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the weighted portion for each corresponding activity value of the plurality of activity values is set to a value a, where a is a real number between 0.0 and 1.0, and the weighted portion for each corresponding probability value of the plurality of probability values is set to (1-a).

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least two of the plurality of probability values collectively represent a probability of a user being proximate to the device or a probability of a user or the device being active during an interval of time defined by all of the past time epochs of the plurality of past time epochs corresponding to the portion of the plurality of probability values.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the operation mode includes turning the device on or off.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the automatically generated and sent command is sent to the device by the control node in response to a trigger of one or more of:

a detected activity at the device, or the control node determining that a user has gone inactive on the device.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least two of the plurality of probability values are mathematically combined and the automatically generated and sent command to the device is based the mathematically combined probability values wherein the operation mode is one of at least three possible operation modes automatically selected, and wherein the previous operation mode is a second one of the at least three possible operation modes and the operation mode uses less power than the previous operation mode.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the first past time epoch is a first reoccurring past time epoch in a portion of the plurality of past time epochs.

10. The system of claim 1, where the calculating is updating wherein the updating for each probability value in the at least two of the plurality of probability values includes mathematically combining a weighted portion for the corresponding activity value of the plurality of activity values with a weighted portion for the corresponding probability value in the at least two of the plurality of probability values respectively.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the weighted portion for each corresponding activity value of the plurality of activity values is set to a value a, where a is a real number between 0.0 and 1.0, and the weighted portion for each corresponding probability value in the at least two of the plurality of probability values is set to (1-a).

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least two of the plurality of probability values collectively represent a probability of a user being proximate to the device or a probability of a user or the device being active during an interval of time.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the operation mode includes turning the device on or off.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the automatically generated and sent command is sent to the device by the control node in response to a trigger of one or more of:

a detected activity at the device, or the control node determining that a user has gone inactive on the device.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least two of the plurality of probability values are mathematically combined and the automatically generated and sent command to the device is based on the mathematically combined probability values wherein the operation mode is one of at least three possible operation modes automatically selected, and wherein the previous operation mode is a second one of the at least three possible operation modes and the operation mode uses less power than the previous operation mode.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the first past time epoch is a first reoccurring past time epoch in a portion of the plurality of past time epochs.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least two of the plurality of probability values collectively represent a probability of a user being proximate to the device or a probability of a user or the device being active during an interval of time.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the operation mode includes turning the device on or off.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the automatically generated and sent command is sent to the device by the control node in response to a trigger of one or more of:

a detected activity at the device, or the control node determining that a user has gone inactive on the device.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least two of the plurality of probability values are mathematically combined and the automatically generated and sent command to the device is based on the mathematically combined probability values wherein the operation mode is one of at least three possible operation modes automatically selected, and wherein the previous operation mode is a second one of the at least three possible operation modes and the operation mode uses less power than the previous operation mode.

21. The system of claim 10, wherein the first past time epoch is a first reoccurring past time epoch in a portion of the plurality of past time epochs.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the automatically generated and sent command is further based on one or more of:

a user response to a system request or communication, user calendar information, or a detected activity at the device or a second device.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least two of the plurality of probability values collectively represent a probability of a user being proximate to the device or a probability of a user or the device being active during an interval of time.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the operation mode includes turning the device on or off.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the automatically generated and sent command is sent to the device by the control node in response to a trigger of one or more of:

a detected activity at the device, or the control node determining that a user has gone inactive on the device.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least two of the plurality of probability values are mathematically combined and the automatically generated and sent command to the device is based on the mathematically combined probability values wherein the operation mode is one of at least three possible operation modes automatically selected, and wherein the previous operation mode is a second one of the at least three possible operation modes and the operation mode uses less power than the previous operation mode.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the first past time epoch is a first reoccurring past time epoch in a portion of the plurality of past time epochs.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein the first past time epoch is a first reoccurring past time epoch in a portion of the plurality of past time epochs.

29. A method of managing power consumption of a device coupled to a communication device of a communication network by way of a communication link, the method comprising:

calculating, by a control node coupled to the communication device, a plurality of probability values corresponding to a plurality of past time epochs, where each probability value of the plurality of probability values (a) is associated with a corresponding past time epoch of the plurality of past time epochs, (b) is calculated from at least one activity value of a plurality of activity values and (c) corresponds to a probability that the device is active during the corresponding past time epoch of the plurality of past time epochs;

automatically generating a command for setting the device into an operation mode based on at least two of the plurality of probability values where a first probability value in the at least two of the plurality of probability values corresponds to a first past time epoch of the plurality of past time epochs correlated to a current or a future time epoch, automatically generating the command is further based on either a sum of the at least two of the plurality of probability values or a maximum of two probability values, wherein one of the two probability values is based on the at least two of the plurality of probability values; and

sending the automatically generated command to the device, through the communication link, for setting the device into the operation mode for the current or the future time epoch of the device where the operation mode uses a different amount of power than a previous operation mode of the device prior to execution of the automatically generated and sent command.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

calculating, by a control node coupled to a communication node of a communication network by way of a communication link, a plurality of probability values corresponding to a plurality of past time epochs, where each probability value of the plurality of probability values (a) is associated with a corresponding past time epoch of the plurality of past time epochs, (b) is calculated from an activity value of a plurality of activity values and (c) corresponds to a probability that a device is active during the corresponding past time epoch of the plurality of past time epochs;

automatically generating a command for setting the device into an operation mode based on at least two of the plurality of probability values where a first probability value in the at least two of the plurality of probability values corresponds to a first past time epoch of the plurality of past time epochs correlated to a current or a future time epoch, automatically generating the command is further based on either a sum of the at least two of the plurality of probability values or a maximum of two probability values, wherein one of the two probability values is based on the at least two of the plurality of probability values; and

sending the automatically generated command to the device, through the communication link, for setting the device into the operation mode for the current or the future time epoch of the device where the operation mode uses a different amount of power than a previous operation mode of the device prior to execution of the automatically generated and sent command.