Method for controlling schedule of executing application in terminal device and terminal device implementing the method

• US 9,569,256 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2012
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Mobile Communications Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kato, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Eric
• Application Number:
  US13/626,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20140089701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,603 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3228 Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4418 Suspend and resume; Hibernate and awake
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4837 time dependent
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method may include associating, with a timer-B, a second application in a terminal device; setting the terminal device in a standby mode; and executing the second application when a processor in the terminal device wakes up after the timer-B measures a second amount of elapsed time. The timer-B may not initiate wake-up of the processor. The method may further include determining whether the second application is associated with the timer-B or a timer-A when the terminal device receives a command of setting the terminal device in the standby mode; and when the second application is determined as being associated with the timer-A, unassociating the second application with the timer-A. The timer-A may initiate wake-up of the processor when the timer-A measures another second amount of elapsed time while the terminal device is the standby mode. A timer associated with a first application may initiate wakeup of the processor.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

associating, with a second timer in a second timer group, a second application in a terminal device;

setting the terminal device in a standby mode;

waking up a processor in the terminal device when a first timer in a first timer group measures a first amount of elapsed time while the terminal device is in the standby mode, the first timer in the first timer group being configured to initiate wake-up of the processor even when the terminal device is in the standby mode, a first application being associated with the first timer in the first timer group;

executing the first application when the processor wakes up;

determining, using the processor, whether the second timer in the second timer group measures a second amount of elapsed time and whether the second timer in the second timer group measures the second amount of elapsed time before the processor wakes up;

executing, using the processor, the second application after the second timer in the second timer group measures the second amount of elapsed time only when the processor in the terminal device is in an operating mode; and

not executing the second application even after the second timer in the second timer group measures the second amount of elapsed time when the processor is in the standby mode, the second timer in the second timer group being configured not to initiate wake-up of the processor when the terminal device is in the standby mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the second application is associated with the second timer in the second timer group or a second timer in a first timer group when the terminal device receives a command of setting the terminal device in the standby mode; and

when the second application is determined as being associated with the second timer in the first timer group, unassociating the second application with the second timer in the first timer group,

wherein the second tinier in the first timer group is configured to initiate wake-up of the processor when the second timer in the first timer group measures another second amount of elapsed time while the terminal device is in the standby mode.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second amount of elapsed time measured by the second timer in the second timer group is substantially equal to the second amount of elapsed time measured by the second timer in the first group.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing information regarding the second, timer in the first timer group in a memory of the terminal device when the terminal device receives a command of setting the terminal device in the standby mode, and

retrieving the information regarding the second timer in the first timer group from the memory when the terminal device receives a command of setting the terminal device in the operating mode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first application is a data synchronization application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first amount of elapsed time is longer than the second amount of elapsed time measured by the second timer in the second timer group.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second timer in the second timer group repeats initialization of the second timer in the second timer group and measurement of the second amount of elapsed time until the terminal device receives a command of setting the terminal device in the operating mode.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second application is configured to monitor remaining electric charge of a battery associated with the terminal device.

9. A terminal device comprising:

a memory configured to store a second application; and

processing circuitry, including a first timer in a first timer group, and a second timer in a second timer group, configured to;

associate the second application with the second timer in the second tuner group,

set the terminal device in a standby mode,

wake up when the first timer in the first timer group measures a first amount of elapsed time while the terminal device is in the standby mode, the first timer in the first timer group being configured to initiate wake-up of the processing circuitry even when the terminal device is in the standby mode, a first application being associated with the first timer in the first timer group,

execute the first application when the processing circuitry wakes up,

determine whether the second timer in the second timer group measures a second amount of elapsed time and whether the second timer in the second timer group measures the second amount of elapsed time before the processing circuitry wakes up,

execute the second application after the second timer in the second timer group measures the second amount of elapsed time only when the processing circuitry in the terminal device is in an operating mode, and

not execute the second application even after the second tinier in the second timer group measures the second amount of elapsed time when the processing circuitry is in the standby mode, the second timer in the second tinier group being configured not to initiate wake-up of the processing circuitry when the terminal device is in the standby mode.

10. The terminal device of claim 9, wherein the processing circuitry further includes:

a second timer in a first timer group configured to initiate wake-up of the processing circuitry when the second timer in the first timer group measures another second amount of elapsed time while the terminal device is in the standby mode, and

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine whether the second application is associated with the second timer in the second timer group or the second timer in the first timer group when the terminal device receives a command of setting the terminal device in the standby mode, and unassociate the second application with the second timer in the first timer group when the processing circuitry determines that the second application is associated with the second timer in the first timer group.

11. The terminal device of claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to instruct the memory to store information regarding the second timer in the first timer group when the terminal device receives a command of setting the terminal device in the standby mode, and

retrieve the information regarding the second timer in the first timer group from the memory when the terminal device receives a command of setting the terminal device in the operating mode.

12. The terminal device of claim 10, wherein the second timer in the second timer group repeats initialization of the second timer in the second timer group and measurement of the second amount of elapsed time until the terminal device receives a command of setting the terminal device in the operating mode.

13. The terminal device of claim 9, wherein the first application is a data synchronization application.

14. The terminal device of claim 9 wherein the second application is configured to monitor remaining electric charge of a battery associated with the terminal device.

15. A computer-readable non-transitory medium comprising computer-executable instructions, which when executed by a computer cause the computer to execute a method comprising:

associating, with a second timer in a second timer group, a second application in a terminal device;

setting the terminal device in a standby mode;

waking up a processor in the terminal device when a first timer in a first timer group measures a first amount of elapsed time while the terminal device is in the standby mode, the first timer in the first timer group being configured to initiate wake-up of the processor even when the terminal device is in the standby mode, a first application being associated with the first timer in the first timer group;

executing the first application when the processor wakes up;

determining whether the second timer in the second timer group measures a second amount of elapsed time and whether the second timer in the second timer group measures the second amount of elapsed time before the processor wakes up;

executing the second application after the second timer in the second timer group measures the second amount of elapsed time only when the processor in the terminal device is in an operating mode; and

not executing the second application even after the second timer in the second timer group measures the second amount of elapsed time when the processor is in the standby mode, the second timer in the second timer group being configured not to initiate wake-up of the processor when the terminal device is in the standby mode.

16. The computer-readable non-transitory medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions of:

determining whether the second application is associated with the second timer in the second timer group or a second timer in a first timer group when the terminal device receives a command of setting the terminal device in the standby mode; and

when the second application is determined as being associated with the second timer in the first timer group, unassociating the second application with the second timer in the first timer group,

wherein the second timer in the first timer group is configured to initiate wake-up of the processor when the second timer in the first timer group measures another second amount of elapsed time while the terminal device is the standby mode.