Power management via coordination and selective operation of timer-related tasks

• US 10,375,645 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2017
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Pingili, Sudeesh R., Siravara, Bharath, Regen, Martin, Brown, Ray, Mann, Justin, Karoubi, Stephane, Xu, Li
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Chuong T
• Application Number:
  US15/625,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20170289916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 370311
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4418 Suspend and resume; Hibernate and awake
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0261 managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level
• 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

Mobile computing device power consumption can be reduced by using expiration window timers, state-based timers and/or the coordination of keep-alive timers. A mobile computing device can execute tasks associated with multiple keep-alive timers used for maintaining communication links between the device and cloud-based service providers in a single active state. A cloud-based keep-alive service can maintain mobile computing device-service provider communication links by sending one keep-alive communication to a mobile computing device in place of multiple communications. Upon receiving a response, the keep-alive surface can send a plurality of keep-alive communications to a plurality of cloud-based service providers.

Claims

1. A networked computing system comprising a processor and memory, wherein the networked computing system implements a keep-alive service, the networked computing system being adapted to perform a method of maintaining communication between a mobile computing device and a plurality of cloud-based service providers, the method comprising:

sending a first keep-alive communication for the keep-alive service to the mobile computing device;

receiving a response to the first keep-alive communication from the mobile computing device for the keep-alive service; and

responsive to receiving the response to the first keep-alive communication, sending a plurality of second keep-alive communications for the keep-alive service to the plurality of cloud-based service providers, respectively.

2. The networked computing system of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises determining that a keep-alive timer associated with a communication link between one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers and the mobile computing device has expired or is permitted to expire.

3. The networked computing system of claim 2, wherein the determining comprises receiving a keep-alive message from one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers.

4. The networked computing system of claim 2, wherein the sending the first keep-alive communication is performed as a result of the determining.

5. The networked computing system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of second keep-alive communications is sent to one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers that is operating or associated with an unexpired keep-alive timer.

6. The networked computing system of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises determining that a plurality of keep-alive timers, each associated with a communication link between one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers and the mobile computing device, have expired or are permitted to expire.

7. The networked computing system of claim 6, wherein the sending the first keep-alive communication is performed as a result of the determining.

8. The networked computing system of claim 1, wherein sending the plurality of second keep-alive communications comprises sending the response to the first keep-alive communication to the plurality of cloud-based service providers.

9. A method of maintaining communication between a mobile computing device and a plurality of cloud-based service providers, the method comprising:

determining that a plurality of keep-alive timers, each associated with a communication link between one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers and the mobile computing device, have expired or are permitted to expire;

sending a first keep-alive communication for the keep-alive service to the mobile computing device;

receiving a response to the first keep-alive communication from the mobile computing device for the keep-alive service; and

sending a plurality of second keep-alive communications for the keep-alive service to the plurality of cloud-based service providers, respectively.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining comprises receiving a keep-alive message from one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the sending the first keep-alive communication is performed as a result of the determining.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of second keep-alive communications is sent to one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers that is operating or associated with an unexpired keep-alive timer.

13. One or more computer-readable memory storing computer-executable instructions for causing a mobile computing device programmed thereby to perform a method of maintaining communication between the mobile computing device and a plurality of cloud-based service providers, comprising:

sending a first keep-alive communication for the keep-alive service to the mobile computing device;

receiving a response to the first keep-alive communication from the mobile computing device for the keep-alive service; and

responsive to receiving the response to the first keep-alive communication, sending a plurality of second keep-alive communications for the keep-alive service to the plurality of cloud-based service providers, respectively.

14. The one or more computer-readable memory of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that a keep-alive timer associated with a communication link between one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers and the mobile computing device has expired or is permitted to expire, wherein the sending the first keep-alive communication is performed as a result of the determining.

15. The one or more computer-readable memory of claim 14, wherein the determining comprises receiving a keep-alive message from one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers.

16. The one or more computer-readable memory of claim 13, wherein at least one of the plurality of second keep-alive communications is sent to one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers that is operating or associated with an unexpired keep-alive timer.

17. The one or more computer-readable memory of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises determining that a plurality of keep-alive timers, each associated with a communication link between one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers and the mobile computing device, have expired or are permitted to expire, and wherein the sending the first keep-alive communication is performed as a result of the determining.

18. The one or more computer-readable memory of claim 13, wherein sending the plurality of second keep-alive communications comprises sending the response to the first keep-alive communication to the plurality of cloud-based service providers.