MULTI-MODAL DEVICE POWER/MODE MANAGEMENT

• US 20080126282A1
• Filed: 01/15/2008
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sinclair, Michael J., Zhang, Zhengyou, Liu, Zicheng, Williams, David W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,180,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/263 Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC G06F1/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system that facilitates managing resources (e.g., functionality, services) based at least in part upon an established context. More particularly, a context determination component can be employed to establish a context by processing sensor inputs or learning/inferring a user action/preference. Once the context is established via context determination component, a power/mode management component can be employed to activate and/or mask resources in accordance with the established context. The power and mode management of the device can extend life of a power source (e.g., battery) and mask functionality in accordance with a user and/or device state.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A system that facilitates dynamic power management, comprising:

a portable multi-modal device;

at least one sensor to obtain data relating to a user state or context; and

a power conservation component that dynamically places a subset of device functionalities in a low power consumption state based at least in part on the user state or context.

22. The system of claim 21, the at least one sensor including at least one of a physiological or an environmental sensor.

23. The system of claim 21, the portable multi-modal device is at least one of a personal data assistant (PDA), smart-phone, cellular phone, pocket computer, or personal music player.

24. The system of claim 21, the power conservation component placing the subset of device functionalities into a sleep mode in accordance with the user state or context.

25. The system of claim 21, the power conservation component bypassing the subset of device functionalities in accordance with the user state or context.

26. The system of claim 21, the plurality of functionalities including at least an indicator, a display, a hard disk, a volume control, an image capture function, or an audible alert.

27. The system of claim 21, further comprising a rules-based logic component to determine which subset of functionalities to place in low power consumption state in accordance with the user state or context.

28. The system of claim 21, the at least one sensor including a global positioning system (GPS) that identifies at least one of the user'"'"'s present location or movement.

29. The system of claim 21, the user state or context inferred using one of probabilistic or statistical-based analysis.

30. A method for dynamically managing power consumption of a device, comprising:

receiving user state data from at least one sensor;

determining a present state of a user based at least in part on the user state data; and

automatically placing a subset of functionalities of a portable multi-modal device in a low power consumption state based at least in part on the determined user state.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

monitoring personal information manager (PIM) data to establish the present state of the user.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

employing an artificial intelligence scheme to infer when to place the portable multi-modal device in a low power consumption state.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

employing rules-based logic to determine which subset of functionalities to place in the low power consumption state given the user state.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

inferring the user state using one of probabilistic or statistical-based analysis.

35. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

bringing a second subset of functionalities out of low power consumption state based at least in part on the determined user state.

36. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

placing the subset of functionalities in the low power consumption state based on an inferred user preference.

37. The method of claim 30, determining a present state of a user further comprising:

determining at least one of an environmental context, a location context, or a temporal context for the user.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

employing a global positioning system (GPS) to determine the location context for the user.

39. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

determining that the subset of functionalities is unnecessary given the present state of the user; and

automatically deactivating the subset of functionalities based on the present state of the user.

40. A system that facilitates optimization of power consumption, comprising;

means for collecting data relating to a user'"'"'s context;

means for determining the user'"'"'s present context based on the collected data;

means for automatically placing a subset of functionalities of an electronic device in a low power consumption state based at least in part on the present context of the user.