Resource saving preemption

• US 7,249,024 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2005
• Issued: 07/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hall Aluminum LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Engstrom, G. Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): MCFADDEN, SUSAN IRIS
• Application Number:
  US11/202,877
• Publication Number:
  US 20060009981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 704/270
• US Class Current: 704/270
• 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: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method and apparatus for allowing a user device to avoid undesired state transitions when the user is present but not performing activities is provided. The method provides for detection of activity in the proximity of the user device by monitoring for sounds via an audio input device connected to the user device. The method further provides for analysis of the detected audio signals on the audio input to determine if the sound detected matches a voice reference sample of the user of the user device. If the detected sound matches the existing voice reference sample of the user, the method provides for simulation of activities on the user device, thereby preventing the user device from performing an undesired state transition, and in turn pre-empting resource saving operations.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining by a first execution thread whether a user is proximately located with respect to a device;

setting an indicator, by the first execution thread, if it is determined that the user is proximately located with respect to the device;

determining by a second execution thread whether there is activity on the device; and

simulating by the second execution thread, an activity on the device to prevent a first resource of the device from transitioning into a first resource saving state, if it is determined that there is no activity on the device within a first time period and the indicator remains set.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining by the first execution thread whether the user is proximately located comprises monitoring by the first execution thread an audio input device for audio input.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining by the first execution thread whether the user is proximately located further comprises determining whether the user'"'"'s voice is present in said audio input.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said determining by the first execution thread whether the user is proximately located further comprises comparing audio samples from said audio input to a voice reference sample of the user.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said determining by the first execution thread whether the user is proximately located further comprises determining whether the audio input is above a predetermined threshold level.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining by the first execution thread whether there is activity on the device comprises receiving notification of activity from an operating system of the device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said determining by the first execution thread whether there is activity on the device further comprises requesting said operating system to provide said notification of activity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said first time period has a period length shorter than a period of inactivity that will result in the first resource of the device in entering said first resource saving state.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said simulating an activity comprises simulating one or more of a key press, a pointer device movement, and a network traffic event.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second execution thread is spawned by the first execution thread.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining by the second execution thread whether there is activity on the device comprises determining by the second execution thread at least one of determining whether there is a key press, determining whether there is a pointer device movement, and determining whether there is a network traffic event.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining by a third execution thread, different from the first and second execution threads, whether there is activity on the device; and

simulating by the third execution thread, an activity on the device to prevent a second resource of the device from transitioning into a second resource saving state, if it is determined that there is no activity on the device within a second time period and the indicator remains set, the first and second resources being different resources.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the second and third execution threads are spawned by the first execution thread.

33. A program product comprising a plurality of programming instructions adapted to program an apparatus to enable the method as set forth in claim 1 to be practiced on the apparatus.

34. A storage medium comprising a plurality of programming instructions adapted to program an apparatus to enable the method as set forth in claim 1 to be practiced on the apparatus.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a storage medium; and

programming instructions stored in the storage medium, configured to program the apparatus to implement a first execution thread equipped to determine whether a user is proximately located with respect to the apparatus, and set an indicator if it is determined that the user is proximately located with respect to the device; and

a second execution thread equipped to determine whether there is activity on the apparatus, and simulate an activity to prevent a first resource of the apparatus from transitioning into a first resource saving state if it is determined that there is no activity on the apparatus within a first time period and the indicator remains set.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said first execution thread is different from said second execution thread.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said programming instructions are further configured to re-set the indicator if it is determined there is activity on the apparatus within the first time period.

17. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a module configured to be operated by the processor to implement a first execution thread equipped to determine whether a user is proximately located with respect to the apparatus, and set an indicator if it is determined that the user is proximately located with respect to the device; and

a second execution thread equipped to determine whether there is activity on the apparatus, and simulate an activity to prevent a first resource of the apparatus from transitioning into a first resource saving state if it is determined that there is no activity on the apparatus within a first time period and the indicator remains set.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said first execution thread is different from said second execution thread.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said module is further configured to re-set the indicator if it is determined there is activity on the apparatus within the first time period.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions designed to implement a first execution thread equipped to determine whether a user is proximately located with respect to the apparatus, and set an indicator if it is determined that the user is proximately located with respect to the apparatus; and

a second execution thread equipped to determine whether there is activity on the apparatus, and simulate an activity to prevent a first resource of the apparatus from transitioning into a first resource saving state if it is determined that there is no activity on the apparatus within a first time period and the indicator remains set; and

a processor coupled to the storage medium to execute the programming instructions.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said programming instructions are designed to equip the first execution thread to perform said determining whether the user is proximately located by monitoring an audio input device of the apparatus for audio input.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said programming instructions are designed to equip the first execution thread to determine if the user'"'"'s voice is present in said audio input, when performing said determining whether the user is proximately located.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said programming instructions are designed to equip the first execution thread to compare audio samples from said audio input to a voice reference sample of the user, when performing said determining by the first execution thread whether the user is proximately located.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said programming instructions are designed to equip the first execution thread to determine whether the audio input is above a predetermined threshold level.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said programming instructions are designed to equip the first execution thread to receive notification of activity from an operating system of the apparatus, when performing said determining whether there is activity on the apparatus.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said programming instructions are further designed to equip the second execution thread to request said operating system to provide said notification of activity, when performing said determining whether there is activity on the apparatus.

27. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said first time period has a period length shorter than a period of inactivity that will result in the first resource of the apparatus in entering said first resource saving state.

28. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said programming instructions are designed to equip the second execution thread to simulate one or more of a key press, a pointer device movement, and a network traffic event.

29. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said programming instructions are designed to equip the first execution thread with an ability to spawn the second execution thread.

30. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said programming instructions are designed to equip the second execution thread to perform said determining of whether there is activity on the device by determining at least one of whether there is a key press, whether there is a pointer device movement, and whether there is a network traffic event.

31. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said programming instructions are further designed to implement a third execution thread equipped to determine whether there is activity on the device, and simulate by the third execution thread, an activity on the device to prevent a second resource of the device from transitioning into a second resource saving state, if it is determined that there is no activity on the device within a second time period and the indicator remains set.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said programming instructions are further designed to equip the first execution thread with an ability to spawn the second and third execution threads.