Delaying the initiation of transitioning to a lower power mode by placing a computer system into an intermediate power mode between a normal power mode and the lower power mode

• US 9,116,704 B1
• Filed: 02/24/2014
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Nanda, Sameer, Cairns, Ryan, Tabone, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Abbaszadeh, Jaweed A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phil
• Application Number:
  US14/187,976
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 713/320, 713/324, 713/340
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• 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 1/3293 by switching to a less power-consuming processor, e.g. sub-CPU

Abstract

A method may include operating a device in a first power mode, setting flag(s), each flag representing an executing task, detecting a request to place the device in a second power mode. The second power mode consumes less system resources than the first power mode, and delaying the transition to the second power mode by placing the device in a third power mode that consumes less system resources than the first power mode but more than the second power mode. While in the third power mode, the method may include estimating an amount of system resources required for each of the task(s), determining if the total estimated amount of system resources to complete each of the task(s) exceeds one or more system resource threshold values, and if the estimated total amount of system resources exceeds the one or more system resource threshold values, ceasing execution of the task(s).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

operating a computing device in a first power mode;

setting at least one flag, each flag representing a respective one of at least one task being executed on the computing device;

detecting a request to place the computing device in a second power mode, wherein the second power mode consumes less system resources than the first power mode;

delaying the initiation of the transition of the computing device to the second power mode by placing the computing device in a third power mode that consumes less system resources than the first power mode but more than the second power mode; and

while in the third power mode,

estimating an amount of system resources required for each of the at least one task,

determining if the total estimated amount of system resources to complete each of the at least one task exceeds one or more system resource threshold values, and

if the estimated total amount of system resources exceeds the one or more system resource threshold values, ceasing execution of the at least one task.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

the first power mode includes a working power mode, and

the second power mode includes a suspend to random access memory (RAM) power mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one task includes a task configured to execute as a background process.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein while in the third power mode:

detecting when a substantial change in system resources by the computing device has occurred;

determining if the substantial change in system resources exceeds the one or more system resource threshold values; and

if the substantial change in system resources exceeds the one or more system resource threshold values transitioning the computing device to the second power mode.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein a substantial change in system resources includes the computing device exiting a first network and joining a second network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one task has a different associated system resource threshold value.

7. The method of claim 1, further including:

after detecting a request to place the computing device in a second power mode, detecting a request to place the computing device in the first power mode;

if the request to place the computing device in the first power mode occurs prior to the completion of the at least one task, withdrawing the request to place the computing device in a second power mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein withdrawing the request to place the computing device in a second power mode includes placing the computing device in the first power mode.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the computing device in a third power mode includes turning off a display included by the computing device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein

estimating an amount of system resources required based on each of the at least one task includes estimating a network bandwidth, and

determining if the estimated amount of system resources to complete the at least one task exceeds the one or more system resource threshold values includes determining if the estimated amount of system resources to complete the at least one task exceeds a network bandwidth threshold value.

11. A computing device comprising:

a processor configured to;

operate the computing device in a first power mode, and

set at least one flag, each flag representing a respective one of at least one task being executed on the computing device; and

a power manager configured to;

receive a request to place the computing device in a second power mode, wherein the second power mode consumes less system resources than the first power mode,

delay the initiation of the transition of the computing device to the second power mode by placing the computing device in a third power mode that consumes less system resources than the first power mode but more than the second power mode,

while in the third power mode the power manager is further configured to;

estimate an amount of system resources required for each of the at least one task,

determine if the total estimated amount of system resources to complete each of the at least one task exceeds one or more system resource threshold values, and

if the estimated total amount of system resources exceeds the one or more system resource threshold values, ceasing execution of the at least one task.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to indicate to the power manager when the completion of the at least one task occurs.

13. The computing device of claim 11, wherein while in the third power mode the power manager is further configured to:

detect when a substantial change in system resources has occurred;

determine if the substantial change in system resources exceeds the one or more system resource threshold values; and

if the substantial change in system resources exceeds the one or more system resource threshold values, transition the computing device to the second power mode.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein a substantial change in system resources includes the computing device exiting a wireless local area network and joining a cellular data network.

15. The computing device of claim 11, wherein each of the at least one task has a different associated system resource threshold value.

16. The computing device of claim 11, wherein

the power manager is configured to, while in the third power mode, detect a request to place the computing device in the first power mode, and

if the request to place the computing device in the first power mode occurs prior to the completion of the at least one task, withdraw the request to place the computing device in a second power mode.

17. The computing device of claim 11, wherein

estimating an amount of system resources required for each of the at least one task includes estimating a network bandwidth, and

determining if the estimated amount of system resources to complete the at least one task exceeds the one or more system resource threshold values includes determining if the estimated amount of system resources to complete the at least one task exceeds a network bandwidth threshold value.

18. A computer program product for managing system resources, the computer program product being embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and including executable code that, when executed, is configured to cause a computing apparatus to:

operate a computing device in a first power mode;

set at least one flag each flag representing a respective one of at least one task being executed on the computing device;

receive a request to place the computing device in a second power mode, wherein the second power mode consumes less system resources than the first power mode;

delay the initiation of the transition of the computing device to the second power mode by placing the computing device in a third power mode that consumes less system resources than the first power mode but more than the second power mode; and

while in the third power mode the executable code is further configured to cause the computing apparatus to;

estimate an amount of system resources required for each of the at least one task,

determine if the total estimated amount of system resources to complete each of the at least one task exceeds one or more system resource threshold values, and

if the estimated total amount of system resources exceeds the one or more system resource threshold values, ceasing execution of the at least one task.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein executable code, when executed, cause the computing apparatus to:

after detecting a request to place the computing device in a second power mode, detect a request to place the computing device in the first power mode; and

if the request to place the computing device in the first power mode occurs prior to the completion of the at least one task, withdraw the request to place the computing device in a second power mode.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein

estimating an amount of system resources required for each of the at least one task includes estimating a network bandwidth, and

determining if the estimated amount of system resources to complete the at least one task exceeds the one or more system resource threshold values includes determining if the estimated amount of system resources to complete the at least one task exceeds a network bandwidth threshold value.