Heuristics based on backoff for power modes

• US 9,348,399 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2011
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Cairns, Ryan, Tabone, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Eric
• Application Number:
  US13/099,873
• Publication Number:
  US 20150089262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,848 Days
• Field of Search: 713/323
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• 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

According to one general aspect, a method may include monitoring, by a computing device, a user'"'"'s current behavior in regards to the computing device. The method may also include determining whether to place the computing device in a reduced power mode based upon the user'"'"'s monitored current behavior and based on a history of user habits in regards to one or more computing devices. In various implementations, the method may further include, if it is determined to place the computing device in the reduced power mode, placing the computing device in the reduced power mode.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a history of user habits for a user of the computing device from a remote repository, the history of user habits being based on the user'"'"'s behavior on a plurality of computing devices;

monitoring, by the computing device, the user'"'"'s current behavior in regards to the computing device;

transmitting information associated with the monitored user'"'"'s current behavior to the remote repository;

determining whether to place the computing device in a reduced power mode based upon the user'"'"'s monitored current behavior and based on the history of user habits for the user on the plurality of computing devices; and

if it is determined to place the computing device in the reduced power mode, placing the computing device in the reduced power mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the user to remove the computing device from the reduced power mode;

adjusting the history of user habits to reflect the request from the user; and

removing the computing device from the reduced power mode.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting the history of user habits includes transmitting the adjusted history of user habits to the remote repository of user habit histories.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting the history of user habits includes:

transmitting an adjustment to the history of user habits to the remote repository of user habit histories, and

wherein the history of user habits is associated with the user of the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a type of content accessed by an application executed by the computing device, and

wherein determining whether to place the computing device in the reduced power mode is further based upon the type of content accessed by the application.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining the type of content includes determining whether the content is a video file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining includes:

determining whether to place the computing device in the reduced power mode is further based on at least one characteristic of a file accessed by an application executed by the computing device, wherein the characteristic includes at least one characteristic selected from the following group comprising;

an encoded bitrate of the file,

an encoded frame size of the file,

a physical size of the file,

a processor utilization rate to process the file, and

a filetype of the file.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to place the computing device in the reduced power mode based upon the history of user habits includes:

requesting the history of user habits from the remote repository.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the history of user habits includes a set of user habits created by aggregating user habits from a plurality of users.

10. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory configured to store executable code that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the apparatus to;

receive a history of user habits for a user of the apparatus from a remote repository, the history of user habits being based on the user'"'"'s behavior on a plurality of computing devices;

monitor the user'"'"'s current behavior in regards to the apparatus;

transmit information associated with the monitored user'"'"'s current behavior to the remote repository;

determine whether to place at least a portion of the apparatus in a reduced power mode based upon the user'"'"'s monitored current behavior and the history of user habits for the user on the plurality of computing devices; and

if it is determined to place at least a portion of the apparatus in the reduced power mode, place at least a portion of the apparatus in the reduced power mode.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes the apparatus to:

receive a request from the user to remove the at least one portion of apparatus from the reduced power mode;

adjust the history of user habits to reflect the request from the user; and

remove the at least one portion of apparatus from the reduced power mode.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes the apparatus to transmit the adjusted history of user habits to the remote repository.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes the apparatus to transmit an adjustment to the history of user habits to the remote repository, wherein the history of user habits is associated with the user of the computing device.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes the apparatus to:

determine a of type content accessed by an application executed by the apparatus, and

determine whether to place the at least one portion of the apparatus in a reduced power mode further based upon the type content accessed by the application.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes the apparatus to determine whether the content is a video file.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes the apparatus to:

determine whether to place at least a portion of the apparatus in a reduced power mode further based at least one characteristic of a file accessed by an application executed by the apparatus, wherein the characteristic includes at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of;

an encoded bitrate of the file,

an encoded frame size of the file,

a physical size of the file,

an estimated processor utilization rate to process the file, and

a filetype of the file.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes the apparatus to request the history of user habits from the remote repository.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the history of user habits includes a set of user habits created by aggregating user habits from a plurality of users.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including executable code that, when executed, causes an apparatus to:

receive a history of user habits for a user of the apparatus from a remote repository, the history of user habits being based on the user'"'"'s behavior on a plurality of computing devices;

monitor the user'"'"'s behavior in regards to the apparatus;

transmit information associated with the monitored user'"'"'s behavior to the remote repository;

determine whether to place at least a portion of the apparatus in a reduced power mode based upon the user'"'"'s monitored behavior and the history of the user on the plurality of computing devices; and

if it is determined to place at least a portion of the apparatus in the reduced power mode, placing the at least a portion of the apparatus in the reduced power mode.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the executable code, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes the apparatus to:

receive a request from the user to remove the at least a portion of the apparatus from the reduced power mode;

adjust the history of user habits to reflect the request from the user; and

remove the at least a portion of the apparatus from the reduced power mode.