Power supply management for portable electronic devices

• US 9,417,677 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2011
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Gray, Robert Cary
• Primary Examiner(s): PELTON, NATHANIEL R
• Application Number:
  US13/339,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20130169219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,692 Days
• Field of Search: 320/108, 320/132, 320/134, 320/136
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00

Abstract

Power management notifications are provided to a user of a portable electronic device by monitoring a current power level of a power supply in a portable electronic device. A determination is made, with the portable electronic device, whether the current power level is one of less than and equal to a given threshold. One or more wireless detection operations are performed to determine whether a power supply charging device is in proximity to the portable electronic device. The power supply charging device is unattached to the portable electronic device. A notification is presented at the portable electronic device, in response to both the current power level is determined to be one of less than and equal to the given threshold, and the power supply charging device being wirelessly detected in proximity to the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A method of providing power management notifications for a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

monitoring a current power level of a power supply in a portable electronic device, the power level range of the power supply comprising first and second thresholds,

the first threshold being a user-defined non-critical power level that is higher than the second threshold, and

the second threshold being a critical power level indicating the portable electronic device is close to powering down and losing operation;

determining, with the portable electronic device, whether the current power level is one of less than and equal to the first threshold;

wirelessly detecting, via short range communications with at least one power supply charging device, identification information associated with the power supply charging device identifying at least whether the power supply charging device is in proximity to, and compatible with, the portable electronic device, the power supply charging device being unattached to the portable electronic device; and

presenting, based on one or more user-defined notification rules associated with a non-critical power level of the power supply in the portable electronic device, a first notification at the portable electronic device, in response to both;

the current power level being determined to be one of less than and equal to the first threshold, and

the power supply charging device being wirelessly detected in proximity to, and compatible with, the portable electronic device; and

wherein the determining comprises determining, with the portable electronic device, whether the current power level is one of less than and equal to the first threshold and greater than the second threshold, and wherein the presenting the first notification is in response to both;

the current power level being determined to be one of less than and equal to the first threshold and greater than the second threshold, and

the power supply charging device being wirelessly detected in proximity to, and compatible with, the portable electronic device; and

further comprising;

determining, with the portable electronic device, whether the current power level is one of less than and equal to the second threshold; and

presenting a second notification at the portable electronic device, regardless of any notification rules set by a user of the portable electronic device, the second notification indicating that a power supply charging device is nearby, in response to both;

the current power level being determined to be one of less than and equal to the second threshold which is the critical power level, and

the power supply charging device being wirelessly detected in proximity to the portable electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, where the first notification indicates that both:

the current power level is determined to be one of less than and equal to the first threshold, and

the power supply charging device is wirelessly detected in proximity to the portable electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1, where the wirelessly detecting comprises wireless communication over a short range wireless network between the portable electronic device and the power supply charging device.

4. The method of claim 3, where the power supply charging device is wirelessly detected using a short range communication system based on a short range wireless technology comprising at least one of BLUETOOTH®

, ZIGBEE®

, Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, and a wireless local area network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the short range communication system uses one-way wireless communications to wirelessly receive transmissions from the power supply charging device thereby wirelessly detecting the power supply charging device via at least one of:

a Near Field Communication system;

a BLUETOOTH®

communication system;

a ZIGBEE®

communication system; and

a wireless local area network.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a distance of the power supply charging device from the portable electronic device; and

comparing the distance of the power supply charging device to a distance threshold,

where the first notification is presented to the user in response to the distance of the power supply charging device being one of less than and equal to the distance threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preventing a subsequent notification from being presented for a given interval of time after the first notification has been presented, in response to both the current power level being one of less than and equal to the given threshold and the power supply charging device being wirelessly detected.

8. The method of claim 1, where presenting the first notification is based on one or more notification rules comprising at least one of a temporal requirement, a location requirement, and a power supply charging device requirement.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the

presenting a second notification at the portable electronic device indicating that a power supply charging device is nearby, in response to both:

the current power level being determined to be one of less than and equal to the second threshold which is the critical power level, and

the power supply charging device being wirelessly detected in proximity to the portable electronic device, is based on one or more user-defined notification rules associated with the critical power level of the power supply in the portable electronic device.

10. A portable electronic device comprising:

a memory;

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory; and

a power management system communicatively coupled to the memory and the processor, the power management system configurable to;

monitor a current power level of a power supply in a portable electronic device, the power level range of the power supply comprising first and second thresholds,

the first threshold being a user-defined non-critical power level that is higher than the second threshold, and

the second threshold being a critical power level indicating the portable electronic device is close to powering down and losing operation;

determine whether the current power level is one of less than and equal to the first threshold;

wirelessly detect, via short range communications with at least one power supply charging device, identification information associated with the power supply charging device identifying at least whether the power supply charging device is in proximity to the portable electronic device, the power supply charging device being unattached to the portable electronic device; and

present, based on one or more user-defined notification rules associated with a non-critical power level of the power supply in the portable electronic device, a first notification at the portable electronic device, in response to both;

the current power level being determined to be one of less than and equal to the first threshold, and

the power supply charging device being wirelessly detected in proximity to, and compatible with, the portable electronic device; and

wherein the determining comprises determining, with the portable electronic device, whether the current power level is one of less than and equal to the first threshold and greater than the second threshold, and wherein the presenting the first notification is in response to both;

the current power level being determined to be one of less than and equal to the first threshold and greater than the second threshold, and

the power supply charging device being wirelessly detected in proximity to, and compatible with, the portable electronic device; and

further comprising;

determining, with the portable electronic device, whether the current power level is one of less than and equal to the second threshold; and

presenting a second notification at the portable electronic device, regardless of any notification rules set by a user of the portable electronic device, the second notification indicating that a power supply charging device is nearby, in response to both;

the current power level being determined to be one of less than and equal to the second threshold which is the critical power level, and

the power supply charging device being wirelessly detected in proximity to the portable electronic device.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 10, where the first notification indicates that both:

the current power level is determined to be one of less than and equal to the first threshold, and

the power supply charging device is wirelessly detected in proximity to the portable electronic device.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 10, where the wirelessly detecting comprises wireless communication over a short range wireless network between the portable electronic device and the power supply charging device.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 12, where the power supply charging device is wirelessly detected using a short range communication system based on a short range wireless technology comprising at least one of BLUETOOTH®

, ZIGBEE®

, Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, and a wireless local area network.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 10, the power management system further configurable to:

determine a distance of the power supply charging device from the portable electronic device; and

compare the distance of the power supply charging device to distance threshold,

where the first notification is presented to the user in response to the distance of the power supply charging device being one of less than and equal to the distance threshold.

15. A computer program product for providing power management notifications to a user of a portable electronic device, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising instructions for;

monitoring a current power level of a power supply in a portable electronic device, the power level range of the power supply comprising first and second thresholds,

the first threshold being a user-defined non-critical power level that is higher than the second threshold, and

the second threshold being a critical power level indicating the portable electronic device is close to powering down and losing operation;

determining, with the portable electronic device, whether the current power level is one of less than and equal to the first threshold;

wirelessly detecting, via short range communications with at least one power supply charging device, identification information associated with the power supply charging device identifying at least whether the power supply charging device is in proximity to, and compatible with, the portable electronic device, the power supply charging device being unattached to the portable electronic device; and

presenting, based on one or more user-defined notification rules associated with a non-critical power level of the power supply in the portable electronic device, a first notification at the portable electronic device, in response to both;

the current power level being determined to be one of less than and equal to the first threshold, and

the power supply charging device being wirelessly detected in proximity to, and compatible with, the portable electronic device; and

wherein the determining comprises determining, with the portable electronic device, whether the current power level is one of less than and equal to the first threshold and greater than the second threshold, and wherein the presenting the first notification is in response to both;

the current power level being determined to be one of less than and equal to the first threshold and greater than the second threshold, and

the power supply charging device being wirelessly detected in proximity to, and compatible with, the portable electronic device; and

further comprising;

determining, with the portable electronic device, whether the current power level is one of less than and equal to the second threshold; and

presenting a second notification at the portable electronic device, regardless of any notification rules set by a user of the portable electronic device, the second notification indicating that a power supply charging device is nearby, in response to both;

the current power level being determined to be one of less than and equal to the second threshold which is the critical power level, and

the power supply charging device being wirelessly detected in proximity to the portable electronic device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, where the first notification indicates that both:

the current power level is determined to be one of less than and equal to the first threshold, and

the power supply charging device is wirelessly detected in proximity to the portable electronic device.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, where the wirelessly detecting comprises wireless communication over a short range wireless network between the portable electronic device and the power supply charging device.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, where the power supply charging device is wirelessly detected using a short range communication system based on a short range wireless technology comprising at least one of BLUETOOTH®

, ZIGBEE®

, Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, and a wireless local area network.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising instructions for:

determining a distance of the power supply charging device from the portable electronic device; and

comparing the distance of the power supply charging device to a distance threshold,

where the first notification is presented to the user in response to the distance of the power supply charging device being one of less than and equal to the distance threshold.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, where presenting the first notification is based on one or more notification rules comprising at least one of a temporal requirement, a location requirement, and a power supply charging device requirement.