Brownout avoidance

• US 9,647,489 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2015
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hardell, David A., Semersky, Matthew L., Perez, Yehonatan, De La Cropte De Chanterac, Cyril
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, VINCENT HUY
• Application Number:
  US14/812,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20160064940A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 713320, 713323, 713300
• 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 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/002 in which a reserve is maintained in an energy source by disconnecting non-critical loads, e.g. maintaining a reserve of charge in a vehicle battery for starting an engine

Abstract

Examples of the disclosure are directed to methods of managing power of various modules of an electronic device to prevent the voltage of the battery from falling to an undervoltage lockout (UVLO) threshold. In some examples, software operating on the electronic device or an associated electronic device (e.g., a paired electronic device) may assign power budgets to one or more modules, thereby preventing each module from drawing its maximum current capacity and causing the battery'"'"'s voltage level to fall to the UVLO threshold. In some examples, a pre-UVLO threshold (i.e., a threshold higher than the UVLO threshold) may be used to modify the states of one or more modules to save power as the voltage of the battery approaches the UVLO threshold, but before the device must be fully powered off.

Claims

1. A method of an electronic device including a plurality of modules and a power supply, the method comprising:

obtaining a first characteristic of the power supply;

comparing the first characteristic to a first threshold;

receiving a first power request for a first module of the plurality of modules;

receiving a second power request for a second module of the plurality of modules;

determining, at a peak power manager, whether the first power request is associated with the first module performing a first function or a second function, different from the first function;

assigning, at the peak power manager, a respective power budget to the first module based on the comparison of the first characteristic to the first threshold and the determination of whether the first power request is associated with the first module performing the first function or the second function, wherein;

in accordance with a determination that the first power request is associated with the first module performing the first function, the respective power budget is a first respective power budget, and

in accordance with a determination that the first power request is associated with the first module performing the second function, the respective power budget is a second respective power budget, different from the first respective power budget;

assigning, at the peak power manager, a second power budget to the second module based on the respective power budget; and

drawing power at the first module based on the respective power budget, and at the second module based on the second power budget.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

assigning, at the power peak manager, a first priority to the first module and a second priority to the second module, wherein assigning the second power budget is further based on the first and second priorities.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the respective power budget is assigned before the second power budget, the method further comprising:

reducing the respective power budget based on a determination that the second priority is higher than the first priority.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein reducing the respective power budget includes:

notifying the first module that the respective power budget has been revoked; and

reducing power to the first module, wherein the second power budget is assigned only after the power to the first module has been reduced.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein assigning, at the power peak manager, the first priority to the first module and the second priority to the second module is based on the first module performing the first function or the second function, wherein:

the first priority and the second priority are assigned before the respective power budget is assigned,

the first priority is higher than the second priority based on a determination, at the peak power manager, that the first module is performing the first function, and

the first priority is lower than the second priority based on a determination, at the peak power manager, that the first module is performing the second function.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in accordance with a determination that the first power request is associated with a user-initiated task, the respective power budget is the first respective power budget, and

in accordance with a determination that the first power request is not associated with the user-initiated task, the respective power budget is the second respective power budget, less than the first respective power budget.

7. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining that the first characteristic is lower than the first threshold;

wherein the respective power budget is assigned to the first module based on the determination that the first characteristic is lower than the first threshold.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the respective power budget is assigned to the first module based on the relationship between the first characteristic and the first threshold over time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in accordance with a determination that the electronic device is performing a first device function, the respective power budget for the first module and the second power budget for the second module have first values, and

in accordance with a determination that the electronic device is performing a second device function, different from the first device function, the respective power budget for the first module and the second power budget for the second module have second values, different from the first values.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the first module comprises RF circuitry,

the second module comprises a speaker,

the first device function comprises streaming media to the electronic device, and

the first values are greater than the second values.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in accordance with a determination that the electronic device is in contact with a user, the respective power budget for the first module and the second power budget for the second module have first values, and

in accordance with a determination that the electronic device is not in contact with a user, the respective power budget for the first module and the second power budget for the second module have second values, different from the first values.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first module comprises RF circuitry.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first function is associated with a user-initiated task, the second function is associated with an automated task, and the first respective power budget is greater than the second respective power budget.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first module comprises a Wi-Fi controller, the user-initiated task comprises streaming media, and the automated task comprises automatically checking for application updates.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first module comprises a speaker, the first function comprises playing a ringtone, the second function comprises playing an SMS notification, and the first respective power budget is greater than the second respective power budget.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first power request for the first module of the plurality of modules is received, by the peak power manager, from software requesting to use the first module; and

the second power request for the second module of the plurality of modules is received, by the peak power manager, from software requesting to use the second module.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the peak power manager is separate from the plurality of modules.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, at the peak power manager, whether the second power request is associated with the second module performing a third function or a fourth function, different from the third function;

wherein assigning, at the peak power manager, the respective power budget to the first module is further based the determination of whether the second power request is associated with the second module performing the third function or the fourth function.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the respective power budget is assigned before the second power budget, the method further comprising:

reducing the respective power budget based on a determination, at the peak power manager, that the second power request is associated with the second module performing the third function.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by an electronic device including a plurality of modules and a power supply, cause the electronic device to perform a method comprising:

obtaining a first characteristic of the power supply;

comparing the first characteristic to a first threshold;

receiving a first power request for a first module of the plurality of modules;

receiving a second power request for a second module of the plurality of modules;

determining, at a peak power manager, whether the first power request is associated with the first module performing a first function or a second function, different from the first function;

assigning, at the peak power manager, a respective power budget to the first module based on the comparison of the first characteristic to the first threshold and the determination of whether the first power request is associated with the first module performing the first function or the second function, wherein;

in accordance with a determination that the first power request is associated with the first module performing the first function, the respective power budget is a first respective power budget, and

in accordance with a determination that the first power request is associated with the first module performing the second function, the respective power budget is a second respective power budget, different from the first respective power budget;

assigning, at the peak power manager, a second power budget to the second module based on the respective power budget; and

drawing power at the first module based on the respective power budget, and at the second module based on the second power budget.

21. the non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, the method further comprising:

assigning, at the power peak manager, a first priority to the first module and a second priority to the second module, wherein assigning the second power budget is further based on the first and second priorities.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the respective power budget is assigned before the second power budget, the method further comprising:

reducing the respective power budget based on determination that the second priority is higher than the first priority.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein reducing the respective power budget includes:

notifying the first module that the respective power budget has been revoked; and

reducing power to the first module, wherein the second power budget is assigned only after the power to the first module has been reduced.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein assigning, at the power peak manager, the first priority to the first module and the second priority to the second module is based on the first module performing the first function or the second function, wherein:

the first priority and the second priority are assigned before the respective power budget is assigned,

the first priority is higher than the second priority based on a determination, at the peak power manager, that the first module is performing the first function, and

the first priority is lower than the second priority based on a determination, at the peak power manager, that the first module is performing the second function.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein:

in accordance with a determination that the first power request is associated with a user-initiated task, the respective power budget is the first respective power budget, and

in accordance with a determination that the first power request is not associated with the user-initiated task, the respective power budget is the second respective power budget, less than the first respective power budget.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, the method further comprising:

determining that the first characteristic is lower than the first threshold;

wherein the respective power budget is assigned to the first module based on the determination that the first characteristic is lower than the first threshold.

27. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the respective power budget is assigned to the first module based on the relationship between the first characteristic and the first threshold over time.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 20, the method further comprising:

determining, at the peak power manager, whether the second power request is associated with the second module performing a third function or a fourth function, different from the third function;

wherein assigning, at the peak power manager, the respective power budget to the first module is further based the determination of whether the second power request is associated with the second module performing the third function or the fourth function.

29. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the respective power budget is assigned before the second power budget, the method further comprising:

reducing the respective power budget based on a determination, at the peak power manager, that the second power request is associated with the second module performing the third function.

30. An electronic device, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory;

a plurality of modules;

a power supply; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform a method comprising;

obtaining a first characteristic of the power supply;

comparing the first characteristic to a first threshold;

receiving a first power request for a first module of the plurality of modules;

receiving a second power request for a second module of the plurality of modules;

determining, at a peak power manager, whether the first power request is associated with the first module performing a first function or a second function, different from the first function;

assigning, at the peak power manager, a respective power budget to the first module based on the comparison of the first characteristic to the first threshold and the determination of whether the first power request is associated with the first module performing the first function or the second function, wherein;

in accordance with a determination that the first power request is associated with the first module performing the first function, the respective power budget is a first respective power budget, and

in accordance with a determination that the first power request is associated with the first module performing the second function, the respective power budget is a second respective power budget, different from the first respective power budget;

assigning, at the peak power manager, a second power budget to the second module based on the respective power budget; and

drawing power at the first module based on the respective power budget, and at the second module based on the second power budget.

31. The electronic device of claim 30, the method further comprising:

assigning, at the peak power manager, a first priority to the first module and a second priority to the second module, wherein assigning the second power budget is further based on the first and second priorities.

32. The electronic device of claim 31, wherein the respective power budget is assigned before the second power budget, the method further comprising:

reducing the respective power budget based on a determination that the second priority is higher than the first priority.

33. The electronic device of claim 32, wherein reducing the respective power budget includes:

notifying the first module that the respective power budget has been revoked; and

reducing power to the first module, wherein the second power budget is assigned only after the power to the first module has been reduced.

34. The electronic device of claim 31, wherein assigning, at the power peak manager, the first priority to the first module and the second priority to the second module is based on the first module performing the first function or the second function, wherein:

the first priority and the second priority are assigned before the respective power budget is assigned,

the first priority is higher than the second priority based on a determination, at the peak power manager, that the first module is performing the first function, and

the first priority is lower than the second priority based on a determination, at the peak power manager, that the first module is performing the second function.

35. The electronic device of claim 30, the method further comprising:

determining, at the peak power manager, whether the second power request is associated with the second module performing a third function or a fourth function, different from the third function;

wherein assigning, at the peak power manager, the respective power budget to the first module is further based the determination of whether the second power request is associated with the second module performing the third function or the fourth function.

36. The electronic device of claim 35, wherein the respective power budget is assigned before the second power budget, the method further comprising:

reducing the respective power budget based on a determination, at the peak power manager, that the second power request is associated with the second module performing the third function.