# US 10,375,645 B2 · Power management via coordination and selective operation of timer-related tasks > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,375,645 B2 - Document ID: US10375645B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/625,590 - Filed: 2017-06-16 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-11-19 - Assignees: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Applicants: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Inventors: Sudeesh R. Pingili; Bharath Siravara; Martin Regen; Ray Brown; Justin Mann; Stephane Karoubi; Li Xu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10375645B2 ## CPC - H04W 52/0261: {managing power supply demand, e.g. depending on battery level} - G06F 1/3206: Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality - G06F 9/4418: {Suspend and resume; Hibernate and awake} - H04W 4/20: Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel - H04W 52/0251: {using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity} - Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract Mobile computing device power consumption can be reduced by using expiration window timers, state-based timers and/or the coordination of keep-alive timers. A mobile computing device can execute tasks associated with multiple keep-alive timers used for maintaining communication links between the device and cloud-based service providers in a single active state. A cloud-based keep-alive service can maintain mobile computing device-service provider communication links by sending one keep-alive communication to a mobile computing device in place of multiple communications. Upon receiving a response, the keep-alive surface can send a plurality of keep-alive communications to a plurality of cloud-based service providers. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A networked computing system comprising a processor and memory, wherein the networked computing system implements a keep-alive service, the networked computing system being adapted to perform a method of maintaining communication between a mobile computing device and a plurality of cloud-based service providers, the method comprising: sending a first keep-alive communication for the keep-alive service to the mobile computing device; receiving a response to the first keep-alive communication from the mobile computing device for the keep-alive service; and responsive to receiving the response to the first keep-alive communication, sending a plurality of second keep-alive communications for the keep-alive service to the plurality of cloud-based service providers, respectively. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The networked computing system of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises determining that a keep-alive timer associated with a communication link between one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers and the mobile computing device has expired or is permitted to expire. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The networked computing system of claim 2, wherein the determining comprises receiving a keep-alive message from one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The networked computing system of claim 2, wherein the sending the first keep-alive communication is performed as a result of the determining. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The networked computing system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of second keep-alive communications is sent to one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers that is operating or associated with an unexpired keep-alive timer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The networked computing system of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises determining that a plurality of keep-alive timers, each associated with a communication link between one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers and the mobile computing device, have expired or are permitted to expire. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The networked computing system of claim 6, wherein the sending the first keep-alive communication is performed as a result of the determining. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The networked computing system of claim 1, wherein sending the plurality of second keep-alive communications comprises sending the response to the first keep-alive communication to the plurality of cloud-based service providers. ### Claim 9 A method of maintaining communication between a mobile computing device and a plurality of cloud-based service providers, the method comprising: determining that a plurality of keep-alive timers, each associated with a communication link between one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers and the mobile computing device, have expired or are permitted to expire; sending a first keep-alive communication for the keep-alive service to the mobile computing device; receiving a response to the first keep-alive communication from the mobile computing device for the keep-alive service; and sending a plurality of second keep-alive communications for the keep-alive service to the plurality of cloud-based service providers, respectively. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the determining comprises receiving a keep-alive message from one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the sending the first keep-alive communication is performed as a result of the determining. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of second keep-alive communications is sent to one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers that is operating or associated with an unexpired keep-alive timer. ### Claim 13 One or more computer-readable memory storing computer-executable instructions for causing a mobile computing device programmed thereby to perform a method of maintaining communication between the mobile computing device and a plurality of cloud-based service providers, comprising: sending a first keep-alive communication for the keep-alive service to the mobile computing device; receiving a response to the first keep-alive communication from the mobile computing device for the keep-alive service; and responsive to receiving the response to the first keep-alive communication, sending a plurality of second keep-alive communications for the keep-alive service to the plurality of cloud-based service providers, respectively. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The one or more computer-readable memory of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises: determining that a keep-alive timer associated with a communication link between one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers and the mobile computing device has expired or is permitted to expire, wherein the sending the first keep-alive communication is performed as a result of the determining. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The one or more computer-readable memory of claim 14, wherein the determining comprises receiving a keep-alive message from one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The one or more computer-readable memory of claim 13, wherein at least one of the plurality of second keep-alive communications is sent to one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers that is operating or associated with an unexpired keep-alive timer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The one or more computer-readable memory of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises determining that a plurality of keep-alive timers, each associated with a communication link between one of the plurality of cloud-based service providers and the mobile computing device, have expired or are permitted to expire, and wherein the sending the first keep-alive communication is performed as a result of the determining. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The one or more computer-readable memory of claim 13, wherein sending the plurality of second keep-alive communications comprises sending the response to the first keep-alive communication to the plurality of cloud-based service providers.