Method and apparatus for operating an electronic device in a low power mode

A method usable for an electronic device, the method comprising:

• reducing power supplied to elements of the electronic device that are at least substantially unnecessary for operation of an application during a low power mode of the electronic device;
• providing power to other elements of the electronic device at an amount that supports operation of the application during the low power mode of the electronic device;
• and
• selectively reducing power to at least some of these other elements after such other elements are used by the application in the low power mode.

An article of manufacture usable for an electronic device, the article of manufacture comprising:

• a machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon to cause a processor to operate an application of the electronic device in a low power mode, by:
• obtaining data indicative of parameters to operate the application during the low power mode of the electronic device;
• using the obtained data to selectively deactivate elements of the electronic device during the low power mode;
• maintaining at least one element that is usable by the application during the low power mode activated while such element is used by the application during the low power mode;
• and
• deactivating such element otherwise during operation of the application in the low power mode.

A system usable for an electronic device, the system comprising:

• a means for monitoring for an event;
• a means for determining operating parameters of an application, if the event is detected;
• a means for selectively deactivating elements of the electronic device, based on the determined operating parameters, and for maintaining active at least one element of the electronic device that is used in connection with operation of the application;
• and
• a means for operating the application in the reduced power state of the electronic device using at least the active element of the electronic device.

An apparatus, comprising:

• an application;
• at least one component to provide an indication of a request to transition to a low power mode;
• a basic input output system (BIOS) having a low power mode subsystem to receive the indication from the component and to initiate transition into the low power mode;
• and
• a low power mode service that can be activated by the low power mode subsystem, and to alternatively receive the indication from the component to initiate the transition into the low power mode, the low power mode service being further able to determine operating parameters of the application during the low power mode and to provide instructions to the low power mode subsystem to selectively deactivate elements based on the determined operating parameters.

A method usable for an electronic device that can operate at least one application during a low power mode of the electronic device, the method comprising:

• playing at least a portion of a first media file during the low power mode using a first application running as a background process;
• while at least some of the first media file is playing during the low power mode, using a second application to obtain copies of other media files stored in a persistent storage location, and storing the obtained copies in a volatile storage location;
• and
• playing the copies stored in the volatile storage location using the first application.