Anticipatory Power Management for Battery-Powered Electronic Device
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorMichael M. Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for managing power consumption of a battery-powered electronic device are disclosed. According to one embodiment, power management can take action to reduce power consumption to accommodate estimated power requirements. According to another embodiment, power management can notify a user when a power deficiency is anticipated. According to still another embodiment, power management can advise a user to charge a battery of the battery-powered electronic device. According to still another embodiment, a user can influence power management by user selections.
Claims25
A method for managing power utilization by a multi-function electronic device powered by a battery, the method comprising:
- receiving a user selection indicating an imminent usage for the electronic device;
- estimating a future power requirement for the electronic device based on the imminent usage;
- obtaining a battery characteristic associated with the battery;
- determining, based on the battery characteristic, whether the battery has adequate capacity to satisfy the estimated future power requirement for the electronic device;
- and
- reducing power consumption of the electronic device when the determining determines that the battery has inadequate capacity to satisfy the future power requirement,
- wherein the reducing of the power consumption of the electronic device comprises automatically disabling one or more functions that are not necessary to support the impending device usage.
A method for managing power utilization by an electronic device powered by a battery, the method comprising:
- identifying an impending device usage;
- obtaining a power estimate for the electronic device to complete the impending device usage;
- obtaining a battery characteristic associated with the battery;
- determining, based on the battery characteristic, whether the battery has adequate capacity to satisfy the power estimate for the electronic device to complete the impending device usage;
- and
- reducing power consumption of the electronic device during at least the impending device usage when the determining determines that the battery has inadequate charge capacity to satisfy the power estimate for the electronic device to complete the impending device usage.
A portable electronic device, comprising:
- a display;
- a battery;
- a battery monitor configured to acquire battery status information from the battery;
- a user input device configured to receive a user selection indicating imminent usage for said portable electronic device;
- a device usage manager configured to provide device usage information, the device usage information being based on the imminent usage for said portable electronic device as indicated by the user selection;
- and
- a power manager operatively connected to the battery monitor and the device usage manager, the power manager manages power utilization by the electronic device based on the device usage information and the battery status information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.