Method and apparatus for operating an electronic device in a low power mode with a low power mode application based on determined operating parameters

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

• determining operating parameters to operate a low power mode application during a low power mode of the electronic device,
• wherein the low power mode application corresponds to, but is different from, a full power mode installed application that operates during a full power mode of the electronic device;
• based on the determined operating parameters, selectively suspending or terminating applications and operating system tasks running on the electronic device,
• wherein the suspending or terminating includes suspending or terminating the full power mode installed application;
• activating the low power mode application;
• reducing power supplied to elements of the electronic device that are at least substantially unnecessary for operation of the low power mode 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 low power mode 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 non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon to cause a processor to operate a low power mode application of the electronic device during a low power mode,
• wherein the low power mode application corresponds to, but is different from, a full power mode installed application that operates during a full power mode of the electronic device, by:
• obtaining data indicative of parameters to operate the low power mode application during the low power mode of the electronic device;
• based on the determined operating parameters, selectively suspending or terminating applications and operating system tasks running on the electronic device,
• wherein the suspending or terminating includes suspending or terminating the full power mode installed application;
• activating the low power mode application;
• 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 low power mode 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, in response to the event, operating parameters to operate a low power mode application during a low power mode of the electronic device,
• wherein the low power mode application corresponds to, but is different from, a full power mode installed application that operates during a full power mode of the electronic device:
• a means for selectively suspending or terminating applications and operating system tasks running on the electronic device based on the determined operating parameters,
• wherein the suspending or terminating includes suspending or terminating the full power mode installed application;
• a means for activating the low power mode application;
• 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 low power mode application;
• and
• a means for operating the low power mode application in the reduced power state of the electronic device using at least the active element of the electronic device.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a low power mode application configured to operate during a low power mode of the apparatus and corresponding to but different from a full power mode installed application configured to operate during a full power mode of the apparatus;
• at least one component configured 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 configured to receive the indication from the component and to initiate transition into the low power mode;
• and
• a low power mode service configured to 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 further configured to:
• determine operating parameters of the low power mode application during the low power mode;
• based on the determined operating parameters, selectively suspend or terminate applications and operating system tasks running on the electronic device, wherein the suspending or terminating includes suspending or terminating the full power mode installed application;
• activate the low power mode application;
• and
• 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 capable of operating in a full power mode and a low power mode that can operate at least one application during the low power mode of the electronic device, the method comprising:

• operating a media player application in a full power mode to access a plurality of media files in a storage location;
• monitoring for an event representative of a transition to the low power mode from the full power mode;
• in response to detecting the event, activating a low power media player application to operate during the low power mode, wherein the low power media player application is separate from the media player application;
• transitioning the media player application to operate in lower power mode,
• wherein the embedded mode consumes less power than the full power mode;
• playing at least a portion of a first media file during the low power mode using a the media player application operating in the lower power mode;
• while at least some of the first media file is playing during the low power mode, using a low power media player 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 media player application operating in the lower power mode.