Apple patent is for power management for battery-powered electronic device
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Aug 21, 2008 at 10:53am
An Apple patent (number 20080201587) for anticipatory power management for a battery-powered electronic device has appeared at the US Patent & Trademark Office. The invention relates to battery-powered electronic devices and, more particularly, to managing battery consumption on a portable electronic device.
According to Apple 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.
Here’s Apple’s summary of the invention: “The invention pertains to power management of a battery-powered electronic device. 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.
“The invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a method, system, device, apparatus (including graphical user interface), or computer readable medium. Several embodiments of the invention are discussed below.
“As a method for managing power utilization by an electronic device powered by a battery, one embodiment of the invention can include, for example: estimating a future power requirement for the electronic device; 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 it is determined that the battery has inadequate capacity to satisfy the future power requirement.
“As a method for managing power utilization by an electronic device powered by a battery, another embodiment of the invention can include, for example: 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 it is determined that the battery has inadequate charge capacity to satisfy the power estimate for the electronic device to complete the impending device usage.
“As a method for managing power utilization by an electronic device powered by a battery, still another embodiment of the invention can include, for example: estimating a future power requirement for the electronic device; 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 presenting a notification regarding charging the battery when the determining determines that the battery has inadequate capacity to satisfy the future power requirement.
“As a computer readable medium including at least computer program code for managing power utilization by an electronic device powered by a battery, one embodiment of the invention can include, for example: computer program code for estimating a future power requirement for the electronic device; computer program code for determining whether the battery has adequate capacity to satisfy the estimated future power requirement for the electronic device; and computer program code for reducing power consumption of the electronic device when the determining determines that the battery has inadequate capacity to satisfy the future power requirement.
“As a portable electronic device, one embodiment of the invention can include, for example: a display, a battery, a battery monitor configured to acquire battery status information from the battery, a device usage manager configured to provide device usage information, 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.
“Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.”
The inventor is Michael M. Lee. The graphic below is a block diagram of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the invention.
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Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
