Context-based indoor power management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10496148-B2
Application number	US-201315038673-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 24, 2013
Priority date	Dec 24, 2013
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

Technologies for managing power consumption include a power management device that determines a context associated with a user of computing devices located within a building and in communication with the power management device. The power management device compares the context associated with the user to a power management policy. The power management policy includes power management rules that define power consumption levels for the computing devices based on the context associated with the user. The power management device communicates with the computing devices to adjust the power consumption levels in response to the context associated with the user satisfying a power management rule.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power management device to manage computing device power consumption, the power management device comprising:
a context determination module to determine a context associated with a user of a plurality of computing devices of a group of computing devices located within a building, the power management device is communicatively coupled to each computing device via an associated network; and
a power management controller module to: (i) compare the context associated with the user to a power management policy, the power management policy comprising one or more power management rules that define a power consumption level for the group of computing devices based on the context associated with the user, (ii) communicate with the group of computing devices to adjust the power consumption level of the group of computing devices in response to satisfaction of one or more power management rules by the context associated with the user, (iii) determine which computing device of the group of computing devices is located closest to the user in response to determination of the context associated with the user, and (iv) transmit a notification to the computing device determined to be closest to the user.

2. The power management device of claim 1 , wherein the context determination module is further to receive user context data from one or more of the plurality of computing devices; and
wherein to determine the context associated with the user comprises to determine an activity of the user based on the received user context data.

3. The power management device of claim 2 , wherein to determine the activity of the user based on the received user context data comprises to determine that the user is asleep.

4. The power management device of claim 1 , wherein the context determination module is further to receive user context data from one or more of the plurality of computing devices; and
wherein the received user context data comprises at least one of user presence data indicative of a time the user was last detected in a proximity to a computing device of the group of computing devices.

5. The power management device of claim 1 , wherein the context determination module is further to receive user context data from one or more of the plurality of computing devices; and
wherein the one or more power management rules comprise a power management rule to adjust the power consumption level of the group of computing devices in response to a determination of no interaction by the user with the group of computing devices within a reference time period.

6. The power management device of claim 1 , wherein to communicate with the group of computing devices to adjust the power consumption level comprises to transmit a power control instruction to one or more of the plurality of computing devices.

7. The power management device of claim 6 , wherein the power control instruction comprises at least one of a shutdown instruction, a boot instruction, a wake instruction, a sleep instruction, a hibernate instruction, a processor clock rate control instruction, or a processor core control instruction.

8. The power management device of claim 1 , wherein to communicate with the group of computing devices to adjust the power consumption level comprises to transmit a power management policy update to the group of computing devices, the power management policy update to update local power management policies of the group of computing devices.

9. The power management device of claim 1 , wherein to transmit the notification comprises to transmit global power status data to the group of computing devices, the global power status data comprises at least one of an identity and a location of each active computing device of the group of computing devices, a total number of users located in the building, or a total number of users located in each room of the building.

10. The power management device of claim 1 , wherein to transmit the notification comprises to transmit an alert to the group of computing devices, the alert comprises at least one of an identity and a location of each active computing device of the group of computing devices located in another room of the building, a current location of the group of computing devices, or total amount of potential power savings for turning off one or more of the plurality of computing devices.

11. The power management device of claim 1 , wherein to transmit the notification comprises to transmit general notification data to the group of computing devices, the general notification data comprises at least one of an identity and a location of each computing device of the group of computing devices turned off or the identity and location of each computing device scheduled to be turned off.

12. The power management device of claim 1 , wherein the power management controller module is further to transmit a notification to a mobile computing device.

13. The power management device of claim 1 , wherein the power management controller module is further to receive local power status data from each of the group of computing devices, the local power status data comprises a current power consumption level for a corresponding computing device.

14. The power management device of claim 1 , wherein the context determination module is further to: (i) compare the context associated with the user to historical context data associated with the user, and (ii) determine whether a contextual pattern of user activity exists based on the comparison; and
wherein the power management controller module is further to: (i) update the power management policy based on the determined contextual pattern, and (ii) transmit one or more of a power control instruction, a power management policy update, or a notification to one or more of the plurality of computing devices based on the updated power management policy.

15. The power management device of claim 14 ,
wherein the context determination module is to determine a second context associated with the user at a later time than the determination of the context,
wherein the context determination module is further to: (i) compare the second context associated with the user to the contextual pattern, (ii) determine whether the contextual pattern should be updated based on the comparison of the second context with the contextual pattern, and (iii) update the contextual pattern based on a determination that the contextual pattern should be updated based on the comparison of the second context with the contextual pattern,
wherein the power management controller module is further to: (i) update the power management policy based on the updated determined contextual pattern.

16. One or more non-transitory machine-readable media comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that in response to being executed by a power management device, cause the power management device to:
determine a context associated with a user of group of computing devices of a plurality of computing devices located within a building, the power management device communicatively coupled to each computing device via an associated network;
determine a computing device of the group of computing devices located closest to the user in response to determination of the context associated with the user;
compare the context associated with the user to a power management policy, the power management policy comprising one or more power management rules that define a power consumption level for the group of computing devices based on the context associated with the user;
communicate with the group of co

Assignees

• Rider Tomer
• Cohen Rachel
• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Rider Tomer
• Cohen Rachel

Classifications

• H02J13/13 Primary

  characterised by the transmission of data to equipment in the power network · CPC title

• H02J13/12

  Monitoring network conditions, e.g. electrical magnitudes or operational status · CPC title

• G06F1/3231

  Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users · CPC title

• H02J13/00

  Circuit arrangements for providing remote monitoring or remote control of equipment in a power distribution network · CPC title

• H04L12/2827

  Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality · CPC title