Method and system for remote battery notification

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016292989-A1
Application number	US-201514862016-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 22, 2015
Priority date	Apr 6, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

There is a need to provide an intuitive way for a battery-powered device to send a low battery notification to another device that can properly notify a user that the battery-powered device has a low battery. The user can be notified by the other device even after the battery-powered device has exhausted its battery to the point where it can no longer report its battery state. A second electronic device (e.g., a remote control) can send a low battery notification to a first electronic device (e.g., a set-top box) so that the first electronic device can alert a user that the second electronic device has a low battery.

First claim

1 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a first electronic device with one or more processors and memory in communication with a second electronic device, cause the first electronic device to perform a method comprising:
while in an inactive state, receiving an instruction from the second electronic device to wake from the inactive state; in response to the instruction to wake from the inactive state, entering an active state; while in the active state:
receiving an indication of a low battery level from the second electronic device;
in response to the indication of the low battery level, generating a notification of the low battery level of the second electronic device; and
after generating the notification of the low battery level, reentering the inactive state.

2 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
after reentering the inactive state, receiving an additional instruction to wake from the inactive state; in response to the additional instruction to wake from the inactive state:
entering the active state; and
displaying a user interface including the notification of the low battery level of the second electronic device.

3 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
before reentering the inactive state, sending the notification of the low battery level to a third electronic device, different from the first and second electronic devices.

4 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the low battery level indicates a particular battery level.

5 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the indication of the low battery level indicates an estimated time of battery life remaining.

6 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the second electronic device wakes from an inactive state and determines a battery level of the second electronic device before sending the first electronic device the instruction to wake.

7 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the second electronic device wakes from the inactive state in response to physical movement of the second electronic device.

8 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the second electronic device wakes from the inactive state in response to input at the second electronic device.

9 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the second electronic device wakes from the inactive state in response to a determination that a predetermined duration of time has passed since entering the inactive state.

10 . A first electronic device in communication with a second electronic device, the first electronic device comprising:
one or more processors; memory; and one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors including instructions for:
while in an inactive state, receiving an instruction from the second electronic device to wake from the inactive state;
in response to the instruction to wake from the inactive state, entering an active state;
while in the active state:
receiving an indication of a low battery level from the second electronic device;
in response to the indication of the low battery level, generating a notification of the low battery level of the second electronic device; and

after generating the notification of the low battery level, reentering the inactive state.

11 . A method comprising:
at a first electronic device in communication with a second electronic device:
while in an inactive state, receiving an instruction from the second electronic device to wake from the inactive state;
in response to the instruction to wake from the inactive state, entering an active state;
while in the active state:
receiving an indication of a low battery level from the second electronic device;
in response to the indication of the low battery level, generating a notification of the low battery level of the second electronic device; and

after generating the notification of the low battery level, reentering the inactive state.

12 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a second electronic device with one or more processors and memory in communication with a first electronic device, cause the second electronic device to perform a method comprising:
determining a battery level of the second electronic device; in accordance with a determination that the battery level is beneath a predetermined threshold:
sending an instruction to wake from an inactive state to the first electronic device; and
sending an indication of a low battery level to the first electronic device.

13 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12 , the method further comprising:
waking from an inactive state before determining the battery level.

14 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , the method further comprising:
detecting physical movement of the second electronic device, wherein the second electronic device wakes from the inactive state in response to the physical movement of the second electronic device.

15 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , the method further comprising:
detecting input at the second electronic device, wherein the second electronic device wakes from the inactive state in response to the input.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 , the method further comprising:
determining that a predetermined duration of time has passed since entering the inactive state, wherein the second electronic device wakes from the inactive state in response to the determination that a predetermined duration of time has passed since entering the inactive state.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Belk Andrew
• Centazzo Alessio
• Fletcher Daniel R
• Bumgarner William M

Classifications

• G08B21/182 Primary

  Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold · CPC title

• H04N21/41265 Primary

  having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device (unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204) · CPC title

• H04N21/43615

  Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals (home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805) · CPC title

• H04N21/4436

  Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver (power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418) · CPC title

• H04N21/00 Primary

  Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] (real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 {; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18}) · CPC title