Booting a mobile electronic device with a low battery based on a dynamic boot threshold

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9436479-B2
Application number	US-201113291940-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2011
Priority date	Jan 17, 2011
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for booting the apparatus with a low-energy battery are provided. In a first configuration, the apparatus monitors a level of the battery while the battery is charging. The apparatus attempts a boot of the apparatus when the level is greater than or equal to a dynamic boot threshold. The apparatus increases the dynamic boot threshold when the boot is unsuccessful and repeating the monitoring and the attempting based on the increased dynamic boot threshold. In a second configuration, the apparatus detects a connection to an external power source. The apparatus attempts a boot using an FLCB protocol that is based upon power drawn directly from the external power source upon detecting the connection to the external power source. The apparatus attempts the boot as part of an ATC protocol when the boot using the FLCB protocol is unsuccessful.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of booting a mobile electronic device (MED) with a low-energy battery, comprising:
monitoring a level of the low-energy battery while the low-energy battery is charging;
determining a dynamic boot threshold battery value based, at least in part, on one or more detected environmental conditions, wherein the dynamic boot threshold battery value comprises at least one of a voltage level, a capacity level, a delivered charge level, or any combination thereof;
attempting a boot of the MED at least partially in response to determining that the level is greater than or equal to the dynamic boot threshold battery value;
increasing the dynamic boot threshold battery value by a first increment value at least partially in response to determining that the boot is unsuccessful and repeating the monitoring and the attempting based on the increased dynamic boot threshold battery value; and
increasing the dynamic boot threshold battery value by at least a second increment value after unsuccessfully attempting the boot subsequent to increasing the dynamic boot threshold battery value by the first increment value, and repeating the monitoring and the attempting based on the increased dynamic boot threshold battery value, wherein a magnitude of the at least a second increment value is less than a magnitude of the first increment value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitored level comprises the voltage level, the capacity level, the delivered charge level, or any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising initializing the dynamic boot threshold battery value based on at least one of: a lowest dynamic boot threshold battery value in which the boot can be successful, a previous dynamic boot threshold battery value at which the boot was successful, a battery lifetime, a battery type, or any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the initializing the dynamic boot threshold battery value comprises adjusting the previous dynamic boot threshold battery value based on the battery lifetime, the battery type, the one or more detected environmental conditions, or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the initializing sets the dynamic boot threshold battery value to a level such that the attempted boot is successful under favorable conditions and potentially unsuccessful under unfavorable conditions.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting a connection to an external power source;
attempting the boot using a fast-low current boot (FLCB) protocol that is based upon power drawn directly from the external power source upon detecting the connection to the external power source; and
performing the monitoring, the attempting, and the increasing at least partially in response to the attempted boot using the FLCB protocol being unsuccessful.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring and the attempting are implemented as part of a battery charge protocol.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting the increment value based on a battery lifetime, a battery type, environmental conditions, or any combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring a voltage level of the low-energy battery while the low-energy battery is not charging; and
shutting down the MED in response to the voltage level being less than or equal to a shutdown voltage level.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said level is a voltage level of the low-energy battery, the dynamic boot threshold battery value is a dynamic boot voltage threshold battery value, and the dynamic boot voltage threshold battery value is greater than the shutdown voltage level.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one of more detected environmental conditions comprise at least a detected temperature.

12. A method of booting a mobile electronic device (MED) with a low-energy battery, comprising:
detecting a connection to an external power source;
attempting a boot using a fast-low current boot (FLCB) protocol that is based upon power drawn directly from the external power source at least partially in response to detecting the connection to the external power source;
attempting the boot as part of a battery charge protocol at least partially in response to the boot using the FLCB protocol being unsuccessful;
determining a dynamic boot threshold battery value based, at least in part, on one or more detected environmental conditions, wherein the dynamic boot threshold battery value comprises at least one of a voltage level, a capacity level, a delivered charge level, or any combination thereof;
increasing the dynamic boot threshold battery value by a first increment value at least partially in response to the boot as part of a battery charge protocol being unsuccessful, and attempting another boot as part of the battery charge protocol based, at least in part, on the increased dynamic boot threshold battery value; and
increasing the dynamic boot threshold value by at least a second increment value after unsuccessfully attempting the boot subsequent to increasing the dynamic boot threshold battery value by the first increment value, and repeating the monitoring and the attempting based on the increased dynamic boot threshold battery value, wherein a magnitude of the at least a second increment value is less than a magnitude of the first increment value.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
monitoring a level of the low-energy battery while the low-energy battery is charging;
attempting the boot of the MED in response to the level being greater than or equal to a boot threshold.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the monitored level comprises the voltage level, the capacity level, the delivered charge level, or any combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising initializing the boot threshold based on a threshold in which the boot will be successful with a high probability.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the boot threshold is initialized further based on at least one of: a battery lifetime or a battery type.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
monitoring a voltage level of the low-energy battery while the low-energy battery is not charging; and
shutting down the MED in response to the voltage level being less than or equal to a shutdown voltage level.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein said level is a voltage level of the low-energy battery, the boot threshold is a boot voltage threshold, and the boot voltage threshold is greater than the shutdown voltage level.

19. An apparatus for booting with a low-energy battery, comprising:
means for monitoring a level of the low-energy battery while the low-energy battery is charging;
means for determining a dynamic boot threshold battery value based, at least in part, on one or more detected environmental conditions, wherein the dynamic boot threshold battery value comprises a voltage level, a capacity level, a delivered charge level, or any combination thereof;
means for attempting a boot of the apparatus at least partially in response to determining that the level is greater than or equal to the dynamic boot threshold battery value;
means for increasing the dynamic boot threshold battery value by a first increment value at least partially in response to determining that the boot is unsuccessful and repeating the monitoring and the attempting based on the increased dynamic boot threshold battery value; and
means for increasing the dynamic boot thresho

Assignees

• Lee Gordon P
• Zeisel Eric B
• Hagstrom Jennifer A
• Kun Cheong
• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Lee Gordon P
• Zeisel Eric B
• Hagstrom Jennifer A
• Kun Cheong

Classifications

• G06F9/4401 Primary

  Bootstrapping (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G06F1/263

  Arrangements for using multiple switchable power supplies, e.g. battery and AC (G06F1/30 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F11/1417

  Boot up procedures · CPC title