Energy saving mode for electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9880611-B2
Application number	US-201514841567-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2015
Priority date	Aug 31, 2015
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

A system and method for operating an electronic computing device that is capable of invoking a battery saver mode may monitor an amount of power remaining in a battery of the electronic computing device, and generate an alert when the remaining amount of power in the battery available for continued operation of the device is at or below a predetermined threshold. The alert may include a notification of the estimated power remaining and an option to enable the battery saver mode. The alert may include a notification of the estimated power remaining and that battery saver mode has been enabled, and an option to disable the battery saver mode. The alert may include a notification of the estimated power remaining, and an option to customize the parameters of the battery saver mode by adjusting operation of various features and applications of the device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
determining a current amount of energy available in a battery of an electronic device;
comparing the determined current amount of energy to a threshold value;
displaying a visual alert on a display of the electronic device in response to a determination that the current amount of energy is less than or equal to the threshold value; and
controlling a battery saver mode of the electronic device based on an input received in response to the visual alert, the controlling including:
disabling the battery saver mode in response to a first external input to the electronic device, the first external input including a first user input selecting a first mode in response to the visual alert; and
enabling the battery saver mode in response to a second external input to the electronic device, the second external input including a second user input selecting a second mode in response to the visual alert, the second external input including at least one user selection from the visual alert of an operating feature of the electronic device to be modified, wherein enabling the battery saver mode includes:
modifying at least one current operating parameter of the electronic device from the visual alert in response to the second external input; and
operating the electronic device in the battery saver mode in accordance with the at least one modified operating parameter.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein enabling the battery saver mode comprises enabling the battery saver mode only in response to the second external input.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the at least one current operating parameter of the electronic device from the visual alert in response to the second external input includes at least one of dimming a display of the electronic device, reducing an output level of an audio output device of the electronic device, disabling or limiting operation of radio connection devices of the electronic device, disabling or limiting data exchange with external devices, disabling a location service of the electronic device, or disabling connection with external devices via one or more interface ports of the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein modifying the at least one current operating parameter of the electronic device from the visual alert in response to the second external input includes adjusting operation of at least one application of a plurality of applications available on the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein adjusting operation of at least one application of a plurality of applications available on the electronic device includes disabling at least one application of the plurality of applications available on the electronic device, or limiting operational functionality of at least one application of the plurality of applications available on the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein displaying the visual alert on the display of the electronic device includes displaying at least one of the current amount of energy available in the battery or an estimated amount of operating time remaining based on the current amount of energy available in the battery.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein displaying the visual alert on the display of the electronic device includes displaying a first selection screen including a first link enabling the battery saver mode and a second link disabling the battery saver mode.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein displaying the visual alert on the display of the electronic device includes displaying a second selection screen in response enabling the battery saver mode at the first selection screen, the second selection screen providing for selection of operating features from a plurality of operating features of the electronic device, and providing for selection of applications from a plurality of applications available on the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein displaying the visual alert on the display of the electronic device includes displaying a third selection screen listing the plurality of operating features of the electronic device, the method further comprising:
receiving a selection of operating features from the plurality of operating features displayed on the third screen, operation of the selected features to be disabled or adjusted when the battery saver mode is enabled; and
modifying operating parameters of the electronic device in the battery saver mode based on the selected operating features.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein displaying the visual alert on the display of the electronic device includes displaying a fourth selection screen listing the plurality of applications available on the electronic device, the method further comprising:
receiving a selection of applications from the plurality of applications displayed on the fourth selection screen, operation of the selected applications to be disabled or adjusted when the battery saver mode is enabled; and
modifying operating parameters of the electronic device in the battery saver mode based on the selected applications.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein enabling the battery saver mode in response to a second external input includes enabling the battery saver mode implementing the modified operating parameters based on the operating features selected from the third selection screen and the applications selected from the fourth selection screen.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein displaying the visual alert on the display of the electronic device includes:
displaying one or more operating features of the electronic device to be disabled or adjusted according to current operating parameters of the battery saver mode; and
displaying one or more applications to be disabled or adjusted according to current operating parameters of the battery saver mode.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein displaying the visual alert on the display of the electronic device further includes:
displaying an option to undo the disabling or adjustment of the one or more operating features before the battery saver mode is enabled; and
displaying an option to undo the disabling or adjustment of the one or more applications before the battery saver mode is enabled.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein enabling the battery saver mode of the electronic device in response to a second external input includes:
modifying the operating parameters of the battery saver mode based on selections of the option to undo the disabling or adjustment of the one or more operating features, and on selections of the option to undo the disabling or adjustment of the one or more applications; and
enabling the battery saver mode implementing the modified operating parameters for the electronic device.

15. An electronic computing device, including:
a display;
a battery;
a memory storing executable instructions; and
a processor configured to execute the instructions to cause the electronic device to:
determine a current amount of energy available in the battery;
compare the determined current amount of energy available in the battery to a threshold value;
display a visual alert on the display in response to a determination that a current amount of battery power is less than or equal to the threshold value; and
control a battery saver mode of the electronic computing device based on an input received in response to the visual alert, including:
disable the battery saver mode in response to a first external input to the electronic device, the first external input including a first user input selecting a first mode in response

Assignees

• Google Inc
• Google Llc

Inventors

• Zha Tiantian
• Bodenhamer Albert
• Woodward Joshua

Classifications

• G06F1/3212 Primary

  Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level · CPC title

• Y02B60/1292

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• G06F1/3278

  Power saving in modem or I/O interface · CPC title

• G06F1/3287 Primary

  by switching off individual functional units in the computer system · CPC title

• Y02B60/126

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic