Abstract:
In one embodiment, an energy efficient mobile computing and communication device selects its operation mode based upon analyzing of a user&#39;s habit of selecting application programs. Each of the operation modes is associated with a set of applications. Power consumptions of each of the operation modes can be ranked sequentially. In another embodiment, an energy efficient mobile device selects one of the cores of its processor based upon analyzing of the user&#39;s habit of selecting the application programs. Each of the cores is associated with a set of applications. Power consumptions of each of the cores can be ranked sequentially.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0003]    This invention relates to a mobile computing and communication device, specifically to an energy efficient mobile computing and communication device. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Prior Art 
         [0005]    A mobile device such as, for example, a smart phone or a tablet computer is powered by a battery. It is always desirable to increase operating time and to reduce frequency of recharging the battery. Today, a mobile device may include many application programs provided by a device manufacturer or by an independent application developer. One user may use only a portion of the applications. Another user may use all of the applications or even purchase additional applications from an on-line shop. It is therefore desirable that the mobile device consumes power in an intelligent manner by taking consideration of a user&#39;s habit of using the applications to increase the battery operating time as much as possible. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    It is an object of the present invention for providing an energy efficient mobile device. 
         [0007]    It is another object of the present invention for providing an energy efficient mobile device that employs a processor with multiple operating modes, wherein each of the operating modes is associated with a set of application programs, wherein each of the operating modes is characterized by different power consumption. 
         [0008]    It is yet another object of the present invention for providing an energy efficient mobile device that employs a processor with multiple cores, wherein each of the cores is associated with a set of application programs, wherein each of the cores is characterized by different power consumption. 
         [0009]    It is still another object of the present invention for providing an energy efficient mobile device that collects and analyzes a user&#39;s habit of using the applications and selects an operation mode of a multi-mode processor or a core of a multi-core processor in accordance with a result of analyzing. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    For a more complete understanding of the present invention and its various embodiments, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an exemplary energy efficient mobile device in accordance of the first embodiment; 
           [0012]      FIGS. 2A-B  is a flow diagram depicting power saving operation of the mobile device in accordance with the first embodiment; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of an exemplary energy efficient mobile device in accordance of the second embodiment; 
           [0014]      FIGS. 4A-B  is a flow diagram depicting power saving operation of the mobile device in accordance with the second embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    The present invention will now be described in detail with references to a few preferred embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps have not been described in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention. 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of an exemplary energy efficient mobile device  100  (top figure) in accordance with the first embodiment. The mobile device  100  includes a processor  102 , a communication unit  104  and a power supply  106 . The mobile device  100  further includes an operating system  108 . The mobile device  100  is connected to one or more communication network through communication  104 . The communication network includes but is not limited to the Internet. Power supply  106  is a rechargeable battery in one implementation. According to the first embodiment of the present invention, the processor  102  includes multiple operating modes and is called multi-mode processor. 
         [0017]    The mobile device  100  provides a plurality of application programs or Apps. A user can select an App through a user interface of the mobile device displayed on a screen of the mobile device. In one implementation, the screen is a touch-sensitive screen and Apps are displayed user selectable icons. 
         [0018]    In the first embodiment, the multi-mode processor  102  as shown in the bottom figure includes a plurality of operating modes. Each of the operating modes can support a set of Apps. Each of operating modes consumes substantially different power. The direction of power consumption is illustrated in the bottom figure. Each of the operating modes may consume substantially different power. 
         [0019]    The user&#39;s history of selecting of Apps is recorded by the multi-mode processor  102  and is stored as a data file in a storage unit (not shown in the figure) of mobile device  100 . The data file is analyzed by user habit analyzer  112  which is a software program stored in mobile device  100 . The analyzer  112  may count and rank Apps that the user selected over a period of time such as, for example, over a month. The analyzer  112  may track a trend of anyone of the Apps selected by the user over a plurality of equally divided time periods. As shown in the bottom figure, operating mode 2 consumes more power (P2) than operating mode 1 (P1). The second set of Apps may include all Apps belonging to the first set of Apps and include one or more different Apps. The different Apps may be additions to the first set of Apps. The third set of Apps may include all Apps belonging to the second set of Apps and include one or more different Apps. The Nth set of Apps may include all Apps supported by the mobile device  100 . 
         [0020]    Operating mode selector  110  selects an operating mode based upon a result provided by user habit analyzer  112 . The multi-mode processor  112  is subsequently operated according to selected operating mode. 
         [0021]    The selected operating mode may support a significant high percentage of Apps used by the user previously either based upon ranking or upon a usage trend. In an exemplary implementation without limiting scope of the present invention, the selected operating mode may support Apps used by the user in a range of 85 to 95%. 
         [0022]    If an App is selected by the user that is not supported by the present operating mode, the operating mode selector  110  will select another operating mode. Multi-mode processor  102  will subsequently run the newly selected operating mode to support the newly selected App. 
         [0023]    Operating system  108  may be tailored or customized to run each of the operating modes. For an operating mode supports less Apps, a tailored or customized operating system consumes less power. 
         [0024]    Some of functional blocks of the mobile device  100  may be switched off if the selected operating mode does not support Apps that requires the functional blocks to be active. The function blocks includes but is not limited to communication unit  104 . 
         [0025]    In one implementation, categorization of Apps and association of the Apps with the operating modes is carried out by a manufacturer of the mobile device before the device is shipped to the user. The categorization may be based upon data collected from a large number of users. The data may include but is not limited to age, sex, nationality and educational background. 
         [0026]    In another implementation, categorization of Apps and association of the Apps with the operating modes is carried out at least partly by a user of the mobile device in the field. The operating system  108  will need to provide flexibility for such a field customization of the operating system and the processor. 
         [0027]      FIG. 2A  is a flow diagram depicting power saving operation of the mobile device in accordance with the first embodiment. Process  200 A starts with step  202  that a user&#39;s habit of using of Apps is collected by multi-mode processor  102 . The collected data may be stored in a data file stored in the storage unit of the mobile device  100 . The collected user&#39;s habit or history of using the Apps is analyzed by user habit analyzer  112  in step  204 . The multi-mode processor  102  selects one of the operating modes through the operating mode selector  110  in step  206 . Upon the selection, the mobile device  100  is operated according to selected operating mode in step  208 . 
         [0028]    Sometimes, a new App not belonging to the operating mode being run may be selected by the user as shown in step  210  of  FIG. 2B . In such a circumstance, the processor  102  will need to change to a new operating mode to accommodate the newly selected App as shown in step  212 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of an exemplary mobile device  300  in accordance of the second embodiment. The mobile device  300  includes a processor  102 A, a communication unit  104  and a power supply  106 . The mobile device  300  further includes an operating system  108 . The mobile device  300  is connected to one or more communication network through communication  104 . The communication network includes but is not limited to the Internet. Power supply  106  is a rechargeable battery in one implementation. According to the second embodiment of the present invention, processor  102  includes multiple cores or processors and is called multi-core processor. 
         [0030]    The mobile device  100  provides a plurality of application programs or Apps. A user can select an App through a user interface of the mobile device displayed on a screen of the mobile device. In one implementation, the screen is a touch-sensitive screen and Apps are displayed user selectable icons. 
         [0031]    In the second embodiment, the multi-core processor  102 A as shown in the bottom figure includes a plurality of cores. Each of the cores can support a set of Apps. Each of cores consumes substantially different powers. The direction of power consumption is illustrated in the bottom figure. 
         [0032]    The user&#39;s history of selecting of Apps is recorded by the multi-core processor  102 A and is stored as a data file in a storage unit (not shown in the figure) of mobile device  300 . The data file is analyzed by user habit analyzer  112  which is a software program stored in mobile device  300 . The analyzer  112  may count and rank Apps that the user selected over a period of time such as, for example, over a month. The analyzer  112  may track a trend of anyone of the Apps selected by the user over a plurality of equally divided time periods. As shown in the bottom figure, core  2  consumes more power (P2) than core  1  (P1). The second set of Apps may include all Apps belonging to the first set of Apps and include one or more different Apps. The one or more different Apps may be additions to the first set of Apps. The third set of Apps may include all Apps belonging to the second set of Apps and include one or more different Apps. The Nth set of Apps may include all Apps supported by the mobile device  300 . 
         [0033]    Core selector  110 A selects a core based upon a result provided by user habit analyzer  112 . The multi-core processor  112 A is operated employing the selected core. Other cores are switched off to save power consumption. 
         [0034]    The selected core may support a significantly high percentage of Apps used by the user previously either based upon ranking or upon a usage trend. In an exemplary implementation without limiting scope of the present invention, the selected core may support Apps used by the user in a range of 85 to 95%. 
         [0035]    If an App is selected by the user that is not supported by the present core, the core selector  110 A will select another core. Multi-core processor  102 A will subsequently run the newly selected core to support the newly selected App. 
         [0036]    Operating system  108  may be tailored or customized to be run at each of the cores. For a core supports less Apps, a tailored or customized operating system consumes less power. 
         [0037]    Some of functional blocks of the mobile device  300  may be switched off if the selected core does not support Apps that requires the functional blocks to be active. The function blocks includes but is not limited to communication unit  104 . 
         [0038]    In one implementation, categorization of Apps and association of the Apps with the cores is carried out by a manufacturer of the mobile device or an independent application developer before the device is shipped to the user. The categorization may be based upon data collected from a large number of users. The data may include age, sex, nationality and educational background. 
         [0039]    In another implementation, categorization of Apps and association of the Apps with the cores is carried out at least partly by a user of the mobile device in the field. The operating system  108  will need to provide flexibility for such a field customization of the operating system and the processor. 
         [0040]      FIG. 4A  is a flow diagram depicting power saving operation of the mobile device  300  in accordance with the second embodiment. Process  400 A starts with step  402  that a user&#39;s habit of using of Apps is collected by multi-core processor  102 A. The collected data may be stored in a data file stored in the storage unit of the mobile device  300 . The collected user&#39;s habit or history of using the Apps is analyzed by user habit analyzer  112  in step  404 . The multi-core processor  102 A selects one of the cores through the core selector  110 A in step  406 . Upon the selection, the mobile device  300  is operated according to selected core in step  408 . 
         [0041]    Sometimes, a new App not belonging to the presently running core may be selected by the user as shown in step  410  of  FIG. 4B . In such a circumstance, the processor  102 A will need to change to a new core to accommodate the newly selected App as shown in step  412 .