Patent ID: 8543172

Claim:
A method of controlling performance and power consumption in a wireless computer input device, comprising: providing a plurality of power management algorithms for the wireless computer input device, the algorithms including a first algorithm improving performance and increasing power consumption and a second algorithm decreasing power consumption and reducing performance; identifying, from the plurality of power management algorithms, an algorithm that most closely corresponds to a desired balance of performance and power consumption; transmitting the identified algorithm to the wireless computer input device via wireless communication; operating the wireless computer input device in conformity with the transmitted algorithm; monitoring usage of the wireless computer input device during a time interval; determining that the wireless computer input device has not been used for at least a certain period of time by comparing a plurality of images of a surface across which the wireless computer input device moves with an historical image of the surface; and because the wireless computer input device has not been used for the period of time, wirelessly communicating to change the state of the wireless computer input device to a standby mode.