PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-9585100-B2
Application Number: US-201514842722-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Cold temperature power throttling at a mobile computing device

Abstract:
The subject matter of the disclosure relates to low temperature power throttling at a mobile device to reduce the likelihood of an unexpected power down event in cold weather environments. A mobile device employing a power management solution may be configured to determine that a monitored temperature at the mobile device (at the battery of the mobile device) is below a first threshold level, and whether a hardware component (such as a camera) is active or inactive. Then, based on these determinations, the mobile device can select a throttle setting from a first set of throttle settings when the hardware component is active, and a second set of throttle settings when the hardware component is inactive. Subsequently the mobile device can throttle power consumption for one or more components of the mobile device according to the selected throttle setting.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for managing power at a mobile device to reduce the likelihood of a temperature-based shutdown, the method comprising:
 determining that a monitored temperature at the mobile device is below a first threshold level; 
 determining whether a power consuming component of the mobile device is active or inactive when the monitored temperature is below the first threshold level; 
 selecting a throttle setting based on the monitored temperature, wherein the throttle setting is selected from a first set of throttle settings when the power consuming component is active, and a second set of throttle settings when the power consuming component is inactive; and 
 throttling power consumption of the mobile device according to the selected throttle setting. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein selecting a throttle setting comprises setting a limit to one or more of a backlight, a wireless transceiver, a central processing unit (CPU), and a graphics processing unit (GPU) of the mobile device. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein during the throttling, power is throttled for the backlight before power is throttled for the CPU or the GPU. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the throttling further comprises throttling power to:
 i. the backlight such that the backlight operates at one of a plurality of reduced brightness levels; 
 ii. the CPU such that the CPU operates at one of a plurality of predefined performance states; or 
 iii. the GPU such that the GPU operates at one of a plurality of predefined performance states. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the throttle setting is further based on a charge level of a battery of the mobile device. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein selecting the throttle setting is further based on a battery cycle count of the battery. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the power consuming component is a camera of the mobile device that operates in a photo mode, a video mode, and an image burst mode. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first temperature threshold level is 0, 5, or 10 degrees Celsius. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the monitored temperature is a temperature of a battery of the mobile device. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the monitored temperature is measured by a gas gauge temperature sensor. 
     
     
       11. A mobile device, comprising:
 one or more processors; 
 a battery; and 
 a storage device storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the mobile device to:
 determine that a monitored temperature at the mobile device is below a first threshold level; 
 determine whether a power consuming component of the mobile device is active or inactive when the monitored temperature is below the first threshold level; 
 select a throttle setting based on the monitored temperature, wherein the throttle setting is selected from a first set of throttle settings when the power consuming component is active, and a second set of throttle settings when the power consuming component is inactive; and 
 throttle power consumption of the mobile device according to the selected throttle setting. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The mobile device of  claim 11 , wherein selecting a throttle setting comprises setting a limit to one or more of a backlight, a wireless transceiver, a central processing unit (CPU), and a graphics processing unit (GPU) of the mobile device. 
     
     
       13. The mobile device of  claim 12 , wherein: i) the executable instructions cause the mobile device to throttle power consumption by throttling, and ii) during the throttling, power is throttled for the backlight before power is throttled for the CPU or the GPU. 
     
     
       14. The mobile device of  claim 12 , wherein the throttling further comprises throttling power to:
 i. the backlight such that the backlight operates at one of a plurality of reduced brightness levels; 
 ii. the CPU such that the CPU operates at one of a plurality of predefined performance states; or 
 iii. the GPU such that the GPU operates at one of a plurality of predefined performance states. 
 
     
     
       15. The mobile device of  claim 11 , wherein selecting the throttle setting is further based on a charge level of a battery of the mobile device. 
     
     
       16. The mobile device of  claim 11 , wherein selecting the throttle setting is further based on a battery cycle count of the battery. 
     
     
       17. The mobile device of  claim 11 , wherein the power consuming component is a camera of the mobile device that operates in a photo mode, a video mode, and an image burst mode. 
     
     
       18. A method for managing power at a mobile device to reduce the likelihood of a temperature-based shutdown, the method comprising:
 determining that a monitored temperature at the mobile device is below a threshold level; 
 determining that a throttling criteria has been met while the monitored temperature is below the threshold level; 
 selecting a throttle setting based on the monitored temperature; and 
 throttling power consumption of the mobile device according to the selected throttle setting. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein (i) the throttling criteria is a state of charge of a battery of the mobile device, (ii) the throttle setting is a voltage threshold, and (iii) throttling power consumption of the mobile device occurs in response to a voltage of the battery being below the voltage threshold. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein throttling power consumption of the mobile device includes: reducing a clock speed of a processor of the mobile device, reducing drive power of a haptic feedback device, or reducing volume of a speaker. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the throttling criteria is an active state of a power consuming component of the mobile device. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21 , wherein the power consuming component is a camera, a speaker, a radio modem, or a transceiver. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the throttling criteria is that the monitored temperature is below a second threshold level. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the throttling criteria is a battery cycle count of a battery of the mobile device. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the monitored temperature is at a battery of the mobile device.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/044,853, entitled “COLD TEMPERATURE POWER THROTTLING AT A MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICE” filed Sep. 2, 2014, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The described embodiments generally relate to device performance management while a device is operating in low temperature environments. More specifically, the disclosure is directed to power management techniques for preventing a mobile device from experiencing unwanted shutdown events at extreme, cold temperatures. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Mobile computing devices are becoming increasingly popular in modern society. As device manufacturers are now making millions of mobile computing devices, there is increasing demand for devices with improved performance and features. Battery performance is one area that may limit device performance. Batteries convert chemical energy into electrical energy to power a mobile device in various operational modes. A battery is typically designed to have a particular power, voltage, and current rating that relate to a capacity of the battery for supplying charge to a mobile device during use. By way of example, lithium-ion batteries are popular amongst device manufactures due to their high energy density and low rate of self-discharge. However, the terminal voltage of a lithium-ion battery type typically varies during discharge, due in part to its physical and chemical characteristics. 
     Large and/or sudden changes to the terminal voltage of a battery may result in an unexpected power down of a mobile device. For example, if the battery terminal voltage drops below the minimum operating voltage of a mobile device (or a subsystem thereof), the mobile device may lose power (or the subsystem may brown out). The change in battery terminal voltage may be dependent upon the impedance of the battery as well as the load current drawn from the battery. Specifically, the likelihood of a shutdown occurring for a given load increases as the impedance of the battery increases. The impedance of a battery is dependent upon a number of factors, such as the battery&#39;s size, chemical properties, age, temperature, discharge current, etc. Accordingly, what is needed is a power management solution that can monitor power system performance at a mobile device and reduce unexpected power down events. 
     SUMMARY 
     This summary is provided to introduce (in a simplified form) a selection of concepts that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     Various embodiments disclosed herein provide for power management procedures that are executed at a mobile device to decrease the likelihood of unexpected shut down events. In some implementations, a procedure for carrying out this objective may include, measuring/monitoring a temperature at the mobile device using a temperature sensor (e.g., to determine a temperature at a battery of the mobile device), determining that the monitored temperature is below a first threshold level, and determining whether a hardware component (e.g., a camera or any power consuming component) of the mobile device is active or inactive. In response on these determinations, the procedure may further include, the mobile device selecting a throttle setting based on the monitored temperature, where the throttle setting is selected from a first set of throttle settings when the hardware component is active, and a second set of throttle settings when the hardware component is inactive, and then throttling power consumption of the mobile device according to the selected throttle setting. 
     In some aspects, selecting a throttle setting comprises setting a performance limit to one or more of a backlight, a central processing unit (CPU), and a graphics processing unit (GPU) of the mobile device. Further, power may be throttled for the backlight before power is throttled for the CPU or the GPU, and power may be throttled for the CPU before power is throttled for the GPU. 
     In some configurations, the power may be throttled for the backlight such that the backlight operates at one of a plurality of reduced brightness levels, power may be throttled for the CPU such that CPU operates at one of a plurality of predefined performance states (e.g., associated with different processing speeds), and power may be throttled for the GPU such that the GPU operates at one of a plurality of predefined performance states (e.g., associated with different processing speeds). 
     In various other aspects, selecting the throttle setting may further be based on a charge level of a battery of the mobile device or a battery cycle count of the battery. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The described embodiments, and the attendant advantages thereof, may best be understood by referencing the corresponding description for the figures identified below, in conjunction with the illustrations in the accompanying drawings. The subject matter depicted in the drawings, is included solely for illustrative purposes, and is in no way intended to overly limit the scope or meaning of this disclosure. As such, it should be understood that various changes in form and detail can be made to the drawings, as would be anticipated by those having ordinary skill in the art, and such modification would not depart from the spirit and scope of the corresponding disclosure. 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a pictorial representation of a mobile device&#39;s battery impedance at varying low temperatures, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  depicts a block diagram of a computing device having a power management component that is configured to control various central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), and backlight operational states, in accordance with various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a first exemplary power throttling scenario, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  depicts a second exemplary power throttling scenario, in accordance with various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a third exemplary power throttling scenario, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  depicts a fourth exemplary power throttling scenario, in accordance with various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  depicts a flow diagram of a procedure for performing dual level power throttling, in accordance with various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a flow diagram of a procedure for performing selective power throttling at a mobile device, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 9  depicts a flow diagram of another procedure for performing selective power throttling at a mobile device, in accordance with various embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIGS. 10A and 10B  illustrate tables corresponding to throttle enable voltage levels for certain temperatures ranges of a battery and state of charge of a battery. 
         FIG. 11  illustrates plots of an example of enabling a throttler of a mobile device when a battery voltage falls to or below a throttle enable voltage level. 
         FIG. 12  illustrates a method for controlling the operation of the throttler discussed herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Representative examples of performing power management operations at a mobile computing device that is exposed to low temperature environments are described within this section. Additionally, various examples of selectively throttling power to one or more device hardware components are also described herein. These examples are provided to add context to, and to aid in the understanding of, the cumulative subject matter of this disclosure. It should be apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced with or without some of the specific details described herein. Further, various modifications or alterations can be made to the subject matter described herein, and illustrated in the corresponding figures, to achieve similar advantages and results, without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. 
     References are made in this section to the accompanying figures, which form a part of the disclosure and in which are shown, by way of illustration, various implementations corresponding to the described embodiments herein. Although the embodiments and scenarios of this disclosure are described in sufficient detail to enable one having ordinary skill in the art to practice the described implementations, it should be understood that these examples are not to be construed as being overly-limiting or all-inclusive. 
     In some embodiments, power throttling procedures can be executed at a mobile device to reduce unexpected device power down events, resulting from increased battery impedance at low device operating temperatures. These low device operating temperatures can be encountered when a mobile device is located in a geographic area having cold weather that is near or below the freezing point of water (e.g., at 0° Celsius). The mobile device can be configured to monitor a temperature, and can be configured to throttle power consumption of the mobile device, or components thereof, when the monitored temperature is below a particular temperature threshold. In some scenarios, the mobile device can be configured to measure/monitor temperature at the mobile device using a temperature sensor. The measured/monitored temperature may reflect the temperature of the battery, such that low temperature readings are indicative of increased battery impedance for the battery of the mobile device. For example, in some variations, the mobile device may be configured to directly measure a temperature of the battery using a temperature sensor. In some of these variations, the mobile device may comprise a gas-gauge circuit (also referred to as a fuel-gauge circuit) that can measure battery temperature. 
     When the monitored temperature is below the temperature threshold, the mobile device may select and apply a throttle setting to the mobile device. The selection of the throttle setting may be based on one or more of: the monitored temperature, the state of charge (SoC) of the battery, a battery cycle count of the battery, etc. Generally, the throttle setting may comprise a performance limit for one or more components of the mobile device. In this regard, it should be understood use of the term ‘throttling,” herein, may refer to an upper limit for performance and power consumption, and a mobile device may be configured to exceed this limit in a variety of non-related operational scenarios. In one implementation, a throttle setting may comprise performance limits for one or more of a backlight, a central processing unit (CPU), and a graphics processing unit (GPU) of the mobile device (e.g., in accordance with various hardware-based throttling priorities). Further, in some embodiments described herein, the mobile device can decide to perform additional power throttling operations (i.e., select a more power-restrictive throttle setting) when the mobile device identifies that a hardware component of the device, such as a camera, is active. 
       FIG. 1  depicts an illustrative example of a mobile device  102  as described herein, and a pictorial representation  100  of the mobile device&#39;s  102  battery impedance at varying low temperatures, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. It should be understood that although the mobile device  102  is depicted in  FIG. 1  as a cellular phone device, the mobile device  102  may also be representative of any other type of mobile computing device, such as (but not limited to) a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a music player, a mixed-media playback device, a wearable device or monitor, a mobile hotspot device, a health monitoring device, etc., without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Further, various components that may be incorporated into the mobile device  102  are depicted in more detail in  FIG. 2 , and are correspondingly described further herein, within the remaining disclosure. 
     Graph  104  of  FIG. 1  depicts a normalized (e.g., with respect to an impedance metric, in Ohms Ω) graph  104  showing an example of how device battery impedance may vary versus battery temperature (e.g., in degrees Celsius), which is presented to emphasize the increasing effect of cold temperature on battery state and/or function. Generally, battery impedance increases as the battery/device temperature decreases toward cold temperatures. In some instances, battery impedance can increase as battery/device temperature progresses downward towards extreme, cold temperatures. Although a battery element is not depicted in  FIG. 1 , it should be appreciated that the battery impedance and temperature relationship depicted in the normalized graph  104  of  FIG. 1  may be representative of a variety of common types of batteries without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. 
     In various scenarios, a battery of a mobile device  102  may be located within a geographic climate where the device is exposed to temperatures ranging near or at the freezing point of water (e.g., at 0° C., or above/below). By way of example, a thermometer  106  having a normalized Celsius temperature scale is illustrated in  FIG. 1  to show various low temperature ranges (e.g., low temp. ranges 1-3) to which the mobile device  102  may be subjected during use of the mobile device  102 . In this regard, a first low temperature range may correspond to temperatures less than 0° C., a second low temperature range may be associated with temperatures less than 5° C. and greater than or equal to 0° C., and a third low temperature range associated with temperatures greater than or equal to 5° C. and less than 10° C. These three low temperature ranges can have significantly different effects on device battery impedance, due to the trending of impedance discussed above, with respect to the normalized graph  104  of  FIG. 1 . 
     Accordingly, in various configurations, described further herein, the effect of low temperature at a mobile device&#39;s battery can be delineated by various temperature thresholds that are based on these, or alternative, low temperature ranges. However, it should be understood that the temperature values and ranges recited above are purely exemplary in nature, and as such, the values assigned for the temperature ranges can vary widely depending on device battery characteristics and performance, as realized from the perspective of an active mobile device. Accordingly, varying thresholds may be employed based on such deviation. By way of example, multiple temperature thresholds (e.g., Th 1 , Th 2 , and Th 3 , where Th 1 &lt;Th 2 &lt;Th 3 ) are shown in the normalized graph  104  corresponding to 0° C., 5° C., and 10° C. demarcation points that respectively border the three temperature ranges discussed above. In other instances, there may be a single temperature threshold, two temperature thresholds, or three or more temperature thresholds, without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. 
       FIG. 2  depicts a block diagram  200  of a mobile device  202  having a power management component  214  that is configured to control a quantity of power (e.g., a charge) supplied to various power-consuming hardware components of the mobile device (e.g., CPU  206 , GPU  208 , and backlight  210 ), in accordance with various embodiments of the disclosure. Further, the mobile device can include a battery  212  (which is modeled in  FIG. 2  as a DC voltage source in series with a resister (e.g., to represent impedance). It should be appreciated that the battery  212  may include any number of battery cells, which in turn may be connected in a parallel and/or series arrangement. In some instances, the mobile device  202  may include one or more hardware components (e.g., a camera, speakers, radio modems and transceivers, or the like), which may affect the power consumption of the mobile device  202  depending on whether the corresponding hardware component is active or inactive. 
     For example, in  FIG. 2 , the mobile device  202  is shown as comprising a camera  204  component (e.g., a backward and/or a forward facing camera). The camera  204  may function in one or more operational modes having varying power consumption characteristics. In some instances, the camera  204  may operate in multiple, different operational modes, including, but not limited to including: an image burst mode, a video mode, and a photo mode (e.g., a still image capture mode). Each of these camera  204  operational modes may have a distinct power consumption requirement of the battery  212  that uniquely affects the battery&#39;s discharge rate. 
     In accordance with some implementations, the power management component  214  of the mobile device  202  can monitor a temperature at the mobile device (e.g., a temperature experienced by the battery  212 , affecting battery impedance) periodically, in accordance with a temperature measurement schedule that may be provided by a device manufacturer. Accordingly, the mobile device  202  may comprise one or more temperature sensors  216  to perform this function. Further, the power management component  214  may include a gas-gauge circuit  220  having a battery cycle count determination component for determining a battery cycle count corresponding to a number of times the battery  212  has been charged/discharged. Because the impedance of the battery  212  typically increases with battery cycle count, the battery cycle count may affect the throttle settings applied by the power throttling component  218  power management component  214 . For example, the power throttling component  218  may be configured to apply more stringent throttling as the battery cycle count increases. 
     In some embodiments, the gas gauge circuit  220  of the power management component  214  may additionally include a battery SoC component that can periodically measure or otherwise calculate the battery&#39;s  212  present SoC (e.g., a percentage value of remaining battery charge). In some of these instances, the throttle settings (e.g., the performance limits to one or more of the backlight  210 , the CPU  206 , and the GPU  208  of the mobile device  202 ) may be based at least in part on the current SoC of the battery. For example, the power throttling component  218  of the power management component  214  may apply more stringent throttle settings (e.g., to reduce power consumption of the backlight  210 , the CPU  206 , and/or the GPU  208  of the mobile device  202 ) as the SoC of the battery decreases, which can be monitored by the gas-gauge circuit  220 . 
     As described above, the power management component  214  may appropriately select one or more throttle settings for the mobile device (e.g., using the power throttling component  218 ) to throttle power consumption by mobile device  202 , or components thereof, according to the selected throttle setting. In some embodiments, a selected throttle setting may comprise performance limits for one or more components of the mobile device  202 . For example, the hardware components of the mobile device  202  may include one or more of the backlight  210 , the CPU  206 , or the GPU  208 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , each of these components may include multiple performance states, where each performance state is associated with a different power consumption level for that particular hardware component. For example, the CPU  206  is depicted in  FIG. 2  as having five CPU states  222  (e.g., CPU states P 0  through P 4 ), the GPU  208  is shown as having five GPU states  224  (e.g., GPU states G 0  through G 4 ), and the backlight  210  is depicted as having various backlight illumination states  226  (e.g., ranging from 100% brightness to &lt;50% brightness), although it should be appreciated that each of these components may have any suitable number of performance states, without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. 
     In some embodiments, the CPU  206  and/or the GPU  208  can incorporate a throttler with one or more internal dividers that can reduce clock speeds of the CPU  206  and/or GPU  208  when the throttler is enabled. Furthermore, the CPU states  222  and the GPU states  224  can depend on whether the throttler of the CPU  206  and/or GPU  208  is enabled. For example, a CPU  206  and/or GPU  208  can transition into a lower power state when the throttler is enabled. As a result of a throttler being enabled, clock speed(s) of the CPU  206  and/or GPU  208  can be reduced, which can also reduce the power consumption of the CPU  206  and/or GPU  208 . The enabling of the throttler of the CPU  206  and/or GPU  208  can be based at least in part on any of a measured temperature at the mobile device  202 , a current SoC of the battery  212 , battery voltage, a determined or calculated battery impedance value, or any other suitable metric or combination thereof, as discussed herein. Furthermore, other components of the mobile device  202  can be throttled when the throttler of the CPU  206  and/or GPU  208  is enabled, such as the backlight  210 , camera  204 , haptic feedback device, speaker device, wireless transceiver (e.g., Wi-Fi transmitter, Bluetooth transmitter, cellular transmitter, near field communication (NFC) transmitter)), vibrating device, or any other component of the mobile device  202 , as discussed herein. Furthermore, a wireless transceiver of the mobile device  202  can be throttled in isolation or when throttling other components according to any of the throttling scenarios discussed herein. For example, one or more wireless transceivers of the mobile device  202  can be throttled by temporary disabling a wireless transceiver, limiting an amount of power at which the wireless transceiver can transmit signals, and/or cause the wireless transceiver output blank transmissions for a period of time. Additionally, applications and background processes can also be throttled according to any of the throttling scenarios discussed herein. For example, background activities related to fetching mail and updating applications can be limited or stopped based on any of the throttling scenarios discussed herein. 
     In some configurations, a corresponding performance limit set for a component of the mobile device  202  (e.g., the backlight  210 , the CPU  206 , or the GPU  208 ) by the selected throttle setting may be the highest performance state in which that component is allowed to operate. In one example, a throttle setting may set the P 1  performance state as the performance limit for the CPU  206 , the G 2  performance state as the performance limit for the GPU  208 , and the 75% brightness performance state as the performance limit for the backlight  210 . In these instances, the power management component  214  may throttle the CPU  206  from operating above the P 1  performance state, throttle the GPU  208  from operating above the G 2  performance state, and throttle the backlight  210  from operating above the 75% brightness performance state. 
     The selection of a throttle setting may be based at least in part on any of a measured temperature at the mobile device  202 , a current SoC of the battery  212 , a determined or calculated battery impedance value, a battery cycle count, or the like. In various scenarios, one or more of these values can be employed to enable the power throttling component  218  of the power management component  214  to determine when (e.g., when a particular threshold has been exceeded, or otherwise breached) and how to throttle power to the backlight  210 , the CPU  206  and/or the GPU  208 , such as, based on the measured temperature, the battery SoC, and/or the battery cycle count of the mobile device  202 . 
     Additionally, the selection of a throttle setting may be based on a determination of whether a hardware component (e.g., a camera, speaker, a radio modem and transceiver, or the like) is active or inactive. For example, the choice of throttle setting may be different if a hardware component is active versus being inactive. For instance, the throttle setting may be selected from a first set of throttle settings when the hardware component is active and may be selected from a second set of throttle settings when the hardware component is inactive. In some instances where the hardware component is operable in multiple operating modes, the choice of throttle setting may further be based on the current operating mode of the hardware component. By way of example, in instances where the mobile device comprises a camera  204 , the mobile device  202  may select a different throttle setting when the camera  204  is active than a throttle setting selected when the camera  204  is inactive. In some instances, the power management component  214  of the mobile device  202  may select a more stringent throttle setting when the camera  204  is active. Additionally or alternatively, the mobile device  202  may select a throttle setting configured to prioritize camera  204  performance when the camera is active and in a particular operating state (e.g., an image burst mode, a video mode, and a photo mode). 
     In some configurations, the mobile device  202  may include processing circuitry associated with the CPU  206  and/or GPU  208  that can perform power management and imaging functions at the mobile device  202 , in accordance with one or more embodiments disclosed herein. In this regard, the processing circuitry can be configured to perform and/or control performance of one or more functionalities of the mobile device  202  in accordance with various embodiments, and thus, the processing circuitry can perform power throttling functions in collaboration with the power management component  214  in accordance with various implementations of the disclosure. The processing circuitry may further be configured to perform data processing, application execution and/or other control and management functions according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure. 
     Further, the mobile device  202 , or portions or components thereof, such as the processing circuitry associated with the CPU  206  and/or GPU  208 , may also include one or more chipsets that can respectively include any number of coupled microchips thereon. The processing circuitry and/or one or more other hardware components of the mobile device  202  (e.g., the camera  204 , the backlight  210 , the battery  212 , etc.) may also be configured to implement functions associated with power management/throttling and imaging using its multiple chipsets. 
     In some configurations, the processing circuitry of the mobile device  202  may include one or more processor(s) (e.g., the CPU  206  and the GPU  208 ) and a memory or device storage component (not shown). Further, the processing circuitry may be in communication with, or otherwise coupled to, a radio frequency (RF) circuit (not shown) having a modem and one or more wireless communication transceivers. In various implementations, the RF circuit, including the modem and the one or more transceivers, may be configured to communicate using different wireless communication technology types. For instance, in some embodiments the RF circuit may be configured to communicate using various 4G, 3G, or 2G cellular communication technologies, WiMAX or Wi-Fi communication technologies, Bluetooth communication technologies, etc., without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. 
     In various implementations, the processor(s) (e.g., the CPU  206  and the GPU  208 ) may be configured and/or employed in a variety of different forms. For example, the processor(s) may be associated with any number of microprocessors, co-processors, controllers, or various other computing or processing implements, including integrated circuits such as, for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any combination thereof. In various arrangements, multiple processors can be coupled to and/or configured in operative communication with each other, and these hardware components may be collectively configured to perform one or more procedures of the mobile device  202  as described herein, in the form of a multi-mode wireless communication device. 
     In some scenarios, the processor(s) (e.g., the CPU  206  and the GPU  208 ) can be configured to execute instructions (e.g., computer-executable instructions) that may be stored in the memory of the mobile device  202 , or that is otherwise accessible to the processor(s) at some other device storage location. As such, whether configured as, or in conjunction with, hardware or a combination of hardware and software, the processor(s) of the processing circuitry may be capable of performing power management (including power throttling) operations according to various embodiments described herein, when configured accordingly. 
     In some implementations, the memory of the processing circuitry may include multiple memory devices that can be associated with any common volatile or non-volatile memory type. In some scenarios, the memory may be associated with a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that can store various computer program instructions which may be executed by the processor(s) (e.g., the CPU  206  and the GPU  208 ) during normal firmware or application executions. In this regard, the memory can be configured to store information, data, applications, instructions, or the like, for enabling the mobile device  202  to carry out various power throttling functions in accordance with one or more embodiments of the disclosure. In some configurations, the memory may be in communication with, and coupled to, the processor(s) of the processing circuitry, as well as to one or more system buses for passing information between and amongst the different device components of the mobile device  202 . 
     It should be appreciated that not all of the components, device elements, and hardware illustrated in, and described with respect to, the mobile device  202  of  FIG. 2  may be essential to this disclosure, and thus, some of these items may be omitted, consolidated, or otherwise modified within reason. Additionally, in some implementations, the subject matter associated with the mobile device  202  can be configured to include additional or substitute components, device elements, or hardware, beyond those that are shown within  FIG. 2 . 
     In one embodiment, a closed-loop implementation may be employed at the mobile device  202 , where the battery  212  is configured to report to the power management component  214  how much power and/or current it is capable of delivering to its load at the mobile device  202  for a particular purpose (e.g., depending on what operations are being carried out at the mobile device  202 ). In some configurations, the reported power and/or current capability of the battery  212  may be based on computed or estimated battery impedance (e.g., a temperature derived impedance), battery terminal voltage, current being delivered to a load, known shutdown voltage, etc. In some embodiments, the power management component  214  can utilize the capability information received from the battery  212  to determine how to perform one or more throttling operations, as described further herein. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a first exemplary power throttling scenario in a table  300  format, in accordance with some implementations of the disclosure. As shown within the table  300 , power may be throttled (e.g., by the power throttling component  218  of the power management component  214 ) based on a plurality of temperature thresholds, battery SoC, and whether a camera is active or inactive. Specifically, in some embodiments, the temperature thresholds may include a first temperature threshold, at or above which throttling does not occur under this throttling mechanism (it should be appreciated, however, that throttling may occur under other throttling mechanisms not described herein). When the temperature is below the first threshold, the throttle settings may be selected at least in part on the measured temperature. 
     Further, the temperature thresholds may also include a second temperature threshold. In these embodiments, different throttle settings may be selected if the temperature is in a first low temperature range (e.g., temperatures between the first and second temperature threshold) than if the temperature is in a second low temperature range (e.g., at or below the second temperature threshold). The first temperature threshold is shown in  FIG. 3  as 10° C. and the second temperature threshold is shown as 5° C., but it should be appreciated that the temperature thresholds may be any suitable values, and that any number of temperature thresholds may be used. It should be understood that these temperature ranges can have significantly different effects on battery impedance, as described above with respect to the normalized graph  104  of  FIG. 1 . 
     Further, the choice of throttle settings may be based on the SoC in the battery, and optionally the battery cycle count. For example, there may be a plurality of SoC ranges (shown in  FIG. 3  as having a first SoC range, a second SoC range, and a third SoC range), wherein the selection of the throttle setting is dependent on which of the plurality of SoC ranges encompasses the current battery SoC. As an example, the first SoC range may correspond to a battery charge between 0 to 50%, the second SoC range may correspond to a battery charge between 50 to 75%, and the third SoC range may correspond to a battery charge between 75% to a 100%. Additionally, the choice of throttle setting may further be based on whether a hardware component (in the example of  FIG. 3 , a camera) is active or inactive. Specifically, different throttle settings may be selected when the hardware component is active versus when the hardware component is inactive. 
     In various embodiments, with respect to table  300 , when a temperature measured by a temperature sensor  216  of the power management component  214  of a mobile device  202  is at or above the first temperature threshold (e.g., 10° C.), no power throttling will be performed. Further, when the temperature is within the first low temperature range and the battery SoC is in the third SoC range, no power throttling will be performed. However, when the temperature is within the first low temperature range and the battery SoC is in the second SoC range, power may be throttled when the camera  204  is active but not when the camera is inactive. When the camera  204  is active, a given throttle setting may be selected (in this example, the throttle setting may be performance limiting the backlight  210  to 90% brightness). In another configuration, within the first low temperature range and in the first SoC range, the mobile device  202  will select a first throttle setting when the camera  204  is active (e.g., the backlight  210  may be power throttled to 75% brightness, the CPU  206  may be power throttled to a first reduced performance state P 1 , and the GPU  208  may be power throttled to a first reduced performance state G 1 , simultaneously) or a second throttle setting when the camera is not active (e.g., the backlight  210  may be power throttled to 90% brightness). 
     Further, with respect to table  300 , when a temperature measured by a temperature sensor  216  of the power management component  214  of a mobile device  202  is within or below the second low temperature range and the battery SoC is in the third SoC range, power may be throttled when the camera  204  is active, but not when the camera is inactive. When the camera  204  is active, a given throttle setting may be selected (in this example, the throttle setting may be performance limiting the backlight  210  to 90% brightness). In another configuration, within the second low temperature range and in the second SoC range, the mobile device  202  will select a first throttle setting when the camera  204  is active (e.g., the backlight  210  may be power throttled to 50% brightness, the CPU  206  may be power throttled to a first reduced performance state P 1 , and the GPU  208  may be power throttled to a first reduced performance state G 1 , simultaneously) or a second throttle setting when the camera is not active (e.g., the backlight  210  may be power throttled to 90% brightness). In another configuration, within the second low temperature range and in the first SoC range, the mobile device  202  will select a first throttle setting when the camera  204  is active (e.g., the backlight  210  may be power throttled to 50% brightness, the CPU  206  may be power throttled to a second reduced performance state P 2 , and the GPU  208  may be power throttled to a second reduced performance state G 2 , simultaneously) or a second throttle setting when the camera is not active (e.g., the backlight  210  may be power throttled to 75% brightness, the CPU  206  may be power throttled to a first reduced performance state P 1 , and the GPU  208  may be power throttled to a first reduced performance state G 1 , simultaneously). 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a second exemplary power throttling scenario in a table  400  format, in accordance with some implementations of the disclosure. It should be understood that the power throttling values employed (e.g., by the power management component  214 ) within table  400  of  FIG. 4  mirror the power throttling values depicted in the power throttling scenario within table  300  of  FIG. 3  (and so does the corresponding description), with one exception. This exception is depicted in bold within Table  400 . Specifically, within the first low temperature range and in the first SoC range, the mobile device  202  will select a first throttle setting when the camera  204  is active (e.g., the backlight  210  may be power throttled to 50% brightness (which is lower than that depicted in Table 3, by 25%), the CPU  206  may be power throttled to a first reduced performance state P 1 , and the GPU  208  may be power throttled to a first reduced performance state G 1 , simultaneously) or a second throttle setting when the camera is not active (e.g., the backlight  210  may be power throttled to 90% brightness). In various implementations, the power management component  214  can employ this reduced backlight brightness of 50% to further prevent unwanted shutdown events for the mobile device within the first low temperature range. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates a third exemplary power throttling scenario in a table  500  format, in accordance with some implementations of the disclosure. As shown within the table  500 , power may be throttled (e.g., by the power throttling component  218  of the power management component  214 ) based on a plurality of temperature thresholds, battery SoC, and whether a camera is active or inactive. Specifically, in some implementations, the temperature thresholds may include a first temperature threshold, at or above which throttling does not occur under this throttling mechanism (it should be appreciated, however, that throttling may occur under other throttling mechanisms not described herein). When the temperature is below the first threshold, the throttle settings may be selected at least in part on the measured temperature. 
     Further, the temperature thresholds may also include a second temperature threshold. In these embodiments, different throttle settings may be selected if the temperature is in a first low temperature range (e.g., temperatures between the first and second temperature threshold) than if the temperature is in a second low temperature range (e.g., at or below the second temperature threshold). The first temperature threshold is shown in  FIG. 5  as 10° C. and the second temperature threshold is shown as 5° C., but it should be appreciated that the temperature thresholds may be any suitable values, and that any number of temperature thresholds may be used. It should be understood that these temperature ranges can have significantly different effects on battery impedance, as described above with respect to the normalized graph  104  of  FIG. 1 . 
     The choice of throttle settings may be based on the SoC in the battery, and optionally the battery cycle count. For example, there may be a plurality of SoC ranges (shown in  FIG. 5  as having a first SoC range and a second SoC range), wherein the selection of the throttle setting is dependent on which of the plurality of SoC ranges encompasses the current battery SoC. As an example, the first SoC range may correspond to a battery charge between 0 to 75% and the second SoC range may correspond to a battery charge between 75% to 100%. Additionally, the choice of throttle setting may further be based on whether a hardware component (in the example of  FIG. 5 , a camera) is active or inactive. Specifically, different throttle settings may be selected when the hardware component is active versus when the hardware component is inactive. 
     In various embodiments, with respect to table  500 , when a temperature measured by a temperature sensor  216  of the power management component  214  of a mobile device  202  is at or above the first temperature threshold (e.g., 10° C.), no power throttling will be performed. Further, when the temperature is within the first low temperature range and the battery SoC is in the second SoC range, power may be throttled when the camera  204  is active but not when the camera is inactive. When the camera  204  is active, a given throttle setting may be selected (in this example, the throttle setting may be performance limiting the backlight  210  to 90% brightness, the CPU  206  may be power throttled to a first reduced performance state P 1 , and the GPU  208  may be power throttled to a first reduced performance state G 1 ). In another configuration, within the first low temperature range and in the first SoC range, the mobile device  202  will select a first throttle setting when the camera  204  is active (e.g., the backlight  210  may be power throttled to 75% brightness, the CPU  206  may be power throttled to a second reduced performance state P 2 , and the GPU  208  may be power throttled to a first reduced performance state G 1 , simultaneously) or a second throttle setting when the camera is not active (e.g., the backlight  210  may be power throttled to 90% brightness, the CPU  206  may be left unthrottled at the highest performance state P 0 , and the GPU  208  may be left unthrottled at the highest performance state G 0 , simultaneously). 
     Further, with respect to table  300 , when a temperature measured by a temperature sensor  216  of the power management component  214  of a mobile device  202  is within or below the second low temperature range and the battery SoC is in the second SoC range, power may be throttled when the camera  204  is active as well as when the camera is inactive. When the camera  204  is active, a given throttle setting may be selected (in this example, the throttle setting may be performance limiting the backlight  210  to 75% brightness, the CPU  206  may be power throttled to a second reduced performance state P 2 , and the GPU  208  may be power throttled to a first reduced performance state G 1 , simultaneously). Alternatively, when the camera  204  is inactive, a given throttle setting may be selected (in this example, the throttle setting may be performance limiting the backlight  210  to 90% brightness, the CPU  206  may be left unthrottled at the highest performance state P 0 , and the GPU  208  may be left unthrottled at the highest performance state G 0 , simultaneously) 
     In another configuration, within the second low temperature range and in the first SoC range, the mobile device  202  will select a first throttle setting when the camera  204  is active (e.g., the backlight  210  may be power throttled to 50% brightness, the CPU  206  may be power throttled to a third reduced performance state P 3 , and the GPU  208  may be power throttled to a second reduced performance state G 1 , simultaneously), or a second throttle setting when the camera is not active (e.g., the backlight  210  may be power throttled to 75% brightness, the CPU  206  may be power throttled to a first reduced performance state P 1 , and the GPU  208  may be power throttled to a first reduced performance state G 1 , simultaneously). 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a fourth exemplary power throttling scenario in a table  600  format, in accordance with some implementations of the disclosure. As shown within the table  600 , power may be throttled (e.g., by the power throttling component  218  of the power management component  214 ) based on a plurality of temperature thresholds and whether a camera is active or inactive. It should be understood that battery charge is not taken into consideration in the fourth exemplary power throttling scenario of table  600 , as only temperature and component operating states differentiate the power throttling procedures. Specifically, in some implementations, the temperature thresholds may include a first temperature threshold, at or above which throttling does not occur under this throttling mechanism (it should be appreciated, however, that throttling may occur under other throttling mechanisms not described herein). When the temperature is below the first threshold, the throttle settings may be selected at least in part on the measured temperature. 
     Further, the temperature thresholds may also include a second temperature threshold. In these embodiments, different throttle settings may be selected if the temperature is in a first low temperature range (e.g., temperatures between the first and second temperature threshold) than if the temperature is in a second low temperature range (e.g., at or below the second temperature threshold). The first temperature threshold is shown in  FIG. 6  as 10° C. and the second temperature threshold is shown as 5° C., but it should be appreciated that the temperature thresholds may be any suitable values, and that any number of temperature thresholds may be used. It should be understood that these temperature ranges can have significantly different effects on battery impedance, as described above with respect to the normalized graph  104  of  FIG. 1 . Further, the choice of throttle setting may be based on whether a hardware component (in the example of  FIG. 6 , a camera) is active or inactive. Specifically, different throttle settings may be selected when the hardware component is active versus when the hardware component is inactive. 
     In various embodiments, with respect to table  600 , when a temperature measured by a temperature sensor  216  of the power management component  214  of a mobile device  202  is at or above the first temperature threshold (e.g., 10° C.), no power throttling will be performed. Further, when the temperature is within the first low temperature range and the camera  204  is active, a given throttle setting may be selected (in this example, the throttle setting may be performance limiting the backlight  210  to 75% brightness, the CPU  206  may be power throttled to a second reduced performance state P 2 , and the GPU  208  may be power throttled to a first reduced performance state G 1 , simultaneously). However, when the camera is not active within the first low temperature range, another throttle setting may be selected (in this example, the throttle setting may be performance limiting the backlight  210  to 90% brightness, the CPU  206  may be left unthrottled at the highest performance state P 0 , and the GPU  208  may be left unthrottled at the highest performance state G 0 , simultaneously). 
     In another configuration, within the second low temperature range when the camera  204  is active, a given throttle setting may be selected (in this example, the throttle setting may be performance limiting the backlight  210  to 50% brightness, the CPU  206  may be power throttled to a third reduced performance state P 3 , and the GPU  208  may be power throttled to a second reduced performance state G 2 , simultaneously). However, when the camera is not active within the second low temperature range, a different throttle setting may be selected (in this example, the throttle setting may be performance limiting the backlight  210  to 75% brightness, the CPU  206  may be power throttled to a first reduced performance state P 1 , and the GPU  208  may be power throttled to a first reduced performance state G 1 , simultaneously). 
       FIG. 7  depicts a flow diagram of a procedure  700  for performing dual level power throttling, in accordance with various embodiments of the disclosure. In this regard, it should be understood that any or all of the procedures  700  depicted in  FIG. 7  may be associated with a method, or methods, that can be implemented by the execution of computer-executable instructions (e.g., computer program code) stored in a non-transitory computer-readable memory of a mobile device  202 . Initially, at operation block  702 , a mobile device  202  can utilize its temperature sensor  216  to measure a temperature at the mobile device. Then, at operation block  704 , the mobile device  202  can determine the SoC of its battery  212  and optionally its battery cycle count (e.g., using its gas-gauge circuit  220 ). Thereafter, at decision block  706 , the mobile device  202  can determine whether a baseline power management criteria (e.g., a throttling criteria) has been met using its power management component  214 , based on the measured temperature and in some implementations the SoC of the battery  212 , and optionally the battery cycle count. 
     In a scenario where it is determined that the baseline power management criteria (e.g., a throttling criteria) has not been met, at decision block  706 , the mobile device  202  can wait a predetermined period of time, at operation block  708 , before repeating the measurement process at operation block  702 . However, when it is determined that the baseline power management criteria (e.g., a throttling criteria) has been met, at decision block  706 , the mobile device  202  can employ the power throttling component  218  of its power management component  214  to perform a baseline throttling of power to one or more of its hardware components (e.g., the backlight  210 , CPU  206 , and/or GPU  208 ), as further described herein. This can involve applying a throttle setting comprising one or more performance limits for the backlight  210 , CPU  206 , and/or GPU  208  components of the mobile device  202 , as described above. 
     Subsequently, at decision block  712 , the mobile device  202  can determine whether its camera  204  is active (e.g., in an image burst, video, or photo mode), and when the camera  204  is actively consuming power of the battery  212 . This camera state information may be considered to be a power throttling criteria, or alternatively, a power management criteria. In a scenario where it is determined that the camera  204  is not active, at decision block  712 , the mobile device  202  can wait a predetermined period of time, at operation block  714 , while still performing baseline power throttling, before returning to decision block  706 . However, in a scenario where it is determined that the camera  204  is active, at decision block  712 , the mobile device  202  can perform additional throttling (e.g., for the backlight  210 , CPU  206 , and/or GPU  208 ) based on a particular camera operation mode, at operation block  716 , in addition to the baseline power throttling. This can process can apply a throttle setting comprising one or more performance limits for the backlight  210 , CPU  206 , and/or GPU  208  components of the mobile device  202 , in a manner described previously. 
       FIG. 8  illustrates a flow diagram of a procedure  800  for performing selective power throttling at a mobile device  202 , in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure. In this regard, it should be understood that any or all of the procedures  800  depicted in  FIG. 8  may be associated with a method, or methods, that can be implemented by the execution of computer-executable instructions (e.g., computer program code) stored in a non-transitory computer-readable memory of a mobile device  202 . Initially, at operation block  802 , a mobile device  202  can utilize its temperature sensor  216  to measure a temperature at the mobile device  202 , and its power management component  214  to determine its battery state (e.g., the SoC of its battery  212  and/or its battery cycle count) using its gas-gauge circuit  202 , and what device operations (e.g., camera operations) are being performed. 
     Thereafter, at decision block  804 , the mobile device  202  can determine whether a first throttling criteria has been met (e.g., when a temperature threshold value is exceeded by the measured temperature) using its power management component  214 , based on the measured temperature, and optionally, the SoC and/or the battery cycle count. In a scenario where it is determined that the first throttling criteria has not been met, at decision block  804 , the mobile device  202  can wait a predetermined period of time, at operation block  806 , before repeating the measurement process at operation block  802 . However, when it is determined that the first throttling criteria has been met, at decision block  804 , the mobile device  202  can employ the power throttling component  218  of its power management component  214  to perform a throttling of power for its backlight  210 , at operation block  808 . In various configurations, this may involve applying a throttle setting comprising one or more performance limits for the backlight  210 , CPU  206 , and/or GPU  208  components of the mobile device  202 , described above. 
     Next, at decision block  810 , the mobile device  202  can determine whether a second throttling criteria has been met (e.g., when another temperature threshold value is exceeded) using its power management component  214 , based on the measured temperature, and optionally, the SoC and/or the battery cycle count (e.g., as determined by the gas-gauge circuit  220 ). In a scenario where it is determined that the second throttling criteria has not been met, at decision block  810 , the mobile device  202  can wait a predetermined period of time, at operation block  806 , before repeating the measurement process at operation block  802 . However, when it is determined that the second throttling criteria has been met, at decision block  810 , the mobile device  202  can employ the power throttling component  218  of its power management component  214  to perform a throttling of power for its CPU  206  and/or GPU  208  components, at operation block  812 . This can involve applying a throttle setting comprising one or more performance limits for the backlight  210 , CPU  206 , and/or GPU  208  components of the mobile device  202 , as described further herein. 
     Thereafter, at decision block  814 , the mobile device  202  can determine whether a third throttling criteria has been met (e.g., when another temperature threshold value is exceeded by the measured temperature) using its power management component  214 , based on the measured temperature, and optionally, the SoC and/or the battery cycle count. In a scenario where it is determined that the third throttling criteria has not been met, at decision block  814 , the mobile device  202  can wait a predetermined period of time, at operation block  806 , before repeating the measurement process at operation block  802 . However, when it is determined that the third throttling criteria has been met, at decision block  810 , the mobile device  202  can employ the power throttling component  218  of its power management component  214  to perform additional throttling of power for its backlight  210 , CPU  206 , and/or GPU  208  components, at operation block  816 . This can involve applying a throttle setting comprising one or more performance limits for the backlight  210 , CPU  206 , and/or GPU  208  components of the mobile device  202 , in a manner described above. 
       FIG. 9  depicts a flow diagram of another procedure  900  for performing selective power throttling at a mobile device  202 , in accordance with various embodiments of the disclosure. In this regard, it should be understood that any or all of the procedures  900  depicted in  FIG. 9  may be associated with a method, or methods, that can be implemented by the execution of computer-executable instructions (e.g., computer program code) stored in a non-transitory computer-readable memory of a mobile device  202 . Initially, at operation block  902 , a mobile device  202  can utilize its temperature sensor  216  to measure a temperature at the mobile device  202 , and its power management component  214  to determine its battery state (e.g., the SoC of its battery  212  and/or its battery cycle count), and what device operations (e.g., camera operations) are being performed. 
     Subsequently, at decision block  904 , the mobile device  202  can determine whether a first throttling criteria has been met (e.g., when a temperature threshold value is exceeded by the measured temperature) using its power management component  214 , based on the measured temperature, and optionally, the SoC and/or the battery cycle count. In a scenario where it is determined that the first throttling criteria has not been met, at decision block  904 , the mobile device  202  can wait a predetermined period of time, at operation block  906 , before repeating the measurement process at operation block  902 . However, when it is determined that the first throttling criteria has been met, at decision block  904 , the mobile device  202  can employ the power throttling component  218  of its power management component  214  to perform a throttling of power for its backlight  210 , at operation block  908 . In this regard, a throttle setting comprising one or more performance limits for the backlight  210 , CPU  206 , and/or GPU  208  components of the mobile device  202  can be applied. 
     Next, at decision block  910 , the mobile device  202  can determine whether a second throttling criteria has been met (e.g., when another temperature threshold value is exceeded) using its power management component  214 , based on the measured temperature, and optionally, the SoC and/or the battery cycle count. In a scenario where it is determined that the second throttling criteria has not been met, at decision block  910 , the mobile device  202  can wait a predetermined period of time, at operation block  906 , before repeating the measurement process at operation block  902 . However, when it is determined that the second throttling criteria has been met, at decision block  910 , the mobile device  202  can employ the power throttling component  218  of its power management component  214  to perform a throttling of power for its CPU  206  component, at operation block  912 . This can involve applying a throttle setting comprising one or more performance limits for the backlight  210 , CPU  206 , and/or GPU  208  components of the mobile device  202 , as previously discussed. 
     Thereafter, at decision block  914 , the mobile device  202  can determine whether a third throttling criteria has been met (e.g., when another temperature threshold values is exceeded) using its power management component  214 , based on the measured temperature, and optionally, the SoC and/or the battery cycle count (e.g., as determined by the gas-gauge circuit  220 ). In a scenario where it is determined that the third throttling criteria has not been met, at decision block  914 , the mobile device  202  can wait a predetermined period of time, at operation block  906 , before repeating the measurement process at operation block  902 . However, when it is determined that the third throttling criteria has been met, at decision block  910 , the mobile device  202  can employ the power throttling component  218  of its power management component  214  to perform a throttling of power for its GPU  208  component, at operation block  916 . This may involve applying a throttle setting comprising one or more performance limits for the backlight  210 , CPU  206 , and/or GPU  208  components of the mobile device  202 , described above. 
       FIGS. 10A and 10B  illustrate tables corresponding to throttle enable voltage levels for certain temperatures ranges of a battery and/or state of charge of the battery. The throttle enable voltage levels correspond to thresholds that are used to trigger the throttling of the CPU  206  and/or GPU  208 , or any other subsystem of the mobile device  202  with a voltage based throttler. Specifically, the throttle enable voltage levels can correspond to thresholds for a battery voltage, or any voltage derived from the battery voltage. Each of the throttle enable voltage levels can be based on temperature and state of charge to protect the mobile device  202  against unexpected or accidental shutdowns. Furthermore, the throttler enable voltage levels can apply to multiple subsystems (i.e., CPU  206 , GPU  208 , haptic feedback device, speaker, and/or other component of the mobile device  202 ), and can be adjusted to establish throttling priority levels for the subsystems. For example, a first subsystem can be set to throttle at a first voltage level of a battery, and a second subsystem can be set to throttle at a second voltage level of a battery that is less than the first voltage level. In this way, as battery voltage decreases, the first subsystem will throttle before the second subsystem throttles. This can be applied to any number of subsystems in order to establish an order or priority by which the subsystems are throttled. 
     In order to implement table  1000  or table  1002 , the mobile device  202  can include a voltage based throttler that throttles the CPU  206 , GPU  208 , and/or any other power consuming component of the mobile device  202  according to the table  1000  or table  1002 . For example, when a state of charge of the battery  212  is between 0% and x %, where x is any real number between 0 and 100, the throttle enable voltage level can be set to either Voltage_ 1 , Voltage_ 4 , or Voltage_ 7  depending on the temperature of the battery  212 , a sensor, or other component of the mobile device  202 . If the temperature of the battery  212  is less than or equal to n° C., then the throttle enable voltage level can be set to Voltage_ 1 . It should be noted that any of the voltage values provided in table  1000  or table  1002  can be set to any voltage value suitable for protecting components of the mobile device  202  from damage caused by a lack of power. In some embodiments, the throttle enable voltage level of the mobile device  202  increases as the temperature and the state of charge decreases. 
       FIG. 10B  illustrates the table  1002 , includes voltage values (V) for setting the throttle enable voltage level based on state of charge and temperature. For example, when the state of charge of the battery  212  is between 90% and 100%, and the temperature of the battery  212  is greater than or equal to 15, the throttle enable voltage level of the mobile device  202  can be set to x3 volts (V). In this way, a component or system of the mobile device  202  can be throttled when a voltage of the battery falls below the throttle enable voltage level corresponding to a current temperature of the battery  212 . It should be noted that the values x1, x2, and x3 of  FIG. 10B  can be any voltage value suitable for a setting throttling threshold value. Furthermore, the throttle enable voltage levels can be used by a throttler or power throttling component  218  of the mobile device  202  to throttle the CPU  206 , GPU  208 , and/or any other power consuming component of the mobile device  202 . By altering the throttle enable voltage levels based on state of charge and temperature, impedance of the battery can be accounted for in order to provide more accurate throttle enable voltage levels. 
     It should be noted that the throttling scenarios provided in table  1000  and table  1002  can be combined with any of the throttling scenarios discussed herein and provided in  FIGS. 3-9 . For example, when a state of charge of the battery  212  is between 90% and 100%, and a temperature of the battery  212  is below 5° C., the throttle enable voltage level can be set to x3 volts, as provided in  FIG. 10B . Thereafter, when a voltage of the battery  212  is below x3 volts, throttling scenario  4  of  FIG. 6  can be executed. Specifically, the throttling criteria of  FIG. 6  corresponding to a temperature of less than 5° C. can be executed, thereby limiting the backlight  210  brightness and the performance states of the CPU  206  and the GPU  208  accordingly. In yet another example, when a state of charge of the battery  212  is between 0 and 5% and the temperature of the battery is between 5 and 10° C., the throttle enable voltage level can be set to x1 volts, as provided in  FIG. 10B . Thereafter, when a voltage of the battery  212  is below x1 volts, throttling scenario  2  of  FIG. 4  can be executed. Specifically, the throttling criteria of  FIG. 4  corresponding to a temperature of between 5 and 10° C. and a battery state of charge between 0 and 50% can be executed, thereby limiting the backlight  210  brightness, and, when the camera  204  is on, limiting the performance states of the CPU  206  and the GPU  208  accordingly. The aforementioned examples are merely to illustrate certain combinations of scenarios for power throttling and further emphasize that numerous other combinations of throttling scenarios can be provided in view of this disclosure. 
       FIG. 11  illustrates plots  1100  of an example of enabling the throttler of the mobile device  202  when the battery voltage falls to or below a throttle enable voltage level  1104 . When a component or subsystem of the mobile device  202  demands more current  1102  (“I(t)”), the current  1102  will increase and the voltage  1108  will decrease, as illustrated in plots  1100 , before time  1106 . Once the voltage  1108  (“V(t)”) reaches or falls below the throttle enable voltage level  1104 , there can be a delay in detecting that the voltage  1108  reached or fell below the throttle enable voltage level. As a result, a voltage difference  1110  and a time difference  1112  can be exhibited during the detection process and can be accounted for when setting the throttle enable voltage level  1104 . When battery impedance is high as a result of a temperature change of the battery  212 , the voltage difference  1110  will be greater and can be accounted for using the tables discussed herein. For example, the throttle enable voltage level  1104  can be set such that, by the time the throttler has been enabled at time  1106 , the voltage  1108  would not have had enough time to fall to or below a shutdown voltage level  1114 . Once the throttler has been enabled at time  1106 , the current  1102  can decrease and the voltage  1108  can increase at least until the voltage  1108  reaches or exceeds the throttle enable voltage level  1104 . Once the voltage  1108  has reached or exceeded the throttle enable voltage level  1104 , the throttler can be disabled. It should be noted that the throttler can refer to the power throttling component  218 , or one or more internal dividers of a CPU  206  and/or GPU  208  of the mobile device  202  that reduce the speed of the operating clock of the CPU  206  and/or GPU  208  when the throttler is enabled. Additionally, the throttler can control the throttling of other components, in addition to the CPU  206  and/or GPU  208 , using any of the throttling criteria discussed herein. 
       FIG. 12  illustrates a method  1200  for controlling the operation of the throttler discussed herein. Method  1200  can be performed by the CPU  206  and/or GPU  208  of the mobile  202 , a power managing device of the mobile device  202 , or any other component of the mobile device  202  suitable for activating and deactivating the throttler discussed herein. The method  1200  can include an optional initial step  1202  of enabling a throttler when a mobile device or subsystem of the mobile device is powered on. At step  1204  of method  1200 , a temperature and state of charge of a battery can be monitored. At step  1206 , a throttle enable voltage level can be identified based on temperature and state of charge of the battery  212  of the mobile device  202 . The method  1200  can further include a step  1208  of determining that the battery voltage has fallen below the throttle enable voltage level. The throttle enable voltage level can be any suitable value, and can be based on the state of charge of the battery  212  and/or the temperature of the battery  212 , as discussed herein. For example, as provided in  FIG. 10B , the throttle enable voltage level can be x3 volts when the state of charge of the battery  212  is between 25% and 50%, and the temperature of the battery  212  or mobile device  202  is between 10° C. and 15° C. At step  1210 , the throttler is activated in order to decrease an amount of current drawn from the battery  212  of the mobile device  202 . At step  1212 , the battery voltage is caused to increase as a result of enabling the throttler. The method  1200  can further include a step  1214  of determining that the battery voltage level has reached or exceeded the throttle enable voltage level. At step  1216 , the throttler is deactivated in response to the battery voltage level reaching or exceeding the throttle enable voltage level. It should be noted that method  1200  can be modified to include features of any of the embodiments discussed herein. 
     It should be understood that the various aspects, embodiments, implementations or features of the described embodiments can be used separately or in any combination. Various aspects of the described embodiments can be implemented by software, hardware or a combination of hardware and software. The described embodiments can also be embodied as computer-executable code/instructions that can be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The non-transitory computer-readable medium can be any data storage device that can store data, which can thereafter be read by a computer system. Examples of such a computer-readable medium include a read-only memory (ROM), a random-access memory (RAM), a Flash memory, or another common type of storage device. 
     The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a comprehensive understanding of the described embodiments. However, it should be apparent to one skilled in the art that all of the specific details are not required in order to practice the described embodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive, or to limit the described embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20150901
Publication Date: 20170228
Grant Date: 20170228
Priority Date: 20140902
Inventors: LAW PATRICK Y.
COX KEITH
ANANNY JOHN M.
STERZ STEPHEN D.
DICARLO DEREK J.
KAPOOR GAURAV
PANG JASON L.
CRUMLIN ALEX J.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G06F1/3212", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W52/028", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W52/0287", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W52/028", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W52/0261", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W52/0261", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/3243", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W52/0277", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04B1/385", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/3265", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W52/0277", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W52/027", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W52/0287", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W52/027", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/3206", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04L43/16", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W52/0287", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W52/0261", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W52/027", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04W52/0277", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/3206", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/3212", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02D10/00", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/3265", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02D30/70", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G06F1/3243", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y02D30/70", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 55404195