Background Application Suspension for Power Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

The battery life of terminals is reduced due to high power consumption caused by a large number of background applications running simultaneously, leading to terminal freezing and short battery life.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an application management method that suspends background applications when specific conditions are met and disconnects their communication link with the communications module, preventing reactivation by application servers and reducing power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a large quantity of applications run in the background, then the terminal can support multitasking functionality, but power consumption increases and battery life is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemultitasking capabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic application management by transitioning applications between different states (foreground, background, suspended, disconnected) based on real-time conditions. The system dynamically adjusts the number and state of running applications to balance multitasking capability with power consumption, rather than maintaining a fixed set of running applications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the operational parameters of background applications by suspending them or disconnecting their communication links based on predefined conditions (such as activity duration, resource usage thresholds, or user-defined rules). This parameter change allows the system to reduce power consumption while maintaining the ability to restore applications when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Use of energy by moving object

If background applications are suspended and communication links disconnected, then power consumption is reduced and battery life is prolonged, but the application cannot receive network updates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidnetwork connectivity reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by suspending applications and disconnecting communication links before power consumption becomes critical. This preemptive approach allows the system to reduce power consumption in advance while maintaining the capability to restore connectivity when applications need to access the network, thus balancing energy savings with reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Use of energy by moving object

If background applications are completely terminated, then power consumption is reduced, but application state and data are lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidapplication state

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a strategy where application communication links are temporarily disconnected rather than permanently terminated. This allows the system to reduce power consumption by stopping network communication for background applications while maintaining the ability to restore connections without losing application state, effectively using temporary disconnections instead of permanent termination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Data Source

PatentUS11409567B2Application management method and terminal

Publication Date: 2022.08.09 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD

AI summary

An application management method, a terminal, a computer readable storage medium, and a computer program product including an instruction are disclosed. The method includes: suspending a background application when the background application meets a preset condition and disconnecting a communication link between the background application and a communications module when suspending the background application. Applicable to management of background applications on terminals, this method is intended to resolve a problem existing in the prior art that a battery life of the terminal is reduced when a large quantity of applications run in the background.