Connected Standby Process Classification for Rapid Wake-Up

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional power conservation techniques in computing devices often result in prolonged wake-up times and stale data upon transitioning from a low power state to an execution state, compromising user experience and battery life due to the suspension of essential processes.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for assigning power management classifications to processes, allowing exempt processes to execute, suspending suspendable processes, and throttling throttleable processes to maintain a connected standby state with low power consumption, enabling rapid and responsive transitions to an execution state.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If conventional hibernation/sleep policies are used to conserve battery life, then power consumption is reduced, but wake-up time increases significantly and data becomes stale

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery lifeVSAvoidwake-up time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments processes into three categories (exempt, suspendable, throttleable) based on their power management characteristics. This segmentation allows selective suspension of non-critical processes while maintaining critical ones, enabling faster wake-up times without sacrificing battery life. The classification system divides the process space into manageable groups that can be independently managed during low-power states.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different processes receive different power management treatments based on their specific characteristics and importance. Instead of applying a uniform suspension policy to all processes, the system applies localized quality control by assigning specific classifications (exempt, suspendable, throttleable) to individual processes or process groups, allowing critical processes to continue running while non-critical ones are suspended or throttled.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Loss of energy

If all processes are suspended during hibernation to maximize power savings, then battery life is extended, but system responsiveness and data freshness deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoiddata freshness
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary classification of processes into exempt, suspendable, and throttleable categories before entering hibernation mode. This preliminary action identifies which processes should maintain execution or throttled operation to preserve data freshness and system responsiveness, while still achieving significant power savings by suspending non-critical processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system ensures continuity of useful action by allowing exempt processes to continue executing and throttleable processes to run at reduced capacity during hibernation. This maintains essential system functionality and data freshness while still achieving power conservation goals, avoiding the need to suspend all processes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Loss of time

If critical processes are allowed to execute during standby to maintain responsiveness, then wake-up time is reduced, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransition timeVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial action by allowing only certain critical processes (exempt and throttleable categories) to continue executing during standby mode, rather than all processes. This partial execution maintains system responsiveness and reduces wake-up time while consuming less power than if all processes were fully active, achieving a balanced compromise between responsiveness and power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP2742399B1Method and system for transitioning a computing environment in a connected standby mode
Publication Date: 2017.11.22 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP2742399B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2742399B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2742399B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for assigning power management classifications to a process, transitioning a computing environment into a connected standby state based upon power management classifications assigned to processes, and transitioning the computing environment from the connected standby state to an execution state. That is, power management classifications, such as exempt, throttle, and/or suspend, may be assigned to processes based upon various factors, such as whether a process provides desired functionality and/or whether the process provides functionality relied upon for basic operation of the computing environment. In this way, the computing environment may be transitioned into a low power connected standby state that may continue executing desired functionality, while reducing power consumption by suspending and/or throttling other functionality. Because some functionality may still execute, the computing environment may transition into the execution state in a responsive manner to quickly provide a user with up-to-date information.