Flow-Based Power Management for Mobile Devices

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Solution Overview

Problem

Portable communications devices face shorter battery life due to increased power demands from advanced features, requiring a tradeoff between battery life and device performance, with existing technologies failing to efficiently manage power consumption without impacting user experience.

Innovation Solution

Implementing flow-based software design techniques that monitor and configure power consumption by tracking performance information across views in a mobile device, using dynamic voltage and frequency scaling to optimize resource usage without compromising user experience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If advanced features (displays, keyboards, touch sensors) are added to portable devices, then device performance and functionality are improved, but power consumption increases and battery life decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice functionalityVSAvoidbattery life

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts device performance parameters based on monitored conditions. The flow-based architecture monitors performance information and dynamically configures device operation to balance functionality and power consumption, allowing the device to adapt its performance level rather than operating at a fixed high-performance state throughout

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes operational parameters to optimize power consumption. By monitoring performance information and adjusting device configuration parameters based on actual usage conditions, the system can reduce power consumption while maintaining acceptable performance levels for the user experience

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If device performance is increased to meet user demands, then user experience is improved, but power consumption increases and reduces useful operation time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice performanceVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a feedback mechanism by monitoring performance information during flow execution. This feedback is used to configure device operation for subsequent executions, creating a closed-loop system that continuously optimizes the balance between performance and power consumption based on actual usage patterns

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary monitoring of performance information during flow execution and stores this information for future use. By preparing and storing performance data in advance, the system can quickly configure optimal power settings for subsequent executions without real-time computation overhead

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8108013B2Systems and methods for managing power consumption in a flow-based user experience

Publication Date: 2012.01.31 GOOGLE TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS LLC

AI summary

Methods and systems are provided for managing electrical power consumption in a mobile phone or other portable communications device having a battery and a display. A series of views forming a flow are retrieved from a memory or other digital storage device for presentation on the display. For each of the views in the flow, performance information relating to the portable communications device is determined while the view is displayed, and this information is stored in the digital storage medium. Upon subsequent retrieval of each view from the digital storage medium, configuring the operation of the portable communications device in response to the stored performance information to thereby manage the electrical power consumption of the portable communications device.