Process Power Classification for Connected Standby Responsiveness

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional power conservation techniques in computing devices often result in prolonged wake-up times and stale data upon transitioning from low power states, degrading user experience due to inefficient management of processes during idle periods.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a power management classification system that allows exempt processes to execute, suspends suspendable processes, and throttles throttleable processes to maintain low power consumption while ensuring quick and responsive transitions between connected standby and execution states, thereby providing an always-on/always-connected experience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If conventional hibernation/sleep policies are implemented to conserve battery life, then power consumption is reduced, but the computing system takes a significant amount of time to reawaken and provides stale data

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebattery lifeVSAvoidreawaken time

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments processes into three categories (exempt, suspendable, throttleable) based on their power consumption characteristics and criticality. This segmentation allows selective power management where only non-critical processes are suspended or throttled, while critical processes continue running, enabling fast wake-up while still achieving power conservation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different power management strategies are applied to different processes based on their specific characteristics. Exempt processes receive no power management intervention, suspendable processes are fully suspended, and throttleable processes are dynamically throttled. This localized approach ensures that power conservation does not impact critical system functionality or user experience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Loss of energy

If conventional hibernation/sleep policies are implemented to conserve battery life, then power consumption is reduced, but user experience is degraded due to stale data and long wake-up times

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebattery lifeVSAvoiduser experience

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting processes into exempt, suspendable, and throttleable categories, the system maintains critical user-facing processes (exempt) running while suspending non-critical ones. This ensures that when the device wakes, user experience is immediately restored without waiting for process resurrection, eliminating the stale data problem while still achieving power savings.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary classification of processes into power management categories before entering connected standby state. This preliminary action ensures that the correct processes are pre-configured for suspension or throttling, enabling seamless transition to low-power mode while maintaining user experience quality upon wake-up.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of energy

If all processes are suspended to maximize power conservation, then power consumption is minimized, but the system cannot provide responsive functionality or up-to-date information

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidresponsiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides processes into three segments: exempt processes that must remain responsive, suspendable processes that can be fully stopped, and throttleable processes that can be dynamically controlled. This segmentation enables the system to achieve maximum power conservation for non-critical processes while maintaining productivity and responsiveness for critical processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts process execution based on power state and user needs. Throttleable processes can be dynamically throttled or unthrottled based on system state, providing adaptive power management that maintains responsiveness when needed while conserving power during idle periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS8677158B2System and method for assigning a power management classification including exempt, suspend, and throttling to an process based upon various factors of the process

Publication Date: 2014.03.18 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

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.