Method and apparatus of smart power management for mobile communication terminals using power thresholds

摘要

A method is provided for use in a mobile communication terminal configured to support a plurality of applications, wherein each application is executed by performing one or more tasks. The method includes, in response to a scheduling request from an application, obtaining an indication of power supply condition at a requested run-time of at least one of the tasks. The method further includes obtaining a prediction of a rate of energy usage by the task at the requested run-time, estimating, from the predicted rate of energy usage, a total amount of energy needed to complete the task, and making a scheduling decision for the task. The scheduling decision comprises making a selection from a group of two or more alternative dispositions for the task. The selection is made according to a criterion that relates the run-time power-supply condition to the predicted rate of energy usage by the task and to the estimate of total energy needed to complete the task.

主权项

1. In a mobile communication terminal configured to support a plurality of applications, wherein each application is executed by performing one or more tasks, a method comprising:
in response to a scheduling request from an application, obtaining an indication of power supply condition at a requested run-time of at least one of the tasks, wherein the indicated power supply condition comprises an estimate of remaining discharge capacity; obtaining a prediction of a rate of energy usage by the task at the requested run-time; estimating, from the predicted rate of energy usage, a total amount of energy needed to complete the task; making a scheduling decision for the task, wherein the scheduling decision comprises making a selection from a group of two or more alternative dispositions for the task, the selection is made according to a selection criterion that relates the run-time power-supply condition to the predicted rate of energy usage by the task and to the estimate of total energy needed to complete the task, and the selection criterion is based on whether the estimated remaining discharge capability exceeds, by at least a threshold amount, the estimated total energy needed to complete the task; iteratively updating the predicted rate of energy usage and the estimate of total energy needed to complete the task while the task is in progress; iteratively updating the estimated remaining discharge capacity and the threshold amount while the task is in progress; and making further scheduling decisions for the task, based on the updated rate predictions and energy estimates and on the updated estimates of remaining discharge capacity and of the threshold amount.