System and method for powering down a mobile device

Abstract

Described is a mechanism for mobile devices that allows a user to set a time at which the mobile device will automatically power down, and another time at which the mobile device will wake up. The mechanism further allows the mobile device to be awakened earlier than the wake up time if an event is scheduled to occur prior to the wake up time. Furthermore, the mechanism provides for the cancellation of the automatic power down or wake up, based on user input.

1 - 22 . (canceled)  
     
     
         23 . A system for managing power consumption on a mobile computing device, comprising: 
 a timer configured to generate a wake event;    a first set of data including a sleep time and a wake time;    a second set of data including at least one future appointment time; and    an application configured to regulate the power consumption state of the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is in a first power state during the sleep time and prompted to a second power state at the earlier of the wake time and the at least one future appointment time.    
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the mobile device includes a user-actuated switch for manually controlling the first an second power state.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the application is further configured to not prompt the mobile device to the second power state when the mobile device has been shut off by the user-actuated switch.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the timer is further configured to generate a countdown time, and wherein the wake event occurs upon the expiration of the countdown time.  
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 23 , further comprising an appointment register configured to store and retrieve time data including the second set of data.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the first power state is a reduced power state.  
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the second power state is greater than the first power state.  
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the mobile device includes a user interface configured to receive the first set of data and the second set of data.  
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the user interface provides a countdown mechanism to allow a user prompt and responses to cause or abort signal to be sent to the application prior to putting the mobile device into the first power state.  
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the user interface provides a countdown mechanism to allow a user prompt and responses to cause or abort signal to be sent to the application prior to bringing the mobile device out of the first power state.  
     
     
         33 . The system of claim  1 , wherein at least one future appointment time includes one of: a predetermined event, a meeting time, and a task expiration time.  
     
     
         34 . A computer-implemented method for managing power consumption on a mobile device, the method comprising: 
 providing a first and second power consumption state;    accessing a sleep time and a wake time from a first data store;    accessing at least one future appointment time from a second data store;    substantiating the first power state during the sleep time; and    prompting the mobile device to transition from the first power state to the second power state at the earlier of the wake time and the at least one future appointment time.    
     
     
         35 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 35 , further comprising overriding, by user interation with a switch, at least one of: the first power state and the second power state.  
     
     
         36 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 34 , further comprising generating a countdown time wherein the mobile device is prompted to the second power state upon the expiration of the countdown time.  
     
     
         37 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 34 , wherein accessing the at least one future appointment time includes accessing the at least one appointment time from an appointment register.  
     
     
         38 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 34 , wherein the second power state is greater than the first power state.  
     
     
         39 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 34 , further comprising providing a user interface configured to receive the first set of data and the second set of data.  
     
     
         40 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 39 , wherein the user interface includes a prompt to abort the transition from the first power state to the second power state.  
     
     
         41 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 39 , wherein the user interface includes a prompt to abort the transition from the second power state to the first power state.  
     
     
         42 . A system for managing power consumption on a mobile computing device, comprising: 
 a means for generating a wake event;    a means for storing a sleep time, wake time and at least one future appointment time; and    a means for regulating the power consumption of the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is in a first power state during the sleep time and prompted to a second power state at the earlier of the wake time and the at least one future appointment time.