Power management systems and methods

Abstract

Systems and methods for efficiently managing power consumption in portable electronic devices are provided. In one embodiment, power management circuitry may operate the device in a low power mode (e.g., a HIBERNATION mode), but enables the device to quickly become fully operational in response to a power-ON event, despite having been in that low power mode. This may be accomplished by powering a processor engaging memory (e.g., SDRAM) while other circuitry are powered OFF. In another embodiment, the display may be driven by an application portion when operating in an ON mode, but may be driven by a carrier portion when the application is operating in a low power mode. In another embodiment, various discrete circuitry portions are selectively turned ON and OFF, depending, for example, on whether a particular discrete circuitry portion is idle or its processing functionality is not needed.

1 . A method for managing power consumption in a portable electronic device, the method comprising:
 operating the device in a low power mode, the low power operating mode further comprising providing power to a processor engaging memory;   monitoring the device for a power-ON event; and   switching from the low power mode to an ON power mode in the event of a monitored power-ON event.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 powering OFF a processor while the device is in the low power mode.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the low power mode is a HIBERNATION power mode. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processor engaging memory is SDRAM. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in the ON power mode, further comprising:
 providing power to a processor; and   loading the processor with contents contained in the processor engaging memory.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the low power operating mode further comprising:
 providing power only to circuitry necessary for powering the processor engagement circuitry.   
     
     
         7 . A portable electronic device comprising an application portion and a carrier portion, the telephone comprising:
 power management circuitry electrically coupled to the application and carrier portions, the power management circuitry operative to:
 power OFF at least a processor; and 
 provide power to processor engagement memory, wherein at least the processor is powered OFF while the processor engagement memory is powered ON and wherein the memory is electrically coupled to the processor. 
   
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the processor engagement memory is SDRAM. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the application portion is operative to operate according to one of at least three application power modes, wherein the carrier portion is operative to operate according to one of at least three carrier power modes, and wherein the power management circuitry is operative to coordinate which application power mode and which carrier power mode the application and carrier portions operate in at any given time during operation of the device. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the power management circuitry is operative to operate the application portion in a HIBERNATION mode. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the power management circuitry is operative to operate the application portion in an OFF mode, a DEEP SLEEP mode, a SLEEP mode, a HIBERNATION mode, and an ON mode. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the power management circuitry is operative to operate the carrier portion in an OFF mode, a SLEEP mode, and an ON mode. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the power management is operative to:
 operate the carrier portion in a SLEEP mode;   temporarily activate predetermined circuitry in the carrier portion to determine whether an incoming signal is being received; and   in response to determining that an incoming signal is being received, switching the carrier portion from the SLEEP mode to an ON mode.   
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein temporarily activating predetermined circuitry is performed when the carrier portion is in the SLEEP mode. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the power management circuitry comprises:
 application portion power management circuitry; and   carrier portion power management circuitry.   
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the device is mobile telephone.