Power Management Utilizing Proximity or Link Status Determination

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for power management are disclosed. In one example, proximity of link status of a wireless communication device is used to determine whether a power conservation mode is implemented.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computing device comprising:
 a wireless transceiver adapted to receive a wireless signal from a wireless communication device;   an input/output interface adapted to interface with a peripheral device;   a processor; and   a memory storing a power management application configured to monitor a wireless communication device proximity utilizing a received signal strength indication (RSSI) value associated with the wireless signal and responsive to the wireless communication device proximity operate the computing device in a normal operation mode or a power conservation mode.   
     
     
         2 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the power conservation mode comprises sending a power conservation signal to the peripheral device. 
     
     
         3 . The computing device of  claim 2 , wherein the peripheral device is a display or printer. 
     
     
         4 . The computing device of  claim 1 , further comprising a powered device component, wherein the power conservation mode comprises operating the powered device component in a low power state. 
     
     
         5 . The computing device of  claim 4 , wherein the powered device component is a display or a storage device. 
     
     
         6 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the power management application is further configured to monitor a wireless communication device link connection status and responsive to both the wireless communication device link connection status and the wireless communication device proximity status operate the computing device in a normal operation mode or a power conservation mode. 
     
     
         7 . The computing device of  claim 6 , wherein the power management application is configured to operate the computing device in a power conservation mode when the wireless communication device link connection status is a no-link status and the wireless communication device proximity is greater than a predetermined threshold proximity. 
     
     
         8 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device is operated in the normal operation mode when the wireless communication device proximity is less than a predetermined threshold proximity and operated in the power conservation mode when the wireless communication device proximity is greater than the predetermined threshold proximity. 
     
     
         9 . The computing device of  claim 8 , wherein the predetermined threshold proximity is user configurable. 
     
     
         10 . A computing device comprising:
 a wireless transceiver adapted to receive a wireless signal from a wireless communication device;   an input/output interface adapted to interface with a peripheral device;   a processor; and   a memory storing a power management application configured to monitor a wireless communication device link connection status and responsive to the wireless communication device link connection status operate the computing device in a normal operation mode or a power conservation mode.   
     
     
         11 . The computing device of  claim 10 , wherein the computing device is operated in the normal operation mode when the wireless communication device link connection status is a linked status and operated in the power conservation mode when the wireless communication device link connection status is a no-link status. 
     
     
         12 . The computing device of  claim 10 , wherein the power conservation mode comprises sending a power conservation signal to the peripheral device. 
     
     
         13 . The computing device of  claim 12 , wherein the peripheral device is a display or printer. 
     
     
         14 . The computing device of  claim 10 , further comprising a powered device component, wherein the power conservation mode comprises operating the powered device component in a low power state. 
     
     
         15 . A method for power conservation comprising:
 receiving at a computing device received signal strength indication (RSSI) data associated with a signal received from a wireless communication device;   processing the RSSI data to identify a wireless communication device proximity;   switching from a normal operation mode to a power conservation mode responsive to the wireless communication device proximity satisfying a first predetermined condition; and   switching from the power conservation mode to the normal operation mode responsive to the wireless communication device proximity satisfying a second predetermined condition.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein switching to the power conservation mode comprises sending a power conservation signal to a peripheral device coupled to the computing device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein switching to the power conservation mode comprises initiating a low power operation mode of a computing device powered component. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first predetermined condition is a wireless communication device proximity greater than a predetermined threshold proximity and the second predetermined condition is a wireless communication device proximity less than the predetermined threshold proximity. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising monitoring a link connection status, wherein switching from a normal operation mode to a power conservation mode or switching from the power conservation mode to the normal operation mode occurs responsive to both the link connection status and the wireless communication device proximity.