Software-centric power management

Abstract

A trigger can relate to power usage of a computing device that a computer program to be run or running on the computing device causes. Detection of the trigger causes performance of a power-saving action. The power-saving action relates to the computer program to reduce the power usage of the computing device. The power-saving action is a strictly software-oriented action. An amount of power of the computing device used in detecting the trigger and performing the power-saving action is less than a reduction of the power usage of the computing device that results from performing the power-saving action, resulting in a net power usage reduction.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a processor;   a storage device to store a computer program that is executable by a processor, and to store power management computer code that is executable by the processor,   where the power-management computer code is to:
 detect a trigger comprising detecting that the computer program is causing the system to use more power than the computer program is expected to use; and 
 responsive to the trigger being detected, perform a power-saving action in relation to the computer program to reduce the power usage of the system without placing the system as a whole into a shutoff, sleep, standby, or hibernation state, the power-saving action being a strictly software-oriented action, the power-saving action being a recommendation to one or more of: reinstall the computer program, and install a patch for the computer program, so that the computer program does not cause the system to use more power than expected. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the power management code is part of the computer program itself. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the power management code is part of another, different computer program than the computer program. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the trigger is defined pursuant to a policy comprising an override condition in which performing the power-saving action in response to detecting the trigger can be overridden so that the power-saving action is not performed even when the trigger has been detected. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the power-saving action is the recommendation to reinstall the computer program. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the power-saving action is the recommendation to install the patch for the computer program. 
     
     
         7 . A method comprising:
 detecting, by a computing device executing power-management code, a first trigger comprising detecting that a computer program running on the computing device is causing the computing device to use more power than the computer program is expected to use; and   responsive to the first trigger being detected, performing, by the computing device executing the power-management code, a power-saving action in relation to the computer program to reduce the power usage of the computing device without placing the computing device as a whole into a shutoff, sleep, standby, or hibernation state, the power-saving action being a strictly software-oriented action, the power-saving action being a recommendation to one or more of: reinstall the computer program, and install a patch for the computer program, so that the computer program does not cause the computing device to use more power than expected.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the power management code is part of the computer program itself. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the power management code is part of another, different computer program than the computer program. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the trigger is defined pursuant to a policy comprising an override condition in which performing the power-saving action in response to detecting the trigger can be overridden so that the power-saving action is not performed even when the trigger has been detected. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the power-saving action is the recommendation to reinstall the computer program. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the power-saving action is the recommendation to install the patch for the computer program. 
     
     
         13 . A storage device storing computer-readable power management code executable by a processor of a computing device to cause the computing device to:
 detect a trigger comprising detecting that a computer program running on the computing device is causing the computing device to use more power than the computer program is expected to use; and   responsive to the trigger being detected, perform a power-saving action in relation to the computer program to reduce the power usage of the computing device without placing the computing device as a whole into a shutoff, sleep, standby, or hibernation state, the power-saving action being a strictly software-oriented action, the power-saving action being a recommendation to one or more of: reinstall the computer program, and install a patch for the computer program, so that the computer program does not cause the computing device to use more power than expected.   
     
     
         14 . The storage device of  claim 13 , wherein the power management code is part of the computer program itself. 
     
     
         15 . The storage device of  claim 13 , wherein the power management code is part of another, different computer program than the computer program. 
     
     
         16 . The storage device of  claim 13 , wherein the trigger is defined pursuant to a policy comprising an override condition in which performing the power-saving action in response to detecting the trigger can be overridden so that the power-saving action is not performed even when the trigger has been detected. 
     
     
         17 . The storage device of  claim 13 , wherein the power-saving action is the recommendation to reinstall the computer program. 
     
     
         18 . The storage device of  claim 13 , wherein the power-saving action is the recommendation to install the patch for the computer program.