Power Management of a Mobile Communications Device

Abstract

A user interface for power management of a mobile communications device is described. In an implementation, power consumption used in performance of a plurality of tasks is monitored by a mobile communications device. A determination is made as to an amount of power that remains in a battery of the mobile communications device. A user interface is displayed on a display device of the mobile communications device that describes an amount of time each of the plurality of tasks may be performed based on the determined amount of power that remains in the battery.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A mobile communications device, comprising:
 at least one battery;   one or more processors; and   a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the mobile communications device to:
 maintain, by an operating system that is executing on the mobile communications device, a priority listing for a plurality of tasks that are executable on the mobile communications device, wherein the priority listing designates:
 a first task as corresponding to a non-emergency classification, and 
 a second task as corresponding to an emergency classification; 
 
 monitor, by the operating system, a current battery level of the at least one battery; and 
 in response to the current battery level decreasing to a threshold battery level while the first task that corresponds to the non-emergency classification is being executed on the mobile communications device, cause the operating system to:
 interrupt execution of the first task that corresponds to the non-emergency classification, and 
 selectively permit execution of the second task that corresponds to the emergency classification, wherein selectively permitting execution of the second task includes restricting telephone calls directed to one or more non-emergency telephone numbers. 
 
   
     
     
         22 . The mobile communications device of  claim 21 , wherein the first task is performed by an application that is executable on the mobile communications device, and wherein the operating system interrupts execution of the first task by communicating data that causes the application to terminate execution on the mobile communications device. 
     
     
         23 . The mobile communications device of  claim 21 , wherein the first task that corresponds to the non-emergency classification is a data synchronization task that is executable by the operating system. 
     
     
         24 . The mobile communications device of  claim 21 , wherein the first task that corresponds to the non-emergency classification is a media rendering task that is executable by at least one of the operating system or an application that is installed on the mobile communications device. 
     
     
         25 . The mobile communications device of  claim 21 , wherein the second task that corresponds to the emergency classification is a telephone call that is directed at an emergency telephone number. 
     
     
         26 . The mobile communications device of  claim 25 , wherein the first task that corresponds to the non-emergency classification is a telephone call that is directed at a particular non-emergency telephone number. 
     
     
         27 . The mobile communications device of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions further cause the mobile communications device to:
 in response to the current battery level decreasing to the threshold battery level, cause the operating system to query the priority listing to determine whether the priority listing designates the first task as corresponding to the non-emergency classification; and   based on a determination that the priority listing designates the first task as corresponding to the non-emergency classification, causing the operating system to instruct an application to terminate execution of the first task.   
     
     
         28 . The mobile communications device of  claim 21 , wherein the priority listing comprises a user-specified listing of a plurality of non-emergency tasks that are executable on the mobile communications device. 
     
     
         29 . A computer-implemented method for causing an operating system that is executing on a mobile communications device to reserve power is association with an emergency task, the method comprising:
 determining, by the operating system, a priority listing for a plurality of tasks that are executable on the mobile communications device, wherein the priority listing designates a specific duration of time in association with the emergency task;   monitoring, by the operating system, a current battery level of at least one battery that is physically installed within the mobile communications device;   causing at least one of the operating system or an application that is executing on the mobile communications device to perform a particular task that is different than the emergency task;   monitoring a power consumption used in performance of the particular task that is different than the emergency task;   based at least in part on the current battery level and the power consumption, determining an amount of time that the mobile communications device can continue to operate as currently configured in addition to performing the emergency task; and   in response to the amount of time being at or below the specific duration of time for the emergency task, causing the operating system to:
 interrupt execution of the particular task; and 
 permit execution of the emergency task. 
   
     
     
         30 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 29 , wherein causing the operating system to interrupt execution of the particular task includes causing the operating system to communicate data to the application that causes the application to terminate execution on the mobile communications device. 
     
     
         31 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 29 , wherein the particular task that is different than the emergency task is a data synchronization task that is executable by the operating system. 
     
     
         32 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 29 , wherein the particular task that is different than the emergency task is a media rendering task that is executable by at least one of the operating system or the application. 
     
     
         33 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 29 , wherein the particular task that is different than the emergency task is a telephone call that is directed at a non-emergency telephone number. 
     
     
         34 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 29 , wherein the emergency task is at least one of: a telephone call that is directed at an emergency telephone number, or generation of geo-positioning data that indicates a current physical location of the mobile communications device. 
     
     
         35 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 29 , further comprising restricting telephone calls from one or more non-emergency telephone numbers in response to the amount of time being at or below the specific duration of time for the emergency task. 
     
     
         36 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 29 , further comprising:
 causing the operating system to query the priority listing in response to the current battery level decreasing to a threshold battery level, and   determining, based on the query, whether to interrupt the particular task due to the particular task being designated as a non-emergency task.   
     
     
         37 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 29 , wherein the priority listing comprises a user-specified listing of the emergency task and one or more non-emergency tasks that are executable on the mobile communications device. 
     
     
         38 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause a communications device to:
 provide an operating system that is executing on the communications device with access to a priority listing for a plurality of tasks that are executable on the communications device, wherein the priority listing indicates whether one or more tasks that are executable on the communications device are classified as emergency tasks or non-emergency tasks;   cause the operating system that is executing on the communications device to monitor a current battery level of the communications device;   responsive to the current battery level decreasing to a threshold battery level while a data synchronization task is executing on the communications device, cause the operating system to query the priority listing to determine whether the data synchronization task is classified as a non-emergency task; and   based on the data synchronization task being classified as the non-emergency task, cause the operating system to interrupt execution of the data synchronization task.   
     
     
         39 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 38 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the communications device to restrict telephone calls in association with one or more non-emergency telephone numbers in response to the current battery level decreasing to the threshold battery level. 
     
     
         40 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 38 , wherein the priority listing comprises a user-specified listing that includes user classifications of individual tasks as being emergency tasks or non-emergency tasks.