Low power email functionality for an electronic device

Low-power email function for electronic devices

The present invention generally relates to electronic devices. Specifically, it relates to (but not limited to) low-power e-mail functions for electronic devices (such as handheld portable computers), which have the ability to execute applications when in low-power mode Function.

Today's computer users are highly mobile individuals. Whether it's a business trip, vacation, work or get off work, it's easy to see these people using laptops, high-performance cellular phones, Palm Pilots^TM, Blackberries^TM, And other portable electronic devices. Of course, many organizations will provide Internet connections to cater to people who only pass through these organizations briefly and need an Internet connection. For example, the Internet can be connected to airports and hotels, even restaurants and coffee shops.

Because of the portability of these electronic devices, their functions have specific limitations. Power consumption is one of these basic examples. Power consumption is usually a secondary problem in the operating environment where the user "plugs" the electronic device into the power socket or docks the electronic device to a docking station. In these cases, there will be a constant and substantially unlimited power to operate the electronic device, so that the electronic device does not need to consume the power of the internal power supply after being inserted.

However, despite the proliferation of mechanisms that provide Internet connections (and usually provide a corresponding fixed-point power supply), there are still many situations that prevent highly mobile users from using fixed-point power supplies. In these situations, the electronic device needs to rely on its internal battery to supply the power required by the electronic device to execute applications or perform other functions.

If the power from the internal battery is used to operate in the full power mode, the electronic device usually can only operate for a few hours before the battery is exhausted. In fact, various subsystems and components in the electronic device may be used in full power mode to simultaneously execute many different software services, software applications, and hardware. The display, the hard disk drive, and the processor (especially the graphics processor) are only a part of the components that can be executed simultaneously in an electronic device, but they consume a lot of power.

To help reduce power consumption, especially when the fixed-point power supply is unavailable, many electronic devices include a "standby" mode, in which the electronic device shuts down and/or substantially reduces all its subsystems and components Power. In this standby mode, the user usually cannot use any applications unless the electronic device is switched from the standby mode to the full power mode. Therefore, when no fixed-point power supply is available, when the electronic device is in full power mode, the user may often have to use the electronic device only limitedly and very efficiently. Furthermore, the user must even keep the electronic device completely turned off or in a stand-by mode with no function as much as possible.

If the user cannot save power in this way from time to time, then the electronic device will be exhausted before the user can recharge or replace the internal battery and/or connect to a certain point-type power supply And become unusable. For example, when running applications, constantly accessing the hard drive may significantly reduce the amount of available power that can be delivered from an internal battery. The constant need for software applications to access the hard drive is an important reason for restricting or eliminating the functions of these applications in the standby mode. This restricted operating environment is quite inconvenient and impractical for highly mobile users, because these users may wish to use the power supply for specific applications when there is no available fixed-point power supply. Portable electronic device.

One of the better ideas provides a method that can be used by electronic devices that can operate in a low power mode. The method includes monitoring an event representative of moving into the low power mode. If the event is detected, the method will activate an email component to operate during the low power mode. The email component can be used to obtain at least a part of an email during the low power mode. The method loads the part of the email into a memory, and presents the loaded part of the email from the memory.

To be described herein is a specific embodiment of a technology that provides a low-power e-mail function for an electronic device (for example, a portable electronic device in the form of a handheld portable computer). In order to fully understand these specific embodiments, various clear details will be proposed in the following description. The present invention can be implemented without more than one of these specific details, and can be implemented even by using other methods, components, materials, etc. In other examples, various structures, materials, or operation methods are not shown or described in detail, so as not to confuse the viewpoints of the present invention.

"One of the specific embodiments" or "one specific embodiment" referred to in the entire specification means that the special features, structures, or features described in the specific embodiment are included in at least one of the specific embodiments . Therefore, phrases such as "in one of the specific embodiments" or "in a specific embodiment" appearing throughout the specification do not necessarily all represent the same specific embodiment. Furthermore, these special functions, structures or features can be combined in any suitable manner in more than one specific embodiment.

In summary, an embodiment provides a low-power email function for an electronic device capable of operating an application program during a low-power mode. A non-limiting example of such an electronic device is a portable electronic device. According to one specific embodiment, the electronic device includes a handheld portable computer. The low-power email function can be provided when the portable computer is in a low-power mode. In this low-power mode, most of the applications, services, devices, processing, and other components of the portable computer are shut down or powered off. However, during the low power mode, power can be selectively maintained to specific components (and the resources required to support their operation).

One such component is an email synchronization component that can cooperate with an email application to operate during the low power mode. In a specific embodiment, when the portable computer is operating in the full power mode, the email application will cache or store the email area in the first storage location of the portable computer. During the synchronization process, the email synchronization component copies the emails stored in the first storage location to a second storage location, where the second storage location may include the portable computer Cache or other memory in the Low Power Display Module (LPDM). The synchronization operation can be performed by the email synchronization component during full power mode, low power mode, or other operating power modes. In a specific embodiment, the LPDM is integrated on the cover of the portable computer, and may include its own operating system, low-power processing unit, application program, user interface, communication device, and/or Other components.

When the cover of the portable computer is closed, the portable computer enters a standby mode or other similar power states. During a specific time interval, the portable computer will "wake up" from the standby mode and enter the low power mode. During the low power mode, the hardware and/or software related to the email synchronization component and/or the email application are activated, so that the portable computer can inquire about new emails. That is, according to one of the specific embodiments, specific components that can be used for inquiring or checking for new emails are selectively and/or sequentially activated. If there is any new email, the new email will be downloaded or stored in the second storage unit in the LPDM. Then, after the download is completed and the portable computer returns to the standby power mode, the user can read the previously cached emails and/or any newly downloaded emails through the user interface of the LPDM.

In one embodiment, during the low-power mode, components related to a high-power processing unit, related operating systems, communication devices, email applications, and/or the portable computer are located in the Other components in the external part of LPDM to inquire about new e-mails. If there is a new e-mail, the new e-mail will be sent to the LPDM so that the low-power processing unit of the LPDM can be presented on the user interface of the LPDM.

In another specific embodiment, components of the LPDM (such as its low-power processing unit, operating system, communication device, and/or other components) are used to implement the email inquiry and other email-related tasks. In another specific embodiment, the LPDM may be activated in the low power mode in combination with components located in the external part of the LPDM in the portable computer to implement the e-mail inquiry and/or other e-mail related Homework.

In one of the specific embodiments, the low-power mode can be applied to the high-power processing unit, because the high-power processing unit will enter the low-power mode to inquire about new emails, perform synchronization, and/or other electronic Mail-related assignments. Regardless of the special operating power mode of the high-power processing unit, the low-power processing unit is usually in one of active or inactive power states. For example, the low-power processing unit will move into its active power state in the following situations: 1) if the LPDM is used to present the downloaded e-mail, 2) if/when the LPDM implements an e-mail inquiry 3) If synchronization is being implemented, or 5) if the high-power processing unit is in a reduced power mode (for example, either or both of standby mode or low-power mode), other electronics involved in the LPDM are implemented For mail-related homework. Otherwise, the low-power processing unit may be in an inactive state.

During the operation of the portable computer in the low power mode, hardware, software, services, and other components of the portable computer that are not necessary for e-mail-related operations are suspended or cancelled. Furthermore, when implementing each task, components that are not needed for subsequent tasks can also be cancelled, and can be restarted when necessary. These various cancellation operations can be implemented sequentially from the highest-level components to the lowest-level components, so as to ensure that components required by other components or components dependent on the operation of other components will not be cancelled early. A specific event group will move the portable computer out of the low-power mode, causing it to enter a specific other operating mode (such as a full-power mode).

Use the low-power mode to inquire and retrieve e-mails at special time intervals, and only use the activated components related to these operations while keeping other components in the cancelled state, which can reduce the portable The power consumption of the computer 100. Furthermore, the use of the low-power processing unit to display the information related to these emails (such as the inbox list, partial emails, etc.) on the user interface of the LPDM is compared to using the high The power processing unit and the main display performing these actions at full operating power can also reduce power consumption.

FIG. 1-2 is a top-down vertical view of an example of a portable electronic device. In this case, it is a handheld portable computer 100 in which a specific embodiment can be implemented. Although the portable computer 100 is used as an explanatory example throughout the application, other specific embodiments can also be implemented. The devices may not necessarily be the "computers" we think of, or the devices may not have as shown in Figure 1- The portable computer shown in 2 has the same shape and appearance as the portable computer 100. Examples include, but are not limited to, wireless communication devices, display devices, monitors, audio-visual equipment, consumer electronic devices, or other electronic devices, which can implement applications that can be used during low-power modes.

As shown in the figure, the appearance of the portable computer 100 is similar to that of a laptop computer because it includes a first part 102 and a second part 104 connected by a hinge. The first part 102 may include a keyboard 110 and a case for internal electronic components (such as one or more processors, machine-readable storage media, graphics drives, etc.). The second part 104 operates like a cover folded over the first part 102 (when the one shown in FIG. 2 is in the closed position), and includes a display screen 108 for the second part The portion 104 is opened to an upright position as shown in FIG. 1 to display information or present data (such as email, user interface, graphics, and similar data).

However, unlike conventional laptop computers, in terms of volume and weight, the portable computer 100 of one exemplary embodiment is substantially smaller in size. For example, the portable computer 100 may have a length of 140 mm, a width of 101 mm, and a thickness of 30 mm (when closed), and the weight may be about 1 pound. The resolution of the display screen 108 on the second part 104 is comparable to that of a desktop computer monitor. Generally speaking, the size of the display screen 108, the size of the internal components (such as chips and circuit boards) located in the first part 102, the strategic placement of the internal components (such as density), and other factors All will affect the overall form factor of the portable computer 100. As shown in FIGS. 1-2, the portable computer 100 is so large that it can be firmly fixed in the user's hand 106 regardless of whether it is in the open or closed position. In another embodiment, the portable computer 100 may have a larger or different form factor and/or a larger weight.

In one of the specific embodiments shown in FIG. 2, the portable computer 100 may include a low-power display 114 integrated in the second part 104. In this embodiment, the low-power display 114 can be used to display specific information (such as email) when the cover of the portable computer 100 is closed and the portable computer 100 is in the low-power mode , Or used to present other forms of data. The low-power display 114 also includes a user interface through which the user can interact with a low-power mode application (for example, an application for presenting an email inbox) to trigger the portable The computer 100 moves to the low power mode and performs other operations. For example, the low-power display 114 can display an email inbox, multiple email directories, multiple email commands/menus, schedule and work information, or other information that can be used by an email application. . In a specific embodiment, the low power display 114 and its related user interface (and other components of the second part 104) can be integrated as a part of the LPDM.

Although the low-power display 114 shown in FIG. 2 is located on the surface of the second portion 104, the low-power display 114 may also be located at other positions on the portable computer 100. For example, the low-power display 114 can be located on the side surface of the portable computer 100, on the bottom surface, or on any combination of surfaces.

In a specific embodiment described below, the portable computer 100 of FIG. 1 includes a cover switch 112. The cover switch 112 functions as a trigger to indicate whether the cover of the portable computer 100 is opened or closed. Therefore, for example, when the cover of the portable computer 100 is closed as shown in FIG. 2, then the cover switch 112 may come into physical contact with a motor connector, may change direction, It may be pressed down or produce any other type of state change in order to generate a signal (for example, an interrupt signal). The interrupt signal can be used by the operating system, basic input/output system (BIOS), service, or other software to switch from one power state to another power state (for example, switch to a low power mode). The cover switch 112 can be embodied in any suitable shape, mechanism, function, or other operating characteristics.

An example of a portable computer 100 in which specific embodiments of the low-power mode email technology can be implemented is disclosed as follows: US Patent No. 10/338,802, titled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HEAT REMOVAL FROM A HAND- HELD PORTABLE COMPUTER WHILE DOCKED"; U.S. Patent No. 10/338,815, titled "NAVIGATION AND SELECTION CONTROL FOR A HAND-HELD PORTABLE COMPUTER"; U.S. Patent No. 10/338,761, titled "HEAT DISSIPATION FROM A HAND-HELD PORTABLE COMPUTER"; and U.S. Patent No. 10/338,791, titled "KEYBOARD WITH MOUSE FOR A HAND-HELD PORTABLE COMPUTER", the above-mentioned applications were filed on January 7, 2003, and have been granted to the same assignee as this application, and the full text is incorporated herein by reference. The following application has also been granted to the same assignee as this application, and is also incorporated herein by reference: US Patent No. 10/857,628, titled "METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPERATING AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE IN A LOW POWER MODE" and US Patent No. 10/857,627, titled "LOW POWER MEDIA PLAYER FOR AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE", both of which were proposed and disclosed on May 28, 2004. Mode-related specific examples.

Figure 3 and the accompanying discussion illustrate a suitable computing environment that can implement specific embodiments. Although not necessary, this article will use hardware and computer executable instructions (such as application modules, objects, drivers, services, or macros that can be executed by a computer (such as portable computer 100)) as The general background is used to illustrate specific embodiments. In addition to the specific embodiments shown in this figure, other computer systems and/or network configurations can also be used to implement other specific embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the computing system 300. Specifically, the figure shows a specific embodiment of the portable computer 100 in more detail. The computing system 300 includes the portable computer 100 and a server computing system 302. The server computing system 302 may be located at more than one network location, for example, located at more than one Internet Service Provider (ISP) location for storing and serving the e-mail information of the portable computer 100 and Service other information.

The portable computer 100 includes a high-power processing unit 304 for high-power processing; at least one system memory 306; and a system bus 308, which can integrate various system components (including the system memory 306) Coupled to the high-power processing unit 304. The high-power processing unit 304 may be any logic processing unit, such as more than one central processing unit (CPU), digital signal processor (DSP), graphics processor, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.

In a specific embodiment, the portable computer 100 may further include a low-power processing unit 310 for low-power processing, and it can work with or without cooperating with the same operating system as the high-power processing unit 304. . For example, in one of the specific embodiments, separate operating systems, memory, applications, or other components may be provided for the high-power processing unit 304 and the low-power processing unit 310. In a specific embodiment, the high-power processing unit 304 and the low-power processing unit 310 may also share specific components other than separate dedicated components. In a specific embodiment, the LPDM integrated in the second part 104 of the portable computer 100 may also include or be operable to be coupled to the low power processing unit 310 and/or to be coupled to other s component.

The system bus 308 can use any suitable bus structure or architecture, which includes a memory bus with a memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a regional bus. The system memory 306 may include more than one read-only memory (ROM) 311 and more than one random access memory (RAM) 312. In one of the specific embodiments, separate ROM 311, RAM 312, and/or other memory may be dedicated to the low-power display 114. For example, a separate memory (such as cache, ROM, RAM, and similar memory) can be provided in the LPDM, so that emails can be stored in the memory and be stored during the low-power mode. Access (and change). To simplify the description and explanation, in FIG. 3, a single unit (but labeled in plural form) is used to draw various memories and/or other components that can be additionally/separated for the LPDM.

A BIOS 314 (which may be stored in the ROM 311) contains standard programs to help transfer information between the various components of the portable computer 100 (for example, during booting). A specific embodiment of operating the BIOS 314 in a low-power mode will be described in further detail below.

The portable computer 100 may include a hard disk drive 316 for reading and writing to the hard disk 318. The hard disk drive 316 communicates with the high-power processing unit 304 through the system bus 308. The hard disk drive 316 may include a plurality of interfaces or controllers (not shown) coupled between the hard disk drive(s) and the bus 308. The hard disk drive 316 and its related hard disk 318 store computer-readable commands, data structures, program modules, and other data of the portable computer 100 in a non-volatile or persistent manner. Although the portable computer 100 in the figure uses a hard disk drive 316 and a hard disk 318, other types of drives and computer-readable media that can store data that can be accessed by a computer can also be used, such as optical discs. (CD), magnetic tape, flash memory card, digital video disc (DVD), Bernoulli cassette, RAM, ROM, smart card... etc. In one of the specific embodiments, the hard disk drive 316 and/or other drives are not integrated inside the casing of the portable computer 100. Instead, they can be stored via a hardware cable or wireless communication interface. Take the external device.

The system memory 306 can be used to store various program modules, such as more than one operating system 320, more than one application program 322 (such as an email program or other application programs that can operate in a high-power mode or a low-power mode), Other programs or modules 324, and program data 326. To simplify the explanation, the system memory 306 is shown in FIG. 3 as a single unit with multiple components. Although the figure is shown in this way, the exemplary illustration method can also be extended to cover the second part 104 of the portable computer 100 (or more specifically, it is integrated in the second part 104). LPDM) includes specific embodiments of its own system memory 306, RAM 312, operating system 320, and similar elements.

One non-limiting example of the operating system 320 that can be used is Windows XP sold by Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, Washington.^TM. Windows XP for specific embodiments^TMAnd other suitable operating systems may include a power management subsystem. In a specific embodiment, the power management function can be provided in conjunction with the low power mode to enhance the power management provided by the power management subsystem of the operating system 320.

These other programs/modules 324 may include libraries, application programming interfaces (APIs), objects, or other components. In one specific embodiment, the program data 326 may include cached data, such as cached emails or other types of files. In this regard, a part of the system memory 306 provides volatile or non-persistent memory functions (such as operating system cache, RAM 312, or other cache or non-persistent storage locations) to store emails.

The program data 326 can be stored in a cache, a database, or in a data structure, file, or other data format, or stored in other storage units integrated in the system memory 306 or separate from the system memory 306. middle. In one of the specific embodiments, the program data 326 also includes a power summary and other power management data to indicate the power requirements of the portable computer 100 for special services, software, and hardware. As will be described later, in one of the specific embodiments, the power management data can be used to determine which component of the portable computer 100 should be kept on or off during the low power mode, and the time to keep on or off. Length, the order in which various components are turned on or off, and other parameters and settings. The various other programs/modules 324 (which can interact with each other to manage and control the operation in low power mode) and the application program 322 (more specifically, some suitable low power mode application program or Component).

The portable computer 100 may also include a web browser 328 for allowing the portable computer 100 to access and communicate with various sources (such as Internet sites, intranets, inter-enterprise networks, and/or The other networks described below) exchange data and other server applications on the server computer. For clarity, the browser 328 is shown separately in FIG. 3. According to various embodiments, the browser 328 may include one of the application programs 322, one of the other programs/modules 324, and/or may be integrated with the operating system 320 in a specific manner . Although the system shown in FIG. 3 is stored in the system memory 306, in another specific embodiment, the operating system 320, the application program 322, other programs/modules 324, the program data 326, and the browser 328 can also be stored in the hard disk 318 of the hard disk drive 316 and/or other computer readable media.

Furthermore, as discussed above, the elements stored in the system memory 306 shown in the figure do not necessarily reside on the same physical memory. For example, the low-power processing unit 310 and the low-power display 114 include an LPDM that is operable to be drawn away from the portable computer 100 or operates independently of other components in the portable computer 100 In some embodiments, a separate memory (on which stores the copyright system, RAM, ROM, application programs, and other elements) can operate to follow the low-power processing unit 310 and the low-power display 114 and the The portable computer 100 is decoupled. In this way, the LPDM can be used during the low power mode to present emails that have been cached into the LPDM.

The user can use more than one input device (such as a keyboard 110) and a pointing device (such as a mouse 330 built in the keyboard 110, an example of which is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 10/338,791) or Commands and information are input into the portable computer 100 through other types of devices that can be used to provide user input. Or even the mouse 330 can be additionally equipped with a touch pad equivalent to a plurality of physical buttons. Another form of input device may be one or more buttons 332 on the side of the keyboard 110, and the button(s) 332 can be scrolled and tapped by turning and pressing the button(s) 332. Other possible input devices may include microphones, joysticks, game pads, scanners... etc. (not shown). These and other input devices will pass through an interface 334 (such as a serial port interface coupled to the bus 308, but the portable computer 100 can also use other interfaces, such as parallel ports, game ports, wireless interfaces, or A universal serial bus (USB) is connected to the high-power processing unit 304. The interface 334 may be any suitable communication interface connected to the bus 308, and it is not necessarily a port itself. In one specific embodiment, the input devices (such as a mouse, joystick, game pad, keyboard, etc.) are directly integrated into the casing of the portable computer 100, rather than through a sequence Port or parallel port interface for coupling.

The display screen 108 serves as the main display and is coupled to the bus 308 through a graphics interface 336 (such as a video adapter or other graphics components that allow video and other graphics to be displayed on the display screen 108). In one of the specific embodiments, the low-power display 114 (and its related user interface) may also appear to display data during the low-power mode when the cover on the portable computer 100 is closed (For example, displayed on the outer surface of the second part 104 of the portable computer 100). The low-power display 114 can be coupled to the bus 308 through a graphic interface 336 (or other interfaces), or can be directly coupled to the bus 308. The low-power display 114 can be equipped with various control functions in its user interface, such as buttons and menus. These functions can be used to control various email-related tasks during the low-power mode, such as reading and deleting. , Or save the email. Also as shown in FIG. 3, the cover switch 112 may be coupled to the system bus 308 to allow the various components of the portable computer 100 to detect and respond to the cover of the portable computer 100 The closed or opened state.

The portable computer 100 can utilize external devices connected to more than one remote computer and/or the portable computer 100 (such as a server computing system 302 and a network device 340 (such as a printer or network storage) Units)) are logically connected and operate in a network interconnected environment. The portable computer 100 can be used in any suitable method that allows the computer to communicate (for example, via a wireless local area network (WLAN) 342, a wireless wide area network (WWAN), or any other network 344 (including the use of the Internet (e.g., World Wide Web) or wired and wireless networks capable of communicating with the Internet) are logically connected to more than one remote computing system. Various specific embodiments that can be designed to communicate with several communication networks include, but are not limited to, telecommunication networks, cellular networks, paging networks, wired and wireless corporate computer networks, corporate intranets, and corporate Internet, Internet, and other types of networks. Examples of wireless systems and protocols that the portable computer 100 can use to communicate include, but are not limited to, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 802.11, and other wireless systems and protocols.

When used in a LAN network environment, the portable computer 100 can be connected to the LAN 342 via more than one adapter or network interface 346 (connected to the bus 308 in a communication manner). In one embodiment, a separate network interface 346 may be provided for the high-power processing unit 304 and the low-power processing unit 310 in the LPDM to use. When used in a WWAN or other network 344, the portable computer 100 may include more than one modem, transceiver 348, or other devices (such as a network interface 346) for use in this network To establish communication in the environment or to communicate with external devices. The transceiver 348 shown in FIG. 3 can be communicatively connected between the interface 334 and the network 344. The transceiver 348 may be more than one transmitter, receiver, or other communication device compatible with the following protocols: 802.11, GPS, Bluetooth, cellular protocol (TDMA, FDMA, and/or CDMA), Wi-Fi , Virtual Private Network (VPN), and/or other communication standards or technologies. In a specific embodiment, a separate transceiver 348 may be provided for use by the LPDM.

In one of the specific embodiments, the portable computer 100 will pass through the LAN 342 and/or have a transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) middle layer network protocol or other network protocol layers (such as The user data message protocol (UDP) network 344 is communicatively connected to the server computing system 302. The network connections shown in FIG. 3 are only some examples for establishing communication links between multiple computers, and other connections may be used, such as hardware wire connections and wireless connections.

The server computing system 302 includes more than one server 350. In the context of email, the server 350 may include an email server. One example of this type of server is Microsoft Exchange^TMServer, and the principles described in this article are not limited to using Microsoft Exchange^TMThe email design of the server.

FIG. 4 is a representative diagram 400 of the power state according to one of the specific embodiments. More specifically, FIG. 4 shows the operating power states S0-S2 and S3-S5 supported by the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) specification according to one of the specific embodiments of the present invention, and a non-ACPI defined low Power mode state S2.5. Generally speaking, the S0-S2 and S3-S5 power states are defined in the power profile that is integrated as a part of the power management subsystem (such as the Windows power management subsystem) in the operating system 320. For the sake of simplicity, this article will only summarize the ACPI power states. Further details of these ACPI power states can be found in the "Advanced Configuration and Power Interface Specification" version 2.0c published on August 25, 2003 by companies such as Compac Computer Corporation. Furthermore, another specific embodiment of the present invention may be based on a power state that does not necessarily conform to the ACPI specification.

In the S0 power state, the high-power processing unit 304 will execute commands at its full clock speed, and the portable computer 100 will operate at substantially all (for example, 100%) capabilities. For example, there are many services that will operate and actually work, data will be written to and read from the hard drive 316, the main display 108 will provide content, and other effective functions will be implemented. Status work.

The S1 power state is a sleep-low wake mode. In the S1 power state, the high-power processing unit 304 (or other processing units) will not execute instructions. The front and back associations of the processor will remain unchanged, and all system clocks and memory will be renewed. The S2 power state is also a sleep-low wake mode, which is logically lower than the S1 power state, and is assumed to be used to save more power. The processor background will not remain unchanged, and the clock of the high-power processing unit 304 will stop. Furthermore, all system clocks, caches, and memory will be renewed, and all power supplies to the system-reference level S0 or S1 are in the off state. These S1 and S2 power states are in low wake-up mode, because any interrupt (such as pressing a key on the keyboard 110) usually wakes up the portable computer 100 or removes the portable computer 100 from it. Move out of these modes.

The S3 power state is a standby mode, which is logically lower than the power state of the S2 power state. The memory will continue to run and be renewed so as to maintain the context of the data in the RAM 312. However, the high-power processing unit 304, components related to the graphics system, the hard disk drive 316, the main display screen 108, and other components of the portable computer 100 will be shut down, and no service will be executed. In one embodiment, certain specific actions (such as pressing the power button, opening the cover of the portable computer 100 (thus turning on the cover switch 112), and receiving wake-on-LAN/ The USB/fax signal) will wake up the portable computer 100 from the S3 power state.

In the S4 power state, the portable computer 100 will be in a sleep mode. The data context of RAM 312 will not be maintained, and most of the components will be shut down without continuing to operate. The S5 power state is the logically lowest power state, and it is a soft shutdown mode, which requires a complete boot operation when awakened.

According to a specific embodiment, an intermediate power state can be provided between the S2 and S3 power states. This low-power mode and the non-ACPI-defined power state are marked as state "S2.5" in FIG. 4. The "S2.5" label used herein is only for convenience and ease of explanation, for the purpose of contextual correlation, and not to restrict the present invention strictly to the ACPI environment.

In a specific embodiment of the S2.5 power state, most of the components of the portable computer 100 are turned off. However, low-power mode applications (such as components that can be used by email applications) will operate, and various components required to support the operation of the low-power mode applications in the portable computer 100 will be selected Turn it on or operate until the components are no longer needed during the operation of the low-power mode application (in this case, these components will be turned off). The clock speed in the high-power processing unit 304 is also reduced to a minimum speed to support the low-power mode application. For example, the clock speed during the low power mode can be set to the minimum speed specified for the high power processing unit 304, and its non-limiting purely explanatory example is about 433 MHz. In this way, in order to convert and operate in the S2.5 power state, the sequence and duration of turning off certain unnecessary components can minimize power consumption. Furthermore, the portable computer 100 will not be awakened from the S2.5 power state (different from the S1 or S2 power state) due to any basic interruption. To be more precise, only a specific event will cause it to transition to a high power state (for example, S0), such as opening the cover of the portable computer 100. The following will further describe the operation of the low power mode in the S2.5 power state, including shifting to the low power mode and shifting out of the low power mode.

FIG. 5 is a representative diagram 500 of the interaction and operation of various components of the portable computer 100 according to the power states of FIG. 4 according to one specific embodiment. More specifically, the representative diagram 500 illustrates the operation of the portable computer 100 in the low power mode (ie, the S2.5 power state).

The BIOS 314 includes a real-time clock (RTC) 502, a boot loader 504, and a CPU minimum clock and adjustment program 506. According to one specific embodiment, the BIOS 314 includes a low-power mode subsystem 508, which interacts with other low-power mode components to control and manage the transition to and from the S2.5 power state It also manages and controls the closing or opening of specific components (usually hardware-related components) in accordance with the operation of the low-power mode. The low-power mode subsystem 508 can be realized by software source code, software object code, or other machine-readable commands. In one of the specific embodiments, the CPU minimum clock and adjustment program 506 can be used to set or control the time interval for moving out of the S3 standby power state to enter the low power mode for the purpose of inquiring about new emails. Furthermore, the BIOS 314 can also control and manage the operations of moving in and out of the S0 and S3 power states, as shown in FIG. 5.

According to one of the specific embodiments, closing the cover of the portable computer 100 can move or enter the S2.5 power state (or enter the S3 power state at the same time), thereby triggering or starting the cover switch 112. In addition, opening the cover of the portable computer 100 can leave the S2.5 power state (or leave the S3 power state at the same time), which will also trigger the change of the state of the cover switch 112. The arrow 516 in FIG. 5 represents the system entering and leaving the S2.5 power state. The arrow 516 indicates that the entry/exit operation can be implemented by a BIOS call, interrupt, or other communication from the cover switch 112 to the BIOS 314. When entering the low power mode of the S2.5 power state, the low power mode subsystem 508 of the BIOS 314 will wake up a low power mode service 520 (as indicated by the arrow 522). Or even the dashed arrow 518 can be used to represent that it can be moved into or out of the S2.5 power state by direct communication from the cover switch 112 to the low power mode service 520 (thus activating the cover switch 112). Operation.

In a specific embodiment, the operation of entering the S2.5 power state can also be implemented through the low-power display module 510 including the low-power display 114. The LPDM 510 includes a user interface 512 (which can be implemented as control keys, buttons, or menus on the low-power display 114), which can communicate with the low-power mode subsystem 508 of the BIOS 314 ( (As shown by arrow 525) to move into the S2.5 power state. Or even the user interface 512 or other components of the LPDM 510 can directly communicate with the low power mode service 520 (as shown by the dashed arrow 518) to move into the S2.5 power state. Furthermore, the LPDM 510 (including its user interface 512) can also communicate with an LPDM application service 524 (as shown by arrow 526) to move into the S2.5 power state, or in Information is presented during the low power mode (for example, emails are presented on the low power display 114). The user 514 can operate the cover switch 112 or the LPDM 510 to trigger movement into the full power mode or any one of the low power modes.

According to various embodiments, the LPDM 510 may include its own operating system 511, which can cooperate with the low-power processing unit 310 of the LPDM 510 to operate. The LPDM 510 may also include more than one application program 513 and a memory 515 (such as a cache). One example of the application program 513 is an application program for implementing two-way email synchronization between the email content in the memory 515 and the email content in the system memory 306 (and/or the server 350). The application 513 may also provide the functions of the user interface 512, such as providing an inbox on the low-power display 114, allowing emails listed in the inbox to be opened, deleted, moved, etc., and Other email-related assignments. According to a specific embodiment, the LPDM 510 may also include or be operable to be coupled to its own network access device 517 (such as the transceiver 348 or the network interface 346), so that during the low power mode In addition to the high-power processing unit 304 being able to perform email inquiry/retrieval operations, or even the LPDM 510 may be allowed to perform email inquiry/retrieval operations.

The low-power mode service 520 in one specific embodiment includes services, programs, components, sub-standard programs, modules, or other software codes, or machine-readable instruction sets that are always executed. In the S0 power state, the low-power mode service 520 will be executed, but basically the least amount of work will be performed, or more specifically, the low-power mode service 520 will monitor and send the need to move into the S2.5 power state The specific action of the demand. One example of such a monitored action is to activate the cover switch 112, which means that the cover of the portable computer 100 is closed or opened.

When the cover is closed or some other action sends a signal that needs to be moved into the low-power mode of the S2.5 state, the low-power mode service 520 will wake up or become active, and will determine which low The power mode application should become active in the low power mode (if any); determine the low power mode from the information provided by the low power mode application and/or from the power profile of the part program data 324 The hardware, software, and power required by the application; communicate with the BIOS 314 or the operating system core 528 (as indicated by the arrow 532) or with both, for shutting down specific components in a specific sequence; or It implements and operates tasks related to the portable computer 100 in the low power mode. The arrow 522 also represents the communication status between the low power mode service 520 and the BIOS 314, and the arrow 532 represents the communication status between the low power mode service 520 and the operating system core 528. Then, the operating system core 528 and/or the BIOS 314 can selectively start to turn off the power of unnecessary hardware, software, services, and other components. In the email background of one of the specific embodiments, the arrow 522 also represents turning on and off the low-power mode subsystem 508 of the BIOS 314 to allow activation and cancellation of the portable computer 100 for a new email. To periodically query the components (e.g., transceiver 348) of an external server (e.g., server 350).

In a specific embodiment, the low-power mode service 520 sends a suspend-until-resume (different from suspend-until-interrupt) message to the operating system core 528 or the BIOS 314 or both, so as to facilitate the period of the low-power mode Stop unnecessary or unused work. When the low-power mode service 520 sends a restart signal, the suspended work will restart from the point where it was suspended. Please note that a specific embodiment uses a restart signal (different from an interrupt signal) to remove these tasks from suspension. In existing systems, an interrupt signal often removes the component from the standby state. However, with a specific embodiment, an interrupt signal is generated when operating in the low power mode. Therefore, it is necessary to use the restart signal instead of the interrupt signal to remove the components from the suspension to ensure that these components are in the low power mode. During the power mode, the suspended state will be maintained and unnecessary work will not be performed (so there is no need to consume power).

The low power mode service 520 may form part of the program/module 324 shown in FIG. 3. In one specific embodiment, the low-power mode service 520 includes a service that can be written using a Microsoft Win32 software development kit (SDK) to allow the service to interact and interface with the operating system core 528. Then, the operating system core 528 (for example, Windows XP^TMThe core) may constitute a part of the entire operating system 320.

In the case of the operating system core 528, it can call the BIOS 314 to turn on or turn off specific components during the S1-S5 power state, as shown by the arrow 530. In one of the specific embodiments, this includes making a direct BIOS call to the low-power mode subsystem 508 to turn off specific hardware components that are not needed in the low-power mode. The operating system core 528 may even shut down specific software components (such as unnecessary services 536 or applications) by shutting down its corresponding driver 534. The operating system core 528 can also activate its driver 534 to selectively open these services 536 or applications.

In a specific embodiment operating in the low-power mode, the low-power mode service 520 and/or the LPDM application service 524 are performed with more than one email synchronization component 538 and more than one low-power application 539 interactive. A specific embodiment of the low-power application 539 is the low-power media player disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 10/857,627 filed on May 28, 2004. The title of the case is "LOW POWER MEDIA PLAYER FOR AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE". The low-power application 539 of one specific embodiment can control or cooperate with an installed application 556 (such as a media player application) to operate (as indicated by arrow 552).

For a specific embodiment of the email synchronization component 538, this component may include a dynamic link library (DLL), application program, API, executable code, software module, COM server, service, library, or It is other types of machine readable instructions. In a specific embodiment, the email synchronization component 538 may use an application 548 (for example, an email application, such as Microsoft Outlook^TMEudora^TM, Lotus Notes^TM...Etc.) At least part of the existing functions and/or features are used to implement email retrieval and caching or other email-related operations. The arrow 549 depicts the cooperative operation between the application 548 and the email synchronization component 538. In another specific embodiment, the email synchronization component 538 may have its own retrieval mechanism and other email-related functions, instead of using the function in the application 548.

What is shown in FIG. 7 is one of the specific embodiments of the synchronization component 538. The email synchronization component 538 includes executable code 700, which uses more than one email retrieval mechanism 702 to inquire or obtain new emails from the server 350 or other email sources. For example, the email capture mechanism(s) 702 may include any one or more of MAPI, POP3, IMAP, HTTP, or any other email capture mechanism. The executable code 700 may also include a function of placing the retrieved email in a regional storage location (such as RAM 312), and a function of performing synchronization operations or performing other communications with the LPDM 510. The communication with the LPDM 510 can be implemented through the LPDM application service 524 (shown by the arrow 554 in FIG. 5) and/or through the low power mode service 520, and/or directly with the LPDM 510 .

The email synchronization component 538 may further include an API 704 or any one or more of other components 708 for supporting email related operations related to inquiry, caching, synchronization, and similar operations.

In a specific embodiment, a certain network access component 540 can be selectively activated (wired or wireless, or both) during the low power mode. Examples of the network access component 540 include the transceiver 348 or the network interface 346. The email synchronization component 538 can use the network access component 540 to check the server 350, and then download any new emails to the disc cache 542 when necessary during the low power mode or other appropriate Among the volatile memory locations, the disc cache 542 may form part of the RAM 312 or other storage units.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram 600 illustrating the operation of the email synchronization component 538 in cooperation with other components of the portable computer 100 according to one specific embodiment. The block diagram 600 also shows specific elements in the representative diagram 500 of FIG. 5 to maintain the context.

First, the low-power mode service 520 shown in the figure. The low-power mode service 520 uses information from a power mode data storage 618 (which includes the program data 326 shown in FIG. 3) to determine which components in the portable computer 100 should be turned on or off, and target Specific applications or operations determine the power requirements of specific components. The sequence and duration for turning on or turning off these components can be stored in the power mode data storage 618 or obtained from the power mode data storage 618. In a specific embodiment, the power mode data storage 618 may include the following information, such as the power requirements of the transceiver 348 and/or the network interface 346, so that these components can communicate with the server 350 to obtain new Email; during the low power mode, the confirmation signal of the resources that must be turned on during the operation of the application 548 and/or the email synchronization component 538; the power requirements of these resources when they must be turned on/off, and Any corresponding duration; and other information related to the operation of the email synchronization component 538 and/or the application 548. Arrow 602 indicates the function of the low power mode service 520 to obtain this information from the power mode data storage 618. A power profile editor 604 or other tools may be provided in the figure to add, modify, or remove any power profile information in the power mode data storage 618.

The low-power mode service 520 can control or communicate with a plurality of different client components 606. These client components 606 may include the low-power application 539, for example, a low-power media player. The low power mode service 520 may further communicate with a low power mode user interface (such as the user interface on the low power display 114) through the LPDM application service 524 or directly. The low-power mode service 520 may also communicate with the email synchronization component 538 directly (or through the LPDM application service 524).

Through the LPDM application service 524 and/or API 608, the email synchronization component 538 can communicate with the user interface 512 of the LPDM 510 to display emails on the user interface 512.

During operation in the low power mode, the email synchronization component 538 may interact with other client components 610. Some of the client components 610 include a hard disk drive 316, a hard disk 318, a high-power processing unit 304, an operating system 320, and/or other components. As shown in Figure 6, if the specific features of the application 548 can be used for e-mail retrieval, synchronization, e-mail presentation, and similar purposes, the e-mail synchronization component 538 may also interact with the application 548 (such as e-mail Application) to communicate.

The diagram illustrated in Figure 6 is the e-mail capture and synchronization operation. The email synchronization component 538 uses the email retrieval mechanism of the application 548 to query the server 350 for the purpose of determining whether a new email is available. If a new e-mail is available, the e-mail synchronization component 538 will download at least a part of the new e-mail and store it in the disc cache 542 (which is located in the first port of the portable computer 100). Part 102). This inquiry and storage operation may be in full power mode or low power mode (for example, when certain components of the portable computer 100 are awakened from the standby state, these components can perform the inquiry operation), Or it can be implemented in any other operating power mode of the high-power processing unit 304.

For synchronization, the email synchronization component 538 copies at least a part of the content in the disc cache 542 to the memory 515 (which is located in the LPDM 510). This synchronization may also be implemented during the full power mode, the low power mode, and any other power modes of operation. Arrows 612 and 614 depict this synchronization operation. In one embodiment, the arrows 612 and 614 are two-way arrows, which represent that the synchronization operation can also be performed from the memory 515 to the disk cache 542.

FIG. 8 shows a flow chart 800 according to a specific embodiment , which illustrates a manner in which emails can be provided during the low power mode. The features represented by the flowchart 800 can be realized by software source code, software object code, or other machine-readable instructions stored on a machine-readable medium. These operations do not have to be implemented in exactly the same order as shown in the figure, and some operations can be added, removed, modified, or combined.

At step 802, the portable computer 100 will operate in a full power mode. In this step, the cover of the portable computer 100 is opened, and the user will actively use more than one application, such as an email application 548 or a specific other application. The email retrieval mechanism of the application 548 may be retrieving new emails from the server 350 or other email sources. During this full power mode, the email synchronization component 538 may implement email synchronization to copy at least part of the retrieved emails stored in the disc cache 542 to the In the memory 515 of the LPDM 510.

At step 804, the portable computer 100 will enter the standby mode or other non-operational modes. In one embodiment, closing the cover of the portable computer 100 triggers the transfer action. When in the standby mode, the clock and adjustment program 506 of the high-power processing unit 304, user-defined settings, or other mechanisms can be used to monitor the portable computer 100 moving from the standby mode to the low The next time interval in power mode. When the special time interval is reached, the portable computer 100 will move into the low power mode at step 806.

At step 806, the low-power mode service 520 will perform specific tasks to move into the low-power mode. These tasks include reading the low-power mode power summary from the power mode data storage 618, and cooperating with inquiries and retrieving e-mails, storing the retrieved e-mails, and/or synchronizing operations to determine the availability Which components of the portable computer 100 should be turned off, kept turned on, when to turn off or on, in what order, duration, etc. E-mail inquiries, storage, and/or synchronization of unused devices, services, programs, and other components will remain closed and/or suspended. In one embodiment, moving into the low-power mode involves selectively activating components that can work with the high-power processing unit 304, so that the high-power processing unit 304 can control the transceiver 348 and/or the network interface 346 Is activated to retrieve e-mails, store the retrieved e-mails in the disc cache 542, and/or control the activation of the e-mail synchronization component 538, so that this component can enable the disc cache 542 The content is synchronized with the content of the memory 515 of the LPDM 510.

In another specific embodiment, moving into the low-power mode may involve activating the email synchronization component 538, but not activating other components (such as the transceiver 348) related to the high-power processing unit 304. For example, in a specific embodiment where the LPDM 510 has its own network access device 517, the email synchronization component 538 can cooperate with the network access device 517 to download new emails directly to the In the memory 515, there is no need to relay download to the disc cache 542.

In step 808, the inquiry and retrieval, storage, and/or synchronization operations are performed. After completing the operation at step 808, the portable computer 100 can return to the standby mode or return to a substantial non-operational power state of the high-power processing unit 304. At this point in time, the just downloaded email or part of it (if any) has been copied to the memory 515 and at least part of it can be accessed and viewed through the LPDM 510.

For example, at step 812, the low power processing unit 310 can operate and control the LPDM 510. The LPDM 510 can display (on the user interface 512) an inbox with the new emails, such as subject, sender, date, or other parts of the email. The user can choose to read, delete, store, move, or perform other operations to access and modify these emails. For example, the user can choose to read only the displayed part of the email, and decide to read the entire email later. The user can also choose to read the entire email after reading the portion displayed on the user interface 512. In this case, the user can open the cover of the portable computer 100, so that the portable computer 100 can be moved into the full power mode. Then, the special email can be displayed and read on the display screen 108.

When the portable computer 100 moves back to the full power mode or other operating power modes (for example, the low power mode), the email synchronization component 538 can perform synchronization at step 814 when necessary. For example, if the user deletes or moves emails through the LPDM 510, the email synchronization component 538 can copy the contents of the memory 515 to the disc cache 542 and/or the server 350. There are several possible actions to move back to an operating power mode at step 814, such as opening the cover of the portable computer 100, the user activating more than one button or command, or other actions.

All U.S. patents, U.S. patent application publications, U.S. patent applications, foreign patents, foreign patent applications, and non-patent publications related to those listed in this specification and/or application data sheet above are all cited by reference Be incorporated into this article.

The description of the specific embodiments explained above includes those described in the abstract, and its purpose is not to hope that the present invention will be completely restricted to the stereotype disclosed herein. Although specific embodiments and examples have been described herein for the purpose of explanation, various equivalent modifications are still possible, and the present invention can be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

For example, although some specific embodiments are based on Windows XP^TMThe core interacts and operates in accordance with the power state defined in the ACPI specification as a background description. However, the present invention is not limited to these specific implementations. It is also possible to design other specific embodiments using different operating systems and/or electronic devices with power states defined by specific other specifications.

These and other modifications can be implemented in the present invention based on the above detailed description. The terms used in the scope of the following patent applications should not be regarded as limiting the present invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in this specification and the scope of the patent applications. On the contrary, the scope of the present invention should completely depend on the scope of patent applications below, and the scope of patent applications should be interpreted according to its established meaning.

<p>100Handheld portable computer</p><p>102Part One</p><p>104Part Two</p><p>106User's hand</p><p>108Display screen</p><p>110Keyboard</p><p>112Cover switch</p><p>114Low Power Display</p><p>300Compute System</p><p>302Server Computing System</p><p>304High-power processing unit</p><p>306System memory</p><p>308System bus</p><p>310Low Power Processing Unit</p><p>311Read Only Memory</p><p>312Random access memory</p><p>314Basic Input/Output System</p><p>316Hard Disk Drive</p><p>318Hard Disk</p><p>320Operating System</p><p>322Application</p><p>324Other programs/modules</p><p>326Program data</p><p>328Web browser</p><p>330Mouse</p><p>332 button</p><p>334Interface</p><p>336graphic interface</p><p>340Network Device</p><p>342Local Area Network</p><p>344Other networks</p><p>346Network interface</p><p>348Transceiver</p><p>350Server</p><p>502Real-time clock</p><p>504Boot Loader</p><p>506CPU minimum clock and adjustment program</p><p>508Low Power Mode Subsystem</p><p>510Low power display module</p><p>511Operating System</p><p>512User Interface</p><p>513Application</p><p>514User</p><p>515Memory</p><p>517Network access device</p><p>520Low power mode service</p><p>524Low-power display module application service</p><p>528operating system core</p><p>534Driver</p><p>536Service</p><p>538Email Synchronization Components</p><p>538AE-mail synchronization component</p><p>539Low Power Application</p><p>540Network Access Components</p><p>542Disc cache</p><p>548application</p><p>556Application</p><p>604Power Summary Editor</p><p>606Customer component</p><p>608Application Programming Interface</p><p>610Customer Components</p><p>618Power mode data storage</p><p>700executable code</p><p>702Email capture mechanism</p><p>704Application Programming Interface</p><p>708Other components</p>

The non-limiting and non-exhaustive specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the following drawings. Unless specifically mentioned, the same element symbols in the drawings represent the same components.

FIG. 1 is a top-down vertical view of an exemplary electronic device (a handheld portable computer in this example), the cover of which is in an open position.

Fig. 2 is a top elevational view of the portable computer example of Fig. 1 with the cover plate in a closed position.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a specific embodiment of the portable computer and depicts a representative operating environment in more detail.

Fig. 4 is a representative diagram of a power state according to a specific embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a representative diagram of the interaction and operation of various components of the portable computer according to the power states of FIG. 4 according to a specific embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the operation of the email synchronization component of FIG. 5 in cooperation with other components of the portable computer according to an embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a more detailed block diagram of a specific embodiment of the email synchronization component of FIG. 5. FIG.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the operation of the low-power email application according to a specific embodiment.