PROXIMITY BASED METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING ELECTRICALENERGY CONSUMED BY A PERSONAL COMPUTER WITH A SLEEP MODE

• Main Authors: SAHASRABUDHE, ROHIT R, MAGEE, TIMOTHY D
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 12.03.2003
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: CALCULATING; CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION ANDCOMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION ANDCOMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THIR OWNENERGY USE; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; PHYSICS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE

A personal computer that enters sleep mode to conserve electrical energy is responsive to a proximity detector and a proximity timer. As long as a user is near the computer, as determined by the proximity detector, the computer is controlled by an activity timer, and enters sleep mode upon being idle for a predetermined period of time. When the proximity detector determines that the user has left the computer unattended, the proximity detector starts the proximit y timer. When the proximity timer expires, the computer enters sleep mode. Because the proximi ty timer operates only when the user has left the computer unattended, the proximity timer may be s et to expire earlier than the activity timer. Consequently, the computer may enter sleep mode earlier than would otherwise be possible; and thereby consumes less energy.