HK1180088A - Pre-loading data - Google Patents

Description

Preloading data

The application is a divisional application of 'preloaded data' of an invention patent application with the application number of 200580032735.1, the original application is core wireless licensing limited company, and the application date is 9/30 2005.

Technical Field

The invention relates to preloading of data.

Background

As mobile phones and other handheld electronic devices become more sophisticated, they take longer to reach an operational state after having been turned on. Modern mobile phones may take over a minute to boot. This is so because the device operating system, including the basic software needed by the device to reach an operational state, is becoming more complex and takes longer to load it from the non-volatile memory into the working memory and place variables and other settings used by the device during operation into an operational configuration. This is problematic because users prefer to use the device as soon as possible after they turn on the device.

One solution to this problem is for the user to power on the device at all times, whether in a full operating mode or in a suspended mode where the processor is substantially deactivated and the working memory is still powered. However, in the case of battery powered devices, this will drain the battery power and reduce the time the device can be used before charging. In addition, some users prefer to turn their device off completely so that it does not disturb them by ringing, for example if it is a mobile phone.

Another solution is to have the device provide a sleep mode in which the contents of the working memory are cached to non-volatile memory when the device is powered down. Then, when the device is powered up, the cached data may be retrieved and the device may return to its operational state relatively quickly. This is useful in devices with sufficient non-volatile memory, such as laptop computers with large hard disks. However, for other devices, it will typically require a significant increase in size and cost.

Disclosure of Invention

There is therefore a need for an improved method of loading the basic software needed for proper operation of the device.

In addition to being powered on by a user manually operating a switch, some devices may also be powered on automatically. An example of this is that some mobile phones may automatically turn on when their alarm clock function is enabled and the alarm time is reached and/or the alarm is confirmed by the user rather than sounding again (snooze, turn on snooze). To achieve this, such phones have a background processing function that processes background processes when the phone is in its "off" state, in addition to the main processing functions used during normal operation of the phone. The background function uses very little power compared to the main processing function. The operations handled by the post-processing functions include maintaining a real-time clock, performing alarm and reminder functions (at least when the phone is in its "off" state), and detecting external events that will trigger the device to turn on, such as pressing an "on" button and connecting to an external power supply.

According to the present invention there is provided a battery powered device comprising: a memory storing software necessary for the provision of normal functions of the device; a first processing section comprising a data processor capable of executing software, the device being capable of operating the first processing section in a normal mode in which it can execute software and in a low power mode; a second processing section having a clock for maintaining time and capable of triggering a behavior of the device in response to the clock time being advanced by a preset advance interval from the time set by the user; the device is configured to cause the first processing portion to enter a normal mode and load software in response to a trigger of the second processing portion while the first processing portion is in the low power mode.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for operating an apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a memory storing software necessary for the provision of normal functions of the device; a first processing section comprising a data processor capable of executing software, the device being capable of operating the first processing section in a normal mode in which it can execute software and in a low power mode; and a second processing section having a clock for maintaining time and capable of triggering a behavior of the apparatus in response to the clock time being advanced by a preset advance interval from the time set by the user; the method comprises the following steps: in response to a trigger of the second processing portion while the first processing portion is in the low power mode, the first processing portion is brought into a normal mode and software is loaded.

Preferably, the preset lead interval is used to allow the software to be loaded before the time set by the user.

Preferably, the software is at least part of an operating system of the device.

Preferably, the first processing section comprises a data processor and a volatile memory for storing the software when it has been loaded.

Preferably, the processor receives insufficient power to operate properly in the low power mode. The processor uses less power in the low power mode than in the normal mode.

Preferably, the volatile memory receives insufficient power to store software in the low power mode.

Preferably, the device is a portable device.

In an alternative embodiment, the apparatus may be powered by means other than a battery, for example by mains power.

Preferably, the device comprises a communication interface for downloading data and a data store for storing a list of one or more user-set data locations, and wherein the device is configured to download data from the or each user-set data location via the communication interface in response to the triggering of the second processing portion.

Preferably, the lead interval is preset to allow data to be downloaded before a time set by the user.

Preferably, the communication interface is capable of receiving data via a wireless data link to the communication interface.

Preferably, the communication interface is capable of receiving data by radio.

Preferably, the device is a mobile telephone and the communication interface is capable of communicating with a mobile telephone network for downloading data.

Preferably, the device comprises a memory for storing the downloaded data.

Preferably, the device comprises a user interface for presenting the downloaded data to a user.

Drawings

The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a communication terminal.

Detailed Description

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the communication terminal 1 is a mobile phone providing an alarm clock facility. When the phone is switched off, the alarm clock facility is operated by the background function of the phone. When the alarm time set by the user is reached, the background function may cause the phone to turn back on and the alarm to sound. In the present invention, the powering on of the phone begins shortly before the alarm time, so that there is time to load the phone basic software (e.g., some or all of its operating system and associated variables) before the alarm time. This allows power to be saved when the device is off, while the device has full functionality at alarm time.

The system shown in fig. 1 will now be described in more detail.

The mobile telephone 1 includes a central processing unit 16 which controls the operation of the telephone in accordance with software stored in the read only memory 13. The central processing unit is connected to a display 12 for displaying information to the user, a keyboard 10 for obtaining input from the user, a speaker 7 for outputting audio for listening by the user, and a microphone 8 for receiving audio from the user. The central processing unit contains Random Access Memory (RAM) 2 which can be used to store temporary data, such as external RAM 3.

The background processing unit 5 may process the background process when the phone is in its "off" state. The background function uses very little power compared to the primary processing function 16. The background processing unit implements a real time clock under the control of the crystal oscillator 6.

The mobile phone also has a communication subsystem 11 for communicating with the mobile phone network. The communication subsystem includes an antenna 15 and a communication engine 14. The communication engine 20 is connected between the antenna and the processor 10. The communication engine handles conversion between baseband and radio frequencies and handles signaling communications with the wireless network. At least some of the functional elements of the communication engine may be implemented on a common chip with one or more portions of the central processing unit.

The processor has access to a volatile memory 4 for storing user settings.

The mobile phone is powered by a battery 12.

The mobile telephone may operate in accordance with any suitable communication protocol. Examples include GSM and 3G (UMTS).

When the phone is turned on by the user pressing the power-on key on the keypad 10, the phone is turned on by loading its basic software from the ROM into the working memory. That process typically includes configuring the operating variables for use. Once that process is complete, it may begin to provide functionality to the user.

The user may configure the phone to turn on automatically, for example, using the alarm clock function of the phone or by using a power saving function that automatically turns the phone off at a preset time of day and turns the phone back on at another preset time. Such a power saving function is typically set to automatically turn the phone off at night. To operate any of these functions, the user uses the keypad 10 to navigate the menu structure of the phone and then enters the desired on time and off time for the power saving function. The phone stores the set on and off times in the non-volatile memory 4 and compares these times with the value of the real time clock maintained by the background function 5. When the value of the real time clock matches the value stored for the boot time (taking into account the preload offset interval described below), the phone enters the boot routine. If the phone has been switched on by means of the alarm clock function, it also sounds an alarm at a set time.

The boot routine will now be described. The phone first powers up the components such as the processor 16 and RAM3 that are required for normal operation. Preferably, the user interface device, such as a display, is not powered at that time. The phone then loads the basic software needed for its operation from the ROM 13. Any basic working variables can be configured and the variables and software needed for subsequent operations are stored in the working memory. Typically this process will involve loading the operating system of the phone. When this loading operation has been completed, the phone is ready for normal operation. This operation takes some time and therefore the preload offset interval is stored in the phone, for example in the non-volatile memory 4 or in the background function 5 which triggers the power-on routine. The background function 5 is configured to start the boot routine at a real time clock time that is advanced by the pre-load offset interval compared to the preset boot time. The pre-load offset interval is set such that there is sufficient time to load the operating system before the boot time is reached. The result of this process is that the phone is immediately ready for use to provide the user with its full normal range of functionality at power-on time.

The user may also configure the phone to load content data prior to power-up. For example, a user may want the phone to load recent news, weather, or horoscopes (including text, images, video, audio, and other data) so that he can view them when the phone is turned on. The data may be loaded in any suitable form, but options include loading data from a website or from an RSS (RDF site summary) feed. To activate this function, the user uses the keypad 10 to navigate the menu structure of the phone and then enters one or more addresses of desired content data. The phone stores the address in the non-volatile memory 4. The boot-up routine may then include downloading the content data from the specified address. This may be done after the basic software has been completely loaded, or in parallel with the loading of some software if those parts of the software that are needed for downloading the content data have been loaded. The content data may be downloaded to the telephone via any suitable connection, but for convenience it may be downloaded via the communication subsystem 11 by means of a connection to a network. For example, it may be downloaded by means of a circuit-switched or packet-switched connection to a mobile telephone network internet gateway. Alternative connection types include wireless LAN (local area network) and wired data connections. The pre-load offset time should take into account the time required to load the content data; the pre-load offset time should be set so that there is sufficient time to load the operating system and content data before the boot time is reached. The user can then view the loaded data at boot time (using an appropriate viewer application of the phone, e.g. a Web browser).

When the phone is to download content data during the power-on routine, the phone should estimate the time it will take to download the data in order to successfully set the pre-load offset time. This may be done based on the number of memory addresses and the type of data associated therewith (if any). It is also possible to take into account how long it takes to download data from those addresses in the past. Similarly, the pre-load offset time allowed for loading the base software may be roughly set, or the load offset time may be adjusted depending on how long it took for past loading. In the most basic embodiment, the offset time may be fixed unalterably to a time that may be sufficient for loading software and user data in most normal environments, such as 5 or 10 minutes.

If the power-up routine is completed before the preset power-up time, some or all of the user interface devices (e.g., displays) preferably remain powered down before the power-up time. This saves battery power.

In an alternative mode of operation, the phone may continue to load software and download content data if necessary when the preset alarm on time is reached, whether or not the user presses a button to enter a louder mode. This provides an advantage over prior art phones that do not load the basic software until the user actually cancels the alarm.

In either mode, if the alarm is not cancelled or acknowledged within a preset time period (e.g., 20 minutes) from the alarm on time, the phone shuts down and re-enters its sleep state.

If the power-on routine is initiated but the phone does not maintain sufficient power to the next alarm clock, it automatically switches to a sleep state without loading the essential software to conserve power. Under the control of the background processing system, it then re-wakes up at the alarm on time to sound the alarm. If the phone does not maintain enough power to the alarm stop, the user is alerted that they need to charge the phone even in the off state.

The present invention is not limited to use with mobile phones. It may be used with other (preferably battery powered) devices. Non-limiting examples of such devices include Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), laptop computers, personal music players, radios, and the like.

The applicant hereby discloses in isolation each individual feature described herein and any combination of two or more such features, to the extent that such features or combinations are capable of being carried out based on the present specification as a whole in the light of the common general knowledge of a person skilled in the art, irrespective of whether such features or combinations of features solve any problems disclosed herein, and without limitation to the scope of the claims. The applicant indicates that aspects of the present invention may consist of any such individual feature or combination of features. In view of the above, it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

Claims (21)

1. A battery-powered device comprising:

a non-volatile memory configured to store software necessary for the provision of normal functions of the device;

a first processing section configured to execute the software when the device is in a normal mode and to load the software into a working memory in response to a trigger;

a second processing portion coupled to a clock for maintaining time, the second processing portion configured to process a background process when the device is in a low power consumption mode and to initiate the trigger in response to a time of the clock being advanced by a preset advance interval than a user-set time.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the preset lead interval is used to allow the software to be loaded before the user-set time.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the software is at least a part of an operating system of the device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first processing portion comprises a data processor and the working memory comprises volatile memory configured to store software when the software has been loaded.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the processor receives insufficient power to operate normally in the low power mode.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the volatile memory receives insufficient power to store software in the low power mode.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a portable device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication interface configured to download data; and

a data store configured to store a list of one or more user-set data locations,

wherein the device is configured to download data from one or more user-set data locations via the communication interface in response to a trigger of the second processing portion.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the preset lead interval is used to allow the data to be downloaded before the user-set time.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the communication interface is configured to receive the data over a wireless data link thereto.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the communication interface is configured to receive the data over the air.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the device is a mobile phone and the communication interface is configured to communicate with a mobile phone network for downloading the data.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, comprising a memory for storing the downloaded data.

14. The device of claim 1, comprising a user interface for presenting the downloaded data to a user.

15. A battery-powered device comprising:

storage means for storing software necessary for the provision of normal functions of the device;

processing means for executing the software when the device is in a normal mode and for loading the software into a working memory in response to a trigger; and

means for maintaining time, processing a background process when the device is in a low power mode, and initiating the trigger in response to the time of the clock being advanced by a preset advance interval from a user-set time.

16. A method for operating a device, the method comprising:

storing in a memory software necessary for the provision of normal functions of the device;

executing the software while the device is in a normal mode and loading the software into a working memory in response to a trigger;

processing a background process when the device is in a low power mode; and

initiating the trigger in response to the time of the clock being advanced by a preset advance interval from a time set by a user.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising setting the preset lead interval to allow the software to be loaded before the user-set time.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the processing of the background process occurs when a data processor performing the processing receives insufficient power for normal operation.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the loading of the software into the working memory comprises loading the software into a volatile memory, and wherein the volatile memory receives insufficient power to store the software in the low power mode.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

downloading data from one or more user-set data locations in response to the trigger, the downloading occurring via a communication interface.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising setting the preset lead interval to allow downloading of the data before the user-set time.