A recently published Apple patent hints at how the company may be investigating new ways to save power, and add convenience, by allowing devices to respond to network requests and perform some low-power tasks, all while in sleep mode.
For years now, Macs have featured a setting called “wake for network access,” which allowed them to stay in low-power or sleep mode until needed.
“Control of a computer system in a power-down state,” states the patent, proposes being able to make a remote Mac — or any device — perform tasks, but without wasting energy. In some cases, that could be energy that the device simply does not have.
“Computer systems in use today commonly have a network interface that allows either wired or wireless communication with other devices or systems. Such communication may be performed in response to input received from a user physically operating the computer system, as well as to input received remotely.”
“The latter functionality may allow, for example, for a remote user to be able to cause the computer system to play a sound, which may facilitate locating the computer system,” it continues.
The patent also describes how the device could effectively stay asleep, yet still run substantial tasks.
“Exemplary tasks performed in the power-down state include uploading one or more files to a remote computer system, downloading one or more files from a remote computer system, deleting one or more files from the computer system, accessing input/output devices, disabling the computer system, and performing a memory check on the computer system.”
This also implies that a device could function as a server that’s constantly able to respond, but isn’t constantly running at full power. The device could run as an Apple Mail server, or be able to perform “a memory check on the computer system,” which would help with a longstanding issue with Macs. Apple’s OS X and now macOS feature built-in maintenance scripts that run in the background, but they tend to run overnight, when most users power their computers off.
The patent is credited to Timothy R. Paaske, and Josh P. de Cesare. The former’s many previous patents include related ones to do with power management, while the latter is listed on ones to do with waking devices.
The patent appears to be referring to potential future Apple devices, certain current ones have already implemented what could be a subset of the idea. Apple’s Power Nap feature lets certain models of MacBook Air and MacBook Pro carry out iCloud syncing and Time Machine backups while in a low-power mode.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider and the United States Patent and Trademark Office