Next-Generation Power Management User Interface for Office Equipment

Power Management ControlsBruce Nordman

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

BNordman@LBL.govhttp://eetd.LBL.gov/Controls

sponsor: California Energy CommissionPublic Interest Energy Research (PIER) Program

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Overview

• Energy Background• Project Rationale• Controls Introduction• Overall Plan• Specific Plan• Results

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Office Equipment Energy UseAnnual Electricity (TWh/year)

No Power Management

Now (ENERGY STAR)

Potential(100% Enabling) 48.8

65.5

92.6

0 20 40 60 80 100

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Energy Savings (U.S.) TWh/year $billion/year

Existing 27.1 2.2Potential 16.7 1.3

Current Power Mgmt. Enabling Rates:PCs: 25% Monitors: 60%Printers: 80% Copiers: 70%

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Problem• Existing Power Management Controls are:

– Hidden, Confusing, Absent

• Power Management Enabling Rates Low• Lots of Wasted Energy• Poor User Image of Energy Efficiency,

Product Quality

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Solution

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• Create broadly similar interfaces for power / power management control across all office equipment and consumer electronics

• Accomplish this by creating a voluntary standard for interface elements

• Institutionalize the standard through international standards, industry standards, and marketing to industry

• Expected Result: Increased enabling rates and use of existing power management capability

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Standard Controls

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Power Management Controls and Indicators

Cars: Gearshifts

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Phones: Number Layout

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Traffic Signs, Indicators

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Power Management Controls and Indicators

Non-standard Controls: Blenders

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Non-Standard ControlsCell Phones

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Office Equipment Power Management Terms

On, Ready, Active, Idle, Standby*, Doze,

Suspend, Sleep, Deep Sleep, Low-Power,

Energy-Saver, Power-Saver, Hibernate,

Energy Star Mode, Weekly Timer, Delay

Timer, Idle Timer, Activity, Inactivity,

Auto-off, Soft-off, Off.

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Office Equipment: What Works

Power Management Controls and Indicators

• Suspend mode is known as standby mode under the Microsoft Windows 98 operating system. For systems with ACPI compliance, suspend mode is known as sleep mode” (Dell)

• stand-by mode” — Fully ready to copy but not copying. (ASTM Copier Test Procedure)• “Stand-By — … an optional operating state of minimal power reduction …” (VESA Standard)

• “Standby power — The lowest power mode in which the appliance is plugged in …” (LBNL-Leaking/Standby Electricity)

• “Standby is … the lowest power state where the system is responsive to interrupts …” (PowerPC Reference Platform)

• "Suspend is currently ignored under Windows 95/98 and Windows 2000 because the terminology is ill-defined. “ (Microsoft)

• There is no distinction between Suspend and Standby in OnNow as there was previously under APM definitions" (Microsoft)

Office Equipment:The “Standby” Problem

Power Management Controls and Indicators

What Doesn’t Work:PC Indicators

Sleep mode Awake

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Existing power-related ISO/IEC “Graphical Symbols For

Use On Equipment”

Can you identify and define each of these?

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Can you explain these buttons and indicator lights?

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Overall Plan• Existing Devices / Interfaces

• Develop New Standards (Voluntary)

• Market These to Institutions– Manufacturers (PAC)– International Standards Organizations– Industry Institutions

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Professional Advisory Committee (PAC)

Provides project with Guidance, Review, Credibility

• Compaq• Hewlett-Packard• IBM• Intel• Microsoft• Ricoh

• Samsung• Sony• Sun

• ITIC• ENERGY STAR

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Specific Plan• Institutional Review

• Literature Review

• 22 Topics– “Hard” Interface - Static– Device Behavior - Dynamic– Other Topics

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Institutional Review“Who is Involved in Power Management Controls”

• Standards / Standards Committees (ISO/IEC)– Graphical Symbols for Use on Equipment– Indicator Lights– Others

• Labeling Programs (e.g. ENERGY STAR)• Trade Associations (e.g. ITIC)• Manufacturers• Technology Initiatives / Protocols

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Literature Insights• Project Rationale• Existing Designs• Approach• Design Principles• Metaphor• Modes

General UI Lit. — not specific to power controls

• Interactions / Transitions

• Indicator Lights• Icons• Norman / Macintosh

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Topics: High Priority, #1• Basic symbols and switches & buttons

• Basic indicators

• Changing power states

• Transition indicators

• Underlying archetype of power management behavior, including basic terms

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Topics: High Priority, #2• Controlled and controlling devices• Remote indicators and controls• Composite devices and diversity of low-power modes• Power management ‘schemes’• Behavior based on wake event type• Linked behavior• Interactions with non-power modes

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Topics: Medium / Low Priority

• Disability• Culture• Temporary changes• System status after

power failure• Terminology

• Language• Batteries• Role of the term

“ENERGY STAR”• Self-monitoring• Miscellaneous

Power Management Controls and Indicators

“Hard” Interface Elements

• Terms• Symbols/Icons • Indicators• Operating Metaphors

Scope: Office Equipment (& Consumer Electronics)

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Initial Recommendations• Three basic power states: On, Off, Sleep

• “Power” term (switch / indicator)

• Change the international standard symbols for on/off, standby, and sleep

• Green / Amber / Off for power indicators

• Sleep metaphor (and moon)

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Three Basic States

On, Off, Sleep

• Within a state, device has consistent capability, behavior (e.g. state change)

• May have more states, but all mapped into forms of the basic three

• “Hibernate” problematic, but tentatively a form of Off

Power Management Controls and Indicators

The Term “Power”• For indicators, switches/buttons

• Need standard translation

• Possible “international word” (voice)

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Power Symbols• Drop as a symbol.

• Change meaning of from “Standby” to “Power”

• and too similar.

• Recommendation is most consistent with current usage on products.

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Indicators• Use Green / Amber / Off for On / Sleep / Off

• Blinking only for transitions or non-power meanings

• Possible standard (optional) audio indications

• Cyberspace?

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Sleep - Metaphor and Symbol

• “Sleep” is most compelling metaphor, and has clear extensions (e.g. “waking up”).

• is already common and seems clear

Power Management Controls and Indicators

PC Sample State Diagram

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Device Behavior(Dynamic)

• Taxonomy of device types

• User expectations

• Device feedback

• Consistency

• Remote controls, indicators

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Further User Interface Work

• Lighting controls

• Real-time price response controls

Power Management Controls and Indicators

Questions / Comments• Process

• Recommendations