E-MiLi

'Subconscious mode' extends handset battery life

The battery life of mobile devices could be drastically improved with the help of a "subconscious mode" developed by University of Michigan professor Kang Shin and doctoral student Xinyu Zhang.

Speaking to Science Daily, which first reported yesterday on the technology, dubbed E-MiLi, Shin said that even when a handset is not in use, a device's wireless radio is searching for incoming data just as much as it would when folks are using the device. The result, the professor said, is a drastic reduction in battery life.

To address that issue, E-MiLi leaves the phone in a "subconscious mode" when it's not in use. When in that mode, the device's wireless radio is operating at one-sixteenth of its normal operating speed, and only goes back to full capacity when it's receiving data. According to Shin, E-MiLi is capable of improving battery life in mobile devices by as much as 54 percent, and total energy consumption savings is usually pegged at 44 percent on platforms.… Read more