Dynamic power controller apparatus, systems and methods are provided which
utilize system and user data to control power to components. The present invention
employs dynamically controlled idle timeout values which are based, in part, on
the historical use of the component. It can also employ user settings, event occurrences
and available resources of a system to dynamically control the power to one of
the system's components or a remote component. In an instance of the present invention
related to hard disk power control, it is employed in an operating system's kernel
where disk idleness is monitored. When the hard disk's idle time meets a dynamically
computed power control idle timeout, the disk driver is commanded to power down
the device.
