Calendar-based power management

1. Technical Field Upon creation of an event or activity entry within a calendar, the user is prompted to specify a power management mode to associate with the entry if the entry is not of a predefined type. Predefined entry types may be associated with default power management modes which the user may modify. When an event or activity entry associated with a non-null power management mode is reached, the calendar sends a power management event notification to the power manager, which responds appropriately. Thus, a user may specify that the system, if powered on, should automatically shut down for the duration of a planned vacation identified by an entry within the calendar. The system may thus distinguish between events during which the user is unavailable (e.g., on a business trip or at a remote meeting) from events during which the user is available but perhaps not actively using the system for a period. The calendar event power management modes complement and refine the preconfigured system power management schemes to take into account the user's schedule of activities.