PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH A DUAL CORE PROCESSOR

• US 20070142083A1
• Filed: 02/28/2007
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dualcor Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Dualcor Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Glass, Timothy, Cupps, Bryan
• Application Number:
  US11/680,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20070142083A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3243 Power saving in microcontroller unit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3293 by switching to a less power-consuming processor, e.g. sub-CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/509 Offload
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5094 where the allocation takes into account power or heat criteria power management in computers in general G06F1/3203; thermal management in computers in general G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/271 controlled by voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 : by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 : switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/029 : reducing the clock frequency of the controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A novel personal electronic device includes a processor having first (embedded) and second (non-embedded) cores including associated operating systems and functions. In one aspect, the first core performs relatively limited functions, while the second core performs relatively broader functions under control of the first core. Often the second core requires more power than the first core and is selectively operated by the first core to minimize overall power consumption. Protocols for functions to be performed by the second core may be provided directly to the second core and processed by the second core. In another aspect, a display controller is designed to interface with both cores. In another aspect, the operating systems work with one another. In another aspect, the first core employs a thermal control program. Advantages of the invention include a broad array of functions performed by relatively small personal electronics device.

Claims

1. In a combination for processing information in a hand-held device,

a first system processor for performing functions of relatively low complexity, the first system processor including a first core having a variable speed,

a second system processor for performing functions of greater complexity than the first system processor, the second system processor including a second core having a variable speed,

the first system processor controlling the operation of the second system processor independently of the operation of the second system processor, in performing the functions of greater complexity,

a temperature sensor for determining the temperature of the first and second system processors, and

regulating apparatus responsive to the temperature from the temperature sensor for adjusting the speed of the cores in a direction to reduce the temperature of the cores when the temperature indicated by the temperature sensor is above a particular value.