SWITCHING A COMPUTING DEVICE FROM A LOW-POWER STATE TO A HIGH-POWER STATE

• US 20150205342A1
• Filed: 04/23/2012
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: OOI, Leng
• Granted Patent: US 9,552,037 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/06 Digital input from, or digital output to, record carriers , e.g. RAID, emulated record carriers or networked record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/00 Speaker identification or verification techniques

Abstract

Systems and methods for switching a computing device from a low-power state to a high-power state are provided. In some aspects, a method, implemented on a power management processing unit of the computing device, includes receiving, while the computing device is in the low-power state, a first audio signal. The method also includes verifying the first audio signal based on an audio signal key. The method also includes providing, in response to verifying the first audio signal, instructions for switching the computing device from the low-power state to the high-power state.

Claims

1. A method, implemented on a power management processing unit of a computing device, for switching the computing device from a low-power state to a high-power state, the method comprising:

receiving, at the power management processing unit distinct from a central processing unit, while a central processing unit of the computing device is in the low-power state, a first audio signal;

verifying, using audio key detection logic residing within the power management processing unit, the first audio signal based on an audio signal key, the audio key corresponding to at least one tone played by a device;

providing, in response to verifying the first audio signal, instructions for switching the central processing unit of the computing device from the low-power state to the high-power state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio signal key comprises a user-defined audio signal key.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the low-power state comprises a sleep mode.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the instructions for switching the central processing unit of the computing device from the low-power state to the high-power state comprise instructions for powering on the central processing unit of the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions for switching the computing device from the low-power state to the high-power state comprise instructions for powering on display of the computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the low-power state comprises a locked state which prevents access to a user interface for executing one or more software programs and the high-power state comprises an unlocked state which allows access to a user interface for executing one or more software programs.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the low-power state comprises a voice command interface of the computing device being disabled, and wherein the instructions for switching the computing device from the low-power state to the high-power state comprise instructions for instantiating the voice command interface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio key corresponds to at least one tone played by a bell or a whistle.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating a user of the computing device based on the first audio signal.

10. A power management processing unit of a computing device configured to switch the computing device from a low-power state to a high-power state, the power management processing unit comprising:

input logic for receiving, while the computing device is in the low-power state, a motion signal detected via a motion sensor; and

output logic for providing, in response to the motion signal, instructions for switching the computing device from the low-power state to the high-power state.

11. The power management processing unit of claim 10, wherein the output logic is coupled with a power controller.

12. The power management processing unit of claim 11, wherein the power controller is for powering a central processing unit of the computing device.

13. The power management processing unit of claim 11, wherein the power controller is for powering a display of the computing device.

14. The power management processing unit of claim 10, wherein the low-power state comprises a sleep mode.

15. The power management processing unit of claim 10, wherein the instructions for switching the computing device from the low-power state to the high-power state comprise instructions for providing a user interface for executing one or more software programs on the computing device.

16. A power management processing unit of a computing device configured to switch the computing device from a low-power state to a high-power state, the power management processing unit comprising:

input logic for receiving, while one or more processors external to the power management processing unit are powered off, a first audio signal;

verification logic for verifying the first audio signal based on an audio signal key residing within the power management processing unit, the audio key corresponding to at least one tone played by a device;

output logic for providing, in response to verifying the first audio signal, to a power controller of the computing device, instructions for powering on the one or more processors external to the power management processing unit.

17. The power management processing unit of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors external to the power management processing unit comprise a central processing unit of the computing device.

18. The power management processing unit of claim 16, wherein a central processing unit of the computing device comprises the one or more processors external to the power management processing unit.

19. The power management processing unit of claim 16, wherein the audio signal key comprises a user-defined audio signal key.

20. The power management processing unit of claim 19, wherein the audio key corresponds to at least one tone played by a bell or a whistle user defined voice.

21. The power management processing unit of claim 16, further comprising:

second output logic for providing, to a software memory of the computing device, instructions for instantiating a voice command interface of the client computing device in response to verifying the first audio signal.

22. The power management processing unit of claim 16, further comprising:

second output logic for providing, to a software memory of the client computing device, instructions for unlocking a user interface for executing one or more software programs on the computing device in response to verifying the first audio signal.

23. The power management processing unit of claim 16, further comprising:

second output logic for providing, to a software memory of the client computing device, instructions for authenticating a user of the computing device in response to verifying the first audio signal.

24. The power management processing unit of claim 16, wherein the output logic is further for providing, to the power controller of the computing device, instructions for powering on a display of the computing device, in response to verifying the first audio signal.

25. The power management processing unit of claim 16, wherein the display is powered off immediately prior to receiving the first audio signal.