Motion sensor data processing using various power management modes

• US 7,873,849 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2009
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mucignat, Andrea, Gupta, Saurabh
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, VINCENT HUY
• Application Number:
  US12/552,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20100235667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320, 713/323, 713/324, 702/141
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• 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 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for processing motion sensor data using various power management modes of an electronic device are provided. Power may be provided to a motion sensor during a first power mode of the device. In response to the motion sensor detecting a motion event with a magnitude exceeding a threshold, the sensor may transmit a wake up signal to a power management unit of the device. In response to receiving the wake up signal, the power management unit may switch the device to a second power mode. The device may provide power to a processor and load the processor with a motion sensing application when switching to the second power mode. During the second power mode, motion sensor data may be processed to determine that the motion event is not associated with an intentional user input and the device may return to the first power mode.

Claims

1. A method for controlling power consumption of an electronic device, the method comprising:

providing power to a motion sensor of the device during a first inactive power mode of the device;

detecting a magnitude of a motion event that exceeds a threshold using the motion sensor;

switching from the first inactive power mode to a first active power mode of the device in response to the detecting;

determining whether the motion event is associated with an intentional user input; and

returning from the first active power mode to the first inactive power mode in response to a determination that the motion event is not associated with an intentional user input, wherein the switching comprises the motion sensor instructing a processor of the device to ignore an instruction of an application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructing comprises:

generating a wake up signal using the motion sensor in response to the detecting; and

receiving the wake up signal using a power management unit of the device, wherein the switching comprises switching from the first inactive power mode to the first active power mode in response to the receiving.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the switching further comprises:

activating at least a portion of the processor of the device; and

loading the processor with the application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first inactive power mode is a hibernate power mode, and wherein the returning comprises powering down the processor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the returning comprises:

unloading the application from the processor of the device; and

deactivating at least a portion of the processor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the application is a motion sensing application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructing comprises:

generating a flag signal using the motion sensor; and

receiving the flag signal using a power management unit of the device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction of the application instructs the processor to at least partially activate a component of the device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the component is a display output component of the device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructing comprises setting a register of a power management unit of the device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the processor detects the status of the register when running the application.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the returning comprises resetting the register.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the register is a scratch register.

14. A method for controlling power consumption of an electronic device, the method comprising:

providing power to a motion sensor of the device during a first inactive power mode of the device;

detecting a magnitude of a motion event that exceeds a threshold using the motion sensor; and

switching from the first inactive power mode to a first active power mode of the device in response to the detecting, wherein the switching comprises the motion sensor sending first information to a first component of the device to prompt;

loading a motion sensing application into a processor of the device; and

instructing the processor to bypass a device component activation step of the application.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the device component activation step instructs the processor to at least partially activate a display output component of the device.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining whether the motion event is associated with an intentional user input using the application; and

returning from the first active power mode to the first inactive power mode in response to a determination that the motion event is not associated with an intentional user input.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the first information comprises a wake up signal and a flag signal.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the first component is a power management unit.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the switching further comprises the motion sensor generating the first information before sending the first information to the first component.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the device component activation step is an initial device component activation step of the application.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the device component activation step is an automatic device component activation step of the application.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the instructing comprises setting a register of a power management unit of the device.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

resetting the register; and

returning from the first active power mode to the first inactive power mode.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the instructing comprises the processor detecting the status of the register.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the power management unit is the first component.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the register is a scratch register.