System, circuit and method for activating an electronic device

• US 8,244,200 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Orr, Kevin, Fyke, Steven, Mak-Fan, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOW, CHARLES CHIANG
• Application Number:
  US12/558,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20100003944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 455/343.1, 455/550.1, 455/572, 455/424, 455/425, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/561, 455/575.1, 455/344, 455/574, 455/127.1, 455/556.2, 455/41.2, 340/7.32, 340/669, 340/552, 340/554, 340/567, 340/670, 3406932-6934, 348/158, 348/211.3, 345/204, 345/158, 345/169
• US Class Current: 455/343.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3237 by disabling clock generation or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• 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

The disclosure provides a system, circuit and method for activating an electronic device from a low power state. The circuit comprises: a microprocessor; a first accelerometer; a second accelerometer which is activated upon receiving a movement signal from the first accelerometer, indicating a movement of the electronic device; a threshold circuit connected to an output of the second accelerometer to allow only signals generated by the second accelerometer that exceed a threshold to pass; an input device; and a monitoring circuit connected to the input device and an output of the threshold circuit. The monitoring circuit comprises a latch circuit utilizing signals from the threshold circuit and a reset signal from the microprocessor to generate a trigger signal to activate the input device. The monitoring circuit selectively generates an activation signal to activate the electronic device to a higher power state utilizing a notable signal received from the input device.

Claims

1. An activation circuit for an electronic device, comprising:

a microprocessor;

a first accelerometer;

a second accelerometer which is activated upon receiving a movement signal from the first accelerometer, indicating a movement of the electronic device;

a threshold circuit connected to an output of the second accelerometer to allow only threshold signals generated by the second accelerometer that exceed a threshold to pass;

an input device; and

a monitoring circuit connected to the input device and an output of the threshold circuit, comprising

a latch circuit utilizing signals from the threshold circuit and a reset signal from the microprocessor to generate a trigger signal to activate the input device; and

a voltage regulator connected to the latch circuit to provide power to the input device when the trigger signal is generated; and

a navigation circuit to generate an activation signal to activate the electronic device to a higher power state when a notable signal is received from the input device.

2. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a timing module to generate a pulse timing signal for a timing window after detection of the movement signal,

wherein the latch circuit also utilizes the pulse timing signal to determine when to generate the trigger signal.

3. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein a slow clock signal is generated by the timing module indicating when the microprocessor is in a lower power state.

4. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the activation signal is also used to reset the monitoring circuit to allow it to process subsequent signals from the second accelerometer.

5. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input device detects movement of a finger by a sensor.

6. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a wake-up software routine operating on the microprocessor to selectively bring the electronic device to the higher power state upon receipt of the activation signal,

wherein the activation signal is provided to an interrupt line of the microprocessor which is associated with the wake-up software routine.

7. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the navigation circuit analyzes signals from the input device to determine when the notable signal from the input device has been received.

8. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first accelerometer is a low-g MEM accelerometer.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

a microprocessor;

a first accelerometer;

a second accelerometer, activated by a movement signal from the first accelerometer;

a threshold circuit connected to the second accelerometer to filter insignificant signals produced by the second accelerometer;

an input device; and

a monitoring circuit connected to the input device and an output of the threshold circuit, comprising

a latch circuit utilizing signals from the threshold circuit and a reset signal from the microprocessor to generate a trigger signal to activate the input device; and

a voltage regulator connected to the latch circuit to provide power to the input device when the trigger signal is generated; and

a navigation circuit to generate an activation signal to activate the electronic device to a higher power state when a notable signal is received from the input device.

10. The electronic device as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a wake-up software routine operating on the microprocessor to selectively bring the electronic device to the higher power state upon receipt of the activation signal; and

a timing module to initiate a timing window after detection of the movement signal,

wherein the input device is activated during the timing window and when the notable signal is generated by the input device during the timing window, the activation signal is generated.

11. The electronic device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the activation signal is also used to reset the monitoring circuit to allow it to process subsequent signals from the second accelerometer.

12. The electronic device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first accelerometer is a low-g MEM accelerometer.

13. An activation circuit for an electronic device, comprising:

a first accelerometer;

a second accelerometer which is activated upon receiving a movement signal from the first accelerometer, indicating a movement of the electronic device;

a threshold circuit connected to an output of the second accelerometer to allow only threshold signals generated by the motion detection device that exceed a threshold to pass;

an input device; and

a monitoring circuit connected to the input device and an output of the threshold circuit, comprising

a latch circuit utilizing signals from the threshold circuit and a reset signal from the microprocessor to generate a trigger signal to activate the input device; and

a voltage regulator connected to the latch circuit to provide power to the input device when the trigger signal is generated; and

a navigation circuit to generate an activation signal to activate the electronic device to a higher power state when a notable signal is received from the input device.

14. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

a microprocessor;

a wake-up software routine operating on the microprocessor to bring the electronic device to the higher power state upon receipt of the activation signal; and

a timing module to initiate a timing window after detection of the notable movement,

wherein the monitoring circuit is activated during the timing window and when the notable signal is detected by the monitoring circuit during the timing window, the activation signal is generated.

15. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 14, wherein the activation signal is provided to an interrupt line of the microprocessor.

16. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 15, wherein a slow clock signal is generated by the timing module indicating when the microprocessor is in a lower power state.

17. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the activation signal is also used to reset the monitoring circuit to allow it to process subsequent signals from the second accelerometer.