Automatic mode switch portable electronic device

• US 8,832,480 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2011
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xueshan Technologies Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MStar Semiconductor Incorporated (MediaTek, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Yen-Lin, Sun, Shan-Cheng, Ku, Chih-Cheng, Chen, He-Ge
• Primary Examiner(s): Elamin, M
• Application Number:
  US13/102,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20120023353A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/310, 713320-324, 713/330, 713/340, 348/E13.036, 348/56
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2213/008 Aspects relating to glasses for viewing stereoscopic images
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A portable electronic device having automatic power supply mode switching is provided. The portable electronic device includes a micro-sensor and a control circuit. The control circuit controls operations of the electronic device, the micro-sensor senses whether the electronic device is carried or worn by a user. When the electronic device operates in a normal mode, and if the electronic device is not carried or worn for a time longer than a buffer period of a predetermined interval, the control circuit switches to a sleep mode, which results in lower power consumption.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device having automatic power supply mode switching, comprising:

a micro-sensor, for sensing whether the portable electronic device is worn by a user to generate a sensing signal accordingly; and

a control circuit, coupled to the micro-sensor, for determining whether to switch a power supply mode according to the sensing signal and a present mode,

wherein, if the sensing signal changes when the control circuit operates in a normal mode, the control circuit switches to a standby mode,

wherein the control circuit includes a timer, for generating a timing result, and when the control circuit operates in the standby mode, the control circuit is configured to switch to the normal mode according to the timing result and whether the sensing signal changes,

wherein the timer is configured to begin operation in response to a change of the sensing signal, and

wherein, if the timing result is less than a first time length when the control circuit operates in the standby mode while the sensing signal changes, the control circuit is configured to switch to the normal mode.

2. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, if the timing result is longer than the first time length when the control circuit operates in the standby mode, the control circuit is configured to switch to a sleep mode.

3. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein, if the timing result is less than a second time length when the control circuit operates in the sleep mode while the sensing signal changes, the control circuit is configured to switch to the normal mode.

4. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein, if the timing result is equal to a second time interval when the control circuit operates in the sleep mode, the control circuit is configured to switch to a turn-off mode.

5. The electronic device as claimed in claim 4, wherein, when the control circuit operates in the turn-off mode, the control circuit stops consuming power.

6. The electronic device as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

a switch, coupled to the control circuit, that is controllable by a user;

wherein when the switch is turned on while the control circuit is in turn-off mode the control circuit switches to the normal mode.

7. The electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein, the control circuit comprises:

a power manager, selectively providing power according to the present mode of the control circuit; and

a function controller, coupled to the power manager, to receive function power according to the present mode.

8. The electronic device as claimed in claim 7, wherein, when the control circuit operates in the normal mode or in the sleep mode, the power manager further provides sensing power to the micro-sensor to perform sensing.

9. The electronic device as claimed in claim 7, being a shutter glasses for viewing 3D image, wherein the function controller is a lens controller, the electronic device further comprising:

two lenses, coupled to the function controller;

wherein the function controller receives the function power to drive the two lenses to switch between shielding and non-shielding states.

10. The electronic device as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

a communication module, coupled to the function controller;

wherein the function controller receives the function power to drive the communication module.

11. The electronic device as claimed in claim 1, further including:

a communication module, for detecting whether a predetermined communication signal exists to generate an indication signal accordingly;

wherein, if one of the sensing signal and the indication signal changes when the control circuit operates in the normal mode, the control circuit is configured to switch to the standby mode.

12. The electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein, when the control circuit operates in the standby mode, and if the control circuit operates in the standby mode for a duration shorter than a first time length when both the sensing signal and the indication signal are equivalent to those in the normal mode, the control circuit is configured to switch to the normal mode.

13. An electronic device, comprising:

a communication module, detecting whether a predetermined communication signal is present to generate an indication signal accordingly; and

a control circuit, coupled to the communication module, configured to switch to a standby mode if the indication signal changes when the control circuit operates in a normal mode,

wherein the control circuit includes a timer, for generating a timing result, and when the control circuit operates in the standby mode, the control circuit is configured to switch to the normal mode according to the timing result and whether the indication signal changes,

wherein the timer is configured to begin operation in response to switching to the standby mode, and

wherein, when the control circuit operates in the standby mode, and if the control circuit operates in the standby mode for a duration shorter than a first time length when the sensing signal changes, the control circuit is configured to switch to the normal mode.

14. The electronic device as claimed in claim 13, wherein, when the control circuit operates in the standby mode, and if the control circuit operates in the standby mode for a duration longer than or equal to a first time length, the control circuit is configured to switch to a sleep mode.

15. The electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein, when the control circuit operates in the sleep mode, and if the control circuit operates in the sleep mode for a duration shorter than a second time length when the sensing signal changes, the control circuit is configured to switch to the normal mode.

16. The electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein, when the control circuit operates in the sleep mode, if the control circuit operates in the sleep mode for a duration longer than a second time length, the control circuit is configured to switch to a turn-off mode.

17. A portable electronic device having automatic power supply mode switching, comprising:

a micro-sensor, for sensing whether the portable electronic device is worn by a user to generate a sensing signal accordingly; and

a control circuit, coupled to the micro-sensor, for determining whether to switch a power supply mode according to the sensing signal and a present mode,

wherein, if the sensing signal changes when the control circuit operates in a normal mode, the control circuit switches to a standby mode,

wherein the control circuit includes a timer, for generating a timing result, and when the control circuit operates in the standby mode, the control circuit is configured to switch to the normal mode according to the timing result and whether the sensing signal changes,

wherein the timer is configured to begin operation in response to a change of the sensing signal, and

wherein, if the timing result is longer than the first time length when the control circuit operates in the standby mode, the control circuit is configured to switch to a sleep mode.