Thermal and power management

• US 9,420,178 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2014
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Park, Hee Jun, Paranjpe, Sumant Madhav, Forutanpour, Babak
• Primary Examiner(s): Henn, Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US14/322,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20150181117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/63 Generation or supply of power specially adapted for television receivers

Abstract

In an example, a method includes determining, by an electronic device, a user experience metric associated with content captured by at least one camera of the electronic device. The method also includes adjusting at least one operating parameter of the device to produce an operating characteristic target, wherein the adjustment is based on an estimated change to the determined user experience metric due to the adjustment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by an electronic device, a quality metric that provides an estimation of a user experience associated with content captured by at least one camera of the electronic device; and

determining a power draw of one or more components of the device relative to a predetermined power budget;

adjusting a plurality of operating parameters of the device based on the predetermined power budget, wherein adjusting the plurality of operating parameters comprises;

based on the power draw exceeding the predetermined power budget, determining one or more operating parameters of the plurality of operating parameters that, when adjusted, produce the greatest change in the power draw and the smallest change in the quality metric relative to at least one other operating parameter of the plurality of operating parameters; and

adjusting the determined one or more operating parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the plurality of operating parameters further comprises adjusting at least one operating parameter based on a context of the content.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein the at least one operating parameter comprises a frame rate and a resolution, and

wherein adjusting the at least one operating parameter comprises adjusting the frame rate one of more or less than the resolution based on the context.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the context comprises at least one of a presence of a face in the content, presence of a skin hue in the content, a frequency of the content, an estimation of motion associated with the content, a brightness of the content, or a focal length of the content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one camera comprises a plurality of cameras and wherein adjusting the plurality of operating parameters of the device comprises separately adjusting at least one operating parameter for each camera of the plurality of cameras.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the determined one or more operating parameters comprises adjusting the determined one or more operating parameters based on a ratio of an estimated change in the power draw to the estimated change to the quality metric.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the quality metric further comprises:

applying a user experience model to each of the plurality of operating parameters to generate a plurality of user experience factors;

calculating a sum of the plurality of user experience factors; and

wherein adjusting the determined one or more operating parameters comprises adjusting the determined one or more operating parameters based at least partially on the calculated sum.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein calculating the sum of the plurality of user experience factors further comprises:

applying, based on context associated with the content, one or more weighting factors to one or more of the user experience factors to produce one or more weighted user experience factors;

calculating a weighted sum of the weighted user experience factors; and

wherein adjusting the determined one or more operating parameters comprises adjusting the determined one or more operating parameters based at least partially on the calculated weighted sum.

9. The method of claim 8,

wherein the at least one operating parameter comprises a frame rate and a resolution,

wherein the context associated with the content comprises at least one of a presence of a face in the content, a presence of a skin hue in the content, a frequency of the content, an estimation of motion associated with the content, a brightness of the content, or a focal length of the content,

wherein applying the user experience model to each of the at least one operating parameters comprises applying the user experience model to the frame rate to generate a frame rate user experience factor and applying the user experience model to the resolution to generate a resolution user experience factor, and

wherein applying the one or more weighting factors comprises applying a first weighting factor to the frame rate user experience factor and a second, different weighting factor to the resolution user experience factor.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of operating parameters comprise at least two of a frame rate, a resolution, one or more operating parameters associated with one or more hardware components of at least one camera sub-system that includes the at least one camera, or at least one sensor for the at least one camera capturing the content.

11. An electronic device comprising:

at least one camera; and

one or more processors configured to;

determine a quality metric that provides an estimation of a user experience associated with content captured by the at least one camera of the electronic device;

determine a power draw of one or more components of the device relative to a predetermined power budget and

adjust a plurality of operating parameters of the device based on the predetermined power budget, wherein to adjust the plurality of operating parameters, the one or more processors are configured to, based on the power draw exceeding the predetermined power budget, determine one or more operating parameters of the plurality of operating parameters that, when adjusted, produce the greatest change in the power draw and the smallest change in the quality metric relative to at least one other operating parameter of the plurality of operating parameters, and adjust the determined one or more operating parameters.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein to adjust the plurality of operating parameters, the one or more processors are configured to adjust the at least one operating parameter based on a context of the content.

13. The electronic device of claim 12,

wherein the at least one operating parameter comprises a frame rate and a resolution, and

wherein to adjust the at least one operating parameter, the one or more processors are configured to adjust the frame rate one of more or less than the resolution based on the context.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the context comprises at least one of a presence of a face in the content, presence of a skin hue in the content, a frequency of the content, an estimation of motion associated with the content, a brightness of the content, or a focal length of the content.

15. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the at least one camera comprises a plurality of cameras and wherein to adjust the plurality of operating parameters of the device, the one or more processors are configured to separately adjust at least one operating parameter for each camera of the plurality of cameras.

16. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein to adjust the determined one or more operating parameters, the one or more processors are configured to adjust the determined one or more operating parameters based on a ratio of an estimated change in the power draw to the estimated change to the quality metric.

17. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein to determine the quality metric, the one or more processors are configured to:

apply a user experience model to each of the plurality of operating parameters to generate a plurality of user experience factors;

calculate a sum of the plurality of user experience factors; and

wherein to adjust the determined one or more operating parameters, the one or more processors are configured to adjust the determined one or more operating parameters based at least partially on the calculated sum.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein to calculate the sum of the plurality of user experience factors, the one or more processors are configured to:

apply, based on context associated with the content, one or more weighting factors to one or more of the user experience factors to produce one or more weighted user experience factors;

calculate a weighted sum of the weighted user experience factors; and

wherein to adjust determined one or more operating parameters, the one or more processors are configured to adjust the determined one or more operating parameters based at least partially on the calculated weighted sum.

19. The electronic device of claim 18,

wherein the at least one operating parameter comprises a frame rate and a resolution,

wherein the context associated with the content comprises at least one of a presence of a face in the content, a presence of a skin hue in the content, a frequency of the content, an estimation of motion associated with the content, a brightness of the content, or a focal length of the content,

wherein to apply the user experience model to each of the at least one operating parameters, the one or more processors are configured to apply the user experience model to the frame rate to generate a frame rate user experience factor and apply the user experience model to the resolution to generate a resolution user experience factor, and

wherein to apply the one or more weighting factors, the one or more processors are configured to apply a first weighting factor to the frame rate user experience factor and a second, different weighting factor to the resolution user experience factor.

20. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the plurality of operating parameters comprise at least two of a frame rate, a resolution, one or more operating parameters associated with one or more hardware components of at least one camera sub-system that includes the at least one camera, or at least one sensor for the at least one camera capturing the content.

21. An apparatus comprising:

means for determining a quality metric that provides an estimation of a user experience associated with content captured by at least one camera of an electronic device;

means for determining a power draw of one or more components of the device relative to a predetermined power budget and

means for adjusting a plurality of operating parameters of the device based on the predetermined power budget, wherein the means for adjusting the plurality of operating parameters comprises;

means for determining, based on the power draw exceeding the predetermined power budget, one or more operating parameters of the plurality of operating parameters that, when adjusted, produce the greatest change in the power draw and the smallest change in the quality metric relative to at least one other operating parameter of the plurality of operating parameters; and

means for adjusting the determined one or more operating parameters.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:

determine a quality metric that provides an estimation of a user experience associated with content captured by at least one camera of an electronic device;

determine a power draw of one or more components of the device relative to a predetermined power budget; and

adjust a plurality of operating parameters of the device based on the predetermined power budget, wherein to adjust the plurality of operating parameters, the instructions cause the one or more processors to;

based on the power draw exceeding the predetermined power budget, determine one or more operating parameters of the plurality of operating parameters that, when adjusted, produce the greatest change in the power draw and the smallest change in the quality metric relative to at least one other operating parameter of the plurality of operating parameters; and

adjust the determined one or more operating parameters.

23. A method comprising:

determining, by an electronic device, a quality metric that provides an estimation of a user experience associated with content captured by at least one camera of the electronic device;

determining a temperature of one or more components of the device relative to the predetermined temperature limit; and

adjusting a plurality of operating parameters of the device based on the predetermined power budget, wherein adjusting the plurality of operating parameters comprises;

based on the determined temperature exceeding the predetermined temperature limit, determining one or more operating parameters of the plurality of operating parameters that, when adjusted, produce the greatest change in temperature of the one or more components of the device and the smallest change in the quality metric relative to at least one other operating parameter of the plurality of operating parameters; and

adjusting the determined one or more operating parameters.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein adjusting the plurality of operating parameters further comprises adjusting at least one operating parameter based on a context of the content.

25. The method of claim 23,

wherein the at least one operating parameter comprises a frame rate and a resolution, and

wherein adjusting the at least one operating parameter comprises adjusting the frame rate one of more or less than the resolution based on the context.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the context comprises at least one of a presence of a face in the content, presence of a skin hue in the content, a frequency of the content, an estimation of motion associated with the content, a brightness of the content, or a focal length of the content.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least one camera comprises a plurality of cameras and wherein adjusting the plurality of operating parameters of the device comprises separately adjusting at least one operating parameter for each camera of the plurality of cameras.

28. An electronic device comprising:

at least one camera; and

one or more processors configured to;

determine a quality metric that provides an estimation of a user experience associated with content captured by the at least one camera of the electronic device;

determine a temperature of one or more components of the device relative to the predetermined temperature limit; and

adjust a plurality of operating parameters of the device based on the predetermined power budget, wherein to adjust the plurality of operating parameters, the one or more processors are configured to determine, based on the temperature exceeding the predetermined temperature limit, one or more operating parameters of the plurality of operating parameters that, when adjusted, produce the greatest change in temperature of the one or more components of the device and the smallest change in the quality metric relative to at least one other operating parameter of the plurality of operating parameters and adjust the determined one or more operating parameters.

29. The electronic device of claim 28, wherein adjusting the plurality of operating parameters further comprises adjusting at least one operating parameter based on a context of the content.

30. The electronic device of claim 29,

wherein the at least one operating parameter comprises a frame rate and a resolution, and

wherein to adjust the at least one operating parameter, the one or more processors are configured to adjust the frame rate one of more or less than the resolution based on the context.

31. The electronic device of claim 29, wherein the context comprises at least one of a presence of a face in the content, presence of a skin hue in the content, a frequency of the content, an estimation of motion associated with the content, a brightness of the content, or a focal length of the content.

32. The electronic device of claim 28, wherein the at least one camera comprises a plurality of cameras and wherein adjusting the plurality of operating parameters of the device comprises separately adjusting at least one operating parameter for each camera of the plurality of cameras.