Low power detection apparatus and method for displaying information

• US 9,501,127 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2013
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Oh, Ji-Heon, Hong, Hyun-Su, Park, Sung-Min, Lee, Jae-Myeon, Jung, Hyun-Ki
• Primary Examiner(s): Connolly, Mark
• Application Number:
  US14/012,288
• Publication Number:
  US 20140068306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320, 715/200
• 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 1/3218 of display devices
• 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: G06F 13/24 using interrupt G06F13/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A low power detection apparatus and a method for displaying information are provided. When a low power manager drives a proximity detection sensor to generate a proximity interrupt in a state within which the portable terminal is in an idle state, the low power manager drives a motion detection sensor and determines a motion of the portable terminal for a preset time. When there is no motion of the portable terminal for the preset time, the low power manager generates proximity data for displaying screen information and then transmits the generated proximity data to an application processor so as to display screen information which the user desires with low power.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a first sensor configured to detect an approach of an object to the electronic device;

a second sensor configured to detect an orientation of the electronic device; and

a first processor configured to;

monitor the orientation of the electronic device based on detecting the approach of the object to the electronic device;

determine whether the orientation of the electronic device satisfies a preset condition;

determine whether the electronic device is motionless for a preset period of time based on the orientation of the electronic device; and

based on determining that the orientation of the electronic device satisfies the preset condition and that the electronic device is motionless for the preset period of time, provide information on the detected approach to a second processor of the electronic device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

an interrupt unit that generates an interrupt for the first sensor,

wherein the first processor is further configured to;

drive the first sensor when a state of the electronic device is a sleep mode, and

drive the second sensor when the interrupt for the first sensor is generated through the interrupt unit.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the first processor is further configured to:

determine whether a next interrupt is generated when the electronic device is moved for the preset period of time after the driving of the motion detection first sensor is stopped.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first processor is further configured to:

stop a driving of the first sensor when the orientation of the electronic device does not satisfy the preset condition.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the preset condition is used to determine whether values of x, y, and z axes of the electronic device are larger than or equal to a preset threshold.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the first processor is further configured to:

determine whether the electronic device is motionless for the preset period of time when the values of the x, y, and z axes of the portable terminal electronic device are larger than or equal to the preset threshold, and

stop a driving of the first sensor when the values of the x, y, and z axes of the electronic device are smaller than the preset threshold.

7. A method of displaying information in an electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting an approach of an object to the electronic device by a first sensor;

detecting an orientation of the electronic device by a second sensor;

monitoring the orientation of the electronic device based on detecting the approach of the object to the electronic device;

determining whether the orientation of the electronic device satisfies a preset condition;

determining whether the electronic device is motionless for a preset period of time based on the orientation of the electronic device; and

based on determining that the orientation of the electronic device satisfies the preset condition and that the electronic device is motionless for the preset period of time, providing information on the detected approach to a second processor of the electronic device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

driving the first sensor when a state of the electronic device is a sleep mode; and

driving the second sensor when an interrupt for the first sensor is generated.

9. The detection method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether a next interrupt is generated when the electronic device is moved for the preset period of time after the driving of the first sensor is stopped.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

stopping a driving of the first sensor when the orientation of the electronic device does not satisfy the preset condition.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the preset condition is used to determine whether values of x, y, and z axes of the electronic device are larger than or equal to a preset threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the determining whether the electronic device is motionless for the preset period of time comprises:

determining whether the electronic device is motionless for the preset period of time when the values of the x, y, and z axes of the electronic device are larger than or equal to the preset threshold; and

stopping a driving of the first sensor when the values of the x, y, and z axes of the electronic device are smaller than the preset threshold.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform the method of claim 7.