ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT READING DEVICE
First Claim
1. An electronic document reading device with an electrophoretic display, the electronic document reading device comprising:
- a main processor to control display of information on said display; and
a secondary processor to process data from one or more user input devices, said secondary processor being coupled to said main processor;
a battery to provide power to said main processor and to said secondary processor; and
a first controllable switch coupled between said battery and said main processor and having a control line coupled to said secondary processor, said first controllable switch being configured to switch power from said battery to said main processor whilst said secondary processor is powered; and
wherein, in an operational mode;
said secondary processor is configured to detect a user input and, responsive to said detection, to control said switch to turn on a power supply from said battery to said main processor;
said main processor is configured to perform a cold boot responsive to said turning on of said power and then to perform an action in accordance with said detected user input, and wherein said electronic document reading device is configured to control said controllable switch to turn off said power supply to said main processor after said action has been performed.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
We describe power control techniques for an document reader with an electrophoretic display. In embodiments the document reader comprises a main processor to display information and at least one secondary processor to detect, say, a user input gesture; a battery to provide power to both processors; and a controllable switch coupled between said battery and said main processor and having a control line coupled to said secondary processor, to switch power from said battery to said main processor whilst said secondary processor is powered. In embodiments a power consumption measured in months is desired so that rather than put the main processor into a standby mode power to the main processor is switched off entirely but the system is arranged to be able to start-up quickly from this configuration.
41 Citations
13 Claims
-
1. An electronic document reading device with an electrophoretic display, the electronic document reading device comprising:
-
a main processor to control display of information on said display; and a secondary processor to process data from one or more user input devices, said secondary processor being coupled to said main processor; a battery to provide power to said main processor and to said secondary processor; and a first controllable switch coupled between said battery and said main processor and having a control line coupled to said secondary processor, said first controllable switch being configured to switch power from said battery to said main processor whilst said secondary processor is powered; and
wherein, in an operational mode;said secondary processor is configured to detect a user input and, responsive to said detection, to control said switch to turn on a power supply from said battery to said main processor; said main processor is configured to perform a cold boot responsive to said turning on of said power and then to perform an action in accordance with said detected user input, and wherein said electronic document reading device is configured to control said controllable switch to turn off said power supply to said main processor after said action has been performed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. An electronic document reading device having a non-volatile display, the device comprising:
-
a battery to provide power for said electronic document reading device, a main processor for controlling display of information on said device; a display controller coupled to said main processor and to said non-volatile display; volatile display memory coupled to one or both of said main processor and said display controller, said display memory being configured as a plurality of memory blocks, at least one of said memory blocks for storing data representing a state of said electrophoretic display; a secondary processor to provide a user interface to said device; a first controllable switch connected for control by said secondary processor, to switch power from said battery to said main processor, to said display controller and to said display memory; a second controllable switch coupled in series between said battery and said first controllable switch; and
whereinsaid secondary processor and said at least one memory block for storing said data representing a state of said electrophoretic display are configured to be powered from a connection between said first and second controllable switches.
-
-
12. A method of operating an electronic document reading device with a non-volatile display, the method comprising:
-
using a secondary processor to detect a touch sensor input from a user of said device, said touch sensor input identifying an action said user wishes the device to perform; controlling, using said secondary processor, a power supply to a main processor of said device from an off state in which all power is removed from said main processor to a state in which power is applied to said main processor, in response to said touch sensor input detection; allowing said main processor to perform said action; and
thencontrolling said power supply to said main processor back to said off state to remove all power from said main processor. - View Dependent Claims (13)
-
Specification