APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REDUCING POWER CONSUMPTION IN PORTABLE TERMINAL

• US 20170026911A1
• Filed: 10/05/2016
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: SONG, Hee-Jun, KIM, Kwang-Choon, KIM, Nam-Woo, KWON, Sung, LEE, Yu-Jin
• Granted Patent: US 9,693,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral 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 1/3293 by switching to a less power-consuming processor, e.g. sub-CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4418 Suspend and resume; Hibernate and awake
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• 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

An apparatus and method for reducing power consumption of a portable terminal are provided. More particularly, an apparatus and method for reducing power consumption generated in an idle state in order to solve a power consumption problem in a portable terminal are provided. The apparatus includes a state determination unit which is configured independently from an application processor for controlling applications and which wakes up when entering an idle mode to allow the application processor to sleep, and thereafter determines a state of the portable terminal, and if it is determined that the portable terminal escapes from the idle mode, allows the application processor to wake up.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. An electronic device comprising:

a memory;

a first processor; and

a second processor configured to;

control to operate, while the first processor is in a sleep state, a sensor of the electronic device that obtains motion information of the electronic device,

control to write the motion information in the memory, and

control to send a notification to the first processor in the sleep state,

wherein the first processor is configured to read the motion information from the memory based on the notification.

24. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the motion information is for determining whether the electronic device is moving or stationary.

25. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the sensor comprises one of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor.

26. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the notification indicates existence of the motion information in the memory.

27. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the first processor is further configured to, after transitioning from the sleep state to a wake-up state, control to analyze the motion information to provide activity information for a user of the electronic device.

28. The electronic device of claim 27, wherein the first processor is further configured to control to perform an operation corresponding to the activity information.

29. An electronic device comprising:

a memory;

a first processor; and

a second processor configured to;

control to operate a sensor of the electronic device that obtains motion information of the electronic device,

control to write the motion information in the memory, and

control to send a notification to the first processor in a sleep state,

wherein the first processor is configured to control to read motion information from the memory based on the notification, and the motion information read by the first processor is written in the memory while the first processor is in the sleep state.

30. The electronic device of claim 29, wherein the motion information obtained by the sensor is for determining, by the second processor, whether the electronic device is moving or stationary.

31. The electronic device of claim 29, wherein the sensor comprises one of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor.

32. The electronic device of claim 29, wherein the notification indicates existence of the motion information in the memory.

33. The electronic device of claim 29, wherein the first processor is further configured to, after transitioning from the sleep state to a wake-up state, control to analyze the motion information read by the first processor to provide activity information for a user of the electronic device.

34. The electronic device of claim 33, wherein the first processor is further configured to control to perform an operation corresponding to the activity information.

35. A method of an electronic device comprising a first processor and a second processor, the method comprising:

controlling, by the second processor, to operate, while the first processor is in a sleep state, a sensor of the electronic device that obtains motion information of the electronic device;

controlling, by the second processor, to write the motion information in the memory;

controlling, by the second processor, to send a notification to the first processor in the sleep state; and

controlling, by the first processor, to read the motion information from the memory based on the notification.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the motion information is for determining whether the electronic device is moving or stationary.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the sensor comprises one of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the notification indicates existence of the motion information in the memory.

39. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

controlling, by the first processor, to analyze the motion information to provide activity information for a user of the electronic device after the first processor transitions from the sleep state to a wake-up state.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

controlling, by the first processor, to perform an operation corresponding to the activity information.

41. A method of an electronic device comprising a first processor and a second processor, the method comprising:

controlling, by the second processor, to operate sensor of the electronic device that obtains motion information of the electronic device;

controlling, by the second processor, to write the motion information in a memory;

controlling, by the second processor, to send a notification to the first processor in a sleep state; and

controlling, by the first processor, to read motion information from the memory based on the notification,

wherein the motion information read by the first processor is written in the memory while the first processor is in the sleep state.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the motion information obtained by the sensor is for determining, by the second processor, whether the electronic device is moving or stationary.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the sensor comprises one of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein the notification indicates existence of the motion information in the memory.

45. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

controlling, by the first processor, to analyze the motion information obtained by the first processor to provide activity information for a user of the electronic device after the first processor transitions from the sleep state to a wake-up state.

46. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

controlling, by the first processor, to perform an operation corresponding to the activity information.