System and method for activating an electronic device

• US 8,041,328 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Fyke, Steven, Mak-Fan, David, Orr, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHOW, CHARLES CHIANG
• Application Number:
  US12/557,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20100029242A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 455/343.1, 455/344, 455/41.2, 455/352, 455/556.1, 455/424, 455/425, 455/456.5, 455/456.6, 455/561, 455/550.1, 455/575.1, 455/574, 455/572, 455/127.1, 455/556.2, 340/522, 340/554, 340/567, 340/7.32, 340/669, 340/670, 3406932-6934, 345/156, 345/158, 345/8, 345/169, 348/154, 348/155
• US Class Current: 455/343.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3237 by disabling clock generation or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• 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

The disclosure provides a circuit and method for activating an electronic device from a low power state. The activation circuit comprises: a first accelerometer located in the device to detect a movement of the device along a specific axis; a second accelerometer which is activated upon receiving a movement signal from the first accelerometer indicating a movement of the electronic device along the specific axis; an input device; and a monitoring circuit connected to the input device and an output of the second accelerometer, the monitoring circuit providing power to the input device when the second accelerometer indicates movement of the device that surpasses a threshold and then generating an activation signal to operate the electronic device in a higher power state utilizing a notable signal received from the input device.

Claims

1. An activation circuit for an electronic wireless device, comprising:

a first accelerometer located in said electronic wireless device to detect a movement of said electronic wireless device along a specific axis;

a second accelerometer;

an input device; and

a monitoring circuit connected to said input device and an output of said second accelerometer, said monitoring circuit;

monitoring for signals from said first accelerometer to indicate an initial movement of said electronic wireless device along said specific axis and then activating said second accelerometer;

monitoring for signals from said second accelerometer and then activating said input device if a signal from said second accelerometer surpasses a predefined threshold;

waiting for a notable signal to be received from said input device for a predetermined length of time;

if said notable signal is received within said predetermined time, generating an activation signal for activating said electronic wireless device to a higher power state; and

if said notable signal is not received within said predetermined time, deactivating said input device and said second accelerometer, wherein said first accelerometer utilizes less power than said second accelerometer.

2. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a microprocessor;

a wake-up software routine operating on said microprocessor to selectively bring said electronic wireless device to said higher power state upon receipt of said activation signal; and

a timing module to initiate a timing window of said predetermined length of time after detection of said notable movement,

wherein said monitoring circuit for said input device is activated during said timing window and if said notable signal is detected by said monitoring circuit during said timing window, said activation signal is generated and if said notable signal is not received within said predetermined time, deactivating said input device and said second accelerometer.

3. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 2, wherein said activation signal is provided to an interrupt line of said microprocessor which is associated with said wake-up software routine.

4. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 3, wherein a slow clock signal is generated by said timing module indicating when said microprocessor is in a lower power state.

5. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said activation signal is also used to reset said monitoring circuit to allow it to process subsequent signals from said second accelerometer.

6. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said input device is activated by a power signal generated by said monitoring circuit.

7. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said input device detects movement of a finger by a sensor.

8. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 7, wherein if said time window elapses, said power signal for said input device is removed.

9. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 8, further comprising an additional input device connected to said monitoring circuit, providing additional signals to said monitoring circuit for evaluation for generation of said activation signal.

10. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first accelerometer is a low-g MEM accelerometer oriented to detect movement along a z-axis of the device.

11. A method for activating an electronic wireless device, comprising:

monitoring for signals from a low-g MEM accelerometer to indicate an initial movement of said electronic wireless device along a predetermined axis for said electronic wireless device and then activating a second accelerometer;

monitoring for signals from said second accelerometer and then activating an input device if a signal from said second accelerometer surpasses a predefined threshold;

waiting for a notable signal to be received from said input device for a predetermined length of time;

if said notable signal is received within said predetermined time, generating an activation signal for activating said electronic wireless device to a higher power state; and

if said notable signal is not received within said predetermined time, deactivating said input device and said second accelerometer.

12. The method for activating an electronic wireless device as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

said step of waiting for said notable signal to be received from said input device utilizes a slow clock signal to track said predetermined length of time.

13. The method for activating an electronic wireless device as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

deactivating said input device if said predetermined time elapses without receiving said notable signal from said input device.

14. The method for activating an electronic wireless device as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

upon generation of said activation signal, it is provided to a microprocessor associated with said electronic wireless device; and

said microprocessor reacts to receipt of said activation signal by transiting to a higher power state.

15. The method for activating an electronic wireless device as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

using said activation signal to reset a monitoring circuit associated with said second accelerometer to allow said monitoring circuit to process subsequent signals from said second accelerometer.

16. The method for activating an electronic wireless device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said input device detects movement of a finger by a sensor.

17. An electronic wireless device, comprising:

a microprocessor;

a first accelerometer located in said electronic wireless device to detect a movement of said electronic wireless device along a specific axis;

a second accelerometer which is activated upon receiving a movement signal from said first accelerometer along said specific axis indicating a movement of said electronic wireless device along said specific axis;

an input device; and

a monitoring circuit connected to said input device and an output associated with said threshold circuit, said monitoring circuit;

monitoring for signals from said first accelerometer to indicate an initial movement of said electronic wireless device along said specific axis and then activating said second accelerometer;

monitoring for signals from said second accelerometer and then activating said input device if a signal from said second accelerometer surpasses a predefined threshold;

waiting for a notable signal to be received from said input device for a predetermined length of time;

if said notable signal is received within said predetermined time, generating an activation signal for activating said electronic wireless device to a higher power state; and

if said notable signal is not received within said predetermined time, deactivating said input device and said second accelerometer, wherein said first accelerometer utilizes less power than said second accelerometer.

18. The electronic wireless device as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

a wake-up software routine operating on said microprocessor to selectively bring said electronic wireless device to said higher power state upon receipt of said activation signal; and

a timing module to initiate a timing window of said predetermined length of time after detection of said notable movement,

wherein said input device is activated during said timing window and if said notable signal is provided during said timing window, said activation signal is generated and if said notable signal is not received within said timing window, said input device and said second accelerometer are deactivated.

19. The electronic wireless device as claimed in claim 18, wherein said activation signal is also used to reset said monitoring circuit to allow it to process subsequent signals from said second accelerometer.

20. The electronic wireless device as claimed in claim 17, wherein said first accelerometer is a low-g MEM accelerometer oriented to detect movement along a z-axis of the device.