Motion sensor data processing using various power management modes

• US 8,234,512 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mucignat, Andrea, Gupta, Saurabh
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Vincent
• Application Number:
  US12/975,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20110093729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320, 713/323, 713/324, 702/141
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• 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 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for processing motion sensor data using various power management modes of an electronic device are provided. Power may be provided to a motion sensor during a first power mode of the device. In response to the motion sensor detecting a motion event with a magnitude exceeding a threshold, the sensor may transmit a wake up signal to a power management unit of the device. In response to receiving the wake up signal, the power management unit may switch the device to a second power mode. The device may provide power to a processor and load the processor with a motion sensing application when switching to the second power mode. During the second power mode, motion sensor data may be processed to determine that the motion event is not associated with an intentional user input and the device may return to the first power mode.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a motion sensor;

a processor; and

a power management unit coupled to the motion sensor and the processor, the power management unit configured to;

provide power to the motion sensor during a first inactive power mode of the device;

switch from the first inactive power mode to a first active power mode of the device, in response to receiving a wake up instruction from the motion sensor, by instructing the processor to ignore an application instruction of an application; and

return from the first active power mode to the first inactive power mode in response to receiving a processor instruction from the processor.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor is configured to:

detect a magnitude of a motion event that exceeds a threshold during the first inactive power mode; and

generate the wake up instruction in response to the detecting.

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

process motion sensor data generated by the motion sensor based on the motion event; and

generate the processor instruction in response to determining that the motion event is not associated with an intentional user input.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the power management unit is further configured to switch from the first inactive power mode to the first active power mode by:

providing power to at least a portion of the processor; and

load the processor with the application.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the first inactive power mode is a hibernate power mode; and

the power management unit is configured to return from the active power mode to the first inactive power mode by powering down the processor.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the power management unit is configured to return from the active power mode to the first inactive power mode by:

unloading the application from the processor; and

powering down at least a portion of the processor.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the application is a motion sensing application.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the power management unit is further configured to switch from the first inactive power mode to the first active power mode in response to receiving a flag signal from the motion sensor.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the application instruction instructs the processor to at least partially activate a component of the device.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the component is a display output component of the device.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructing comprises setting a register of a power management unit.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to detect the status of the register when running the application.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the power management unit is configured to return from the first active power mode to the first inactive power mode by resetting the register.

14. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the register is a scratch register.

15. An electronic device comprising:

a motion sensor;

a processor; and

a power management unit coupled to the motion sensor and the processor, the power management unit configured to;

provide power to the motion sensor during a first inactive power mode of the device; and

in response to receiving a sensor instruction from the motion sensor, prompt the device to;

load a motion sensing application into the processor; and

instruct the processor to bypass a device component activation step of the application.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the device component activation step is configured to instruct the processor to at least partially activate a display output component of the device.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the sensor instruction comprises a wake up signal and a flag signal.

18. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the motion sensor is configured to generate the sensor instruction.

19. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the device component activation step is an initial device component activation step of the application.

20. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the device component activation step is an automatic device component activation step of the application.

21. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the power management unit is configured to prompt the device to instruct the processor to bypass the device component activation step of the application by setting a register of the power management unit.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the power management unit is further configured to prompt the device to instruct the processor to bypass the device component activation step of the application by providing the status of the register to the processor.

23. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the register is a scratch register.