Accessory Device Power Mode Control via Server-Managed Connection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Accessory devices, such as wireless earphones, experience increased power consumption due to continuous device-to-device connection attempts with neighboring devices after disconnection from the primary electronic device, leading to battery exhaustion and inefficient cloud traffic.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device that establishes a connection with an accessory device, obtains its information, transmits this information to a server, and sends a control command to put the accessory device into a low power mode or desynchronization mode to reduce power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the accessory device continuously broadcasts advertising packets and attempts device-to-device connections with neighboring devices, then the probability of re-establishing connection increases, but power consumption increases and battery life decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection re-establishment probabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The accessory device performs advertising packet broadcasting and connection attempts at periodic intervals rather than continuously. The device transitions between active scanning states and low-power sleep states, waking up at predetermined intervals to broadcast advertising packets and attempt connections, then returning to low-power mode when no connections are established.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The device dynamically adjusts its operational state between high-power active connection modes and low-power sleep modes based on connection status. When a device-to-device connection is successfully established, the device transitions to a lower power state, and only activates high-power modes when connection attempts are needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If the accessory device repeatedly establishes and disconnects device-to-device connections with multiple neighboring devices, then connection opportunities increase, but battery consumption increases and cloud traffic cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection opportunityVSAvoidbattery consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The electronic device predicts the user's movement trajectory and proactively transmits location information to the server in advance. This preliminary action allows the accessory device to be found without requiring continuous connection attempts, thereby reducing battery consumption and cloud traffic costs while maintaining the ability to re-establish connections when needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20230291559A1Electronic device for controlling power consumption of accessory device and operating method therefor

Publication Date: 2023.09.14 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a wireless communication circuit, a memory, and a processor. The processor may be set to establish a device-to-device connection with an accessory device by using the wireless communication circuit, obtain device information about the accessory device through the device-to-device connection, transmit the device information about the accessory device to at least one server, receive state information about the accessory device from the at least one server, transmit location information about the electronic device to the at least one server in response to the state information, and transmit, to the accessory device through the device-to-device connection, a control command that causes the accessory device to operate in a low power mode.