Audio Jack Plug Insertion for Mobile Device Wake Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Handheld mobile computing devices, such as smartphones and tablets, face challenges in waking from sleep states due to limited input/output devices, as the touch screen is often deactivated to conserve power, necessitating alternative methods for system activation.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of detecting an audio jack plug insertion into an audio jack socket to generate a system wake event, allowing the device to transition from a sleep state to an active state, utilizing detection and control logic to identify the sleep state and initiate a wake event, thereby enabling the device to resume normal operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the touch screen display is deactivated in low power states to conserve power, then power consumption is reduced, but the ability to wake the system from sleep state is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an audio jack socket as an intermediary wake trigger mechanism. When a plug is inserted into the audio jack, it generates a wake event that activates the system from sleep state. This intermediary physical interface allows wake functionality without requiring the touch screen or other traditional I/O devices to be active, thus resolving the contradiction between power savings and wake capability.
2Ease of operation
If traditional I/O devices are used to wake the system, then wake functionality is achieved, but device complexity increases due to additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repurposes the audio jack socket, originally designed for audio output/input functions, to also serve as a wake trigger interface. By detecting plug insertion events in the audio jack, the system gains wake functionality without adding dedicated wake buttons or other specialized I/O devices. This multi-functionality approach allows the audio jack to serve dual purposes: audio processing and system wake activation, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the invention describe apparatuses, systems and methods to detect, during a host platform sleep state, a peripheral device audio jack plug being coupled to (e.g., inserted into) an audio jack connection socket. A specific sleep state of the host platform may be determined, and a system wake event may be generated so that the host platform wakes from the sleep state in response to the peripheral device being coupled to the audio jack connection socket. Thus, embodiments of the invention incorporated in handheld mobile computing devices such as smartphones and tablet computers with limited input/output (I/O) provide a user with alternative means for waking the device from a sleep state.