Event Detection Device for Low-Power Microcontroller Wake-Up
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Solution Overview
Problem
Low-consumption electronic devices equipped with sensors face high energy consumption due to continuous activation of components, necessitating frequent battery replacements, as they remain in a listening mode to detect events like motion, even when not actively processing data.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device with a sensor that uses an event detection device to connect the microcontroller to the power source only when an event is detected, allowing the microcontroller to wake up, perform tasks, and then disconnect, thereby reducing unnecessary power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the microcontroller is kept activated in continuous listening mode to detect sensor signals, then the device can reliably detect motion and trigger events, but the energy consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the system into two functional segments: a low-power sensor that operates continuously to detect motion events, and a high-power microcontroller that remains off until triggered. This segmentation allows each component to operate at optimal power levels for its specific function, resolving the contradiction between continuous monitoring reliability and energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor performs preliminary detection of motion events and prepares signals to trigger the microcontroller. By performing the detection action in advance with the low-power sensor, the system avoids the need for the microcontroller to be continuously active, thus reducing energy consumption while maintaining detection reliability.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the microcontroller is activated only when needed to reduce energy consumption, then energy savings are achieved, but the sensor configuration and communication setup becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor is designed with self-service capability to automatically trigger the microcontroller when motion is detected, without requiring complex manual configuration. The sensor's digital output directly controls the microcontroller's power switch, enabling automatic wake-up and configuration operations that simplify the system despite the conditional activation strategy.
3Speed
If the sensor and microcontroller remain always powered to ensure immediate response, then the device responds instantly to events, but the battery life decreases requiring frequent replacements
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous power supply, the system uses periodic action where the microcontroller is powered on only during event response periods. The sensor maintains periodic monitoring at low power, and the microcontroller activates temporarily when events occur, then returns to sleep mode. This periodic activation pattern extends battery life while maintaining responsive operation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention concerns an electronic device (10) comprising: - a sensor (11) able to detect a predefined event (12); - a processing digital circuit (13) connected to the sensor (11), the processing digital circuit (13) being in an off state; - a power source (14) connected to the sensor (11), characterized in that the electronic device (10) comprises an event detection device (15) connected to the sensor (11) and configured to connect the processing digital circuit (13) to the power source (14) when the sensor (11) detects the predefined event (12), so as to switch the processing digital circuit (13) from the off state to an on state, wherein the processing digital circuit (13) is configured to read in the on state a signal (16) from the sensor (11) when the sensor (11) detects the predefined event (12) and the processing digital circuit (13) is configured to operate at least a predetermined task (17) when it reads the signal (16) from the sensor (11). The invention concerns a method for powering on such an electronic device.