Eyewear Power Configuration for Thermal Mitigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wearable electronic devices, such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) eyewear, face challenges with power consumption and thermal management due to sensor and display operations, leading to overheating issues.
Innovation Solution
The eyewear device implements dynamic power configuration modes based on temperature monitoring, adjusting sensor and display operations to reduce power consumption and mitigate thermal issues by turning off cameras or changing sampling rates when temperatures exceed a threshold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If sensors and displays operate at high power to provide enhanced functionality and performance, then the device delivers better user experience and features, but the device generates excessive heat and overheats
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic power configuration that automatically adjusts sensor and display operations based on real-time temperature monitoring. When temperature exceeds thresholds, the system dynamically reduces power consumption by lowering sensor sampling rates or turning off cameras, and when temperature is acceptable, it restores higher performance modes. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between maintaining high performance and preventing overheating.
2Measurement precision
If sensors operate at high sampling rates to improve measurement precision and responsiveness, then the device provides better tracking and sensing accuracy, but power consumption increases and thermal issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes operational parameters of sensors and displays based on temperature conditions. It adjusts sampling rates, resolution, and activation states of various sensors and display components dynamically. This parameter adaptation allows the system to maintain measurement precision when needed while reducing power consumption and heat generation when temperature becomes problematic.
3Reliability
If the device operates continuously at full power to maintain service availability, then user experience remains consistent, but thermal stress accumulates and causes overheating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where temperature sensors continuously monitor device temperature and provide input to the power management system. Based on this feedback, the system adjusts power configuration in real-time, reducing power to sensors and displays when temperature thresholds are exceeded. This closed-loop control maintains service availability when possible while preventing thermal stress accumulation through automatic power adjustment.
Data Source
AI summary
Devices and methods for dynamic power configuration (e.g., reduction) for thermal management (e.g., mitigation) in a wearable electronic device such as an eyewear device. The wearable electronic device monitors its temperature and, responsive to the temperature, configures the services it provides to operate in different modes for thermal mitigation (e.g., to prevent overheating). For example, based on temperature, the wearable electronic device adjusts sensors (e.g., turns cameras on or off, changes the sampling rate, or a combination thereof) and adjusts display components (e.g., adjusted rate at which a graphical processing unit generates images and a visual display is updated). This enables the wearable electronic device to consume less power when temperatures are too high in order to provide thermal mitigation.