Eyewear USB Debug Hub for Multi-SoC Low-Power Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing eyewear devices with multiple System on a Chip (SoC) configurations face challenges in efficient low-power debugging and automation, as persistent USB connections keep SoCs awake, leading to increased power consumption and inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
The eyewear device incorporates a USB hub and control logic to enable low-power debugging and automation of multiple SoCs, allowing the USB port to communicate with all SoCs while enabling them to enter low-power modes independently, using switches to manage USB connections efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If persistent USB connections are used to enable debugging and automation of multiple SoCs, then debug access is maintained, but power consumption increases and SoCs cannot enter low-power modes
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between different USB connection states (persistent and low-power) based on operational requirements. The control logic monitors debug activity and automatically transitions SoCs between active and low-power modes, making the connection state adaptive rather than static.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic re-establishment of USB connections for debugging purposes rather than maintaining continuous persistent connections. The USB hub controller periodically activates connections only when debugging is required, allowing SoCs to remain in low-power modes during intermediate periods.
2Reliability
If USB hub continuously manages connections to multiple SoCs, then debug access is available, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The USB hub controller dynamically adjusts its connection management behavior based on system state. It transitions from maintaining continuous active connections to periodic or on-demand connections, reducing its own power consumption while preserving debug access capability when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the USB hub controller as a separate functional unit with independent control logic. This allows the hub to be managed independently from the SoCs, enabling it to enter low-power states when not actively managing connections, thus separating the control function from the processing units.
3Reliability
If multiple SoCs are kept awake for debugging, then debug operations can be performed, but efficiency decreases due to increased power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic power management where SoCs transition between active and low-power states based on real-time debugging requirements. The control logic monitors which SoCs need to remain active and allows others to enter low-power modes, optimizing the balance between debug accessibility and power efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The USB hub controller acts as an intermediary that coordinates power states between multiple SoCs and the external debugging interface. It manages which SoCs remain awake and which can sleep, mediating between the need for debug access and the desire for power savings, thereby improving overall operational efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
An eyewear device that includes a plurality of SoCs that share processing workload, and a USB port configured to perform low-power debugging and automation of the plurality of SoCs, such as using either a Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter (UART) or a Serial Wire Debug (SWD). The eyewear includes a USB hub configured such that the USB port can simultaneously communicate with the plurality of SoCs. The USB hub can be shut down to disable the USB hub, and all the SoCs can enter their low-power modes without being kept awake by a persistent USB connection. The eyewear includes a first switch and a control logic, wherein the control logic controls the first switch and enables the USB port to perform low-power debugging and automation of the SoCs. The eyewear further includes a second switch, wherein the control logic controls the second switch to enable the USB port to perform low-power debugging and automation of the SoCs via a processor, or to enable the USB port to control each of the SoCs.