Interrupt Sensor Sub-Processor Wakes Main Processor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic devices require user intervention, such as pressing buttons or touching the screen, to wake up from sleep mode, which is inefficient and inconvenient, especially when ambient monitoring is needed without maintaining high power consumption.
Innovation Solution
The use of an ultra-low power sub-processor and an interrupt-type sensor allows both the main processor and sub-processor to remain in sleep mode, with the sensor operating to detect changes and send interrupt signals to awaken the sub-processor and subsequently the main processor, enabling quick transition to operational mode without user intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If conventional sleep mode is used with button press wake-up, then power consumption is reduced, but user convenience deteriorates due to manual intervention requirement
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two processor levels: a main processor that enters deep sleep mode to minimize power consumption, and a sub-processor that remains in a lighter sleep state to handle wake-up detection. This segmentation allows the main processor to conserve energy while the sub-processor maintains wake-up functionality through sensor input, eliminating the need for manual button presses.
Solution Approach 2:
A sub-processor acts as an intermediary between the sensors and the main processor. The sub-processor monitors sensor inputs (such as touch, motion, or proximity sensors) and autonomously determines whether to wake up the main processor, thereby eliminating the need for direct user intervention with physical buttons while still enabling power-saving mode.
2Reliability
If ambient monitoring is implemented with continuous sensor operation, then wake-up detection capability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the operational state of different components based on their function. The main processor transitions to a deep sleep state for power saving, while the sub-processor maintains a dynamic monitoring state that can quickly transition between sleep and active states based on sensor triggers, optimizing the balance between detection reliability and power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of continuous monitoring, the system uses periodic or event-driven monitoring where the sub-processor checks sensor inputs at intervals or only when specific events occur. This periodic action maintains wake-up detection capability while significantly reducing power consumption compared to continuous sensor operation.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method for waking up a main processor (MP) in a low power or ultra-low power device preferably includes the MP, and a sub-processor (SP) that utilizes less power than the MP to monitor ambient conditions than the MP, and may be internalized in the MP. The MP and SP can remain in a sleep mode while an interrupt sensor monitors for changes in the ambient environment. A sensor is preferably an interrupt-type sensor, as opposed to polling-type sensors conventionally used to detect ambient changes. The MP and SP may remain in sleep mode, as a low-power or an ultra-low power interrupt sensor operates with the SP being in sleep mode, and awakens the SP via an interrupt indicating a detected change. The SP then wakes the MP after comparing data from the interrupt sensor with values in storage or with another sensor.