Low Energy Sensor Interface for Autonomous MCU Monitoring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor interfaces consume excessive energy due to frequent CPU interventions for data collection and processing, limiting battery life and being inefficient in handling multiple sensor types, especially capacitive, resistive, and analog sensors.
Innovation Solution
A low energy sensor interface utilizing on-chip peripherals in a microcontroller unit (MCU) for autonomous monitoring and decoding of sensors, with a configurable state machine and circular buffer, minimizing CPU intervention and supporting multiple sensor types through a sequencer, count and compare block, and decoder.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If CPU is used to collect and process sensor data, then sensor data processing capability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary sensor interface unit that sits between the sensors and the CPU. This unit autonomously collects sensor data, processes it through configurable state machines, and only interrupts the CPU when significant events occur. This mediator handles the bulk of data processing work, allowing the CPU to remain in sleep mode and significantly reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining processing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor interface is designed to be autonomous and self-sufficient, with built-in state machines that can independently analyze sensor data and determine when CPU intervention is needed. The system serves itself by handling data collection, processing, and event detection without requiring continuous CPU involvement, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining productivity.
2Use of energy by moving object
If CPU enters sleep mode to reduce energy consumption, then energy savings are achieved, but sensor monitoring capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system is segmented into two functional parts: an autonomous sensor interface unit that handles continuous sensor monitoring and data processing, and a CPU that handles high-level decision-making. This segmentation allows the CPU to sleep while the sensor interface remains active, maintaining monitoring capability without requiring the entire system to be awake.
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous sensor interface acts as an intermediary that bridges the gap between continuous monitoring requirements and CPU sleep mode. It independently manages sensor data collection and processing, only waking the CPU when predetermined events occur, thus enabling energy savings without sacrificing monitoring capability.
3Productivity
If existing sensor interface is used, then basic sensor monitoring is achieved, but support for multiple sensor types is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal sensor interface design with configurable state machines that can be programmed to handle multiple sensor types including capacitive, resistive, and analog sensors. The same hardware infrastructure supports different sensor protocols and processing algorithms, providing multi-functionality without requiring separate dedicated circuits for each sensor type.
4Use of energy by moving object
If autonomous monitoring is implemented, then CPU intervention frequency is reduced, but handling of multiple sensor types becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor interface employs dynamically configurable state machines that can be programmed through software to adapt to different sensor types and monitoring requirements. This dynamic configurability allows the same hardware to efficiently handle multiple sensor types autonomously without requiring complex hardwired logic for each sensor type, reducing the effective complexity while maintaining versatility.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
A low energy sensor interface for a microcontroller unit (MCU) is provided. The sensor interface may include a sequencer in operative communication with one or more on- chip peripherals, a count and compare block in communication with one or more sensors and the sequencer, and a highly configurable decoder. The sequencer, the count and compare block and the decoder may be configured to autonomously analyze and collect sensor results using the on-chip peripherals in a low energy mode of operation without intervention from an associated central processing unit (CPU).