Low Power Mode Core for Smartphone External Memory Power Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable electronic devices, such as smartphones, consume significant power when in sleep mode due to the need to maintain external memory in self-refresh mode to quickly acknowledge incoming calls, which limits battery life.
Innovation Solution
A low power mode core, comprising a small software agent that resides in internal SRAM or external memory, is kept alive to manage baseband events and power down external memory, allowing the device to acknowledge calls and provide a user interface before the operating system resumes, thereby reducing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If external memory is kept in self refresh mode to quickly acknowledge incoming calls, then call acknowledgment speed is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the system into two operational modes: a low power mode where external memory is powered down and a full power mode where external memory is active. A low power mode core is kept running in minimal power state to detect incoming calls and transition the system to full power mode when needed, thereby segmenting the power consumption states of different system components.
Solution Approach 2:
The low power mode core performs preliminary actions by detecting incoming calls and initiating the transition to full power mode before the main operating system needs to fully wake up. This preliminary detection and transition preparation allows the system to respond to incoming calls quickly while spending most time in low power state.
2Duration of action of moving object
If external memory is fully powered down to reduce power consumption, then battery life is improved, but system recovery time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The low power mode core performs preliminary detection of incoming calls and prepares the system for wake-up before the main operating system needs to fully resume. This preliminary action allows the system to transition from low power mode to full operation faster, reducing the effective recovery time while maintaining extended battery life during idle periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The low power mode core acts as an intermediary between the powered-down external memory system and the incoming call event. It detects calls during low power mode and initiates the wake-up sequence, serving as a mediator that enables fast recovery without requiring the entire system to remain fully powered.
3Use of energy by moving object
If a low power mode core is kept alive to manage baseband events, then power consumption is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential call management functionality into a separate low power mode core that operates independently from the main operating system. This extracted core handles only the minimal necessary functions (detecting incoming calls and initiating wake-up) while the main system can be fully powered down, thereby reducing overall power consumption with minimal added complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The low power mode core is designed to be self-sufficient, handling baseband event detection and wake-up initiation without requiring the main operating system to be active. This self-service capability allows the core to operate autonomously in low power mode, managing essential functions independently while the rest of the system remains powered down.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for reducing power consumption of a portable electronic device, such as a smartphone, or other portable devices when in sleep mode. A low power mode core stay alive while the electronic device is in sleep mode. When implemented in a smartphone, for example, the low power mode core may react to an incoming call so that at least part of the external memory of the smartphone may be powered down. The low power mode core may acknowledge the incoming call and provide a user interface for answering the call before the operating system is resumed, so as to keep the same or similar phone usage experience as the operating system is processing the incoming call. At the same time, the low power mode core may wake up the operating system. The same approach is applicable in monitoring devices, where the entire device need not be running.