Low-Voltage Interrupt Sleep Mode for Portable Electronic Devices

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Solution Overview

Problem

Portable electronic devices often shut down when battery voltage drops below a certain level, requiring users to wait for charging before they can be used again, as existing power management systems do not effectively manage low battery states without turning off the device.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device with a power management module that generates a low-voltage interrupt when the battery voltage reaches a specific level, allowing the processor to enter a sleep mode and ignore other interrupts, thereby maintaining device functionality without shutting down, and activating upon charging.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the electronic device shuts down when battery voltage drops below a specific level, then the device can avoid operating in an unstable state, but the user cannot use the device immediately after charging begins and must wait for booting

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice stabilityVSAvoidbooting time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The processor enters sleep mode in advance when low battery voltage is detected, rather than shutting down. This preliminary action maintains the device in a low-power operational state where it can resume immediately when charging begins, eliminating the booting wait time while avoiding unstable operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If the processor operates in normal mode with all interrupts enabled, then the device can respond to all user inputs and applications, but power consumption increases when battery voltage is low

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice responsivenessVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The interrupt handling is segmented by source: the power management module's low-voltage interrupt is prioritized and allowed to wake the processor, while other interrupts from applications and peripherals are ignored during sleep mode. This segmentation enables selective responsiveness that balances power savings with essential functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The processor dynamically changes its operational state based on battery voltage conditions, transitioning between sleep mode (when voltage is low) and normal mode (when voltage is sufficient). This dynamic adaptation optimizes power consumption while maintaining device responsiveness when needed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3098687B1Electronic device and power managing method thereof

Publication Date: 2019.07.03 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

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AI summary

An electronic device includes a battery supplying power to the electronic device, a power management module transferring a first low-voltage interrupt to a processor if a voltage of the battery is lower than or equal to a first voltage, and the processor entering a sleep mode if the first low-voltage interrupt is received from the power management module, wherein the processor ignores other interrupt except an interrupt received from the power management module during the sleep mode.