Multi-layer power management for always-on vision systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional always-on systems with power management methods fail to effectively conserve power consumption due to false alarms from sensors, leading to inefficiencies in managing power in complex systems.
Innovation Solution
An always-on system with multi-layer power management that includes shutdown, sleep, event detection, and computer vision states, utilizing an always-on portion, memory unit, input interface, event monitor, digital signal processor, and output interface, where components are powered only when necessary to perform specific functions, such as image capture and processing, to minimize power usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional always-on systems use sensors to trigger events, then motion detection capability is improved, but false alarms increase and power consumption is not effectively reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the always-on functionality into multiple hierarchical layers: a low-power event monitor layer that continuously monitors for motion, and a high-power DSP layer that processes images only when motion is detected. This segmentation allows the system to maintain motion detection capability while significantly reducing overall power consumption by keeping the majority of the system in a low-power state.
Solution Approach 2:
The event monitor performs preliminary motion detection before activating the full imaging and processing system. By pre-screening for motion events using a low-power sensor, the system avoids activating power-hungry components unnecessarily, thus reducing false alarm impact and power consumption while maintaining reliable motion detection.
2Adaptability or versatility
If more system components are kept active to improve system functionality, then system performance is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the operational state of different components based on detected events. The event monitor operates continuously in a low-power state, while the image sensor, DSP, and other power-intensive components are activated only when motion is detected. This dynamic state adjustment allows the system to maintain full functionality when needed while minimizing power consumption during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The event monitor serves multiple functions: it continuously monitors for motion events, triggers image capture when motion is detected, and acts as a gatekeeper to prevent unnecessary activation of the full system. This multi-functionality allows a single low-power component to enable the system to respond to various events while maintaining adaptability and versatility.
3Reliability
If sensors operate continuously to detect events, then event detection reliability is improved, but false alarms increase and power savings are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of operating continuously at full power, the system uses periodic activation of power-intensive components triggered by the low-power event monitor. The image sensor and DSP remain in low-power or sleep modes between motion events, activating only periodically when the event monitor detects motion. This periodic action maintains event detection reliability while significantly reducing energy loss.
Data Source
AI summary
An always-on system with multi-layer power management includes an always-on portion that is powered in shutdown state and all power states while rest portions of the system are not powered in the shutdown state; a memory unit that is powered in sleep state to retain data in the memory unit; an input interface that is powered only in event detection state, in which at least one captured image is received from an image sensor, the event detection state beginning when a trigger signal is issued; an event monitor that detects motion in the captured image; a digital signal processor (DSP) that is powered only in computer vision state to perform image identification on the captured image if motion is detected; and an output interface is powered only in the computer vision state, a result of the DSP being outputted via the output interface.