Power Button Duration Control for Electronic Device State Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic devices lack effective methods for users to determine the power state when the display is not outputting information, making it difficult to know if the device is shut down or in a power saving state without additional indicators.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a power control system where the duration of pressing a power button determines the device's state, with pressing for less than 4 seconds entering a power saving state, 4-10 seconds shutting down the device, and 10 seconds or more rebooting it, using the Embedded Controller (EC) to manage power circuits and communicate with the processor and chipset.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the display does not output information, then power consumption is reduced, but the user cannot determine the device's power state
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides feedback to the user through the power button interaction. When the display is off, pressing the power button for different durations produces different feedback responses (beep sounds or display activation) that indicate the current power state, allowing users to determine whether the device is in sleep mode or shut down without requiring additional visual indicators.
Solution Approach 2:
The power button serves dual functions: both as a power control interface and as a power state indicator. By interacting with the existing power button, users can simultaneously control power state and receive information about the current state, eliminating the need for separate indicator components.
2Loss of information
If additional power state indicators are added, then users can determine the device state, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power button is designed to perform multiple functions: it controls power state transitions (wake from sleep, shutdown) and simultaneously serves as an informational interface to indicate the current power state. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate indicator components, maintaining device simplicity while providing necessary information.
3Device complexity
If the power button has multiple functions, then device complexity is reduced, but the ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The power button's functionality is segmented based on pressing duration. Short presses (less than 2 seconds) trigger one response, while longer presses (2 seconds or more) trigger another response. This temporal segmentation allows the single button to provide multiple functions while maintaining intuitive operation, as users can easily distinguish between different press durations.
Data Source
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AI summary
There is provided an electronic device including a manipulation unit configured to acquire manipulation by a user, and a control unit configured to selectively execute one of a plurality of controls of the electronic device which are associated with a duration of the manipulation and to perform switching of at least one of the plurality of controls according to information indicating a state of the electronic device.