Set Top Box Power Management via Mobile Device Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Household devices continue to draw power when not in use, leading to energy wastage, and unplugging them results in slow boot times and lost settings when reactivated.
Innovation Solution
A set top box system that detects the presence of mobile devices using Bluetooth or WiFi, enabling a standby mode to conserve power by disabling unnecessary components when no devices are detected, and reactivating them when devices return.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the set top box is kept in full power mode to maintain quick boot times and user settings, then the device responsiveness is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The set top box dynamically adjusts its power state based on detected mobile device presence. When mobile devices are detected, the system transitions to a lower power state with selective component shutdown. When no mobile devices are present, the system maintains full power readiness. This dynamic state transition resolves the contradiction by adapting power consumption to actual usage conditions rather than maintaining a fixed high-power state.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of mobile devices using Bluetooth and WiFi before transitioning power states. This preliminary action allows the system to anticipate user presence and maintain appropriate power levels, ensuring quick boot times are only sacrificed when actually needed while minimizing unnecessary energy consumption during absent periods.
2Use of energy by moving object
If unnecessary components are disabled to save energy, then energy consumption is reduced, but device functionality is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The set top box implements selective component shutdown by segmenting its internal components into essential and non-essential groups. The processor, memory, and device detector remain active to maintain system responsiveness and detect mobile devices. Non-essential components such as tuners, decoders, and output interfaces are selectively disabled based on mobile device presence. This segmentation allows energy reduction while preserving core functionality and quick restart capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different power states to different components based on their necessity. Rather than shutting down the entire system or individual components uniformly, the patent implements local quality control where each component's power state is optimized according to its function and current usage requirements, maintaining versatility where needed while reducing consumption elsewhere.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the set top box enters standby mode to conserve power, then energy consumption is reduced, but boot time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary maintenance of essential components during what would otherwise be complete shutdown periods. By keeping the processor, memory, and device detector active even in low-power mode, the system performs preliminary readiness actions that enable rapid component reactivation without full cold boot delays, thus reducing the effective boot time penalty of standby mode.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a dynamic power management strategy where the system transitions between full power, partial power (standby), and complete shutdown states based on mobile device presence duration and usage patterns. This dynamic approach optimizes the balance between energy consumption and boot time by learning from user behavior and adjusting power state transitions accordingly.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a satellite receiver and a set top box. The set top box is configured to receive signals from the satellite receiver and output a signal to a display device. The set top box detects whether at least one mobile device is near the set top box and enables a standby mode when no mobile devices are detected.