Smartwatch Time Display Buffering via Motion Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Smartwatches and Android phones experience a rapid time change when the screen is lit up due to displaying old time before displaying the current time, leading to increased power consumption when periodically updating the lock screen UI in the background.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device with sensors detects movement and inclination changes to acquire and buffer the current time before the screen is lit up, ensuring the latest time is displayed when the screen is activated, reducing power consumption by avoiding continuous background updates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the system periodically acquires time value and refreshes lock screen UI in background, then the time display accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetime display accuracyVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by acquiring the latest time value and refreshing the lock screen UI in advance (when movement is detected) before the screen is actually lit up. This ensures that when the screen activates, the displayed time is already current, eliminating the need for periodic background updates and reducing power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If the screen is lit up automatically with slight rotation of arm, then the ease of operation is improved, but rapid time change occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautomatic screen activationVSAvoidtime display consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system detects movement (arm rotation) as a preliminary action and triggers time acquisition and lock screen refresh before the screen is lit up. This preliminary time update ensures that when the screen activates automatically, the displayed time is current and consistent, preventing the rapid time change effect.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2996019B1Time display method and apparatus
Publication Date: 2019.02.27 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP2996019B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2996019B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2996019B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The present invention relates to a time display method. The method includes: when an electronic device in a standby state detects, by using a first sensor, that a movement track of the electronic device meets a first condition, acquiring current time of the electronic device; generating a clock display user interface UI by using the current time, and saving the clock display UI in a buffer; and displaying, on a screen of the electronic device, the clock display UI in the buffer when the screen of the electronic device is lit up. The present invention resolves a problem that time displayed when a screen of an electronic device is lit up undergoes a rapid change, and reduces power consumption of the electronic device.