Touch Chip Time Display for Mobile Battery Life

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Solution Overview

Problem

The high power consumption associated with waking up the application processor to display time on a mobile device shortens battery life, as existing Always-On functions require frequent processor activation.

Innovation Solution

A method where the touch chip computes device time using an internal clock when the screen is off, and sends it to the display driver chip upon detection of a preset operation, such as a double-click or power button press, allowing the screen to be switched on with reduced brightness, thereby avoiding frequent processor wake-ups.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the application processor is frequently woken up to compute device time for displaying time on the screen, then the time display function is reliable and accurate, but power consumption increases and battery life is shortened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetime display reliabilityVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a touch chip as an intermediary component between the display driver chip and the application processor. The touch chip contains an internal clock that can independently compute device time and send it to the display driver chip without requiring the application processor to be activated. This intermediary component resolves the contradiction by enabling reliable time display while avoiding the high power consumption of frequent processor wake-ups.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The touch chip is designed to be self-sufficient by incorporating an internal clock that can autonomously compute device time. This self-service capability allows the touch chip to fulfill the time display function without external assistance from the power-hungry application processor, thereby reducing overall system power consumption while maintaining time display reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If the screen is frequently switched on to display time, then the user can view time information, but power consumption increases and battery life is shortened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetime viewing capabilityVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements partial action by enabling time display functionality through the touch chip's internal clock without requiring full screen activation. The touch driver chip can send time information to the display driver chip which can then display it with reduced brightness or in a power-saving mode, providing sufficient time viewing capability while consuming significantly less power than full screen display.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3361369B1Method and device for displaying time on mobile device
Publication Date: 2021.12.01 BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO LTD
  • EP3361369B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3361369B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~4
  • EP3361369B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method and a device for displaying time on a mobile device. The method includes: determining whether a preset operation for displaying device time is detected when a screen of the mobile device is off; when determining that the preset operation for displaying the device time is detected, sending device time computed by a touch chip to a display driver chip through the touch chip, in which the touch chip is configured to acquire standard time when an application processor is closed and to compute the device time according to an internal clock; and switching on the screen and displaying the device time on the screen through the display driver chip. With technical solutions of the present invention, it is not required to wake up the application processor when a user views time, so as to avoid power consumption resulted from waking up the application processor to compute time. As a result, the power consumption is greatly reduced when the user views time and battery life of the mobile device is prolonged.