Touch Device Power Saving via Interrupt Pin Port Disable
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional power management systems, such as APM and ACPI, are inefficient in reducing power consumption in touch devices, as they rely on guessing user activity and do not effectively turn off power entirely, leading to reduced battery life.
Innovation Solution
A power-saving method that uses an interrupt pin to transmit signals from a touch device to a processor, which disables the connection port when idle, entering a power-saving mode, and re-enables it upon valid user input, utilizing the ACPI standard to manage power states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If conventional power management systems (APM/ACPI) are used to manage touch device power, then power management interface compatibility is maintained, but power consumption cannot be effectively reduced because devices only enter sleep state rather than turning off power entirely
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the power state parameter from traditional sleep states (D1-D3) to a complete power-off state. By disabling the connection port and cutting power entirely to the touch device during idle periods, the system achieves deeper power savings while maintaining ACPI compatibility for interface standard adherence.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by detecting idle status and disabling the connection port before completely powering off the touch device. This preliminary detection and port disabling ensures that when power is cut, the device can quickly resume functionality without prolonged power consumption during transition.
2Duration of action of moving object
If the connection port is disabled to reduce power consumption, then battery life is extended, but the response time for reactivating the touch device upon user input may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms through interrupt pins that continuously monitor for user input signals. When a touch input is detected, the interrupt signal immediately triggers the reactivation sequence, ensuring that despite the device being fully powered off, the response time remains minimal due to the always-active interrupt monitoring pathway.
Solution Approach 2:
The interrupt pin serves as an intermediary that remains active even when the main connection port is disabled. This intermediary pathway allows the system to detect user input and trigger reactivation without requiring the full connection port to remain powered, thus maintaining fast response while saving power.
3Loss of energy
If the touch device enters complete power-off mode to save power, then energy consumption is reduced, but the complexity of managing power state transitions and port enabling/disabling increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the power management complexity from the touch device itself and places it in the host system's BIOS and operating system. By having the host system control the connection port enabling/disabling and power state transitions, the touch device firmware remains simple while achieving complete power-off capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses self-service mechanisms where the BIOS automatically detects idle conditions and triggers port disabling, and the operating system's ACPI driver automatically handles reactivation upon interrupt signals. This automated self-service reduces the need for complex manual power state management while achieving deep power savings.
Data Source
AI summary
A power-saving operating method for an electronic device is provided. A control chip of the electronic device has an interrupt pin, and the electronic device couples to a touch device through a connection port and the interrupt pin. When the touch device is idle for over an idle time, a BIOS is informed through the interrupt pin to disable the connection port. When a number of touch signals received from the touch device within a first predetermined time is not less than a first predetermined amount, the connection port is enabled. When the number of the touch signals received from the touch device within the first predetermined time is less than the first predetermined amount or none of the touch signal is received within the first predetermined time, a reading operation for reading the connection port is interrupted and the touch device enters a power-saving mode.