Wearable Device Location Circuitry Power Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wearable devices with limited space and power resources face challenges in providing consistent location data for content generated, as standard location services require constant updates, which is power-intensive and unfeasible due to power constraints.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a combination of high-speed and low-power circuitry in wearable devices, where low-power circuitry manages the booting of high-speed and location circuitry to minimize power usage, and location fixes are initiated only when necessary, such as upon trigger events or periodically, using peripheral sensors to determine the device's worn state, and merging location data from other sources to provide efficient location data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If standard location services are used to provide consistent location data, then location accuracy is improved, but power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic location updates instead of continuous updates. The system performs location fixes at predetermined time intervals or when triggered by specific events (such as camera activation), rather than maintaining constant location tracking. This periodic approach significantly reduces power consumption while still providing location data for captured content.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses preliminary location data from the wearable device to assist in obtaining location fixes more quickly. By having location information pre-fetched or cached before the actual content capture event, the system can reduce the time and power required for subsequent location fixes, as the location circuitry doesn't need to perform complete location determination from scratch each time.
2Reliability
If location circuitry operates continuously to provide consistent location data, then location availability is improved, but battery life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The location circuitry is activated periodically based on predetermined time intervals or trigger events rather than operating continuously. This allows the device to maintain location availability for captured content while significantly extending battery life by keeping the location circuitry in a low-power or off state between updates.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the operational state of location circuitry based on usage patterns and device state. The location services are activated only when needed (e.g., when content capture is detected) and deactivated otherwise, creating a dynamic operational profile that balances location availability with power conservation.
3Speed
If high-speed circuitry is used for location processing, then processing speed is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the location processing into two segments: a low-power segment that handles preliminary location data retrieval and a high-speed segment that performs rapid location fixes only when needed. The low-power circuitry fetches location data in advance, and only the high-speed circuitry is activated for actual location determination at the moment of content capture, minimizing overall power consumption while maintaining processing speed when required.
Solution Approach 2:
Location data is fetched and processed by low-power circuitry in advance before the actual content capture event. This preliminary action prepares location information so that when high-speed circuitry needs to perform a location fix, it can do so rapidly without the full burden of data retrieval, thus reducing the duration and power consumption of high-speed processing.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, devices, computer readable media, and other various embodiments are described for location management processes in wearable electronic devices. Performance of such devices is improved with reduced time to first fix of location operations in conjunction with low-power operations. In one embodiment, low-power circuitry manages high-speed circuitry and location circuitry to provide location assistance data from the high-speed circuitry to the low-power circuitry automatically on initiation of location fix operations as the high-speed circuitry and location circuitry are booted from low-power states. In some embodiments, the high-speed circuitry is returned to a low-power state prior to completion of a location fix and after capture of content associated with initiation of the location fix. In some embodiments, high-speed circuitry is booted after completion of a location fix to update location data associated with content.