System and method for system-on-a-chip subsystem external access detection and recovery

A computer system for a system-on-a-chip (SoC) in a portable computing device (PCD), the system comprising:

• a subsystem of the SoC configured to independently operate in a first mode, the subsystem comprising:
• a processor in communication with a sensor and a memory, and
• a memory monitor in communication with the processor,
• wherein the monitor module is configured to:
• detect a request for access by the processor to a component external to the subsystem,
• cause the SoC to enter a full power state in response to the detected request for access, and
• cause the subsystem to operate in a second mode in response to the detected request for access.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for external access detection and recovery in a subsystem of a system-on-a-chip (SoC) in a portable computing device (PCD), the method comprising:

• operating the subsystem of the SoC in an first mode independently of the SoC while the SoC is in a low power state, the subsystem comprising a processor in communication with a memory, a sensor, and a monitor module;
• detecting with the monitor module a request for access by the processor to a component external to the subsystem;
• and
• in response to the detected request for access to the component external to the subsystem:
• causing the SoC to enter a full power state, and
• causing the subsystem to operate in a second mode.

A computer system for external access detection and recovery in a subsystem of a system-on-a-chip (SoC) in a portable computing device (PCD), the system comprising:

• means for operating the subsystem of the SoC in a first mode independently of the SoC while the SoC is in a low power state, the subsystem comprising a processor in communication with a memory and a sensor;
• means for detecting a request for access by the processor to a component external to the subsystem;
• and
• in response to the detected request for access to the component external to the subsystem:
• means for causing the SoC to enter a full power state, and
• means for causing the subsystem to operate in a second mode.