Controlling power consumption of a mobile device based on gesture recognition

A mobile device, comprising:

• an application processor system configured to execute at least one application;
• a power management controller configured to control power consumption of the application processor system;
• and
• a sensor processor system, configured for low-power operation, and further configured to:
• monitor one or more sensors coupled to the mobile device,
• detect one of a plurality of pre-defined gestures and one or more environmental conditions or events based on the monitoring, wherein each of the plurality of pre-defined gestures corresponds to one or more actions initiated by a user of the mobile device,
• cause loading to the application processor system, operating independently from the sensor processor system, one or more applications associated with respective power requirements, the one or more applications selected from a plurality of available applications based on the detected one of the plurality of pre-defined gestures,
• select one of a plurality of predetermined power profiles corresponding to the respective power requirements for the selected one or more applications based on the detected one of the plurality of pre-defined gestures to enable the mobile device to consume power at a level approximating the respective power requirements for the selected one or more applications, and cause loading of the selected one of the plurality of predetermined power profiles to a power management controller to control power to the application processor system, wherein the selected one of the plurality of predetermined power profiles is configured to establish at least one of (1) a clock frequency at which an application processor of the application processor system is to operate or (2) a current or voltage at which the application processor of the application processor system is to operate, and
• instruct the power management controller to apply the one of the plurality of predetermined power profiles corresponding to the respective power requirements for the selected one or more applications, selected based on the one of the plurality of pre-defined gestures detected by the independently operating sensor processor system, to the application processor system to control power to the application processor system so as to support the respective power requirements of the one or more loaded applications selected based on the detected one of the plurality of pre-defined gestures.

A mobile device, comprising:

• means for monitoring, at a sensor processor system of the mobile device, one or more sensors connected to the mobile device, the sensor processor system configured for low-power operation;
• means for detecting one of a plurality of pre-defined gestures and one or more environmental conditions or events based on the monitoring, wherein each of the plurality of pre-defined gestures corresponds to one or more actions initiated by a user of the mobile device;
• means for loading to an application processor system, operating independently from the sensor processor system, one or more applications associated with respective power requirements, the one or more applications selected from a plurality of available applications based on the detected one of the plurality of pre-defined gestures;
• means for selecting one of a plurality of predetermined power profiles corresponding to the respective power requirements for the selected one or more applications based on the detected one of the plurality of pre-defined gestures to enable the mobile device to consume power at a level approximating the respective power requirements for the selected one or more applications, and means for loading the selected one of the plurality of predetermined power profiles to a power management controller to control power to the application processor system, wherein the selected one of the plurality of predetermined power profiles is further configured to establish at least one of (1) a clock frequency at which an application processor of the application processor system is to operate or (2) a current or voltage at which the application processor of the application processor system is to operate;
• and
• means for instructing the power management controller to apply the one of the plurality of predetermined power profiles corresponding to the respective power requirements for the selected one or more applications, selected based on the one of the plurality of pre-defined gestures detected by the independently operating sensor processor system, to the application processor to control power to the application processor system so as to support the respective power requirements of the one or more loaded applications selected based on the detected one of the plurality of pre-defined gestures.

A mobile device, comprising:

• logic configured to monitor, at a sensor processor system of the mobile device, one or more sensors connected to the mobile device, the sensor processor system configured for low-power operation;
• logic configured to detect one of a plurality of pre-defined gestures and one or more environmental conditions or events based on the monitoring, wherein each of the plurality of pre-defined gestures corresponds to one or more actions initiated by a user of the mobile device;
• logic configured to load to an application processor system, operating independently from the sensor processor system, one or more applications associated with respective power requirements, the one or more applications selected from a plurality of available applications based on the detected one of the plurality of pre-defined gestures;
• logic configured to select one of a plurality of predetermined power profiles corresponding to the respective power requirements for the selected one or more applications based on the detected one of the plurality of pre-defined gestures to enable the mobile device to consume power at a level approximating the respective power requirements for the selected one or more applications, and load the selected one of the plurality of predetermined power profiles to a power management controller to control power to the application processor system, wherein the selected one of the plurality of predetermined power profiles is configured to establish at least one of (1) a clock frequency at which an application processor of the application processor system is to operate or (2) a current or voltage at which the application processor of the application processor system is to operate;
• and
• logic configured to instruct the power management controller to apply the one of the plurality of predetermined power profiles corresponding to the respective power requirements for the selected one or more applications, selected based on the one of the plurality of pre-defined gestures detected by the independently operating sensor processor system, to the application processor to control power to the application processor system so as to support the respective power requirements of the one or more loaded applications selected based on the detected one of the plurality of pre-defined gestures.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform operations, the instructions comprising:

• program code to monitor, at a sensor processor system of the mobile device, one or more sensors connected to the mobile device, the sensor processor system configured for low-power operation;
• program code to detect one of a plurality of pre-defined gestures and one or more environmental conditions or events based on the monitoring, wherein each of the plurality of pre-defined gestures corresponds to one or more actions initiated by a user of the mobile device;
• program code to load to an application processor system, operating independently from the sensor processor system, one or more applications associated with respective power requirements, the one or more applications selected from a plurality of available applications based on the detected one of the plurality of pre-defined gestures;
• program code to select one of a plurality of predetermined power profiles corresponding to the respective power requirements for the selected one or more applications based on the detected one of the plurality of pre-defined gestures to enable the mobile device to consume power at a level approximating the respective power requirements for the selected one or more applications, and load the selected one of the plurality of predetermined power profiles to a power management controller to control power to the application processor system, wherein the selected one of the plurality of predetermined power profiles is configured to establish at least one of (1) a clock frequency at which an application processor of the application processor system is to operate or (2) a current or voltage at which the application processor of the application processor system is to operate;
• and
• program code to instruct the power management controller to apply the one of the plurality of predetermined power profiles corresponding to the respective power requirements for the selected one or more applications, selected based on the detected one of the plurality of pre-defined gestures, to the application processor system to control power to the application processor system so as to support the respective power requirements of the one or more loaded applications selected based on the detected one of the plurality of pre-defined gestures.