CN113127588A

CN113127588A - Apparatus and method for presenting theme map

Info

Publication number: CN113127588A
Application number: CN202011616112.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 米科·阿尔斯特罗姆; 蒂莫·哈尔科; 埃里克·林德曼; 蒂莫·埃里克松; 亚里·阿卡凯拉; 海基·涅米宁
Original assignee: Amer Sports Digital Services Oy
Current assignee: Songtuo Co
Priority date: 2019-12-31
Filing date: 2020-12-30
Publication date: 2021-07-16
Also published as: GB202020355D0; DE102020135161A1; FI130395B; FI20206291A1; GB2592728B; GB2592728A; TW202142996A

Abstract

According to the invention, an apparatus and method for presenting a subject map are provided. The device includes at least one processor having at least one processing core, a display, a sensor, a memory. Determining a location of the device by providing location information through the sensor; a query is sent from the device to a topic map database server. The device is then updated with the location-dependent theme map by downloading and storing theme map data in memory. The downloaded theme map is presented to the user on the display in a first display mode. Starting an activity to display the performance-related information in a first display mode; and entering a first power saving mode by switching from the first display mode to the second display mode, and displaying at least a theme map with reduced time and functions to a user. Entering a second power saving mode by placing at least one processing core into a sleep mode; entering a third display mode, the clock unit updates the display with at least one of time and pre-calculated information at predetermined time intervals.

Description

Apparatus and method for presenting theme map

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to the field of devices such as can be used for multi-core or multi-chip embedded solutions.

Background

Embedded devices typically include an object with an embedded computing system that may enclose the embedded computing system. Embedded computer systems may be designed with a specific purpose in mind, or may be at least partially general-purpose in the sense of enabling a user to install software therein. The embedded computer system may be based on a microcontroller or microprocessor CPU, for example.

The embedded device may include one or more processors, a user interface, and a display such that a user may interact with the device using the user interface. The user interface may comprise, for example, buttons. The embedded device may include a connectivity function configured to communicate with a communication network, such as a wireless communication network. The embedded device may be enabled to receive information from such a communication network, for example, relating to the current time and the current time zone.

More complex embedded devices, such as cellular telephones, may allow a user to install applications into memory, such as solid state memory, included with the device. Embedded devices are often resource constrained compared to desktop or portable computers. For example, storage capacity may be more limited, the computing performance of the processor may be lower, and energy may be drawn from the battery as compared to a desktop or portable computer. The battery may be small and may be rechargeable.

Saving battery power is a critical task in designing embedded devices. Lower current usage may extend the time interval between battery charges. For example, a smartphone is advantageous in that it enables a user to charge the phone at night and enjoy uninterrupted use during the day, in situations where the smartphone can be used throughout the day before the smartphone needs to be charged.

Battery resources may be conserved by adjusting the processor clock frequency between the maximum clock frequency and a lower clock frequency (e.g., half the maximum clock frequency). Another way to conserve battery power is to have the display of the embedded device turn itself off when the device is not in use, since displaying content on the display consumes energy to cause the display to emit light that is visible to humans.

Disclosure of Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus, such as a personal device, comprising at least one processor having at least one processing core, at least one display, at least one sensor, at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processing core, enable the apparatus at least to:

-determining a location of the device by a sensor providing location information to the at least one processing core;

-sending a query from the device to a topic map database server, the query comprising an indication of a current location of the device;

-updating the device with a theme map from the server relating to the location by downloading theme map data and storing the theme map data in the at least one memory of the device;

-presenting at least one downloaded topic map as one of the suggested activities on a display to a user of the device in a first display mode;

-selecting an active session based on at least one of the following criteria: a user selection input, a pre-recorded user preference, a user activity history, an activity intensity in the location, a particular activity in the location, a time of day, a time of year, a location of the activity, or a second location adjacent to the current location, and performed in the following order:

a) starting the selected activity and displaying performance-related information to the user regarding the user's physical performance in the activity in the first display mode;

b) entering a first power saving mode by switching from the first display mode to a second display mode to display at least time and a theme map with reduced functionality relating to the activity to a user;

c) entering a second power saving mode by placing the at least one processing core in a sleep mode, and entering a third display mode in which a Real Time Clock (RTC) unit updates the display at least with time at predetermined time intervals;

d) returning to the first power saving mode b) and the second power saving mode by activating the at least one processing core from a sleep mode based on at least one of the following criteria: a user selection input, acceleration data input from an acceleration sensor in the device indicative of a display reading gesture of the user, and switching between the second display mode and a third display mode until the user terminates the active session.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for presenting information to a user of a device, such as a personal device, the device comprising at least one processor with at least one processing core, at least one display, and at least one memory including computer program code, the method comprising the steps of:

-determining a location of the device;

-presenting to the user, on the at least one display, at least one downloaded topic map as one of the suggested activities in a first display mode;

According to some embodiments, at least two processing cores are included, the selected activity is initiated by a first processing core in the first display mode, the first power saving mode is entered by placing the first processing core in a sleep mode and by switching to the second display mode using a second processing core, the second power saving mode is entered by turning off the second display mode and placing the second processing core in the sleep mode.

According to some embodiments, wherein when entering the second power saving mode, the RTC unit updates the display with a pre-computed static theme map and a current time related to the activity at predetermined time intervals.

Many embodiments of the first aspect may include at least one feature from the following list:

the device is configured to present to the user a selection of updated topic heat maps created for different athletic activities in the location as one activity type;

the device is configured to present to the user, as one activity type, a selection of an updated topic heat map created for a different athletic activity in a second location that is outside but adjacent to the current location;

the device is configured to automatically update a topic map relating to the location from the topic map database server when the device is charging and connected to a wireless network covering the current location;

storing the updated topic map in the at least one memory of the device for offline use of heat maps in the activity session;

the subject map with reduced functionality is pre-computed by the first processing core and stored in the at least one memory of the device for display by the second processing core to the user in the second display mode; and

the subject map with reduced functionality is pre-computed by the second processing core and stored in the at least one memory of the device for display by the second processing core to the user in the second display mode.

Drawings

FIG. 1A illustrates a system in accordance with at least some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 1B shows a system in accordance with at least some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary first device that can be used to support at least some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary second device that can be used to support at least some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates signaling in accordance with at least some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a first flowchart of a first method in accordance with at least some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a state transition diagram in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 7A illustrates an exemplary user interface in accordance with at least some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 7B shows an exemplary user interface in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 8 shows a flow diagram of a method in accordance with at least some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 9 shows a flow diagram of a method in accordance with at least some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary hardware configuration that can be used to support at least some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 11 shows a flow diagram of a method in accordance with at least some embodiments of the invention.

Detailed Description

A thematic map database (e.g., a heat map) may be compiled to cover a geographic area. The user may participate in the activity session in the geographic area. The activity types of such activity sessions may include jogging, swimming, and cycling, for example. When a user wishes to engage in his or her own activity session, his or her device may determine a route for the activity session based at least in part on the topic map database. Determining the route may include optionally designing the route based in part on user settings, based on where other users have engaged in the same type of activity session in the past. For example, a jogging route may be determined based at least in part on an indication of where other users have jogged in the past. Route determination may also be based in part on further considerations, which will be listed below.

FIG. 1A illustrates a system in accordance with at least some embodiments of the inventions. The system includes a device 110, which may include, for example, a smart watch, a digital watch, a smart phone, a tablet device, or another type of suitable device. Device 110 includes a display, which may include, for example, a touch screen display. The size of the display may be limited. The device 110 may be powered by a rechargeable battery, for example. One example of a display that is limited in size is a display worn on the wrist.

Device 110 may be communicatively coupled to a communication network. For example, in fig. 1A, device 110 is coupled with base station 120 via wireless link 112. Base stations 120 may include cellular base stations or non-cellular base stations, where non-cellular base stations may be referred to as access points. Examples of cellular technologies include Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) and Long Term Evolution (LTE), while examples of non-cellular technologies include Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX). The base station 120 may be coupled with a network node 130 via a connection 123. For example, connection 123 may be a wired connection. The network node 130 may comprise, for example, a controller or a gateway device. Network node 130 may be connected via connection 134 to a network 140, which network 140 may comprise, for example, the internet or a corporate network. The network 140 may be coupled with further networks via a connection 141. In some embodiments, device 110 is not configured to couple with base station 120.

The device 110 may be configured to receive satellite positioning information from a constellation of satellites 150 via a satellite link 151. The satellite constellation may include, for example, the Global Positioning System (GPS) or galileo constellation. Although only one satellite is shown in fig. 1A for clarity, satellite constellation 150 may include more than one satellite. Similarly, receiving positioning information over satellite link 151 may include receiving data from more than one satellite.

Instead of, or in addition to, receiving data from a constellation of satellites, device 110 may obtain positioning information through interaction with a network that includes base station 120. For example, a cellular network may locate devices in various ways, such as trilateration, multilateration, or location based on identification of base stations that may be or are connected. Similarly, a non-cellular base station or access point may know its own location and provide it to device 110, thereby enabling device 110 to position itself within a communication range of the access point.

For example, device 110 may be configured to obtain the current time from satellite constellation 150, base station 120, or by a user requesting the current time. When device 110 has an estimate of the current time and its location, device 110 may, for example, consult a look-up table to determine the time remaining until, for example, a sunset or sunrise. Similarly, the device 110 may acquire knowledge of the time of year.

Network 140 may be coupled to database server 160 via connection 161 or another network connection 141. When the device 110 determines its own current location, it may send a query to the database server 160, which acts as a thematic map database server. The query may include an indication of the current location of the device, obtained, for example, by a global positioning system as described above. Updated theme map data relating to the current location of the device 110 may then be downloaded from the server 160 via the

network connection

161 or 141 and stored in the memory of the device 110.

The device may be configured to present the user with a selection of the updated topic map as a heatmap created for different athletic activities in the location. Thus, the updated heatmap stored in the memory of device 110 may be used offline in an active session.

The device 110 may be configured to provide an active session. The activity session may be associated with an activity type. Examples of activity types include rowing, riding, jogging, walking, hunting, and paraglider. In the simplest form, an active session may include device 110 displaying an environment map and a route on the map that is associated with the active session. The device 110 may be configured to be able to display an indication of the location on the route where the user is currently located, thereby enabling the user to view the location at the current progress, for example, where he is jogging along the route.

According to some embodiments, the device 110 may be configured to present the user with a selection of the updated thematic map as a heat map created for different athletic activities in a second location that is outside but adjacent to the current location. Certain activities (e.g., riding) that a user likes may involve long distance movements and/or long time movements. In planning such activities, it is advantageous to have the heatmap also cover locations near the current location.

In some embodiments, the device may be configured to automatically update the theme map from the server 160 when the device is being charged with the charging device 170 and connected to the wireless network 112.

According to some embodiments, the device 110 is first able to determine a current location of the device to send a query to a topic map database server, the query including an indication of the current location of the device; then, the subject map data is updated by downloading it from the server and storing it in the memory of the device 110 so as to use the subject map related to its location. The device may then present the user with a selection of the downloaded topic map as a suggested activity type on the display in the first display mode. The selection may be based on at least one criterion of pre-recorded user preferences, user activity history, intensity of activity in the location, special activity in the location, time of day, time of year, or a second location adjacent to the current location. In response to a user selection input, device 110 may initiate an activity session for the selected one of the activities and display a thematic map of the activity in the second display mode.

Processing the heat maps, sensor information, displays, and other hardware needed to track a person's whereabouts and physical performance is a power-consuming task. From a battery performance standpoint, it is important to reduce the energy consumption of the device 110. Thus, it is contemplated that the first display mode will be employed in situations where the user requires all relevant data and features to perform the search, browse and activity selection, as well as any other functionality provided by the device. This requires a lot of battery power, but once the activity selection is made and the activity is started, the device 110 may enter a low power mode, which focuses only on processing data important for the activity in question. Such a low power mode may involve the use of a second display mode in which, for example, the resolution is reduced, no color is displayed, the map display is simplified, and/or the sensors are turned off and their corresponding information is suppressed on the display.

According to some embodiments, the apparatus includes at least two processing cores, and at least one display having at least two display modes. The first processing core causes the device to determine a current location of the device, send a query from the device to a topic map database server, and update the device with a topic map from the server relating to the location by downloading topic map data and storing the topic map data in at least one memory of the device. In the first display mode, the user is also presented with a selection of the downloaded topic map as a suggested activity type on the display, wherein the activity type is based on at least one of the following criteria: pre-recorded user preferences, user activity history, intensity of activity in the location, special activity in the location, time of day, time of year, or a second location adjacent to the current location. In response to a user selection input, an activity session is started and a subject map of the selected activity is displayed in a second display mode by the second processing core.

In some embodiments, an updated topic heat map may also be created for different athletic activities in a second location that is outside but adjacent to the current location. This may be beneficial in cases where the activity (e.g., riding) occurs over a considerable distance. The device 110 may be configured to automatically update the theme map relating to its location from the theme map database server at any time when the device is charged and connected to a wireless network covering its current location.

In some embodiments, the updated topic map is stored in memory of the device 110 for offline use. Thus, the stored topic map of the activity session to be started may be directly displayed in the second display mode.

The activity session in the device 110 may enhance the utility that the user may obtain from the activity, e.g., where the activity involves outdoor sports, the activity session may provide a record of the activity session. In some embodiments, an active session in device 110 may provide context information to the user during the active session. Such context information may include, for example, locally relevant weather information received via base station 120. Such context information may include at least one of: a rain warning, a temperature warning, an indication of the time remaining before sunset, an indication of nearby services related to the activity, a safety warning, an indication of nearby users, and an indication of a nearby location where some other user has taken a picture. Where the contextual information includes a safety warning, the warning may include a safe route determined in a manner that enables the user to avoid danger. For example, in the event of a chemical leak, the safe route may include a route to the room or to a public transport vehicle. Device 110 may determine a safe route, or device 110 may receive a safe route, at least in part, from a network. The safe route may be determined using existing roads, paths, and other transit routes known to the entity determining the safe route. For example, bus routes may be known from public map services.

The record may include information regarding at least one of: the route taken during the active session, the metabolic rate or effect of the active session, the duration of the active session, the energy consumed during the active session, the recording obtained during the active session, and an elevation map along the length of the route taken during the active session. For example, a route may be determined based on the location information. The metabolism and the energy expended may be determined based at least in part on information about users accessible to the device 110. The record may be stored in the device 110, an auxiliary device, or a server or data cloud storage service. Records stored in the server or cloud may be encrypted prior to transmission to the server or cloud to protect the privacy of the user.

The active session may access the backhaul communication link to provide an indication regarding the ongoing activity. For example, search and rescue services may be provided access to information about joggers in a particular area of a forest to allow them to search and rescue if, for example, a chemical leak makes the forest unsafe to humans. In some embodiments, when the activity session begins, routes related to the activity session are provided to the cloud service for storage, enabling the search for missing people along the routes that people would otherwise plan to go.

The user may initiate an active session, for example, by interacting with a user interface of device 110. Where the device 110 has a small form factor, the user interface may be implemented on limited user interaction capabilities (e.g., a small screen, a small touch screen, and/or a limited number of buttons). The limited user interaction capabilities may make it difficult for the user to interact with the device 110 in a complex manner that reduces the likelihood that the user will choose to interact with the device 110. It is therefore meaningful to simplify the interaction between the device 110 and the user in order to make it easier for the user to complete the interaction, thereby making it more likely for the user to perform the interaction.

The device 110 may provide an indication related to the active session to the theme map database 160 to further enhance the theme map database. Such indications may be processed anonymously before being sent to the database in order to protect the privacy of the user and/or to comply with local regulations. Such an indication may include, for example, information about the determined route and the corresponding type of activity.

Generally, the thematic map database 160 may associate at least one form of data with a geographic location. For example, the topic map database may associate past indications of activity sessions with geographic locations, for example, to enable mapping of areas where activity sessions of a given activity type have been performed. The area may be mapped against the strength or frequency of past indications of activity sessions and types. Thus, a first region of a lake may be associated with higher frequency rowing, while another region of the same lake may be associated with lower frequency (but still non-zero) rowing. Such frequencies may be referred to as intensities, and the topic map database may generally associate activity type intensities with locations. In addition to intensity, the topic map database may simply be associated with whether activity sessions of a given activity type have been performed in the past at a certain geographic location. In addition to intensity, the topic map database may indicate any specificity of activity in that location. Alternatively or additionally, the traffic density may be associated with a geographic location. The traffic density may include, for example, the traffic density of pedestrians or vehicles. In areas with high traffic density, walking or jogging may be less enjoyable or healthier due to smoke, and thus routes associated with such activities may be determined in a manner that avoids such high traffic density areas. Similarly, crime density may alternatively or additionally be displayed on a map and used for route determination to avoid high crime areas. The avalanche risk density obtained from the weather service can similarly be used to determine the course of the skiing activity in a safe area. In some embodiments, many places where the user has taken pictures may be used in the route to determine the route to access these frequent-picture locations, as such locations are likely to be beautiful and exciting.

In some embodiments, the user may have indicated in the user settings that he wishes to participate in some type of activity session, where such indication may be considered in determining the route of the activity session. For example, the settings may be taken into account when designing the route, such that performing an activity session along the route can result in an increase in energy consumption by the user, which is roughly consistent with what the user requires in the settings. Alternatively or additionally, the cardiovascular effects of the activity session may be adjusted to be consistent with the user settings by routing in a suitable manner. Similarly, the user may specify the oxygen consumption (EPOC) effect and/or the length of recovery time required after the active session. EPOC refers to excess oxygen consumption after exercise, sometimes colloquially referred to as afterburning.

The route may be determined to be interruptible. For example, where the activity includes riding, the route may tend towards a start and end position near the midpoint of the route to enable the user to shorten the route. The user may specify in the user settings that he wishes to participate in the interruptible route, or, where possible, interruptible may be a default setting to attempt to comply with.

The user's body consumption level caused by the route may be modified by determining an elevation change along the route, for example in terms of energy consumption, oxygen consumption, cardiovascular effects, EPOC or length of recovery time. In the case where the user wishes to conduct a light activity session, the route may be determined to be relatively flat, whereas in the case where the user wishes to conduct a heavy activity session, the route may be determined to have more elevation changes. In this sense, using a topic map database in conjunction with altitude data may include, for example: in areas where the topic map database indicates that a corresponding type of activity session has been conducted in the past, a route is determined based on elevation changes to match the required intensity. In general, after identifying suitable areas for a route using a thematic map database, user settings may be employed to determine the route.

The time of year and/or the time of day may be employed in the subject map database or in route determination. For example, the theme map database 160 may include data collected at different times of the year, e.g., the same location may be associated with frequent jogging in the summer and frequent skiing in the winter. Thus, if the query is made in summer, the database may return a jogging route at the location, and if the query is made in winter, the database may return a skiing route at the location. Alternatively or additionally, when determining the predicted type of user activity, device 110 may select an activity type from the set of activity types returned by the database that corresponds to a time of year or a time of day. For example, in embodiments where the topic map database does not collect statistics based on time of year or day, respectively, the device 110 may perform this task. As a specific example, a local resident may consider a location safe during the day, but unsafe in the dark. In this case, if a request is made during the day, the route of the user who requests the jogging route may be designed to the location, but if a request is made after the dark, the route may be designed to other locations.

In general, the theme map database 160 may be included in a server or cloud device, or may be at least partially downloaded to the device 110 or auxiliary device for offline use. The auxiliary device is described below in conjunction with fig. 1B. Although primarily described herein as being performed by device 110 for route determination methods, route determination may also occur in another device (e.g., an auxiliary device or a cloud computing device) in other embodiments of the invention. The user may have an account in the cloud computing service in which his information may be stored, and he may request that a route be determined and provided to his device (e.g., device 110).

Responsive to the user implicitly or explicitly approving the proposed route, an activity session based on the approved proposed route can be initiated.

More than one route may be determined such that at least one determined route is presented to the user as a suggested route. For example, two routes may be determined that match the user-defined requirements, and then the two routes may be presented as suggested routes, and information about each route is also presented to the user. For example, energy consumption, estimated completion time, and/or route length may be presented to assist the user in making the selection. Energy consumption, estimated completion time, and/or other suitable information may be determined based at least in part on altitude information.

Information about the segments of any proposed route may also or alternatively be presented to enable the user to build his route from the interconnected segments.

In some embodiments, the user need not explicitly select a suggested route, but rather the device may infer the route the user is following from the manner in which the positioning information varies. In response, any other suggested routes may be deleted from the display to reduce clutter. In the event that the user deviates from the route, the device may note this from the positioning information and responsively determine an alternative route for the user, which may be displayed again. Thus, the user's motion may result in approval of the proposed route and/or a new determination of a newly proposed route (in the event of a deviation from a previously approved route) via the positioning information. Such a new proposed route may be determined from the current location of the device to the same end point as the originally approved route. Such an end point may comprise a start point of the route, or another point entered by the user. Time remaining, energy consumption, and/or other information about the new proposed route may be presented.

FIG. 1B illustrates a system in accordance with at least some embodiments of the inventions. The same reference numerals denote the same structures as in fig. 1A. The embodiment of FIG. 1B includes an auxiliary device 110 x.

Device 110 may be communicatively coupled, e.g., communicatively paired, with auxiliary device 110 x. The communicative coupling or pairing is shown in fig. 1A as interface 111, which may be wireless as shown, or wired depending on the embodiment. The auxiliary device 110x may include, for example, a smartphone, tablet computer, or other computing device. Auxiliary device 110x may include a device used by the owner of device 110 to consume media, communicate with or interact with applications. The auxiliary device 110x may be equipped with a larger display screen than the device 110, which may make the auxiliary device 110x more desirable to the user when complex interactions with applications are required, since a larger screen may enable more detailed presentation of interaction options. In embodiments such as those shown in fig. 1A, the auxiliary device 110x is not present.

In some embodiments, in the presence of the auxiliary device 100x, the device 110 is configured to be able to use the connection capabilities of the auxiliary device 110 x. For example, device 110 may access a network via auxiliary device 110 x. In these embodiments, device 110 need not have connectivity with base station 120, for example, because device 110 may access network resources via interface 111 and secondary device 110x has connectivity with base station 120. Such a connection is shown in FIG. 1B as connection 112 x. For example, device 110 may comprise a smart watch and secondary device 110x may comprise a smart phone that may have connectivity to a cellular and/or non-cellular data network. Similarly, in some embodiments, device 110 may receive satellite positioning information or positioning information derived therefrom via auxiliary device 110x in the event that device 110 lacks its own satellite positioning receiver. Satellite connection 151x for the auxiliary device is shown in fig. 1B as connection 151 x.

In some embodiments, the device 110 may have some connectivity and be configured to use the connectivity described above and the connectivity provided by the auxiliary device 110 x. For example, device 110 may include a satellite receiver, enabling device 110 to obtain satellite positioning information directly from satellite constellation 150. Device 110 may then obtain a network connection with base station 120 via auxiliary device 110 x. For example, device 110 may send a query to the topic map database via secondary device 110 x. In some embodiments, the device 110 is configured to request and responsively receive sensor information from the auxiliary device 110 x. Such sensor information may include, for example, acceleration sensor information. In general, processes such as route determination and/or communication processes may be distributed among the devices 110, the auxiliary devices 110x, and/or the cloud computing service in a suitable manner.

Similarly, the network 140 may be coupled to a theme map database server 160, for example, via an auxiliary device 110x and a connection 161, as described in connection with FIG. 1A. Updated theme map data relating to the current location of the device 110 may be downloaded from the server 160 and stored in memory of the device 110 or memory of the secondary device 110 x. The device 110 may be configured to automatically update the theme map from the server 160 when the device is being charged by the charging device 170 and connected to the wireless network 112 either directly or via the auxiliary device 110 x.

An embedded device provides two or more processor cores, at least some of which are capable of controlling the display of the device, thereby conserving power in the event that a less powerful processor core is configured to switch a more powerful processor core to or from a sleep state. The sleep state may include, for example, the clock frequency of the more capable processing core being set to zero. In the sleep state, instead of or in addition to setting the clock frequency of the more capable processing core to zero, the memory refresh rate of the memory used by the more capable core may be set to zero. Instead of zero, a low non-zero frequency may be used for the clock frequency and/or the memory refresh frequency. In some embodiments, more capable processing cores may employ higher density memory technologies, such as Double Data Rate (DDR) memory, while less capable processing cores may employ lower density memory technologies, such as Static Random Access Memory (SRAM). In the sleep state, the sleeping processing core (or more generally, the processing unit) may be powered down. Instead of a processor core, in some embodiments, the entire processor may transition to a sleep state. One advantage of putting the entire processor in a sleep state is that circuitry in the processor outside the core is also put in a sleep state, thereby further reducing current consumption.

The device 110 may include two or more processing units. The two or more processing units may each include a processing core. Each processing unit may include one or more unified or heterogeneous processor cores, and/or different volatile and non-volatile memories. For example, the device 110 may include a microprocessor having at least one processing core, and a microcontroller having at least one processing core. The processing cores need not be of the same type, for example, a processing core in a microcontroller may have more limited processing power and/or weaker memory technology than a processing core included in a microprocessor. In some embodiments, a single integrated circuit includes two processing cores, a first processing core having weaker processing power and consuming less power, and a second processing core having stronger processing power and consuming more power. In general, a first of the two processing units may have a weaker processing power and consume less power, and a second of the two processing units may have a stronger processing power and consume more power. Each processing unit may control a display of the device 110. The more capable processing unit may be configured to provide a richer visual experience via the display. The less capable processing unit may be configured to provide a weaker visual experience via the display. One example of a weaker visual experience is a reduced color display mode, rather than a rich color display mode. Another example of an impaired visual experience is a black and white visual experience. One example of a richer visual experience is the use of color. For example, the color may be displayed as 16 bits or 24 bits.

Both processing units may include a display interface configured to communicate to a display. For example, where the processing unit includes a microprocessor and a microcontroller, the microprocessor may include transceiver circuitry coupled to at least one metal pin under the microprocessor, the at least one metal pin being electrically coupled to the input interface of the display control device. The display control device (which may be included in the display) is configured to cause the display to display information in accordance with an electrical signal received in the display control device. Likewise, the microcontroller in this example may include a transceiver circuit coupled to at least one metal pin under the microcontroller, the at least one metal pin electrically coupled to the input interface of the display control device. The display control device may comprise two input interfaces each coupled to a respective one of the two processing units, or the display control device may comprise a single input interface to which both processing units are capable of providing input via their respective display interfaces. Thus, the display interface in the processing unit may comprise transceiver circuitry that enables the processing unit to send electrical signals to the display.

One of the processing units (e.g., the weaker or the stronger) may be configured to at least partially control the other processing unit. For example, a less capable processing unit (e.g., a less capable processing core) may cause a more capable processing unit (e.g., a more capable processing core) to transition into and out of a sleep state. These transitions may be caused by signaling via an internal processing unit interface, such as an inter-core interface.

When transitioning from the active state to the sleep state, the transitioning processing unit may store its context, at least in part, in a memory, such as Pseudo Static Random Access Memory (PSRAM), SRAM, FLASH, or ferroelectric ram (fram). The context may include, for example, the contents of registers and/or addressing. When transitioning from a hibernation state using a context stored in memory, the processing unit may resume processing more quickly, and/or from a location where the processing unit was in the hibernation state. In this way, the delay experienced by the user can be reduced. Occasionally alternative terms used in context include state and image. In the sleep state, the clock frequency of the processing unit and/or associated memory may be set to zero, which means that the processing unit is powered down and does not consume energy. The circuit configured to provide the operating voltage to the at least one processing unit may comprise, for example, a Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC). Since device 110 includes another processing unit, the hibernating processing unit may be completely powered down while maintaining the availability of device 110.

When transitioning from the sleep state to the active state, the clock frequency of the transitioning processing unit may be set to a non-zero value. The processing unit making the transition may read the context from memory, where the context may comprise a previously stored context, e.g., a context stored in association with the transition to the sleep state, or the context may comprise a default state or context of the processing unit stored in the factory into memory. The memory may include, for example, pseudo Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), FLASH, and/or FRAM. The memory used by the processing unit to transition into and out of the sleep state may comprise, for example, DDR memory.

In the case where one processing unit is in a sleep state, a non-sleep processing unit may control the device 110. For example, the non-sleep processing unit may control the display via a display interface included in the non-sleep processing unit. For example, in the event that a less capable processing unit has caused a more capable processing unit to transition to a sleep state, the less capable processing unit may provide a diminished user experience, for example, at least in part through a display. One example of an impaired user experience is a map experience with an impaired visual experience, which includes black and white rendering of a map service. The diminished experience may be sufficient for the user to benefit from, which is advantageous in that battery power is conserved by having a more powerful processing unit hibernate. In some embodiments, a more capable processing unit, such as a microprocessor, may consume milliamps of current in a non-sleep low power state, while a less capable processing unit, such as a microcontroller, may only consume microamps of current in a non-sleep low power state. In the non-sleep state, the current consumption of the processing unit may be changed by setting the operating clock frequency to a value between a maximum clock frequency and a minimum non-zero clock frequency. In at least some embodiments, a processing unit (e.g., a less capable processing unit) may be configured to power down a short time (e.g., 10 or 15 microseconds) before being awakened. In the context of this document, this is not referred to as a sleep state, but rather an active, low power consumption configuration. The average clock frequency calculated over several such periods and the intervening active periods is a non-zero positive value. For example, a more powerful processing unit may be made to run the android operating system.

The triggering event for transitioning the processing unit to the sleep state includes: the user indicates that the non-diminished experience is no longer needed, that the communication interface of the processing unit is no longer needed, and that the device 110 has not been used for a predetermined length of time. An exemplary indication that a non-diminished experience is no longer needed is a situation where the user has deactivated the full version of the application (e.g., the mapping application). The triggering event for transitioning the processing unit from the sleep state to the active state may include: the user indicates that a non-diminished experience is required, that a communication interface of the processing unit is requested, and that interaction with the device 110 is performed after a period of inactivity. Alternatively or additionally, the external event may be configured as a triggering event, such as an event based on a sensor included in the device 110. One example of such an external event is a clock-based event configured to occur at a pre-configured time of day, such as an alarm clock function. In at least some embodiments, the non-diminished experience includes using a graphics mode that the non-sleeping processing unit cannot support, but the sleeping processing unit can support. The graphics mode may include, for example, a combination of resolution, color depth, and/or refresh rate.

In some embodiments, user demand or user requests for non-diminished experiences may be predicted. Such predictions may be based at least in part on a usage pattern of the user in which the user tends to perform certain actions in the diminished experience before requesting the non-diminished experience. In this case, the non-diminished mode may be triggered in response to determining that the user performed a particular action in the diminished experience.

If the processing unit is located in a separate device or housing, such as a wrist-mounted computer and a hand-held or fixed-mount display device, the bus may be implemented wirelessly using a wireless communication protocol. The radio transceiver units (functionally connected to their respective processing units) may thus perform the functions of a bus, thereby forming a Personal Area Network (PAN). The wireless communication protocol may be a protocol for communication between computers and/or between any remote sensors, such as bluetooth LE or a proprietary ANT + protocol. These protocols use Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS), modulation techniques and adaptive synchronous network configurations, respectively. For example, from Texas

To obtain enabling descriptions of the necessary hardware for various implementations of wireless links, including IC circuits for protocols operating in sub-1GHz and 2.4GHz bands and related hardware configurations, e.g., ANT^TM、

Low-energy-consumption RFID/NFC and Purpath^TMWireless audio frequency,

IEEE 802.15.4, ZigBee RF4CE, 6LoWPAN and

in association with hibernation, the PAN may be kept in operation by processing units that are not hibernating, such that when hibernation ends, processing units that leave the hibernation mode may access the PAN without having to re-establish the PAN. In some embodiments, the microphone data is used in the first processor to determine whether to trigger the second processor from hibernation. The first processor may be less capable and consume less energy than the second processor. For example, the first processor may comprise a microcontroller and the second processor may comprise a microprocessor. The microphone data may be compared to reference data and/or pre-processed to identify features in the microphone data that are used to determine whether a voice command has been issued and recorded in the microphone data. Instead of or in addition to the voice command, the microphone data may be searched for an auditory control signal, such as a fire alarm or a beep.

The first processor may activate the second processor in response to the first processor detecting a voice instruction and/or an audible control signal in the microphone data. In some embodiments, the first processor activates the second processor to a state in which the first processor selects according to which voice command and/or audible control signal in the microphone data. Thus, for example, where the voice instructions identify a web search engine, the second processor may launch into the user interface of that particular web search engine. As another example, in the event that the audible control signal is a fire alarm, the second processor may launch into a user interface of an application that provides emergency guidance to the user. Selecting the initial state of the second processor already present in the first processor may save time compared to the case where the state is selected by the user or the second processor itself.

In case the microphone is comprised in the device, the microphone may in particular be enclosed within a waterproof housing. While such a housing may prevent the generation of high quality microphone data, it may allow the generation of microphone data of sufficient quality to enable the first processor to determine whether voice instructions and/or audible control signals are present.

In some embodiments, a first processor is configured to process a notification arriving in a device and decide whether a second processor is needed to process the notification. The notification may relate to, for example, a multimedia message or an incoming video call. The notification may relate to a software update provided to the device, in which case the first processor may cause the second processor to leave the sleep state to process the notification. The first processor may select an initial state to which the second processor is booted from the sleep state based on the notification. The second processor may transition the first processor to the sleep state for the duration of the software update.

In general, an instruction from outside the device may be received in the device, and the first processor may responsively cause the second processor to exit the sleep state. The instructions from outside the device may include, for example, notifications, voice instructions, or audible control signals.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary first device capable of supporting at least some embodiments of the present invention. The illustrated device includes a microcontroller 210 and a microprocessor 220. Microcontroller 210 may comprise, for example, a Silabs EMF32 or Renesas RL78 microcontroller, or the like. The microprocessor 220 may comprise, for example, a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor or an ARM Cortex based processor. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the microcontroller 210 and microprocessor 220 are communicatively coupled with an inter-core interface, which may include, for example, a serial or parallel communication interface. In general, the interface disposed between the microcontroller 210 and the microprocessor 220 may be considered an inter-processing unit interface.

In the illustrated embodiment, microcontroller 210 is communicatively coupled with buzzer 270, a Universal Serial Bus (USB), interface 280, pressure sensor 290, acceleration sensor 2100, gyroscope 2110, magnetometer 2120, satellite positioning circuitry 2130, bluetooth interface 2140, user interface buttons 2150, and touch interface 2160. The pressure sensor 290 may comprise, for example, an atmospheric pressure sensor.

Microprocessor 220 is communicatively coupled with optional cellular interface 240, non-cellular interface 250, and USB interface 260. Microprocessor 220 is also communicatively coupled to a display 230 through a microprocessor display interface 222. The microcontroller 210 is similarly communicatively coupled with a display 230 through a microcontroller display interface 212. The microprocessor display interface 222 may include communication circuitry contained in the microprocessor 220. The microcontroller display interface 212 may include communication circuitry contained in the microcontroller 210.

The microcontroller 210 may be configured to determine whether a triggering event has occurred, wherein the microcontroller 210 may be configured to cause the microprocessor 220 to transition into and out of the sleep state described above in response to the triggering event. When the microprocessor 220 is in a sleep state, the microcontroller 210 may control the display 230 through the microcontroller display interface 222. Thus, for example, when the microprocessor 220 is in a sleep state, the microcontroller 210 may provide a diminished experience to the user through the display 230.

In response to a triggering event, the microcontroller 210 may cause the microprocessor 220 to transition from a sleep state to an active state. For example, in the embodiment of fig. 2, since the cellular interface 240 is controllable by the microprocessor 220 and cannot be used directly by the microcontroller 210, the microcontroller 210 may cause the microprocessor 220 to transition to an active state in the event that the user indicates, e.g., via button 2150, that he wishes to initiate a cellular communication connection. In some embodiments, when the microprocessor 220 is in a sleep state, the cellular interface 240 is also in a sleep state. The cellular interface 240 may include, for example, an electrical interface to a cellular transceiver. The cellular interface 240 may include control circuitry for a cellular transceiver.

In various embodiments, at least two of the elements shown in FIG. 2 may be integrated on the same integrated circuit. For example, the microprocessor 220 and the microcontroller 210 may be provided as processing cores in the same integrated circuit. In this case, for example, the cellular interface 240 may be a cellular interface of the integrated circuit included in the integrated circuit, wherein the cellular interface 240 may be controlled by the microprocessor 220 instead of the microcontroller 210. In other words, various hardware features of the integrated circuit may be controlled by one of the microcontroller 210 and the microprocessor 220, but not both. On the other hand, certain hardware features may be controlled by any processing unit. For example, in such an integrated embodiment, USB interface 260 and USB interface 280 may be the same USB interface of an integrated circuit and may be controlled by either processing core.

Further illustrated in figure 2 are memory 2170 and memory 2180. Memory 2170 is used by microprocessor 220 and may be based on DDR memory technology, such as DDR2 or DDR 3. The memory 2180 is used by the microcontroller 210 and may be based on SRAM technology, for example.

Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary second device capable of supporting at least some embodiments of the present invention.

The illustrated device 300 may include, for example, the embedded device 110 of fig. 1. The processor 310 is included in the device 300, and the processor 310 may include, for example, a single-core or multi-core processor, where the single-core processor includes one processing core and the multi-core processor includes more than one processing core. The processor 310 may correspond to the structure shown in fig. 2, for example, the display 230 may be excluded. Processor 310 may include more than one processor or processing unit. The processor 310 may include at least one Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). The processor 310 may include at least one Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The processor 310 may be a means for performing the method steps in the device 300. The processor 310 may be configured, at least in part, by computer instructions to perform actions.

Device 300 may include memory 320. Memory 320 may include random access memory and/or persistent memory. The memory 320 may include volatile and/or nonvolatile memory. The memory 320 may include at least one RAM chip. The memory 320 may include, for example, magnetic, optical, and/or holographic memory. The memory 320 is at least partially accessible by the processor 310. The memory 320 may be a means for storing information. Memory 320 may include computer instructions that processor 310 is configured to execute. When computer instructions configured to cause processor 310 to perform certain actions are stored in memory 320 and device 300 as a whole is configured to run under the direction of processor 310 using the computer instructions from memory 320, processor 310 and/or at least one processing core thereof may be considered to be configured to perform the certain actions. The memory 320 may be at least partially included in the processor 310. Memory 320 may be at least partially external to device 300, but accessible to device 300.

The device 300 may include a transmitter 330. Device 300 may include a receiver 340. Transmitter 330 and receiver 340 may be configured to transmit and receive information, respectively, according to at least one cellular or non-cellular standard. The transmitter 330 may include more than one transmitter. Receiver 340 may include more than one receiver. Transmitter 330 and/or receiver 340 may be configured to operate in accordance with, for example, global system for mobile communications (GSM), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), IS-95, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), ethernet, and/or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) standards. Transmitter 330 and/or receiver 340 may be controlled, for example, via cellular interface 240, non-cellular interface 250, and/or USB interface 280 of fig. 2.

The device 300 may include a Near Field Communication (NFC) transceiver 350. NFC transceiver 350 may support at least one NFC technology, such as NFC, bluetooth, Wibree, or the like.

Device 300 may include a User Interface (UI) 360. UI 360 may include at least one of a display, a keyboard, a touch screen, a vibrator configured to signal a user by vibrating device 300, a speaker, and a microphone. User input to the UI 360 may be based on, for example, a pattern in which a user shakes the device 300 to initiate an action via the UI 360. For example, a user may operate device 300 via UI 360 to accept incoming calls, initiate telephone or video calls, browse the internet, manage digital files on the cloud that are stored in memory 320 or accessible through transmitter 330 and receiver 340 or through NFC transceiver 350, and/or play games. UI 360 may include, for example, button 2150 of fig. 2 and display 230.

The device 300 may include or be configured to accept a user identity module 370. The user identity module 370 may comprise, for example, a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card that may be installed in the device 300. The user identity module 370 may include information for identifying the identity of the user of the device 300. User identity module 370 may include cryptographic information that may be used to verify the identity of a user of device 300 and/or to facilitate encryption of communication information and billing of the user of device 300 for communications through device 300.

The processor 310 may be equipped with a transmitter arranged to output information from the processor 310 to other devices included in the device 300 via electrical leads internal to the device 300. Such a transmitter may comprise a serial bus transmitter, for example, configured to output information to memory 320 via at least one electrical lead for storage therein. As an alternative to a serial bus, the transmitter may comprise a parallel bus transmitter. Similarly, processor 310 may include a receiver configured to receive information into processor 310 from other devices included in device 300 via electrical leads internal to device 300. Such a receiver may comprise a serial bus receiver configured to receive information from receiver 340, for example, via at least one electrical lead, for processing in processor 310. As an alternative to a serial bus, the receiver may comprise a parallel bus receiver.

Device 300 may include other components not shown in fig. 3. For example, where device 300 comprises a smartphone, it may contain at least one digital camera. Some devices 300 may include a back camera that may be used for digital photography and a front camera that may be used for video telephony. The device 300 may comprise a fingerprint sensor arranged to at least partially authenticate a user of the device 300. In some embodiments, the apparatus 300 lacks at least one of the above-described devices. For example, some devices 300 may lack NFC transceiver 350 and/or subscriber identity module 370.

Processor 310, memory 320, transmitter 330, receiver 340, NFC transceiver 350, UI 360, and/or user identity module 370 may be interconnected in a number of different ways by electrical leads internal to device 300. For example, each of the aforementioned devices may be independently connected to a main bus internal to apparatus 300 to allow the devices to exchange information. However, it will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that this is only an example and that, depending on the embodiment, various ways of interconnecting at least two of the aforementioned devices may be chosen without departing from the scope of the invention.

Fig. 4 illustrates signaling in accordance with at least some embodiments of the invention. On the vertical axis from left to right are arranged a user interface UI, a processing unit PU1, a processing unit 2PU2, and finally a display DISP. Time progresses from top to bottom. The processing unit 2 may have a stronger processing power than the processing unit 1 and is associated with a higher current consumption.

In stage 410, processing unit 2, which may include a processing core, controls a display. For example, the processing unit 2 may run an application and provide instructions to the display for displaying information reflecting the state of the application.

In stage 420, processing unit 1 determines that a triggering event occurs, the triggering event being associated with a transition of processing unit 2 from an active state to a sleep state. For example, the processing unit 1 may determine the occurrence of a trigger event by receiving an indication from the processing unit 2 that a task performed by the processing unit 2 has been completed. As mentioned above, the sleep state may comprise setting the clock frequency of the processing unit 2 to zero. In response to the determination of stage 420, processing unit 1 controls the display in stage 430, and processing unit 1 transitions processing unit 2 to the sleep state in stage 440. Subsequently, in stage 450, the processing unit 2 is in a sleep state. When the processing unit 2 is in the sleep state, the battery resources of the device may be consumed at a reduced rate. In some embodiments, stage 430 may begin at the same time stage 440 occurs, or stage 440 may occur before stage 430 begins.

In stage 460, the user interacts with the user interface UI to cause the processing unit 1 to determine a trigger event to transition the processing unit 2 from the sleep state to the active state. For example, the user may trigger a web browser application that requires connection capabilities that only the processing unit 2 may provide. Accordingly, in stage 470, processing unit 1 wakes up processing unit 2 from the sleep state. In response, processing unit 2 may read the state from memory and wake up to that state and take control of the display, which is shown as stage 480.

FIG. 5 is a first flowchart of a method including two processing cores in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention. The stages of the method shown may be performed, for example, in the apparatus 110 of fig. 1 or in the apparatus of fig. 2.

Stage 510 includes generating, by a first processing core, a first control signal. Stage 520 includes controlling the display by providing a first control signal to the display via the first display interface. Stage 530 includes generating, by the second processing core, a second control signal. Stage 540 includes controlling the display by providing a second control signal to the display via a second display interface. Finally, stage 550 includes causing the second processing core to enter and leave the sleep state based at least in part on a determination by the first processing core that an instruction from outside the device.

Fig. 6 is a state transition diagram in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention.

PU1 corresponds to processing unit 1, e.g., a less capable processing unit. PU2 corresponds to a processing unit

2, e.g., a more powerful processing unit. For example, these elements may be similar to those described in connection with fig. 4. In the initial state, the device including PU1 and PU2 is in an inactive state, where 0 represents the state of PU1 and PU 2. PU1 and PU2 were both off.

From the initial power-down state, the first PU1 is powered, indicated as PU1 having a state of "1", while PU2 remains in the power-down state, indicated by 0. Thus, the composite state is "10", corresponding to the case where PU1 is active and PU2 is not active. In this state, the device may provide a diminished experience for the user and consume less battery power.

Alternatively or in addition to the power-down state, PU1 and/or PU2 may have an intermediate low power state from which PU1 and/or PU2 may transition to the active state faster than from the fully power-down state. For example, the processing unit may be set to such an intermediate low power state before it is set to a powered down state. If the processing unit is needed shortly thereafter, it may be transitioned back to the powered state. If no processing unit is identified as needed within a predetermined time, the processing unit may be transitioned from the intermediate low power state to a powered down state.

Arrow 610 represents a transition from state "10" to state "11", in other words, a transition of PU2 from a sleep state to an active state (e.g., a state whose clock frequency is non-zero). PU1 may, for example, cause a transition represented by arrow 610 in response to a triggering event. In state "11", the device can provide a richer experience at the expense of faster battery power consumption.

Arrow 620 represents a transition from state "11" to state "10", in other words, a transition of PU2 from an active state to a dormant state. PU1 may, for example, cause a transition represented by arrow 620 in response to a triggering event.

FIG. 7A illustrates an exemplary user interface in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present invention. The user interface may be included in, for example, device 110 of FIG. 1A or FIG. 1B. The display 700 is configured to provide a user interface display to a user. Display area 710 provides an application level display to the user. Included in the application level display 710 is a map 720, which may display terrain and/or elevation information, for example. In the example shown, a hill is displayed in map 720.

According to some embodiments, the user may be presented with a selection of updated heatmaps created for different athletic activities in locations other than but adjacent to the current location. Thus, for example, the display 700 may show a map 720 with hills in a nearby town, county, or autonomous town. The rules of which content is located within the current location of the device 110 and which content is located in adjacent locations may be set by the boundaries between such areas (if the positioning system used contains such data), or simply by a radius (e.g., 10km) relative to the current location.

Some activities (e.g., riding) that a user likes may involve long distance movements and/or long time movements. In planning such activities, it is advantageous to have the heatmap also cover locations near the current location.

A start point 730 is shown in the user interface, along with a route 740, shown in dashed lines. In this example, the route may be traveled twice to obtain the physical exercise effect desired by the user. The route proceeds along a relatively constant altitude around the hill, and since the user will pass the start point 730, there is an opportunity to interrupt the active session halfway through two passes. To interrupt the session, the user may simply stop at the start point 730 instead of starting a second turn along the route. In this example, the area of the map 720 may be indicated in the topic map database as being associated with a past activity session of a type of activity that corresponds to or is actually the same as the session selected by the user. For example, routes may be determined based in part on map information obtained from a map service, such as a proprietary service, a HERE map, or a Google map. Altitude information may be obtained from the same or similar services.

FIG. 7B illustrates a second example of a user interface in accordance with at least some embodiments of the invention. The same reference numerals denote the same elements as in fig. 7A. In fig. 7B, a routing view is presented in the application level display area 710. The routing view displays a network of route segments including segment 750a, segment 750b, segment 750c, segment 750d, segment 750e, and segment 750 f. The user may complete a closed route from the starting point 730 to the starting point 730 through various combination options. For example, the first option includes

sections

750a, 750b, 750c, and 750 d. For example, the second selection includes in

order segments

750a, 750b, 750c, followed by in

order segments

750e and 750 a. For example, the snippet may be obtained based, at least in part, on a local map and/or a topic map database.

The user may be presented with information about route options, e.g., for a first option, an estimated energy consumption associated with an active session along a route defined by the first option, and for a second option. The user may explicitly or implicitly select one of the presented options, as well as a route that deviates from the presented options, to use a different set of route segments. For example, a user setting the first option may decide to shorten the active session by bringing segments 750e and 750d back to the starting point 730. Alternatively, the user may decide to extend the session by replacing segment 750b with segment 750f in the first option.

In some embodiments, information about route segments is separately presented to enable a user to design a route with greater accuracy. For example, when segment 750a is used as a route segment in a given type of active session, the energy consumption associated with segment 750a may be presented. Similarly, other physiological effects may be exhibited instead of or in addition to energy expenditure, such as EPOC or oxygen expenditure.

Fig. 8 is a flow diagram of a method in accordance with at least some embodiments of the invention. The stages of the method shown may be performed, for example, in the device 110, or, for example, in a control means configured to control the function of the device 110 when implanted in the device 110.

Stage 810 includes determining a predicted type of user activity based at least in part on the topic map database and the current location of the device. Stage 820 includes presenting, by the device, the predicted user activity type as a suggested activity type to the first user. Finally, stage 830 includes starting an activity session for the suggested activity type in response to the first user approving the suggested activity type.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram of a method in accordance with at least some embodiments of the invention. The stages of the method shown may be performed, for example, in the device 110, or may be performed, for example, in a control means configured to control the function of the device 110 when implanted in the device 110.

Stage 900 includes determining a current location of a device. Stage 910 includes an act of sending a query from the device to a topic map database server. The query may include an indication of the current location of the device. In stage 920, the device 110 is updated with the location dependent theme map by downloading the theme map data and storing the theme map data in the memory of the device. In stage 930, a selection of a local topic map as a suggested activity type is presented to the user in a first display mode. The theme map to be downloaded may be selected based on at least one of the following criteria: pre-recorded user preferences, user activity history, activity intensity in the location, special activity in the location, time of day, time of year, or a second location adjacent to the current location. Finally, in stage 940, in response to the user approving the suggested activity type, the activity session begins and is displayed in a second display mode.

An exemplary hardware configuration of a dual processor wristwatch-type device 1000 that can be used to support at least some embodiments of the present invention is shown in fig. 10. A first high power microprocessor or microcontroller unit (MCU)1020 is shown including a first processing core and a second low power Application Processor (AP) or microcontroller unit 1030 including a second processing core. Alternatively, two or more processing cores having different characteristics may be provided within the same microprocessor 1020. Both processors (or processing cores) are capable of controlling the device display 1010 and displaying information on the display 1010, as indicated by arrows a and B, respectively. The display 1010 may be a touch screen display. A sensor (not shown, e.g., item 2130 in fig. 2), such as a GPS sensor, provides location information to at least one processing core, thereby enabling the device to determine its location.

During normal operation, the device 1000 employs a first display mode controlled by the first processor 1020 when a topic map of a suggested activity, which may be downloaded from the server 1070 via the communication interface 1022 of the first processor 1020, is presented to the user on the display 1010. The communication interface 1022 may correspond to, for example, any one or several of the interfaces 240-260 of fig. 2. The selection of the active session may be based on a user selection input, pre-recorded user preferences, a user activity history, an activity intensity in the location, a particular activity in the location, a time of day, a time of year, or a second location adjacent to the current location.

The first processor 1020 starts the selected activity and displays performance related information relating to the user's physical performance, including sensor information relating to location, distance, speed, heart rate, etc., to the user in a first display mode. The first activity pattern is active for a predetermined time or ends, for example, when the acceleration sensor information indicates that the user is in a stable performance mode based on tempo, rhythmic motion, heart rhythm, etc.

The first processor 1020 may then generate a muted version of the selected active topic map, or may download the muted map from the server 1070 as needed. The need may be based on the type of device, the user's preferences, and/or the user's location, and the server may provide the appropriate activity selection for download.

Device 1000 may enter a first energy saving mode by determining the last known context and/or performance of the user. After determining what to display in the second display mode by context, the first processor 1020 may enter the sleep mode and switch from the first display mode to the second display mode. In a dual processor embodiment, the second display mode may be controlled by the second processor 1030. In the second display mode, time and other information related to the activity, such as user location provided by a GPS sensor, may be displayed. An "attenuation" map is referred to herein as an attenuated version of the subject map. For example, this may mean one or several of the following: less or no color, lower display resolution, slower display update, reduced content, etc.

In some embodiments, where two processors are involved, a first power saving mode and a second power saving mode may be used. From a power saving perspective, the preferred sequence is to first put the first processing core, which will consume more power, to sleep. This may be controlled by a second processor of lower power, for example, when the first processor has nothing to execute. In some alternative embodiments, where only one processor is used, only one power saving mode may be used. In both cases, the final power saving mode involves a complete or almost complete shut down of any processing core in the device, while a clock unit 1060, such as a Real Time Clock (RTC) unit, is used to keep track of time. When the motion sensor or button press indicates that the user is looking at the display, the RTC unit provides a time signal to display a time-related context, such as time and a reduced theme map, on the display.

The reduced topic map may be downloaded from the server 1070 or may be generated by the first processing core 1020 and stored in its memory 1021. In the dual processing core embodiment, the image of the reduced subject map may be copied (arrow C in fig. 10) to the memory 1031 of the low power second processor 1030 so as to be displayed therefrom in the second display mode.

When the user's performance continues on a stable path and there is no indication that the user is looking at the display, the device 1000 may enter the second power saving mode by turning off the second display mode and will cause the second processing core 1030 to enter the sleep mode.

In the second power saving mode, the only process running in the device may be the real time clock in the RTC unit 1060. The RTC unit is preferably a stand-alone unit connected to the battery of the device, for example. The processing core may then be completely shut down. The RTC unit may also be integrated in one of the

processors

1020 or 1030, or in both, but will thus need to power at least some of the hardware around the processor in question, with a power consumption of a few microamps. Which alternative RTC cell to use depends on design choice.

In a single processor embodiment, of course, no map transmission is required within the device, and in addition the second display mode may be used in the same manner as for the dual processor, whereby the reduced theme map is displayed on the display 1010 from the memory 1021. Thus, a single processor may have three levels of operation and power consumption: full operation, mute operation, and sleep (with or without an internal RTC clock). During performance, the acceleration sensor 1040 may continuously sense the motion of the device 1000. In some embodiments, the processor may be in a reduced mode of operation if the activity and/or context is deemed to require a fast wake up of the processing core. Waking up from a sleep state takes longer. Various power saving modes may also be entered, for example, when the device 1000 believes that the user is sleeping. Indeed, various sensor inputs and combinations thereof may be used to determine the context of the user, as well as to select an appropriate time to enter a particular power saving mode. Such inputs may include time (e.g., nighttime), acceleration sensor inputs, ambient light, location signals from a GPS sensor, and so forth.

The reverse power save sequence may be initiated simply by the user pressing a button, or may be initiated automatically. In some embodiments, for example, when vertical movement is sensed by the smart acceleration sensor 1040, the corresponding sensor signal may have a pre-recorded threshold that when exceeded is interpreted as raising the arm for reading the display 1010. Then, power controller 1050 powers either high power processor 1020 or low power processor 1030, depending on the embodiment (single or dual processor) and the previous context or display mode of device 1000. To speed up the wake-up of a sleeping processing core, its power supply (e.g. a switched mode power supply, SMPS) may be left on. Another alternative embodiment is to turn off the SMPS and connect a Low Dropout (LDO) regulator as a fast power supply for the sleeping processing core in parallel with respect to the SMPS.

In some embodiments, the RTC unit may also start the processing core. For example, if a relatively long time has elapsed since the user last attempted to look at the display, it is difficult to predict the context, which may change. Thus, the user may no longer be interested in viewing the diminished topic map, which may no longer show the user's correct location and/or activity. Rather than just displaying a stored thematic map that is relevant to the wrong context, the time delay from the last display action may be used as an indication that the context may have changed. When the RTC unit displays this time delay, this information can be used, for example, to activate a GPS sensor to check the location and to start at least one low power processor to update the context of the user, including retrieving a theme map that matches the user's current location.

The context correlation image may be retrieved from memory by using the LDO regulator as a power source for a sleeping processor, which provides a fast wake-up. After waking up, the stored image may be transferred to the display directly from the internal memory of the processor or from an external storage unit.

Reference is now made to fig. 11, which shows a flow chart of the main steps performed by the device according to the invention. The apparatus includes at least two processing cores, at least one display having at least two display modes, at least one memory including computer program code.

In step 1110, the current location of the device is determined and a query for available activity or topic maps at the current location of the device is sent from the device to a topic map database server.

In step 1120, the device is updated with the theme map associated with the current location from the theme map database server by downloading the theme map data and storing the theme map data in the at least one memory of the device.

In step 1130, at least one downloaded topic map as a selection of the local heat map is presented to a user of the device as a suggested activity using a first display mode provided by the high power first processing core. The active session may be selected based on at least one of the following criteria: a user selection input, a pre-recorded user preference, a user activity history, an activity intensity in the location, a particular activity in the location, a time of day, a time of year, or a second location adjacent to the current location.

In step 1140, the selected activity is initiated and displayed to the user in a display mode containing performance-related information related to the user's physical performance in the activity.

Next, in step 1150, the first power saving mode is entered by placing the first processing core in the sleep mode and by switching from the first display mode to the second display mode. The second display mode may use a low power second processing core to display time and static information related to the activity to the user. In some embodiments, a pre-computed static topic map related to an activity is shown at predetermined time intervals along with the current time. As explained in connection with fig. 10, a graphical reduced theme map may be used in this second display mode.

Finally, in step 1160, the second power saving mode is entered by turning off the second display mode and also placing the low power second processing core in the sleep mode. A third display mode is entered in which a Real Time Clock (RTC) unit is used to maintain time. When requested by user input or sensor request, a pre-stored thematic map may be displayed showing the predicted location of the user on the map at that time.

Next, the device may return to the first power saving mode and the second display mode by activating the low power second processing core from its sleep mode. This may be triggered according to at least one of the following criteria: a user selection input, acceleration data input from an acceleration sensor in the device indicative of a display reading gesture of the user. Switching between the second display mode and the third display mode may continue until the user terminates the active session.

It is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments of the invention are not limited to the particular structures, process steps, or materials disclosed herein, but extend to equivalents thereof as may be recognized by those ordinarily skilled in the pertinent art. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting.

Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. When a numerical value is referred to using terms such as "for example," "approximately," or "substantially," the exact numerical value is also disclosed.

Various items, structural elements, compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, any single element of the list should not be construed as equivalent to any other element of the same list solely based on their presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary. Additionally, various embodiments and examples of the invention may relate to alternatives for various components thereof. It should be understood that such embodiments, examples, and alternatives are not to be construed as actual equivalents of each other, but are to be considered as independent and autonomous representations of the invention.

Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable or technically feasible manner in one or more embodiments. In the description herein, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of lengths, widths, shapes, etc., to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.

While the above examples illustrate the principles of the invention in one or more particular applications, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications in form, usage and details can be made without the exercise of inventive faculty, and without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not intended to be limited except as by the appended claims.

Industrial applicability

At least some embodiments of the invention may find industrial application in enhancing the usability and/or personal safety of devices.

Claims

1. An apparatus, such as a personal device, comprising at least one processor having at least one processing core, at least one display, at least one sensor, at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to enable, by the at least one processing core, the apparatus at least to:

c) entering a second power saving mode by placing the at least one processing core into a sleep mode, and entering a third display mode, wherein a real time clock unit updates the display at least with time at predetermined time intervals;

2. The device of claim 1, comprising at least two processing cores, wherein the selected activity is initiated by a first processing core in the first display mode, wherein the first power saving mode is entered by placing the first processing core in a sleep mode and by switching to the second display mode using a second processing core, and wherein the second power saving mode is entered by turning off the second display mode and placing the second processing core in a sleep mode.

3. The device of claim 1 or 2, wherein upon entering the second power saving mode, the real time clock unit updates the display at predetermined time intervals using a pre-computed theme map associated with the activity and a current time.

4. The device of any one of claims 1-3, wherein the device is configured to present to the user a selection of updated topic heat maps created for different athletic activities in the location as one activity type.

5. The device of any one of claims 1-4, wherein the device is configured to present to a user, as one activity type, a selection of an updated theme heat map created for a different athletic activity in a second location that is outside but adjacent to the current location.

6. The device of any of claims 1-5, wherein the device is configured to automatically update the theme map associated with the location from the theme map database server while the device is charging and connected to a wireless network covering the current location.

7. The device of any one of claims 1-6, wherein an updated topic map is stored in the at least one memory of the device for offline use of heatmaps in the activity session.

8. The device of any of claims 1-7, wherein the subject map with reduced functionality is pre-computed by the first processing core and stored in the at least one memory of the device for display by the second processing core to the user in the second display mode.

9. The device according to any of claims 1-8, wherein the subject map with reduced functionality is pre-computed by the second processing core and stored in the at least one memory of the device for display by the second processing core to the user in the second display mode.

10. A method for presenting information to a user of a device, such as a personal device, the device comprising at least one processor having at least one processing core, at least one display, and at least one memory including computer program code, the method comprising the steps of:

-determining a location of the device;

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of initiating the selected activity is performed by a first processing core in the first display mode, wherein the step of entering the first power saving mode is performed by placing the first processing core in a sleep mode and by using a second processing core to switch to the second display mode, and wherein the step of entering the second power saving mode is performed by turning off the second display mode and placing the second processing core in a sleep mode.

12. The method according to claim 10 or 11, further comprising the steps of: the topic map with reduced functionality is pre-computed and stored in the at least one memory.