System and method for thermal management of a wearable computing device based on proximity to a user

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11042174-B2
Application number	US-201715424661-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2017
Priority date	Feb 3, 2017
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

Because the touch temperature of a wearable computing device (“WCD”) may be an insignificant factor for user experience when the WCD is not being worn by a user, embodiments of the solution seek to modify thermal management policies based on an inferred user proximity state. Exemplary embodiments monitor one or more signals from readily available sensors in the WCD that have primary purposes other than measuring user proximity. Depending on embodiment, the sensors may be selected from a group consisting of a heart rate monitor, a pulse monitor, an O2 sensor, a bio-impedance sensor, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor and a light sensor. Using the signals generated by such sensors, relative physical proximity of the WCD to a user may be inferred and, based on the user proximity state, thermal policies either relaxed or tightened.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for managing thermal energy generation in a wearable computing device (“WCD”), the method comprising:
monitoring one or more health-tracking signals from one or more health-tracking sensors of the WCD;
based on the monitored one or more health-tracking signals, both providing corresponding health-tracking information and determining a user proximity state for the WCD;
based on the user proximity state, setting a first temperature threshold for a thermal management policy; and
comparing the first temperature threshold with a temperature measurement received from a first temperature sensor to manage thermal energy generation in the WCD.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
if the temperature measurement received from the first temperature sensor is less than the first temperature threshold, then maintaining a currently implemented thermal management policy.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
if the temperature measurement received from the first temperature sensor is greater than the first temperature threshold, then modifying a currently implemented thermal management policy.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the health-tracking sensors comprise at least one of a heart-rate monitor, a pulse monitor, and an O2 sensor.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined user proximity state defines that the WCD is proximal to a user and the first temperature threshold is associated with the touch temperature of the WCD.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined user proximity state defines that the WCD is in a docked state and not physically proximal to a user.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determined user proximity state defines that the WCD is not physically proximal to a user and the first temperature threshold is associated with the operating temperature of a processing component in the WCD.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
setting a second temperature threshold that is associated with a second temperature sensor in the WCD;
comparing the second temperature threshold with a temperature measurement received from the second temperature sensor; and
based on the comparison of the first temperature threshold with the temperature measurement received from the first temperature sensor, modifying a currently implemented thermal management policy, wherein the modified thermal management policy prevents the second temperature sensor measurement from exceeding the second temperature sensor threshold.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising also using one or more monitored signals from one or more of a bio-impedance sensor, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor and a light sensor of the WCD to determine the user proximity state for the WCD.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first temperature threshold is associated with a maximum operating temperature of the processing component.

11. A computer system for managing thermal energy generation in a wearable computing device (“WCD”), the system comprising:
a proximity determination (“PD”) module programmed to:
monitor one or more health-tracking signals from one or more health-tracking sensors of the WCD;
based on the monitored one or more health-tracking signals, both provide corresponding health-tracking information and determine a user proximity state for the WCD; and
based on the user proximity state, set a first temperature threshold for a thermal management policy; and

a thermal policy manager (“TPM”) module programmed to:
compare the first temperature threshold with a temperature measurement received from a first temperature sensor; and
based on the comparison, manage thermal energy generation in the WCD.

12. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the TPM module is further programmed to:
if the temperature measurement received from the first temperature sensor is less than the first temperature threshold, then maintaining a currently implemented thermal management policy.

13. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the TPM module is further programmed to:
if the temperature measurement received from the first temperature sensor is greater than the first temperature threshold, then modifying a currently implemented thermal management policy.

14. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the health-tracking sensors comprise at least one of a heart-rate monitor, a pulse monitor, and an O2 sensor.

15. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the determined user proximity state defines that the WCD is proximal to a user and the first temperature threshold is associated with the touch temperature of the WCD.

16. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the determined user proximity state defines that the WCD is in a docked state and not physically proximal to a user.

17. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the determined user proximity state defines that the WCD is not physically proximal to a user and the first temperature threshold is associated with the operating temperature of a processing component in the WCD.

18. The computer system of claim 17 , wherein:
the PD module is further programmed to:
set a second temperature threshold that is associated with a second temperature sensor in the WCD; and

the TPM module is further programmed to:
compare the second temperature threshold with a temperature measurement received from the second temperature sensor; and

based on the comparison of the first temperature threshold with the temperature measurement received from the first temperature sensor, modify a currently implemented thermal management policy, wherein the modified thermal management policy prevents the second temperature sensor measurement from exceeding the second temperature sensor threshold.

19. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the PD module is further programmed to use one or more monitored signals from one or more of a bio-impedance sensor, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor and a light sensor of the WCD to determine the user proximity state for the WCD.

20. The computer system of claim 17 , wherein the first temperature threshold is associated with a maximum operating temperature of the processing component.

21. A computer system for managing thermal energy generation in a wearable computing device, the system comprising:
means for monitoring one or more health-tracking signals from one or more health-tracking sensors of the WCD;
means for, based on the monitored one or more health-tracking signals, both providing corresponding health-tracking information and determining a user proximity state for the WCD;
means for, based on the user proximity state, setting a first temperature threshold for a thermal management policy; and
means for comparing the first temperature threshold with a temperature measurement received from the first temperature sensor to manage thermal energy generation in the WCD.

22. The computer system of claim 21 , further comprising:
means for maintaining a currently implemented thermal management policy if the temperature measurement received from the first temperature sensor is less than the first temperature threshold.

23. The computer system of claim 21 , further comprising:
means for modifying a currently implemented thermal management policy if the temperature measu

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• SAHU Vivek
• Le Don
• Anderson Jon
• Wang Peng
• Wang Shujuan

Classifications

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title

• A61B5/6844

  Monitoring or controlling distance between sensor and tissue · CPC title

• A61B5/14552

  Details of sensors specially adapted therefor · CPC title

• G06F1/163 Primary

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• G06F1/3231

  Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users · CPC title