Low power sensor, processor, and data processing system including the sensor and the processor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12225286-B2
Application number	US-202217730616-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2022
Priority date	Apr 30, 2021
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

Abstract

A sensor includes a control circuit set to a first operation mode in which an operation is prepared by receiving a clock signal from a processor and receiving an operation command from the processor. The sensor is configured to generate a first signal including a result of an operation corresponding to the operation command and a second signal indicating completion of the operation. An interface circuit is configured to transmit the first signal and the second signal to the processor. The control circuit is set to a second operation mode due to blocking of the clock signal by a control of the processor in response to the transmission of the second signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor comprising:
a processor;
a control circuit configured to be set to a first operation mode in which an operation is prepared by receiving a clock signal and an operation command from the processor, wherein the control circuit is configured to generate a first signal including a result of an operation corresponding to the operation command, and a second signal indicating completion of the operation; and
an interface circuit configured to transmit the first signal and the second signal to the processor, wherein
the control circuit is further configured to be set to a second operation mode due to not receiving the clock signal, which is discontinued by control of the processor in response to a transmission of the second signal and
wherein, after receipt of the second signal, the processor is configured to evaluate, based on the first signal, whether a motion of an object has been detected.

2. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein:
the interface circuit receives a motion detection command from the processor, and
the control circuit, in response to the motion detection command, generates first status information indicating whether the motion detection operation is completed.

3. The sensor of claim 2 , wherein the interface circuit:
transmits the second signal to the processor, and
transmits the first status information to the processor in response to a request of the processor, after transmission of the second signal.

4. The sensor of claim 2 , wherein the interface circuit further comprises a face detection circuit that:
when the motion of the object has been detected, receives a face detection command from the processor, and
in response to the face detection command, detects a face of the object and generates second status information indicating whether the face has been detected.

5. The sensor of claim 4 , wherein the interface circuit:
transmits the second signal to the processor, and
transmits the second status information to the processor in response to a request of the processor, after transmission of the second signal.

6. The sensor of claim 2 , wherein:
when the motion of the object has been detected, the interface circuit receives a face detection command from the processor, and
the control circuit generates image data of the object in response to the face detection command.

7. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the interface circuit comprises: a first interface circuit configured to transmit the first signal to the processor; and
a second interface circuit configured to transmit the second signal to the processor.

8. The sensor of claim 7 , wherein the second signal comprises an interrupt signal.

9. The sensor of claim 7 , wherein the second interface circuit comprises a general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pin.

10. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is set to the first operation mode in response to receiving a power signal and the clock signal and is set to a third operation mode in response to not receiving the power signal and the clock signal.

11. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises an image sensor configured to generate image data based on an optical signal incident from outside.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Sooyong
• Chung Dongook
• Huh Junho

Classifications

• H04N23/667

  Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes · CPC title

• H04N23/611

  where the recognised objects include parts of the human body · CPC title

• H04N23/65

  Control of camera operation in relation to power supply · CPC title

• G06T2207/30201

  Face · CPC title

• G06T7/20

  Analysis of motion (motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51) · CPC title