Patent Publication Number: US-2019196567-A1

Title: Electronic device and sleep control method thereof

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application is a National Phase of International Application Number PCT/CN2016/109012, filed Dec. 8, 2016. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This present disclosure relates to an electronic device, and more particularly, to a sleepable electronic device and a sleep control method thereof. 
     BACKGROUND 
     At present, electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablet computers, and head-mounted display devices have been used widely. In order to save power and improve endurance of the electronic device, the current electronic device has a function of entering a lock screen and sleep state after a non-operation time duration reaches a predetermined time duration. However, the time duration for entering sleep mode of the current electronic device is a default setting of a system or a fixed value set by the user. For the actual requirements of the electronic device, sometimes the optimal time duration for entering sleep mode may be longer than the fixed value, sometimes may shorter than the fixed value. Therefore, the fixed time duration for entering sleep mode often fails to meet the actual requirements of the electronic device. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electronic device and a sleep control method thereof, which can adjust a time duration for entering sleep mode according to a temperature of the electronic device, and control the electronic device to enter a sleep mode according to the time duration for entering sleep mode, which is more in line with actual requirements that the electronic device enters the sleep mode. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure provide an electronic device, which comprises a processor and a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor is configured to detect a temperature of the electronic device. The processor is coupled to the temperature sensor, and is configured to adjust a time duration for entering sleep mode according to the temperature of the electronic device currently detected by the temperature sensor, and control the electronic device to enter a sleep mode when a non-operation time duration of the electronic device reaches the time duration for entering sleep mode. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a sleep control method. The method comprises steps of: detecting a temperature of an electronic device; adjusting a time duration for entering sleep mode according to the temperature of the electronic device detected currently; and controlling the electronic device to enter a sleep mode when a non-operation time duration of the electronic device reaches the time duration for entering sleep mode. 
     The electronic device and the sleep control method thereof of the present disclosure can adjust the time duration for entering sleep mode, and control the electronic device to enter the sleep mode after a non-operation time duration reaches the time duration for entering sleep mode, and satisfy the actual requirements that the electronic device enters the sleep mode. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS 
       To describe technology solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure more clearly, the following briefly introduces the accompanying drawings required for describing the embodiments. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description show merely some embodiments of the present disclosure, those of ordinary skill in the art may also derive other obvious variations based on these accompanying drawings without creative efforts. 
         FIG. 1  is a structural block diagram of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of components included in a functional module of an electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of a temperature curve according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic diagram of a mapping table of temperature and time according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram showing changes in a display area of a display screen according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a flowchart of a sleep control method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  is a sub-flowchart of step S 605  in  FIG. 6 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS 
     The technical solution in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be described clearly and completely hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are merely some but not all the embodiments of the present disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by a person of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present disclosure without creative efforts shall all fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a schematic diagram of an electronic device  100  according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the electronic device  100  includes a processor  10  and a temperature sensor  20 . The temperature sensor  20  is configured to detect a temperature T of the electronic device  100 . 
     The processor  10  is coupled to the temperature sensor  20 , configured to obtain the temperature detected by the temperature sensor  20 , and adjust a time duration for entering sleep mode according to the temperature T of the electronic device  100  currently detected by the temperature sensor  20 , and control the electronic device  100  to enter a sleep mode when a non-operation time duration of the electronic device  100  reaches the time duration for entering sleep mode. That is, timing begins when the temperature of the electronic device  100  reaches T and no operation is received, the processor  10  delays the “time duration for entering sleep mode” and controls the electronic device  100  to enter the sleep mode. Therefore, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device  100  can adjust time duration for entering sleep mode according to the temperature of the electronic device  100 , so that the electronic device  100  can enter the sleep mode when the non-operation time duration reaches the time duration for entering sleep mode, which is more in line with the actual requirements that electronic device  100  enters the sleep mode. 
     Where, the processor  10  controls the electronic device  100  to enter the sleep mode when the non-operation time duration reaches the time duration for entering sleep mode, including: the processor  10  starts timing after the operation applied on the electronic device  100  stops, and in the timing process, determines whether there is an operation applied on the electronic device. If not, the electronic device  100  is controlled to enter the sleep mode when the continuous timing is reached the time duration t for entering sleep mode. If the processor  10  determines that there is one operation applied on the electronic device  100  during the timing, the timing is then stopped, and the temperature detected by the temperature sensor  20  is re-acquired, and the foregoing functional steps are repeated. The non-operation of the electronic device  100  refers to no input operations or no operations of connecting, disconnecting, and the like of interface. 
     In some embodiments, the electronic device  100  further includes a functional module  30 . The temperature of the electronic device  100  detected by the temperature sensor  20  is temperatures of the processor  10  and the functional module  30 . The processor  10  obtains a system temperature T 1  of the electronic device  100  according to the temperatures of the processor  10  and the functional module  30 , and obtains a shell temperature T 2  of the electronic device  100  according to the shell temperature T 2  of the electronic device  100 . 
     The processor  10  adjusts the current time duration for entering sleep mode to a time duration t for entering sleep mode corresponding to the current shell temperature T 2  according to a correspondence between the shell temperature T 2  and time duration t for entering sleep mode. 
     Referring further to  FIG. 2 , a functional block diagram of the functional module  30  is illustrated. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the functional module  30  includes, but is not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU)  31 , a graphic processing unit (GPU)  32 , a battery  33 , a charging chip  34 , a modem  35 , and a power management chip  36 , a Bluetooth module  37 , a WIFI module  38 , a telephone communication module  39  and the like. In some embodiments, there are multiple temperature sensors  20 , and the multiple temperature sensors  20  are located at each of the components of the processor  10  and the functional module  30  for detecting the temperatures of the components of the processor  10  and the functional module  30 , respectively. The telephone communication module  39  refers to a communication chip of a telephone network such as GPRS, CDMA, 3G, 4G, and the like. 
     In some embodiments, the processor  10  obtains the system temperature T 1  of the electronic device  100  according to the temperatures of the processor  10  and the functional module  30 , including: the temperatures of the processor  10  and the functional module  30  are acquired, and a maximum temperature in the obtained temperatures is determined as the system temperature T 1 . More specifically, the processor  10  obtains the temperatures of the central processing unit  31 , the graphic processing unit  32 , the battery  33 , the charging chip  34 , the modem  35 , the power management chip  36 , the Bluetooth module  37 , the WIFI module  38 , and the telephone communication module  39  in the processor  10  and the functional module  30 , and determining the maximum temperature of the plurality of obtained temperatures as the system temperature T 1 . 
     In some embodiments, the processor  10  obtains the shell temperature of the electronic device  100  according to the system temperature, including: the shell temperature T 2  of the electronic device  100  corresponding to the system temperature T 1  is determined according to the correspondence between the system temperature T 1  and the shell temperature T 2 . 
     Referring further to  FIG. 3 , in some embodiments, the correspondence between the system temperature and the shell temperature is a temperature curve Q 1 . The system temperature T 1  is an X-axis value, and the shell temperature T 2  is a Y-axis value. After determining the system temperature T 1 , the processor  2  determines the shell temperature T 2  corresponding to the system temperature T 1  according to the temperature curve. 
     Where, the temperature curve Q 1  may be obtained by testing the relationship between different system temperatures T 1  and shell temperatures T 2  in advance. As shown in  FIG. 3 , as the system temperature T 1  increases, the shell temperature T 2  also gradually increases. When the shell temperature T 2  rises to a certain value, the shell temperature T 2  will not rise with the system temperature T 1  due to the influence of the external environment temperature. 
     In other embodiments, the correspondence between the system temperature T 1  and the shell temperature T 2  is a temperature mapping table, and the temperature mapping table records correspondence between the system temperature T 1  and the shell temperature T 2 . Similarly, the temperature mapping table may be obtained by testing the relationship between different system temperatures T 1  and shell temperatures T 2  in advance. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , in some embodiments, the correspondence between the shell temperature T 2  and the time duration t for entering sleep mode is a mapping table of temperature and time Tab 1 . The mapping table of temperature and time Tab 1  records correspondences between different shell temperatures T 2  and time duration t for entering sleep mode. The processor  10  determines the time duration t for entering sleep mode corresponding to the current shell temperature T 2  according to the mapping table of temperature and time Tab 1 , and adjusts the current time duration t for entering sleep mode to a time duration t for entering sleep mode corresponding to the current shell temperature T 2 . 
     For example, as shown in  FIG. 3 , when the shell temperature T 2  is less than 30 degrees Celsius, the corresponding time duration t for entering sleep mode is 5 min (minutes); when the shell temperature T 2  is equal or greater than 30 degrees Celsius and less than 35 degrees Celsius, the corresponding time duration t for entering sleep mode is 2 minutes. When the shell temperature T 2  is equal or greater than 35 degrees Celsius and less than 40, the corresponding time duration t for entering sleep mode is 30 seconds; when the shell temperature T 2  is equal or greater than 40 degrees Celsius, it is a forced sleep mode, and the time duration t for entering sleep mode is 5 seconds or less. 
     Therefore, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, when the shell temperature T 2  is higher, the time duration t for entering sleep mode is shorter, so the electronic device  100  can enter a cooling state more quickly, and the electronic device  100  can be more effectively protected. 
     Wherein, in the forced sleep mode, the processor  10  also controls to release the wake lock (wake_lock) of all applications in the electronic device  100 , preventing the applications from blocking the electronic device  100  to sleep. In the forced sleep mode, the processor  10  controls the electronic device  100  to enter a deep sleep mode. Where, the electronic device  100  enters the deep sleep mode means that the central processing unit  31 , the Bluetooth module  37 , the WIFI module  38 , the telephone communication module  39 , and the background application of the electronic device  100  are all turned off. 
     In this embodiment, the processor  2  may be a micro controller, a micro-processor, a single chip microcomputer, a digital signal processor, or the like. In other embodiments, the processor  2  and the central processing unit  31  may be the same components. 
     The electronic device  100  further includes a display screen  40 . Referring further to  FIG. 5 , in some embodiments, the processor  2  is further configured to control the display area  401  of the display screen  40  to be adjusted during the non-operation time duration of the electronic device  100  before entering the sleep mode. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the processor  2  controls the display area  401  of the display screen  40  to become smaller gradually during the non-operation time duration of the electronic device  100  before entering the sleep mode, and the non-display area  402  of the display screen  40  is a black screen. Therefore, the energy consumption is gradually reduced during the period of waiting for sleep, further saving the energy consumption of the electronic device  100  and helping the electronic device  100  to perform cooling. 
     For example, as shown in  FIG. 5 , when the current time duration t for entering sleep mode is 5 minutes, that is, the electronic device  100  enters the sleep mode after 5 minutes from now, the processor  2  controls the display area  401  to be an initial display size at the start of non-operation. When the non-operation time duration reaches 2 minutes, the display size of the display area  401  is controlled to be reduced to half of the initial display size, and when the non-operation time duration reaches 5 minutes, the display size of the display area  401  is controlled to be reduced to ¼ of the initial display size, and so on. 
     The processor  2  calls parameters of four sides (the left, the right, the upper and the lower side) of the application program interface (API) in the initial display size of the display area  401  in the system setting, and pixel positions of four vertices of the left, the right, the upper and the lower, and pixel positions of four sides of the display area  401  in the initial display size. The processor  2  also changes the pixel positions of the four vertices of the left, the right, the upper and the lower, and four sides of the display area  401  under the initial display size, thereby adjusting the display size of the display area  401 . 
     In some embodiments, the processor  2  adjusts display parameters of content displayed by the display screen  40  according to the shell temperature T 2  when the electronic device  100  is in a period from non-operation to entering sleep mode. 
     Where, the display parameters include a color temperature and/or a hue. The processor  2  controls the color temperature and/or the hue of the content displayed by the display screen  40  to be a warmer color temperature and/or hue when the shell temperature is higher, such as, it is adjusted to be red color temperature/hue. The processor  2  controls the color temperature and/or the hue of the content displayed by the display screen  40  to be a cooler color temperature and/or hue when the shell temperature T 2  is cooler, such as it is adjusted to be white color temperature and/or hue. 
     Where, the processor  2  controls color offset of pixel value of each pixel of the display content by setting the hue adjustment function of the electronic device  100 , and calling the set hue adjustment function, and controls the display screen  40  to display according to the pixel value with color offset of each pixel. Therefore, the overall color temperature/hue of the displayed content is adjusted. 
     The processor  10  is further configured to determine whether the electronic device  100  enters a forced sleep mode according to the temperature of the electronic device  100 . For example, when the shell temperature T 2  of the aforementioned electronic device  100  is greater than or equal to 40 degrees Celsius, the processor  10  controls the electronic device  100  to enter the forced sleep mode, and when the shell temperature T 2  is less than 40 degrees Celsius, the processor  10  controls the electronic device  100  to enter a non-forced sleep mode. Where in the forced sleep mode, the processor  10  controls the electronic device  100  to enter a deep sleep mode. 
     In some embodiments, in the non-forced sleep mode, for example, when the shell temperature T 2  is less than 40 degrees Celsius as described above, the processor  10  controls the electronic device  100  to enter the sleep mode, including: the processor  10  controls input and output devices such as the display screen  40 , a touch panel (not shown), an external sensor (not shown, such as a proximity sensor, a light sensor, etc.), or the like to be closed firstly, and then determines whether the electronic device  100  has unfinished tasks that are currently running; and if yes, controls the electronic device  100  to enter a shallow sleep mode, that is, the central processing unit  31  still works; and if not, controls the electronic device  100  to enter the deep sleep mode, at this time, the central processing unit  31  stops working. 
     As described above, the processor  10  controls the electronic device  100  to enter the deep sleep mode, includes: the wake locks of all tasks are released, the electronic device  100  is forced to enter the deep sleep mode, the processing unit  31  is forcibly stopped regardless of whether or not unfinished tasks are in progress in the electronic device  100 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the electronic device  100  further includes a memory  50  for storing the aforementioned temperature curve Q 1  and mapping table of temperature and time Tab 1 . The memory  50  can be a flash memory card, a solid state memory, or the like. 
     Where, the display screen  40  can be a touch display screen. 
     The electronic device  100  can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a desktop computer, a head mounted display device, or the like. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , a flowchart of a sleep control method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. The method is applied to the aforementioned electronic device  100 . The method includes the steps of: 
     The temperature sensor  20  detects a temperature of the electronic device  100  (S 601 ). Specifically, the current temperature of the electronic device  100  detected by the temperature sensor  20  is the temperatures of the processor  10  and the functional module  30  of the electronic device  100 . 
     The processor  10  adjusts a time duration t for entering sleep mode according to the temperature T of the electronic device  100  currently detected by the temperature sensor  20  (S 603 ). Specifically, the processor  10  obtains the system temperature T 1  of the electronic device  100  according to the temperatures of the processor  10  and the functional module  30 , and obtains the shell temperature T 2  of the electronic device  100  according to the system temperature T 1 , and then adjusts the time duration t for entering sleep mode according to the shell temperature T 2  of the electronic device  100 . 
     When a non-operation time duration of the electronic device  100  reaches the time duration t for entering sleep mode, the processor  10  controls the electronic device  100  to enter a sleep mode (S 605 ). 
     The controller  10  obtains the shell temperature T 2  of the electronic device  100  according to the system temperature T 1 , includes: the shell temperature T 2  of the electronic device  100  corresponding to the system temperature T 1  is determined according to the correspondence between the system temperature T 1  and the shell temperature T 2 . In some embodiments, the correspondence between the system temperature and the shell temperature is a temperature curve Q 1 , the system temperature T 1  is an X axis, and the shell temperature T 2  is a Y axis. After determining the system temperature T 1 , the processor  2  determines the shell temperature T 2  corresponding to the system temperature T 1  according to the temperature curve Q 1 . 
     In some embodiments, the “adjusting the time duration t for entering sleep mode according to the shell temperature T 2  of the electronic device  100 ” includes: the processor  10  adjusting the current time duration for entering sleep mode to a time duration t for entering sleep mode corresponding to shell temperature T 2  according to the correspondence between the shell temperature T 2  and the time duration t for entering sleep mode. In some embodiments, the correspondence between the shell temperature T 2  and the time duration t for entering sleep mode is a mapping table of temperature and time Tab 1 , and the mapping table of temperature and time Tab 1  records correspondence between different shell temperatures T 2  and time duration t for entering sleep mode. 
     In some embodiments, the method further includes a step between the step S 603  and the step S 605 : the processor  10  controls a size of the display area  401  of the display screen  40  to be adjusted during the non-operation time duration of the electronic device  100  before entering the sleep mode. For example, the processor  10  controls the display area  401  of the display screen  40  to become smaller gradually during the non-operation time duration of the electronic device  100  before entering the sleep mode. 
     The processor  10  calls parameters of four sides (the left, the right, the upper and the lower sides) of the application program interface (API) in the initial display size of the display area  401  in the system setting, and pixel positions of four vertices of the left, the right, the upper and the lower, and pixel positions of four sides of the display area  401  in the initial display size. The processor  2  also changes the pixel positions of the four vertices of the left, the right, the upper and the lower, and four sides of the display area  401  under the initial display size, thereby adjusting the display size of the display area  401 . 
     In some embodiments, the method further includes a step between the step S 603  and the step S 605 : the processor  10  further adjusts display parameters of the content displayed by the display screen  40  according to the shell temperature T 2 . Where, the display parameter includes a color temperature and/or a hue, and the processor  10  controls the color temperature and/or hue of the content displayed by the display screen  40  to be the warmer color temperature and/or hue when the shell temperature T 2  is higher. The processor  2  controls the color temperature and/or the hue of the content displayed by the display screen  40  to be cooler color temperature and/or hue when the shell temperature T 2  is lower, such as it is adjusted to be white color temperature and/or hue. 
     Where, the processor  2  controls color offset of pixel value of each pixel of the display content by setting the hue adjustment function of the electronic device  100 , and calling the set hue adjustment function, and controls the display screen  40  to display according to the pixel value with color offset of each pixel. Therefore, the overall color temperature/hue of the displayed content is adjusted. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , a sub-flowchart of step S 605  is illustrated. Where, the processor  10  controls the electronic device  100  to enter the sleep mode specifically includes: 
     The processor  10  determines whether the electronic device  100  is in a forced sleep mode (S 6051 ). If yes, step S 6052  is performed, and if no, step S 6053  is performed. Where, the processor  10  determines it is the forced sleep mode when the temperature of the shell temperature T 2  is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and determines it is a non-forced sleep mode when the predetermined value is smaller than the predetermined value. 
     The processor  10  controls the electronic device  100  to enter a deep sleep mode (S 6052 ). Where, the electronic device  100  is controlled to enter the deep sleep mode refers to: the wake locks of all tasks are released, the system is forced to enter the deep sleep mode, the central processing unit  31  is forcibly stopped regardless of whether or not unfinished tasks are in progress in the electronic device  100 . 
     The input/output devices such as display screen  40 , a touch panel (not shown), and an external sensor (not shown) and the like of the electronic device  100  are turned off (S 6053 ). 
     It is determined whether the electronic device  100  currently has unfinished tasks in progress (S 6054 ). If yes, the process goes to step S 6055 , if no, the process goes to step S 6052 . 
     The electronic device  100  is controlled to enter a shallow sleep mode (S 6055 ). Where, in the shallow sleep mode, the central processing unit  31  still works. 
     Therefore, the electronic device  100  and the sleep control method of the present disclosure can adjust the time duration for entering sleep mode according to the temperature of the electronic device  100 . When the temperature of the electronic device  100  is higher, the time duration for entering sleep mode is shorter, so that the electronic device  100  can be cooled down as quickly as possible when the temperature is too higher. 
     The above is a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, and it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make some improvements and modifications without departing from the principle of the present disclosure, and these improvements and modifications are also the protection scope of the present disclosure.