Apple Patented Wear Control Technology In Its Devices

Video: Apple Patented Wear Control Technology In Its Devices

2023 Author: Gordon Kinson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 11:09

A very interesting patent appeared in the portfolio of the "apple" brand - the company has developed a system for monitoring the wear of electronic filling parts as they are used. It is based on continuous monitoring of the actual performance of specific nodes and calculating the difference between them and reference values.

Apple patented technology to control wear of electronic components in its devices

This is followed by a spot adjustment of the load distribution - while maintaining performance at an acceptable level, this extends the life of the device.

The official name of the technology described in document No. 8671170 is “Changes in the system operation parameters based on data on the aging of its components”. From the description it becomes clear that it is intended primarily for the category of mobile gadgets, which, due to their small size, are equipped with simplified and therefore more vulnerable versions of standard modules. By measuring their electrical parameters, you can monitor how this unit wears out during operation. The greater the difference between the target and the actual values, the more wasted energy is consumed and the more noticeably the overall system performance decreases.

The number of metrics is large and their analysis takes into account the specifics of the operation of a particular node, its purpose and intensity of use in this particular device. For example, almost the main reason for the failure of microcircuits is ordinary overheating, and the smartphone is full of modules that generate excess heat. If this iPhone went to an avid gamer, you can calculate with a high degree of certainty which one will break first.

The monitoring technology is based on the mechanism of cyclical polling of the main units of the system, in which data is passed through a separate counter-analyzer. It does not take part in the operation of the device itself and only monitors changes in the behavior of modules included in this chain. The analyzer looks for data that may indirectly indicate aging - for example, an increase in response time from one of the nodes. Or its reaching maximum performance, which occurs when running resource-intensive applications - the more often this happens, the higher the risk of premature wear of the electronic component.

Modern gadgets are equipped with a fair amount of sensors - new technology allows you to use their data for analysis. Activity during the day, the temperature of the atmosphere outside, the frequency of falls or just shaking, for example, when the corresponding function is activated in games. For the analysis of the aging rate, even the geographic region of the device and, of course, the power consumption indicators matter. All ADCs in a system, like a microphone module in a phone, are subject to verification first - converting an analog signal to digital is accompanied by certain risks.

Information is collected, accumulated and used to compile statistical summaries, while the storage location is an external drive. A stationary computer, a remote server, a dedicated cloud service - there are plenty of options. Most likely, the manufacturer of the smartphone itself will take care of the arrangement of the storage, for which it is vital to have information about the degree of wear and tear and operating conditions of its products. The main purpose of the technology is to calculate the date of the update or repair of the hardware filling of the gadget before the user annoys that his device has stopped working correctly. In addition, this is valuable information for designers engaged in the design of new, more advanced devices.

And even more, there is a tangible relationship between the software version and the current hardware level, in some cases it is more expedient to "roll back" to an earlier firmware. Or, at least, do not rush to install a new one - all this in the form of recommendations can be provided to the owner of a particular, worn-out smartphone. In addition, this information will help support staff quickly figure out what's what. Patent application filed in 2011 and named by Michael Frank and Date Jan Willem Noorlag.