Systems, devices, and methods for animating always on displays at variable frame rates

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

transferring control of a display of a computing device from a high-power physical processor of the computing device to a low-power physical processor of the computing device based on a first operational state of two or more operational states of the computing device, wherein the first operational state utilizes a first power mode of the low-power physical processor;

animating, using the low-power physical processor in the first power mode, the display at a first frame rate during a first time period;

selecting a second operational state of the two or more operational states utilizing a second power mode of the low-power physical processor, wherein the second power mode required to animate the display consumes less power than the first power mode of the low-power physical processor;

responsive to selecting the second operational state, animating, using the low-power physical processor in the second power mode, the display at a second frame rate during a second time period;

determining that a third operational state of the two or more operational states is required for animating the display at a third frame rate during a third time period, wherein the third frame rate is higher than the first frame rate and the second frame rate;

responsive to determining that the third operational state of the two or more operational states is required, transferring control of the display from the low-power physical processor to the high-power physical processor; and

animating, using the high-power physical processor, the display.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:

the computing device is a smartwatch;

the high-power physical processor is a processing unit of a system on a chip of the smartwatch;

the low-power physical processor is a processing unit of a microcontroller unit of the smartwatch;

the high-power physical processor and the low-power physical processor share a common memory of the smartwatch; and

the display is an always on display.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:

animating the display at the first frame rate during the first time period comprises using the low-power physical processor to present a first animation via the display, the first animation having the first frame rate; and

animating the display at the second frame rate during the second time period comprises using the low-power physical processor to present a second animation, in response to a clock event, via the display, the second animation having the second frame rate.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:

animating the display at the first frame rate during the first time period comprises using the low-power physical processor to present a first portion of an animation via the display, the first portion of the animation having the first frame rate; and

animating the display at the second frame rate during the second time period comprises using the low-power physical processor to present a second portion of the animation via the display, the second portion of the animation having the second frame rate.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first power mode of the low-power physical processor required to animate the display consumes less power than a third power mode of the high-power physical processor required to animate the display, wherein the third power mode corresponds to the third operational state of the two or more operational states.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the high-power physical processor and the low-power physical processor share a common memory of the computing device and transferring control of the display from the high-power physical processor to the low-power physical processor comprises;

using the high-power physical processor to write at least a portion of an animation to the shared common memory of the computing device;

transitioning the high-power physical processor from a higher power mode into a lower power mode; and

using the low-power physical processor to display at the least the portion of the animation from the shared common memory.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein

animating the display at the first frame rate during the first time period comprises:

for one or more of a plurality of frames:

using the low-power physical processor in the first power mode to present the one or more of the plurality of frames via the display; and

wherein animating the display at the second frame rate during the second time period comprises, for one or more of an additional plurality of frames:

using the low-power physical processor in the second power mode to present the one or more of the additional plurality of frames via the display.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein transferring control of the display from the low-power physical processor to the high-power physical processor comprises:

determining if the low-power physical processor has not finished an animation of the display; and

using the high-power physical processor to complete the animation of the display when the low-power physical processor has not finished the animation.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein using the high-power physical processor to complete the animation of the display comprises using a transitioning effect to reduce a noticeable difference between a rendering of the animation by the low-power physical processor and a rendering of the animation by the high-power physical processor.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first frame rate is within a range of about ten frames per second to thirty frames per second; and

the second frame rate is within a range of about one frame per minute to one frame per second.

11. A smartwatch comprising:

an always on display;

at least one high-power physical processor; and

at least one low-power physical processor;

wherein the smartwatch is configured to:

transfer control of the always on display from the high-power physical processor to the low-power physical processor based on a first operational state of two or more operational states, wherein the first operational state utilizes a first power mode of the low-power physical processor;

animate, using the low-power physical processor in the first power mode, the display at a first frame rate during a first time period;

select a second operational state of the two or more operational states utilizing a second power mode of the low-power physical processor, wherein the second power mode required to animate the display consumes less power than the first power mode of the low-power physical processor;

responsive to selecting the second operational state, animate, using the low-power physical processor in the second power mode, the display at a second frame rate during a second time period;

determine that a third operational state of the two or more operational states is required for animating the always on display at a third frame rate during a third time period, wherein the third frame rate is higher than the first frame rate and the second frame rate;

responsive to determining that the third operational state of the two or more operational states is required, transfer control of the display from the low-power physical processor to the high-power physical processor; and

animate, using the high-power physical processor, the always on display.

12. The smartwatch of claim 11 , further comprising:

a system on a chip, the high-power physical processor being a processing unit of the system on a chip;

a microcontroller unit separate and distinct from the system on a chip, the low-power physical processor being a processing unit of the microcontroller unit; and

the high-power physical processor and the low-power physical processor configured to share a common memory of the smartwatch.

13. The smartwatch of claim 11 , further comprising one or more sensors, wherein the low-power physical processor is further adapted to record measurements received from the one or more sensors.

14. The smartwatch of claim 11 , wherein the low-power state is a sleeping state, and the two or more frame rates are distinct from and lower than the first frame rate and the second frame rate.

15. The smartwatch of claim 11 , wherein the smartwatch is further configured to:

determine that the low-power physical processor has not finished an animation of the always on display in the second operational state; and

responsive to determining that the low-power physical processor has not finished the animation of the always on display in the second operational state, complete the animation of the always on display using the high-power physical processor in the third operational state.

16. The smartwatch of claim 11 , wherein the two or more frame rates comprise at least:

a third frame rate within a range of about ten frames per second to thirty frames per second; and

a fourth frame rate within a range of about one frame per minute to one frame per second.

17. The smartwatch of claim 11 , wherein the two or more frame rates comprise at least:

a third frame rate of about ten frames per second; and

a fourth frame rate of about one frame per twenty seconds.

18. A system comprising:

a display;

at least one high-power physical processor;

at least one low-power physical processor; and

physical memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the system, cause the system to:

transfer control of the display from the high-power physical processor to the low-power physical processor based on a first operational state of two or more operational states, wherein the first operational state utilizes a first power mode of the low-power physical processor;

animate, using the low-power physical processor in the first power mode, the display at a first frame rate during a first time period;

select a second operational state of the two or more operational states utilizing a second power mode of the low-power physical processor, wherein the second power mode required to animate the display consumes less power than the first power mode of the low-power physical processor;

responsive to selecting the second operational state, animate, using the low-power physical processor in the second power mode, the display at a second frame rate during a second time period;

determine that a third operational state of the two or more operational states is required for animating the display at a third frame rate during a third time period, wherein the third frame rate is higher than the first frame rate and the second frame rate;

responsive to determining that the third operational state of the two or more operational states is required, transfer control of the display from the low-power physical processor to the high-power physical processor; and

animate, using the high-power physical processor, the display.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the display is an always on display and the two or more frame rates comprise at least:

a third frame rate within a range of about ten frames per second to thirty frames per second; and

a fourth frame rate within a range of about one frame per minute to one frame per second.