Method, apparatus and computer readable medium for activating functionality of an electronic device based on the presence of a user staring at the electronic device

• US 10,027,737 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2014
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Ji-Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Molina, Hugo
• Application Number:
  US14/221,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20150121228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 715727
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Provided herein is a control method of an electronic device. A gesture is detecting and a plurality of images of a user are photographed, if the gesture substantially corresponds to a predetermined gesture. A predetermined function is performed, if the change detected in the images is less than a predetermined threshold during a predetermined time period.

Claims

1. A control method of an electronic device, comprising:

detecting a gesture through a sensor module by comparing the detected gesture to a predetermined gesture;

activating a camera of the electronic device, when the detected gesture corresponds to the predetermined gesture;

photographing a plurality of images of a user during a predetermined time period using the camera;

determining whether the user has been staring at the electronic device during the predetermined time period based on the plurality of images, wherein determining whether the user has been staring at the electronic device comprises;

identifying at least one of the user'"'"'s face contours or the user'"'"'s pupils from the plurality of images, and

determining that the user has been staring at the electronic device during the predetermined time period if at least one of a change detected in the user'"'"'s face contours or a change detected in the user'"'"'s pupils is less than a predetermined threshold for the predetermined time period; and

performing a predetermined function, when it is determined that the user has been staring at the electronic device during the predetermined time period, wherein performing the predetermined function comprises;

connecting the electronic device to a second electronic device through communication,

determining whether an application is being executed in the second electronic device,

displaying information corresponding to the application being executed in the second electronic device, when determining that the application is being executed in the second electronic device, and

displaying an idle mode, when determining that the application is not being executed in the second electronic device.

2. The control method of claim 1, wherein performing the predetermined function further comprises turning on a screen of the electronic device.

3. The control method of claim 1, wherein performing the predetermined function further comprises changing from an off mode to a call mode.

4. The control method of claim 1, wherein performing the predetermined function further comprises changing from an off mode to a message reception mode.

5. The control method of claim 1, wherein performing the predetermined function further comprises changing from an off mode to a music play mode.

6. The control method of claim 1, wherein performing the predetermined function further comprises changing from an off mode to an exercise mode.

7. An electronic device comprising:

a camera module;

a sensor module;

communication unit;

a display unit; and

a processor configured to;

detect a gesture through the sensor module by comparing the detected gesture to a predetermined gesture;

activate the camera module, when the detected gesture corresponds to the predetermined gesture;

control the activated camera module to photograph a plurality of images of a user during a predetermined time period;

determine whether the user has been staring at the electronic device during the predetermined time period based on the plurality of images, wherein determine whether the user has been staring at the electronic device comprises;

identify at least one of the user'"'"'s face contours or the user'"'"'s pupils from the plurality of images, and

determine that the user has been staring at the electronic device during the predetermined time period if at least one of a change detected in the user'"'"'s face contours or a change detected in the user'"'"'s pupils is less than a predetermined threshold for the predetermined time period; and

perform a predetermined function, when it is determined that the user has been staring at the electronic device during the predetermined time period, wherein perform the predetermined function comprises;

connect the electronic device to a second electronic device through the communication unit,

determine whether an application is being executed in the second electronic device,

display information in the display unit corresponding to the application being executed in the second electronic device, when determined that the application is being executed in the second electronic device, and

display an idle mode in the display unit, when determined that the application is not being executed in the second electronic device.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the predetermined function further comprises turning on a screen of the electronic device.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the predetermined function further comprises changing from an off mode to a call mode.

10. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the predetermined function further comprises changing from an off mode to a message reception mode.

11. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the predetermined function further comprises changing from an off mode to a music play mode.

12. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the predetermined function further comprises changing from an off mode to an exercise mode.

13. A non-transitory and physical computer-readable medium storing instructions therein which upon execution instructs at least one processor configured to:

detect a gesture through a sensor module by comparing the detected gesture to a predetermined gesture;

activate a camera of an electronic device, when the detected gesture corresponds to the predetermined gesture;

photograph a plurality of images of a user during a predetermined time period using the camera;

determine whether the user has been staring at the electronic device during the predetermined time period based on the plurality of images, wherein determine whether the user has been staring at the electronic device comprises;

identify at least one of the user'"'"'s face contours or the user'"'"'s pupils from the plurality of images, and

determine that the user has been staring at the electronic device during the predetermined time period if at least one of a change detected in the user'"'"'s face contours or a change detected in the user'"'"'s pupils is less than a predetermined threshold for the predetermined time period; and

perform a predetermined function, when it is determined that the user has been staring at the electronic device during the predetermined time period, wherein perform the predetermined function comprises;

connect the electronic device to a second electronic device through communication,

determine whether an application is being executed in the second electronic device,

display information corresponding to the application being executed in the second electronic device, when determined that the application is being executed in the second electronic device, and

display an idle mode, when determined that the application is not being executed in the second electronic device.