Shock touch protection of a mobile device

• US 10,162,439 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2013
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Gritti, Tommaso
• Primary Examiner(s): Sadio, Insa
• Application Number:
  US14/373,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20150029119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,148 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-174, 345156, 73489, 73509, 702141
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/004 Error avoidance G06F11/07 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3058 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

A mobile device (1) is disclosed comprising a data processing facility (10), a touch control facility (20) arranged to provide a touch input signal (St) to the data processing facility, and a motion state sensor facility (30) arranged to provide a shock indication signal (Sj) indicative for a magnitude of a third or higher derivative of a position of the mobile device. The mobile device further comprises a mode control facility (15) for selecting one of a plurality of mutually different operational modes (M1, M2). The plurality of mutually different operational modes at least comprises a normal operation mode (M1) wherein the touch input signal is used as control signal for controlling operation of the mobile device and a shock touch protection mode (M2), wherein the touch input signal is inhibited.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a touch signal controller configured to provide a touch input signal;

a motion state sensor configured to generate a shock indication signal that indicates a magnitude and a direction of a third or higher derivative of a position of the mobile device;

a threshold comparator; and

a mode controller configured to select, based on the shock indication signal, one of a plurality of mutually different operational modes comprising;

a normal operation mode where an operation of the mobile device is responsive to the touch input signal, and

a shock protection mode where the operation of the mobile device in response to the touch input signal is inhibited dependent upon the shock indication signal,

wherein the threshold comparator is configured to;

perform a comparison the magnitude indicated by the shock indication signal with a shock threshold value, and

provide a mode control signal that indicates a result of the comparison, and

wherein, upon indication by the mode control signal that the magnitude is greater than the shock threshold value, the mobile device operates in a shock touch alert mode that prompts a user to activate the shock touch protection mode.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein, upon the indication by the mode control signal that the magnitude is greater than the shock threshold value, the mobile device operates in the shock protection mode.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the threshold comparator is configured to:

adjust the shock threshold value according to a history of the shock input signal, wherein the shock threshold value is positively correlated with a historic magnitude indicated by the shock input signal.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, comprising a timer configured to maintain the mobile device in shock protection mode for a predetermined time-interval after a last occurrence of the magnitude greater than the shock threshold value.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, comprising a delay facility for delaying the touch input signal.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a mode control overrule unit that that enables control by the touch input signal in the shock protection mode if it determines that a probability that the touch control signal results from a voluntary user action is greater than a probability threshold.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the shock touch alert mode is selected by the mode controller based on the magnitude of the shock indication signal being above a first threshold value.

8. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein the shock touch protection mode is selected by the mode controller based on the magnitude of the shock indication signal being above a second threshold value, the second threshold value being greater than the first threshold value.

9. A method of operating a mobile device, comprising acts of:

determining by a touch signal controller, a shock indication signal indicating a magnitude and a direction of a third or higher derivative of a position of the mobile device;

comparing the magnitude indicated by the shock indication signal with a shock threshold value;

providing a mode control signal that indicates the comparison; and

selecting by a mode controller, based on the magnitude the shock indication signal, an operation of the mobile device as one of;

a normal operation mode where the operation of the mobile device is in response to a touch input signal,

a shock touch alert mode where the operation of the mobile device is responsive to the touch input signal and an alert indication is provided, and

a shock touch protection mode where the operation of the mobile device response to the touch input signal is inhibited,

wherein, upon indication by the mode control signal that the magnitude is greater than the shock threshold value, the mobile device operates in the shock touch alert mode where the alert indication prompts a user to activate the shock touch protection mode.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein upon the indication by the mode control signal that the magnitude of the shock indication signal is greater than a second shock threshold value, selecting the shock touch protection mode.

11. The method of claim 9, comprising an act of adapting the shock threshold value according to a history of the shock indication signal, wherein the shock threshold value is positively correlated with a historic magnitude indicated by the shock indication signal.

12. A storage medium that is not a transitory propagating signal or wave, having stored thereon a instructions that when accessed by a device, enables the device to perform acts of:

generating a shock indication signal, wherein the shock indication signal indicates a magnitude and a direction of a third or higher derivative of a position of the mobile device;

comparing the magnitude indicated by the shock indication signal with a shock threshold value;

providing a mode control signal that indicates the comparison; and

selecting, based on the magnitude of the shock indication signal, an operation of the device as one of;

a normal operation mode an operation of the device is responsive to a touch input signal, and a shock protection mode where the operation of the device in response to the touch input signal is inhibited dependent upon the magnitude of the shock indication signal,

wherein, upon indication by the mode control signal that the magnitude is greater than the shock threshold value, the mobile device operates in a shock touch alert mode where the alert indication prompts a user to activate the shock touch protection mode.