Apparatus and method of adjusting power mode of a display of a device

• US 10,372,260 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2016
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Huffman, Katherine B., Beck, Kyle T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Watko, Julie Anne
• Application Number:
  US15/375,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20180164942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092

Abstract

Methods and devices for adjusting a power mode of a display are disclosed. An example method includes detecting a set of contact signals on a surface of the device and determining whether the set of contact signals correspond to a contact signature associated with an in-use state of the display. The example method further includes transitioning the power mode of the display to a power saving mode in response to determining that the set of contact signals do not correspond to the contact signature associated with the in-use state of the display, and retaining the power mode of the display in a current power mode in response to determining that the set of contact signals correspond to the contact signature associated with the in-use state of the display. An additional example method may further include detecting whether a proximity sensor at the device is occluded prior to the transition.

Claims

1. A method of adjusting a power mode of a display of a device, comprising:

detecting a set of contact signals on a touch surface of the device;

determining whether the set of contact signals correspond to a contact signature associated with an in-use state of the display based on one or more of a signal strength or a duration corresponding to the set of contact signals and based on a percentage of an area of the touch surface of the display being covered by the set of contact signals, wherein the contact signature corresponds to one or more mappings of areas of contact of an object with the touch surface of the display;

transitioning the power mode of the display to a power saving mode in response to determining that the set of contact signals do not correspond to the contact signature associated with the in-use state of the display; and

retaining the power mode of the display in a current power mode in response to determining that the set of contact signals correspond to the contact signature associated with the in-use state of the display.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting whether a proximity sensor at the device is occluded, and

wherein transitioning the power mode of the display to the power saving mode and retaining the power mode of the display in the current power mode are further based on whether the proximity sensor is occluded.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the contact signature is associated with the device being held around edges of the device indicating the in-use state of the display, wherein the detecting includes detecting the proximity sensor is not occluded, and retaining the power mode of the display in the current power mode in response to determining that the set of contact signals correspond to the contact signature associated with the in-use state of the display and detecting that the proximity sensor is not occluded.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the contact signature is associated with the device being held with one or two hands in a landscape orientation indicating the in-use state of the display, wherein the detecting includes detecting the proximity sensor is occluded, and retaining the power mode of the display in the current power mode in response to determining that the set of contact signals correspond to the contact signature associated with the in-use state of the display and detecting that the proximity sensor is occluded.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the contact signature is associated with the display of the device being covered which does not indicate the in-use state of the display, wherein the detecting includes detecting the proximity sensor is occluded, and transitioning the power mode of the display to the power saving mode in response to determining that the set of contact signals do not correspond to the contact signature associated with the in-use state of the display.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

comparing a size of the set of contact signals on the touch surface of the device with a threshold; and

determining whether the set of contact signals correspond to the contact signature associated with in-use state of the display based on the comparison.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

disabling the display of the device in response to detecting a button being pressed on the device after transitioning the device to the power saving mode.

8. An apparatus for adjusting a power mode of a display of a device, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the processor is configured to;

detect a set of contact signals on a touch surface of the device;

determine whether the set of contact signals correspond to a contact signature associated with an in-use state of the display based on one or more of a signal strength or a duration corresponding to the set of contact signals and based on a percentage of an area of the touch surface of the display being covered by the set of contact signals, wherein the contact signature corresponds to one or more mappings of areas of contact of an object with the touch surface of the display;

transition the power mode of the display to a power saving mode in response to determining that the set of contact signals do not correspond to the contact signature associated with the in-use state of the display; and

retain the power mode of the display in a current power mode in response to determining that the set of contact signals correspond to the contact signature associated with the in-use state of the display.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect whether a proximity sensor at the device is occluded, and

wherein transition the power mode of the display to the power saving mode and retain the power mode of the display in the current power mode are further based on whether the proximity sensor is occluded.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the contact signature is associated with the device being held around edges of the device indicating the in-use state of the display, wherein the proximity sensor is not occluded, and wherein the processor is further configured to retain the power mode of the display in the current power mode in response to determining that the set of contact signals correspond to the contact signature associated with the in-use state of the display and that the proximity sensor is not occluded.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the contact signature is associated with the device being held with one or two hands in a landscape orientation indicating the in-use state of the display, wherein the proximity sensor is occluded, and wherein the processor is further configured to retain the power mode of the display in the current power mode in response to determining that the set of contact signals correspond to the contact signature associated with the in-use state of the display and that the proximity sensor is occluded.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the contact signature is associated with the display of the device being covered which does not indicate the in-use state of the display, wherein the proximity sensor is occluded, and wherein the processor is further configured to transition the power mode of the display to the power saving mode in response to determining that the set of contact signals do not correspond to the contact signature associated with the in-use state of the display.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

compare a size of the set of contact signals on the touch surface of the device with a threshold; and

determine whether the set of contact signals correspond to the contact signature associated with in-use state of the display based on the comparison.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

disable the display of the device in response to detecting a button being pressed on the device after transitioning the device to the power saving mode.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions executable by a processor for adjusting a power mode of a display of a device, comprising:

instructions for determining detecting a set of contact signals on a touch surface of the device;

instructions for determining whether the set of contact signals correspond to a contact signature associated with an in-use state of the display based on one or more of a signal strength or a duration corresponding to the set of contact signals and based on a percentage of an area of the touch surface of the display being covered by the set of contact signals, wherein the contact signature corresponds to one or more mappings of areas of contact of an object with the touch surface of the display;

instructions for transitioning the power mode of the display to a power saving mode in response to determining that the set of contact signals do not correspond to the contact signature associated with the in-use state of the display; and

instructions for retaining the power mode of the display in a current power mode in response to determining that the set of contact signals correspond to the contact signature associated with the in-use state of the display.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising:

instructions for detecting whether a proximity sensor at the device is occluded, and

wherein transitioning the power mode of the display to the power saving mode and retaining the power mode of the display in the current power mode are further based on whether the proximity sensor is occluded.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the contact signature is associated with the device being held around edges of the device indicating the in-use state of the display, wherein the proximity sensor is not occluded, and further comprising instructions for retaining the power mode of the display in the current power mode in response to determining that the set of contact signals correspond to the contact signature associated with the in-use state of the display and that the proximity sensor is not occluded.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the contact signature is associated with the device being held with one or two hands in a landscape orientation indicating the in-use state of the display, wherein the proximity sensor is occluded, and further comprising instructions for retaining the power mode of the display in the current power mode in response to determining that the set of contact signals correspond to the contact signature associated with the in-use state of the display and that the proximity sensor is occluded.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the contact signature is associated with the display of the device being covered which does not indicate the in-use state of the display, wherein the proximity sensor is occluded, and further comprising instructions for transitioning the power mode of the display to the power saving mode in response to determining that the set of contact signals do not correspond to the contact signature associated with the in-use state of the display.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising:

instructions for comparing a size of the set of contact signals on the touch surface of the device with a threshold; and

instructions for determining whether the set of contact signals correspond to the contact signature associated with in-use state of the display based on the comparison.