Mobile electronic device and control method

• US 10,375,226 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2015
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Tanabe, Shigeki, Morita, Hideki, Masuike, Isao, Saito, Shinya
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Donado, Frank E
• Application Number:
  US15/506,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20170257480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In one aspect, a mobile electronic device includes a first sensor configured to detect proximity to an own device, a second sensor configured to detect a biological response, and a controller configured to determine that the own device is present within a storing part provided on clothing when the biological response is detected by the second sensor in a case where proximity to the own device has been detected by the first sensor.

Claims

1. A mobile electronic device, comprising:

a first sensor configured to detect proximity of a user to the mobile electronic device,

a second sensor configured to detect a biological response originating from an inside of a body of the user of the mobile electronic device, including a heartbeat or pulse of the heart of the user, and

a controller configured to determine that the mobile electronic device is present within a storing part provided on clothing when the biological response is detected by the second sensor in a case where proximity of the user to the mobile electronic device has been detected by the first sensor;

wherein

the controller is configured to determine that the mobile electronic device is present within the storing part by virtue of a condition that proximity of the user to the mobile electronic device is continuously detected by the first sensor after determining that the mobile electronic device is present within the storing part, and

the controller is configured to determine that the mobile electronic device is present within the storing part by virtue of a condition that the biological response is continuously detected by the second sensor after determining that the mobile electronic device is present within the storing part.

2. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to determine that the mobile electronic device is present at somewhere other than the storing part when the biological response is not detected by the second sensor in a case where proximity to the mobile electronic device has been detected by the first sensor.

3. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to carry out the determination on whether the mobile electronic device is present within the storing part in a case where the mobile electronic device is in a sleep state.

4. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to carry out the determination on whether the mobile electronic device is present within the storing part by virtue of a condition that the mobile electronic device has shifted to a sleep state from an active state.

5. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to carry out the determination on whether the mobile electronic device is present within the storing part by virtue of a condition that the mobile electronic device has shifted to an active state from a sleep state.

6. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a third sensor configured to detect a change in a movement state of the mobile electronic device, wherein

the controller is configured to carry out the determination on whether the mobile electronic device is present within the storing part by virtue of a condition that a change in the movement state of the mobile electronic device has been detected by the third sensor.

7. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to carry out the determination on whether the mobile electronic device is present within the storing part by virtue of a condition that an event has occurred.

8. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to stop a near field wireless communication function when it is determined that the mobile electronic device is present within the storing part.

9. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, wherein

in response to detecting that the mobile electronic device is shifted to a second state from a first state, which is different from the second state, the controller is configured to determine whether the proximity to the mobile electronic device is detected by the first sensor.

10. The mobile electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the first state is a sleep state, and the second state is an active state.

11. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to cause the first sensor to detect the proximity to the mobile electronic device in response to detecting that the mobile electronic device is at a sleep state.

12. The mobile electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the second sensor is configured to detect the biological response including at least one of a heartbeat of a user of the mobile electronic device, a pulse of the user, an electrical signal emitted from the heart of the user, or a gas discharged from a body of the user.

13. A control method that a mobile electronic device including a sensor is caused to carry out, the control method comprising:

detecting proximity of a user to the mobile electronic device,

detecting a biological response originating from an inside of a body of the user of the mobile electronic device and including a heartbeat or pulse of the heart of the user when proximity of the user to the mobile electronic device is detected,

determining that the mobile electronic device is present within a storing part provided on clothing when the biological response is detected;

determining that the mobile electronic device is present within the storing part by virtue of a condition that proximity of the user to the mobile electronic device is continuously detected by the first sensor after determining that the mobile electronic device is present within the storing part, and

determining that the mobile electronic device is present within the storing part by virtue of a condition that the biological response is continuously detected by the second sensor after determining that the mobile electronic device is present within the storing part.