Temporary user suspension of automatic shutdown

• US 20030191973A1
• Filed: 04/04/2002
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Johnson, Carolynn Rae
• Application Number:
  US10/116,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20030191973A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3228 Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands

Abstract

There is provided a method for suspending an automatic shutdown of a hand-held device. The automatic shutdown results after a pre-specified time period of inactivity of the hand-held device. The method includes the step of receiving a user input to suspend the automatic shutdown. The automatic shutdown is disabled in response to the user input, such that the hand-held device is shutdown only if a user of the hand-held device manually shuts down the handheld device. The automatic shutdown is automatically re-enabled to occur after the pre-specified time period of inactivity, upon a subsequent power-up of the hand-held device.

Claims

1. A method for suspending an automatic shutdown of a hand-held device, the automatic shutdown resulting after a pre-specified time period of inactivity of the hand-held device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a user input to suspend the automatic shutdown;

disabling the automatic shutdown in response to the user input, such that the hand-held device is shutdown only if a user of the hand-held device manually shuts down the hand-held device; and

automatically re-enabling the automatic shutdown to occur after the prespecified time period of inactivity, upon a subsequent power-up of the hand-held device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a warning that the automatic shutdown is imminent, at a pre-designated time prior to the automatic shutdown.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the warning is a visual warning.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said providing step comprises the step of displaying the visual warning in a warning screen that includes an option to provide the user input.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the warning is an audible warning.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said providing step comprises the step of audibly reproducing the audible warning.

7. A method for suspending an automatic shutdown of a hand-held device, the automatic shutdown resulting after a pre-specified time period of inactivity of the hand-held device, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying an alert screen that alerts a user of the hand-held device that the automatic shutdown is to occur in a pre-designated time period and that includes an option for providing a user input to suspend the automatic shutdown;

receiving the user input;

disabling the automatic shutdown in response to the user input and without regard to the pre-specified time period of inactivity;

shutting down the hand-held device only if a manual shut down input is received from the user; and

automatically re-enabling the automatic shutdown to occur after the prespecified time period of inactivity, upon a subsequent power-up of the hand-held device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of providing an audible warning to the user along with said displaying step.

9. An automatic shutdown device for automatically shutting down a hand-held device, comprising:

an input module for receiving a user input corresponding to a suspension of the automatic shutdown; and

a power control module for engaging in a first mode of operation when the user input is not received and for engaging in a second mode of operation when the user input is received, the first mode of operation for performing an automatic shut down of the hand-held device after a pre-specified time period of inactivity, the second mode of operation for suspending the automatic shutdown without regard to the pre-specified time period of inactivity, shutting down the hand-held device only if a manual shut down input is received from a user of the hand-held device, and automatically re-enabling the automatic shutdown to occur upon a subsequent power-up of the hand-held device and after the pre-specified time period of inactivity.

10. The automatic shutdown device of claim 9, further comprising a warning module for providing a warning that an automatic shutdown of the handheld device is to occur in a pre-designated time period, when the user input is not received and the pre-specified time period of inactivity is to elapse at the expiration of the pre-designated time period.

11. The automatic shutdown device of claim 10, wherein the warning is a visual warning, and said automatic shutdown device further comprises a display for receiving the warning from the warning module and for displaying the warning.

12. The automatic shutdown device of claim 11, wherein the display further displays an option to provide the user input concurrently with the display of the visual warning.

13. The automatic shutdown device of claim 10, wherein the warning is an audible warning, and said automatic shutdown device further comprises at least one speaker for audibly reproducing the audible alarm.

14. The automatic shutdown device of claim 10, wherein the warning includes at least one of a visual warning and an audible warning, and said automatic shutdown device further comprises at least one of a display for displaying the visual warning and at least one speaker for audibly reproducing the audible warning.

15. The automatic shutdown device of claim 14, wherein the visual warning and the audible warning are both provided to the user.