GESTURE-BASED POWER MANAGEMENT OF A WEARABLE PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH DISPLAY

• US 20090195497A1
• Filed: 01/20/2009
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pillar Ventures LLC
• Inventors: Tsern, Ely K., Mooring, David J., Fitzgerald, Alissa M., Gasbarro, James A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,344,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• 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: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing gesture-based power management for a wearable portable electronic device with display are described. An inertial sensor is calibrated to a reference orientation relative to gravity. Motion of the portable device is tracked with respect to the reference orientation, and the display is enabled when the device is within a viewable range, wherein the viewable range is a predefined rotational angle range in each of x, y, and z axis, to a user based upon a position of the device with respect to the reference orientation. Furthermore, the display is turned off if an object is detected within a predetermined distance of the display for a predetermined amount of time.

Claims

1. A method for gesture-based power management for a portable device with display, comprising:

calibrating an inertial sensor to a reference orientation that is relative to a user'"'"'s body angle;

tracking motion of the portable device with respect to the reference orientation; and

enabling the display when the portable device is within a viewable range, wherein the viewable range is a predefined rotational angle range in each of an x, y, and z axis, to a user based upon a position of the portable device with respect to the reference orientation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user'"'"'s body angle is substantially vertical.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting the user'"'"'s body angle, wherein the viewable range is determined based upon the user'"'"'s body angle.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising turning off the display when an object is detected within a predetermined distance of the display for a predetermined amount of time

5. The method of claim 4 wherein at least one of the predetermined distance and the predetermined amount of time are user configurable.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the object is detected by a plurality of proximity sensors located on at least one edge of the display.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined rotational angle range for the x axis is approximately −

30 degrees to 180 degrees, the predefined rotational angle range for the y axis is approximately −

45 degrees to 45 degrees, and the predefined rotational angle range for the z axis is approximately −

90 degrees to 180 degrees.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising gradually increasing display brightness when entering the predefined rotational angle ranges and gradually reducing display brightness when exiting the predefined rotational angle ranges.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined rotational angle ranges are reconfigurable by the user.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined rotational angle ranges comprise different angle ranges corresponding to different wear locations on a user'"'"'s body.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining an approximate time of day using data on a location of the portable device;

determining a maximum amount of ambient light available using the approximate time of day; and

setting a minimum threshold for a display brightness based on the maximum amount of ambient light available.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing the tracking motion of the portable device in response to determining that the portable device is being worn.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

using Bayesian inference to store behavioral patterns of the user; and

adjusting the viewable range based upon the behavioral patterns of the user.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting when the user enters a learning mode; and

changing the viewable range after receiving at least one predetermined indication that the user is viewing the display.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising selectively turning off at least one component of the portable device when the portable device is in a selected operation mode.

16. A portable device having gesture-based power management, comprising:

an inertial sensor;

a proximity sensor;

a display; and

a microprocessor coupled to the display, the inertial sensor and the proximity sensor, wherein the microprocessor is configured to;

calibrate the inertial sensor to a reference orientation that is relative to a user'"'"'s body angle;

track motion of the portable device with respect to the reference orientation using the inertial sensor; and

enable the display when the portable device is within a viewable range, wherein the viewable range is a predefined rotational angle range in each of an x, y, and z axis, to a user based upon a position of the portable device with respect to the reference orientation.

17. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the user'"'"'s body angle is substantially vertical.

18. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the microprocessor is further configured to detect the user'"'"'s body angle, wherein the viewable range is determined based upon the user'"'"'s body angle.

19. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the microprocessor is further configured to turn off the display when the proximity sensor detects an object within a predetermined distance of the display for a predetermined amount of time

20. The portable device of claim 19 wherein at least one of the predetermined distance and the predetermined amount of time are user configurable.

21. The portable device of claim 19 wherein the object is detected by a plurality of proximity sensors located on at least one edge of the display.

22. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the predefined rotational angle range for the x axis is approximately −

30 degrees to 180 degrees, the predefined rotational angle range for the y axis is approximately −

45 degrees to 45 degrees, and the predefined rotational angle range for the z axis is approximately −

90 degrees to 180 degrees.

23. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the microprocessor is further configured to gradually increase display brightness when entering the predefined rotational angle ranges and gradually reduce the display brightness when exiting the predefined rotational angle ranges.

24. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the predefined rotational angle ranges are reconfigurable by the user.

25. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the predefined rotational angle ranges comprise different angle ranges corresponding to different wear locations on a user'"'"'s body.

26. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the microprocessor is further configured to:

determine an approximate time of day using data on a location of the portable device;

determine a maximum amount of ambient light available using the approximate time of day; and

set a minimum threshold for a display brightness based on the maximum amount of ambient light available.

27. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the microprocessor is further configured to determine if the portable device is being worn, such that the tracking the portable device is performed if it is determined that the portable device is being worn.

28. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the microprocessor is further configured to:

use Bayesian inference to store behavioral patterns of the user; and

adjust the viewable range based upon the behavioral patterns of the user.

29. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the microprocessor is further configured to:

detect when the user enters a learning mode; and

change the viewable range after receiving at least one predetermined indication that the user is viewing the display.

30. The portable device of claim 16 wherein the microprocessor is further configured to selectively turn off at least one component of the portable device when the portable device is in a selected operation mode.

31. An executable software product stored on a computer-readable medium containing program instructions for gesture-based power management for a portable device with display, the program instructions for:

calibrating an inertial sensor to a reference orientation that is relative to a user'"'"'s body angle;

tracking motion of the portable device with respect to the reference orientation; and

enabling the display of the portable device when the portable device is within a viewable range, wherein the viewable range is a predefined rotational angle range in each of an x, y, and z axis, to a user based upon a position of the portable device with respect to the reference orientation.

32. A system for providing gesture-based power management for a portable device, comprising:

a portable device comprising a gesture store including default power management settings; and

a profile web service, wherein the portable device is configured to communicate with the profile web service and to receive a customizable gesture profile comprising customized power management settings from the profile web service and change the default power management settings to the customized power management settings.

33. A portable device having gesture-based power management, comprising:

means for tracking motion of the portable device with respect to a reference orientation that is relative to a user'"'"'s body angle;

a display; and

processing means coupled to the display, wherein the processing means is configured to enable the display when the portable device is within a viewable range, wherein the viewable range is a predefined rotational angle range in each of an x, y, and z axis, to a user based upon a position of the portable device with respect to the reference orientation.

34. A portable device having gesture-based power management, comprising:

a case; and

a module, wherein the module is configured to be removably received by the case and comprises;

an inertial sensor;

a proximity sensor;

a display that is viewable when the module is received by the case; and

a microprocessor coupled to the display, the inertial sensor and the proximity sensor, wherein the microprocessor is configured to;

calibrate the inertial sensor to a reference orientation that is relative to a user'"'"'s body angle;

track motion of the portable device with respect to the reference orientation using the inertial sensor; and

enable the display when the portable device is within a viewable range, wherein the viewable range is a predefined rotational angle range in each of an x, y, and z axis, to a user based upon a position of the portable device with respect to the reference orientation.