SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR HANDLING OPEN AND CLOSE EVENTS IN A MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20090227293A1
• Filed: 03/04/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Yulo, Alvin Rey
• Granted Patent: US 8,208,979 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method for handling open and close events in a wireless device is provided. The wireless device has a sensor coupled to a processor, the sensor providing an open signal to the processor indicating an open event when the wireless device is opened and providing a close signal to the processor indicating a close event when the wireless device is closed. The method comprises detecting one of the open event and the close event each time the open event or the close event occurs; recording the detected event and a time of the detected event with each event occurrence; monitoring for two recorded events within a predetermined time threshold; executing a first configured action if two events are recorded within the predetermined time threshold; monitoring for only a single recorded event within the predetermined time threshold; and executing a second configured action if only a single event is recorded within the predetermined time threshold.

Claims

1. A method for handling open and close events in a wireless device, the wireless device having a sensor connected to a processor, the sensor providing an open signal to the processor indicating an open event when the wireless device is opened and providing a close signal to the processor indicating a close event when the wireless device is closed, the method comprising:

detecting one of the open event and the close event each time the open event or the close event occurs;

recording the detected event and a time of the detected event with each event occurrence;

monitoring for two recorded events within a predetermined time threshold;

executing a first configured action if the two events are recorded within the predetermined time threshold;

monitoring for only a single recorded event within the predetermined time threshold; and

executing a second configured action if only the single event is recorded within the predetermined time threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless device is a flip-style wireless device selected from the group consisting of a wireless device having a lower casing with a moveable lid, a wireless device having a lower casing and a lid where the lid slides over the lower casing from a first position to a second position, a wireless device having a lower casing and a lid where the lid is attached to the lower casing with a hinge mechanism, a wireless device having a lower casing and a lid where the lid is rotatably connected to the lower casing, and a wireless device having a lower casing and a lid, where the lid slides off of the lower casing from a first position to a second position with the lid being configured to rotate in the second position.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first configured action includes taking no action in response to the two recorded events occurring within the predetermined time threshold.

4. The method according to claim 3, further including canceling the recording of the two recorded events by performing an action selected from the group consisting of deleting the recordings of the two events and further recording the two events as cancelled.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined time threshold is five milliseconds or less.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined time threshold is five hundred milliseconds or less.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second configured action includes an action associated with the recorded event.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the second configured action includes placing a display of the wireless device into a power saving mode in response to the recorded event being the close event.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the second configured action includes bringing a display of the wireless device out of a power saving mode in response to the recorded event being the open event.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein software running on the wireless device receives the recording of the two events and performs an action in response to the two recorded events, the action including the disabling of user notifications.

11. A wireless device having an opened state and a closed state, the wireless device comprising:

a processor for controlling operation of the wireless device;

a sensor providing an open signal to the processor indicating an open event when the wireless device is opened and placed into the opened state and providing a close signal to the processor indicating a close event when the wireless device is closed and placed into the closed state;

a first input device coupled to the processor for accepting an input;

at least one display device coupled to the processor for communicating an output to the user;

a communications subsystem coupled to the processor for communicating with a communications network;

a memory coupled to the processor; and

a storage device coupled to the processor;

the wireless device including an open/close event handling module resident in the memory for execution by the processor, the open/close event handling module being configured to;

detect one of the open event and the close event each time the open event or the close event occurs;

record in the memory the detected event and a time of the detected event with each event occurrence;

monitor for two recorded events within a predetermined time threshold;

execute a first configured action if the two events are recorded within the predetermined time threshold;

monitor for a only single recorded event within the predetermined time threshold; and

execute a second configured action if only the single event is recorded within the predetermined time threshold.

12. The wireless device according to claim 11, wherein the wireless device is a flip-style wireless device selected from the group consisting of a wireless device having a lower casing with a moveable lid, a wireless device having a lower casing and a lid where the lid slides over the lower casing from a first position to a second position, a wireless device having a lower casing and a lid where the lid is attached to the lower casing with a hinge mechanism, a wireless device having a lower casing and a lid where the lid is rotatably connected to the lower casing, and a wireless device having a lower casing and a lid, where the lid slides off of the lower casing from a first position to a second position with the lid being configured to rotate in the second position.

13. The wireless device according to claim 11, wherein the first configured action includes taking no action in response to the two recorded events occurring within the predetermined time threshold.

14. The wireless device according to claim 13, further including canceling the recording of the two events by performing an action selected from the group consisting of deleting the recordings of the two events and further recording the two events as cancelled.

15. The wireless device according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined time threshold is five milliseconds or less.

16. The wireless device according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined time threshold is five hundred milliseconds or less.

17. The wireless device according to claim 11, wherein the second configured action includes an action associated with the recorded event.

18. The wireless device according to claim 17, wherein the second configured action includes placing the display device of the wireless device into a power saving mode in response to the recorded event being the close event.

19. The wireless device according to claim 17, wherein the second configured action includes bringing the display device of the wireless device out of a power saving mode in response to the recorded event being the open event.

20. The wireless device according to claim 11, wherein software running on the wireless device receives the recording of the two events and performs an action in response to the two recorded events, the action including disabling of user notifications.

21. A method for handling open and close events in a wireless device, the wireless device having a sensor coupled to a processor, the sensor providing an open signal to the processor indicating an open event when the wireless device is opened and providing a close signal to the processor indicating a close event when the wireless device is closed, the method comprising:

detecting one of the close event and the open event each time the open event or the close event occurs;

starting a timer if one of the open event and the close event is detected and the timer is not running;

resetting and stopping the timer if one of the open event and the close event is detected and the timer is running; and

executing a configured action if the timer exceeds a predetermined time threshold.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the wireless device is a flip-style wireless device selected from the group consisting of a wireless device having a lower casing with a moveable lid, a wireless device having a lower casing and a lid where the lid slides over the lower casing from a first position to a second position, a wireless device having a lower casing and a lid where the lid is attached to the lower casing with a hinge mechanism, a wireless device having a lower casing and a lid where the lid is rotatably connected to the lower casing, and a wireless device having a lower casing and a lid, where the lid slides off of the lower casing from a first position to a second position with the lid being configured to rotate in the second position.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the predetermined time threshold is selected from the group consisting of five milliseconds or less and five hundred milliseconds or less.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the configured action includes an action associated with the last detected event.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein the configured action includes placing a display of the wireless device into a power saving mode when the last detected event is the close event and bringing a display of the wireless device out of a power saving mode when the last detected event is the open event.