Accelerometer-controlled mobile handheld device

• US 20090239581A1
• Filed: 03/19/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Shu Muk Lee
• Original Assignee: Shu Muk Lee
• Inventors: Lee, Shu Muk
• Application Number:
  US12/383,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20090239581A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.200
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration
• 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 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• 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: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• 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: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present invention is directed to mobile handheld devices such as, for example, cell phones or personal digital assistants (PDAs) containing an accelerometer that sends a signal that causes the device to turn on.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile hand-held device, the method comprising:

detecting an acceleration of the mobile hand-held device using an accelerometer; and

activating a functionality of the mobile hand-held device in response to the detected acceleration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile hand-held device comprises a visual display and the step of activating a functionality of the mobile hand-held device comprises activating the visual display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile hand-held device comprises a processor and the step of activating a functionality of the mobile hand-held device comprises activating a functionality of the processor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile hand-held device is arranged to operate in a first mode with a first power consumption and a second mode with a second power consumption, the second power consumption being greater than the first power consumption, and wherein the step of activating a functionality of the mobile hand-held device comprises activating the second mode.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a signal indicative of the acceleration of the mobile hand-held device using the accelerometer;

determining, using the generated signal, that the acceleration of the mobile hand-held device meets a predefined criterion; and

activating the functionality of the mobile hand-held device in response to the said determination.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of determining comprises determining that the acceleration of the mobile hand-held deveice matches a predefined acceleration.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of determining comprises performing a correlation between the generated signal and a reference signal indicative of the predefined acceleration.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising, prior to the step of detecting an acceleration:

causing a motion of the mobile hand-held device to generate the predefined acceleration;

generating a reference signal indicative of the predefined acceleration of the mobile hand-held device using the accelerometer; and

storing said referenced signal.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining, using the generated signal, that the acceleration of the mobile hand-held device meets a second predefined criterion; and

activating a second functionality of the mobile hand-held device in response to the said second determination.

10. A computer, programmed to operate as defined according to claim 1.

11. A mobile hand-held device, comprising an accelerometer that is arranged to detect an acceleration of the mobile hand-held device and to activate a functionality of the mobile hand-held device in response to the detected acceleration.

12. A mobile hand-held device comprising:

a visual display; and

an accelerometer;

wherein the display is made operational by a signal from the accelerometer.

13. A mobile hand-held device comprising:

a cell phone or personal digital assistant containing an accelerometer that sends a signal that causes the cell phone or personal digital assistant to turn on.

14. A mobile hand-held device comprising:

an accelerometer;

a computer; and

a computer program that teaches the device a movement sequence that can be stored by the computer for access later as being the movement sequence required to perform a function of the device.