System and Method for Display Timeout on Mobile Communication Devices

• US 20090312059A1
• Filed: 06/11/2008
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pratt, Elizabeth, Pratt, James, Sullivan, Marc A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,249,660 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: H04W 52/0264 by selectively disabling software applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A mobile communication device includes executable instructions for carrying out a method including setting a time duration for an application, receiving a first input, receiving a second input, determining the elapsed time between the first and second inputs, modifying the time duration based upon the elapsed time, and dimming a screen of the mobile device when the elapsed time exceeds the time duration.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

setting a first time duration for a first application in a mobile device;

receiving a first input for the first application;

in response to receiving the first input, starting a first counter;

in response to the first counter exceeding the first time duration, dimming a screen of the mobile device;

receiving a second input for the first application; and

in response to receiving the second input;

stopping the first counter; and

modifying the first time duration to equal a first modified first time duration based upon a first elapsed time of the first counter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first time duration is modified when the first counter exceeds the first time duration; and

the first modified first time duration is equal to the first counter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first modified first time duration is equal to an average of the first time duration and the first counter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first modified first time duration is determined by taking the average of the first time duration and the first counter and subtracting a correction factor.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting a second time duration for a second application in the mobile device;

receiving a third input for the second application;

in response to receiving the third input, starting a second counter;

in response to the second counter exceeding the second time duration, dimming the screen;

receiving a fourth input for the second application; and

in response to receiving the fourth input;

stopping the second counter; and

modifying the second time duration to equal a modified second time duration based upon a second elapsed time of the second counter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a cellular telephone.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after modifying the first time duration to equal the first modified first time duration, halting the first application;

receiving a third input for the first application that restarts the first application;

in response to receiving the third input, starting the first counter;

in response to the first counter exceeding the first modified first time duration, dimming the screen;

receiving a fourth input for the first application;

in response to receiving the fourth input;

stopping the first counter; and

modifying the first modified first time duration to equal a second modified first time duration based upon a second elapsed time of the first counter.

8. A mobile communication device comprising:

a processor;

a display; and

a memory comprising processor-executable code that includes instructions executable by the processor for carrying out a method comprising;

setting a first time duration for a first application in the mobile communication device;

receiving a first input for the first application;

receiving a second input for the first application;

determining a first elapsed between the first input and the second input;

modifying the first time duration to equal a modified first time duration based upon the first elapsed time; and

when the first elapsed time exceeds the first time duration, dimming the display.

9. The mobile communication device of claim 8, wherein:

the first time duration is modified when the first elapsed time exceeds the first time duration; and

the modified first time duration is equal to the first elapsed time.

10. The mobile communication device of claim 8, wherein the modified first time duration is equal to an average of the first time duration and the first elapsed time.

11. The mobile communication device of claim 8, wherein the modified first time duration is determined by taking the average of the first time duration and the first counter and subtracting a correction factor.

12. The mobile communication device of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

setting a second time duration for a second application in the mobile communication device;

receiving a third input for the second application;

receiving a fourth input for the second application;

determining a second elapsed time that is equal to the amount of time that elapsed between the third input and the fourth input; and

modifying the second time duration based upon the second elapsed time.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 8, wherein the mobile communication device is a cellular telephone.

14. A method comprising:

associating a time duration with an application of a mobile communication device;

determining an amount of time that elapses between activation of the application and an input to the application;

determining if the amount of time that elapses exceeds a time duration;

in response to determining that the amount of time that elapses exceeds the time duration, dimming a screen of the mobile communication device; and

modifying the time duration based upon the amount of time that elapses.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the time duration is modified when the amount of time that elapses exceeds the time duration; and

the modified time duration is equal to the amount of time that elapses.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the modified time duration is equal to the average of the time duration and the amount of time that elapses.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the modified time duration is determined by taking the average of the time duration and amount of time that elapses and adding a lag time.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the lag time is determined by a user.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the mobile communication device is a cellular telephone.

20. A mobile communications device having a first application with a first timeout period, and a second application with a second timeout period different than the first timeout period.

21. A method comprising:

receiving a first input at a mobile communication device;

in response to receiving the first input, starting a first counter;

in response to the counter counting to a first value that is equal to a first threshold, dimming a screen of the mobile communication device;

receiving a second input in the mobile communication device;

in response to receiving the second input, stopping the first counter;

in response to stopping the first counter, determining a second value of the counter; and

modifying the first threshold to equal a modified first threshold that is based upon the second value.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

in response to the counter counting to a third value that is equal to a second threshold, wherein the second threshold is greater than the first threshold, stopping the first counter.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the modified first threshold is equal to the second value.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the modified first threshold is equal to the average of the first threshold and the second value.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the modified first threshold is determined by taking the average of the first threshold and the second value and adding a lag time.