LINKAGE BETWEEN MOTION SENSING AND POSITION APPLICATIONS IN A PORTABLE COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20100095251A1
• Filed: 10/15/2008
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Dunko, Gregory A.
• Application Number:
  US12/252,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20100095251A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

Criteria for movement of a mobile communication device that can be initiated by the user are defined. A criterion can be stored as a data characteristic in device memory. Motion of the device can be sensed to determine, by the device controller, whether sensed motion meets the defined criterion. The sensed motion may be derived from an accelerometer, or equivalent means, in the device. If the sensed motion is determined by the controller to match stored criterion data, the controller triggers activation of an application that is dependent on location of the device. A stored application associated with the matched data characteristic is accessed from one or more stored applications respectively associated in memory with stored data characteristics.

Claims

10-1. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the triggering step comprises transmitting a message that includes the device location to a remote recipient.

11. A mobile communication device comprising:

a controller;

a memory, wherein the memory is configured to store data defining a pattern of movement of the device and to associate a device application that is dependent on the location of the device with the defined pattern of movement; and

a motion sensor;

wherein

the controller is configured to detect that user initiated movement sensed by the motion sensor matches the stored data and, in response to a match, to activate the application.

13. A mobile communication device as recited in claim 11, wherein the memory is configured to store data defining a plurality of device movement patterns, each of the patterns associated with a respective location dependent application, and the controller is responsive to the motion sensor to detect a match with one of the patterns and to activate an application that corresponds to the detected match.

14. A mobile communication device as recited in claim 11, wherein the pattern of movement relates to a multi-directional change of position of the device.

15. A mobile communication device as recited in claim 11, wherein the predetermined criterion relates to a change of orientation of the device.

16. A mobile communication device as recited in claim 11, wherein the application comprises updating stored device location in memory.

17. A mobile communication device as recited in claim 16, further comprising a communication interface, and the application further comprises transmitting a message that includes the device location to a remote recipient.

18. A mobile communication device as recited in claim 11, wherein the application comprises a user navigation functionality.

19. A mobile communication device as recited in claim 11, wherein the application comprises a user location based search functionality.

20. A mobile communication device as recited in claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to change operation of the device from a standby mode to an active mode in response to the match.

12. A mobile communication device as recited in claim 12, wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer.