MINIMIZATION OF FALSE TRIGGER IN A MOBILE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM

• US 20100217558A1
• Filed: 02/26/2009
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Yeh, David John, Chen, Jiun-Tao, Tao, James, Tan, Cheng Ping
• Granted Patent: US 8,532,955 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/141
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0891 with indication of predetermined acceleration values G01P15/135 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/042 due to external shock or vibration
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/043 by detecting a free-fall condition

Abstract

Preventative actions normally performed in response to detecting a trigger event triggered by an accelerometer attached to a portable device may be bypassed during a quiet period. The quiet period may be initiated in response to detecting at least one repeated trigger event within a time window encompassing the first trigger event, and may be terminated based on an expiration criterion.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

performing a preventative action in response to detecting a first trigger event triggered by an accelerometer attached to a portable device in response to a sudden move of the portable device;

initiating a quiet period in response to detecting at least one repeated trigger event within a time window encompassing the first trigger event;

bypassing performing the preventative action for a subsequent trigger event detected during the quiet period; and

terminating the quiet period based on an expiration criterion.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein performing the preventative action comprises parking a hard disk drive actuator for a first duration in response to the first trigger event.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising parking the hard disk drive actuator for a second duration in response to the at least one repeated trigger event, wherein the second duration is different than the first duration.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first trigger event and the repeated trigger event are free fall events detected by the accelerometer.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the first trigger event according to a first trigger threshold, and

detecting a trigger event during the quiet period according to a second trigger threshold.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the first trigger threshold includes a first acceleration threshold and a first duration threshold, and wherein the second trigger threshold includes a second duration threshold different from the first duration threshold.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the first trigger threshold includes a first acceleration threshold and a first duration threshold, and wherein the second trigger threshold includes a second acceleration threshold different from the first acceleration threshold.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the expiration criterion is satisfied by lapse of a time period during which an acceleration event is not detected.

9. A machine-readable storage medium including instructions that when executed by a processor, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

performing a preventative action in response to detecting a first trigger event triggered by an accelerometer attached to a portable device in response to a sudden move of the portable device;

initiating a quiet period in response to detecting at least one repeated trigger event within a time window encompassing the first trigger event;

bypassing performing the preventative action for a subsequent trigger event detected during the quiet period; and

terminating the quiet period based on an expiration criterion.

10. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein performing the preventative action comprises parking a hard disk drive actuator for a first duration in response to the first trigger event.

11. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions further comprise parking the hard disk drive actuator for a second duration in response to the at least one repeated trigger event, wherein the second duration is different than the first duration.

12. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the first trigger event and the repeated trigger event are free fall events detected by the accelerometer.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions further comprise:

detecting the first trigger event according to a first trigger threshold, and

detecting a trigger event during the quiet period according to a second trigger threshold.

14. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the first trigger threshold includes a first acceleration threshold and a first duration threshold, and wherein the second trigger threshold includes a second duration threshold different from the first duration threshold.

15. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the first trigger threshold includes a first acceleration threshold and a first duration threshold, and wherein the second trigger threshold includes a second acceleration threshold different from the first acceleration threshold.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the expiration criterion is satisfied by lapse of a time period during which an acceleration event is not detected.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

a trigger event generator to be coupled with an accelerometer to generate a trigger event based on a raw signal from the accelerometer;

an event logic module coupled to the trigger event generator to generate an output signal from which a preventative action is performed, wherein the event logic module is configured to

initiate a quiet period in response to detecting a threshold number of repeated trigger events within a time period, and

bypass generating the output signal in response to receiving the trigger event if the trigger event is received during the quiet period such that no preventative action is to be performed.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the output signal is provided to a hard disk drive actuator, and wherein the preventative action comprises parking the actuator.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the event logic module is further configured to terminate the quiet period in response to a lapse of a time period.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the event logic module is further configured to extend the quiet period in response to detecting a threshold number of trigger events during the quiet period.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the trigger event generator is configured to generate the trigger event if an acceleration value indicated by the raw signal exceeds an acceleration threshold for a time exceeding a duration threshold.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the trigger event generator is further configured to increase the acceleration threshold during the quiet period.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the trigger event generator is further configured to increase the duration threshold during the quiet period.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a second accelerometer coupled with a system electronics module, wherein the second accelerometer is configured to provide a second raw signal to the system electronics module, and wherein the processing unit is further configured to output the actuation signal if the second raw signal exceeds a second acceleration threshold for a time exceeding a second duration threshold.

25. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

performing a normal detection routine in which in response to a trigger event from an accelerometer attached to a portable device indicating that the portable device is in a sudden move, a preventative action is performed;

initiating a quiet period based on a pattern of subsequent trigger events received from the accelerometer, wherein during the quiet period no preventative action is performed; and

resuming the normal detection routine after the quiet period ends.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the normal detection routine is suspended once the quiet period starts.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the quiet period ends based on a pattern of trigger events during the quiet period.

28. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory containing instructions executable by the processor to cause the system to perform operations comprising;

performing a preventative action in response to detecting a first trigger event triggered by a first accelerometer attached to a portable device in response to a sudden move of the portable device;

initiating a quiet period in response to detecting at least one repeated trigger event within a time window encompassing the first trigger event;

bypassing performing the preventative action for a subsequent trigger event detected during the quiet period; and

terminating the quiet period based on an expiration criterion.