ALARM CLOCK AND ALARM SHUTDOWN METHOD THEREOF

• US 20120120770A1
• Filed: 04/06/2011
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: FIH (Hong Kong) Limited (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Foxconn Communication Technology Corp. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: LI, YU-LUN
• Application Number:
  US13/080,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20120120770A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 368/10
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 13/025 acting only at one preselected time
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 15/003 acting only at one preselected time or during one adjustable time interval

Abstract

In a face recognition-based method for an alarm clock, an alarm time of an alarm clock and a predetermined time period are received from a user and saved in the alarm clock. Upon detecting that a current time matches the alarm time, the alarm clock executes an alarm and directs a capture unit to capture at least one image of the user. If the least one image captured from the capture unit includes an open-eye image and the open-eye image exists after the predetermined time period, the alarm clock turns off the alarm automatically.

Claims

1. An alarm clock, comprising:

a capture unit operable to capture an image;

a timer unit operable to determine whether a current time matches an alarm time of the alarm clock;

a memory;

at least one processor;

a speaker;

one or more programs that are stored in the memory and are executed by the at least one processor, the one or more programs comprising;

a receiving module operable to set the alarm time and a predetermined time period;

an execution module operable to execute an alarm using the speaker upon determining that the current time matches the alarm time;

an analysis module operable to determine whether the image includes an open-eye image; and

a shutdown module operable to disable the alarm upon determining that the image includes the open-eye image that exists after the predetermined time period.

2. The alarm clock of claim 1, wherein the execution module further directs the capture unit to capture one more image of the user upon determining that the current time equals to the predetermined time period after a prior captured image.

3. The alarm clock of claim 1, wherein the capture unit is a video camera module.

4. The alarm clock of claim 1, wherein the capture unit is a digital camera module.

5. The alarm clock of claim 1, wherein the alarm time and the predetermined time period is saved in the memory.

6. A alarm shutdown method for an alarm clock, the alarm clock comprising a capture unit, a memory and at least one processor, the method comprising:

receiving an alarm time of the alarm clock and a predetermined time period set by a user;

executing an alarm upon determining that current time matches the alarm time;

capturing at least one image of the user by the capture unit;

determining whether the at least one image includes an open-eye image;

determining whether the open-eye image that exists after the predetermined time period if the at least one image includes the open-eye image; and

disabling the alarm upon determining that the open-eye image exists after the predetermined time period.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the executing step executes the alarm using a speaker.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the capturing step captures the at least one image by a video camera module.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the capturing step captures the at least one image by a digital camera module.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising saving the alarm time and the predetermined time period in the memory.

11. A storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a alarm shutdown method for an alarm clock, the alarm clock comprising a capture unit, a memory and at least one processor, the method comprising:

receiving an alarm time of the alarm clock and a predetermined time period set by a user;

executing an alarm upon determining that current time matches the alarm time;

capturing at least one image of the user by the capture unit;

determining whether the at least one image includes an open-eye image;

determining whether the open-eye image that exists after the predetermined time period if the at least one image includes the open-eye image; and

disabling the alarm upon determining that the open-eye image exists after the predetermined time period.

12. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the executing step executes the alarm using a speaker.

13. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the capturing step captures the at least one image by a video camera module.

14. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the capturing step captures the at least one image by a digital camera module.

15. The storage medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprising saving the alarm time and the predetermined time period in the memory.