Vibration Sensing System and Method for Categorizing Portable Device Context and Modifying Device Operation

• US 20120270605A1
• Filed: 08/02/2011
• Published: 10/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Garrone, Ryan J., Mayo, Sean A., Mullin, Scott A., Cameron, Gordon C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,892,162 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions

Abstract

A portable device includes: an enclosure, one or more processors for executing one or more programs; one or more actuators in or on the enclosure for generating mechanical vibrations; one or more sensors in or on the enclosure for detecting mechanical vibrations; and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors. The device analyzes one or more signals produced by the one or more sensors with respect to mechanical vibrations to determine a holding state of the portable device, and conditionally modifies operation of at least one application executed by the one or more processors in accordance with the determined holding state.

Claims

1. A portable device, comprising:

an enclosure;

one or more processors for executing one or more programs;

one or more actuators in or on the enclosure for generating mechanical vibrations;

one or more sensors in or on the enclosure for detecting mechanical vibrations; and

memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising;

instructions for analyzing one or more signals produced by the one or more sensors with respect to mechanical vibrations to determine a holding state of the portable device; and

instructions for modifying operation of at least one application executed by the one or more processors in accordance with the determined holding state.

2. The portable device of claim 1, wherein a respective sensor of the one or more sensors and a respective actuator of the one or more actuators comprise a same device.

3. The portable device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is a piezo transducer.

4. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the instructions for analyzing determine a grip strength of a user'"'"'s hold on the portable device.

5. The portable device of claim 4, wherein the instructions for modifying operation modify a user interface response to a user gesture in accordance with the determined grip strength.

6. The portable device of claim 4, wherein the instructions for modifying operation modify a scroll speed in response to a user scrolling gesture in accordance with the determined grip strength.

7. The portable device of claim 1, further comprising a touch-sensitive surface, wherein:

the one or more programs further include instructions for analyzing the one or more signals produced by the one or more sensors with respect to mechanical vibrations to determine a touch strength on the touch-sensitive surface; and

the instructions for modifying operation include instructions for modifying operation of at least one application executed by the one or more processors in accordance with the determined touch strength.

8. The portable device of claim 1, wherein:

the memory includes a ringtone that is played at the portable device in response to an incoming call; and

the instructions for modifying operation include instructions for modifying a length of the ringtone at least in accordance with the determined holding state.

9. The portable device of claim 1, further comprising a display and one or more manual user input devices in or on the enclosure, wherein:

the one or more programs include an application configured to light up the display by default in response to an input on the one or more manual user input devices; and

the instructions for modifying operation conditionally modify the application in accordance with at least the determined holding state such that the application conditionally does not light up the display.

10. The portable device of claim 1, further comprising a light sensor, wherein:

the one or more programs include instructions for detecting ambient brightness with the light sensor; and

the instructions for modifying operation comprise instructions for modifying operation of at least one application executed by the one or more processors in accordance with the determined holding state and the ambient brightness.

11. The portable device of claim 10, wherein:

the memory includes a ringtone that is played at the portable device in response to an incoming call; and

the instructions for modifying operation comprise instructions for modifying the length of the ringtone in accordance with the determined holding state and the ambient brightness.

12. The portable device of claim 10, further comprising a display and one or more manual user input devices in or on the enclosure, wherein:

the one or more programs include an application configured to light up the display by default in response to an input on the one or more manual user input devices; and

the instructions for modifying operation comprise instructions for conditionally modifying the application in accordance with the determined holding state and the ambient brightness such that the application conditionally does not light up the display.

13. The portable device of claim 10, wherein:

the one or more programs include a pedometer application; and

the instructions for modifying operation launch the pedometer application in accordance with the determined holding state and the ambient brightness.

14. The portable device of claim 1, including one or more accelerometers, wherein:

the one or more programs include instructions for detecting an acceleration of the portable device using at least one of the one or more accelerometers; and

the instructions for modifying operation comprise instructions for modifying operation of at least one application executed by the one or more processors in accordance with the determined holding state and the acceleration of the portable device.

15. The portable device of claim 14, wherein:

the memory includes a ringtone that is played at the portable device in response to an incoming call; and

the instructions for modifying operation comprise instructions for modifying the length of the ringtone in accordance with the determined holding state and the acceleration of the portable device.

16. The portable device of claim 1, wherein the instructions for analyzing determine one or more locations of one or more contacts by a user on the enclosure of the portable device in accordance with the one or more signals produced by the one or more sensors.

17. The portable device of claim 16, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for identifying a user in accordance with the one or more locations of the one or more contacts.

18. The portable device of claim 1, further comprising a display and a touch-sensitive surface, wherein:

the one or more programs include;

instructions for receiving one or more user contact areas on the touch-sensitive surface;

instructions for determining, for each user contact area, a respective finger contact coordinate tuple based on a respective location of a respective finger contact area and the determined holding state; and

instructions for manipulating at least one of one or more user interface objects displayed on the display in accordance with the one or more respective finger contact coordinate tuples.

19. A method performed at a portable device that includes an enclosure, one or more processors for executing one or more programs, one or more actuators in or on the enclosure, one or more sensors in or on the enclosure, and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the method comprising:

generating mechanical vibrations with the one or more actuators;

detecting mechanical vibrations with the one or more sensors;

analyzing one or more signals produced by the one or more sensors with respect to mechanical vibrations to determine a holding state of the portable device; and

modifying operation of at least one application executed by the one or more processors in accordance with the determined holding state.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the analyzing includes determining a grip strength of a user'"'"'s hold on the portable device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the modifying includes modifying a user interface response to a user gesture in accordance with the determined grip strength.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the modifying includes modifying a scroll speed in response to a user scrolling gesture in accordance with the determined grip strength.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the portable device further comprises a touch-sensitive surface;

the method further includes analyzing the one or more signals produced by the one or more sensors with respect to mechanical vibrations to determine a touch strength on the touch-sensitive surface; and

the method includes modifying operation of at least one application executed by the one or more processors in accordance with the determined touch strength.

24. The method of claim 19, including modifying a length of a ringtone at least in accordance with the determined holding state, wherein the ringtone is played at the portable device in response to an incoming call.

25. The method of claim 19, including conditionally modifying an application in the one or more programs in accordance with at least the determined holding state such that the application conditionally does not light up a display of the portable device, wherein the application is configured to light up the display by default in response to an input on one or more manual user input devices of the portable device.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising detecting ambient brightness with a light sensor of the portable device, wherein the method includes modifying operation of at least one application executed by the one or more processors in accordance with the determined holding state and the ambient brightness.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising detecting an acceleration of the portable device using at least one accelerometer of the portable device, wherein the method includes modifying operation of at least one application executed by the one or more processors in accordance with the determined holding state and the acceleration of the portable device.

28. The method of claim 19, including determining one or more locations of one or more contacts by a user on the enclosure of the portable device in accordance with the one or more signals produced by the one or more sensors.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing one or more programs for execution by one or more processors of a portable device that includes an enclosure, one or more actuators in or on the enclosure, and one or more sensors in or on the enclosure, the one or more programs including instructions for:

generating mechanical vibrations with the one or more actuators;

detecting mechanical vibrations with the one or more sensors;

analyzing one or more signals produced by the one or more sensors with respect to mechanical vibrations to determine a holding state of the portable device; and

modifying operation of at least one application executed by the one or more processors in accordance with the determined holding state.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for conditionally modifying an application in the one or more programs in accordance with at least the determined holding state such that the application conditionally does not light up a display of the portable device, wherein the application is configured to light up the display by default in response to an input on one or more manual user input devices of the portable device.