SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR LOCKING AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20130009858A1
• Filed: 07/08/2011
• Published: 01/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Lacey, Jon-David Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 8,665,212 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Systems and methods for locking an input device of an electronic device are described herein. An example method includes detecting a moving action of a housing of the electronic device from an open position to a closed position. The method includes detecting at least a first condition of the electronic device after detection of the moving action from the open position to the closed position and locking the input device upon detection of the first condition within a first time interval based on the electronic device being moved to the closed position.

Claims

1. A method for locking an input device of an electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting a moving action of a housing of the electronic device from an open position to a closed position;

detecting at least a first condition of the electronic device after detection of the moving action from the open position to the closed position; and

locking the input device upon detection of the first condition within a first time interval based on the electronic device being moved to the closed position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first condition comprises detecting an inactivity of the input device within the first time interval.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first condition comprises detecting a state of the electronic device when detecting the moving action from the open position to the closed position, wherein the state of the electronic device comprises whether the electronic device is in a home screen state or a single application dedicated level state.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising detecting the state of the electronic device within a second time interval after detecting the moving action to the closed position, the second time interval being less than the first time interval.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising presenting one or more menu icons via the home screen state when the electronic device is in the closed position, and locking the input device when the electronic device is in the home screen state.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first condition comprises comparing a change in a first ambient light value detected when the electronic device is in the open position and a second ambient light value detected when the electronic device is in the closed position.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a second condition and locking the input device when the first condition and the second condition are detected, wherein the second condition comprises at least one of detecting an inactivity level within a predetermined time interval, detecting a state of the electronic device, detecting a change in an ambient light value being greater than or equal to a predetermined ambient light value, and detecting a surface contact area of a touch screen of the electronic device.

8. A method for locking an input device of an electronic device comprising:

receiving a first input representative of a housing of the electronic device moving from an open position to a closed position;

monitoring the input device for activity when the electronic device is in the closed position; and

initiating a sleep state after not receiving a second input via the input device within a first time interval from receiving the first input.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein initiating the sleep state disables the input device.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising detecting a state of the electronic device when the electronic device is moved to the closed position.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting the state of the electronic device within a second time interval after detection of detecting the moving action to the closed position, the second time interval being less than the first time interval.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising initiating the sleep state when a home screen state of the electronic device is detected in addition to not receiving the second input via the input device within the first time interval.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising detecting a change in an ambient light value when the electronic device is moved from the open position to the closed position.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising initiating the sleep state when the change in the ambient light value is greater than a predetermined ambient light value in addition to not receiving the second input via the input device within the first time interval.

15. A tangible machine accessible medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to:

receive a first input representative of a housing of an electronic device moving from an open position to a closed position;

monitor an input device of the electronic device for activity when the electronic device is in the closed position; and

initiate a sleep state after not receiving a second input via the input device within a first time interval from receiving the first input.

16. The tangible machine accessible medium as defined in claim 15 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to detect a state of the electronic device when the electronic device is moved to the closed position.

17. The tangible machine accessible medium as defined in claim 15 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to detect the state of the electronic device within a second time interval after detection of detecting the moving action to the closed position, the second time interval being less than the first time interval.

18. The tangible machine accessible medium as defined in claim 17 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to initiate a sleep state when a home screen state of the electronic device is detected in addition to not receiving the second input via the input device within the first time interval.

19. The tangible machine accessible medium as defined in claim 15 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to detect a change in an ambient light value when the electronic device is moved from the open position to the closed position.

20. The tangible machine accessible medium as defined in claim 19 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to initiate a sleep state when the change in the ambient light value is greater than a predetermined ambient light value in addition to not receiving the second input via the input device within the first time interval.