Apparatus, Method and Computer Program Using a Proximity Detector

• US 20130100064A1
• Filed: 10/20/2011
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Ronkainen, Sami Pekka
• Granted Patent: US 9,195,349 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

An apparatus comprising: at least one proximity detector configured to disambiguate different user actuations proximal to the proximity detector; wherein, the apparatus is configured to use the at least one proximity detector in a high definition mode to disambiguate a first set of user actuations and wherein, the apparatus is configured to use, in response to detection of a first criteria, the at least one proximity detector in a low definition mode to disambiguate a second, smaller set of user actuations.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one proximity detector configured to disambiguate different user actuations proximal to the proximity detector;

wherein, the apparatus is configured to use the at least one proximity detector in a high definition mode to disambiguate a first set of user actuations and wherein, the apparatus is configured to use, in response to detection of a first criteria, the at least one proximity detector in a low definition mode to disambiguate a second, smaller set of user actuations.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user actuations are different hand gestures.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one proximity detector in a low definition mode is configured to disambiguate accurately a second, smaller set of user actuations that are separated from the at least one proximity detector by clothing.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one proximity detector is configured to be triggered by user actuations at a greater distance from the at least one proximity detector in the low definition mode than the high definition mode.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one proximity detector is configured to have a higher gain in the low definition mode than the high definition mode.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first set of user actuations and the second set of user actuations are exclusive, non-overlapping sets.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising a display, wherein the at least one proximity detector enables touch input over the display.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform;

detecting the first criteria; and

changing from using the at least one proximity detector in the high definition mode to using the at least one proximity detector in the low definition mode.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one proximity detector in the high definition mode is configured to disambiguate an instantaneous user actuation at a first location from an instantaneous user actuation at a second location separated from the first location by less than 0.5 cm and wherein the at least one proximity detector in the low definition mode is not configured to disambiguate an instantaneous user actuation at the first location from an instantaneous user actuation at the second location separated from the first location by less than 0.5 cm.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, configured to associate an input control option with each member of the second set of user actuations, wherein the input control options enable user control of an in-use application but do not enable selection of an application for use.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second set of user actuations comprise direction sweeps.

23. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first criteria is dependent upon one or more of:

a proximity detection trigger;

an apparatus orientation trigger; and

a user-locking trigger.

25. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first criteria requires:

an application to be in use, the user to have applied a user lock to the apparatus, and the apparatus to detect that it has been continually adjacent another object since a timeout period.

26. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first criteria requires that the apparatus goes to a vertical orientation and stays there.

30. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to use, in response to detection of the first criteria, the at least one proximity detector in a low definition mode to disambiguate a second, smaller set of user actuations and wherein the apparatus is configured to use, in response to detection of a second criteria, the at least one proximity detector in a high definition mode to disambiguate a first set of user actuations.

32. An apparatus as claimed in claim 30, wherein the second criteria is dependent upon one or more of:

one or more proximity detection triggers and an apparatus orientation trigger.

7-8. -8. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

16-19. -19. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

27-29. -29. (canceled)

31. (canceled)

33. A method comprising:

detection of a first criteria; and

switching from using at least one proximity detector in a high definition mode to disambiguate a first set of user actuations to using the at least one proximity detector in a low definition mode to disambiguate a second, smaller set of user actuations instead of the first set of user actuations.

34. A method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the user actuations are different hand gestures and wherein the low definition mode enables user control of the apparatus through user clothing.

36. A method as claimed in claim 33, further comprising reducing power consumption of a display when the at least one proximity detector is in the low definition mode.

37. A method as claimed in claim 33, further comprising detection of second criteria;

and switching from using the at least one proximity detector in a low definition mode to disambiguate the second set of user actuations to using the at least one proximity detector in a high definition mode to disambiguate the first, larger set of user actuations instead of the second set of user actuations.

35. (canceled)

38-40. -40. (canceled)

41. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform

detecting a first criteria;

controlling switching from using at least one proximity detector in a high definition mode to disambiguate a first set of user actuations to using the at least one proximity detector in a low definition mode to disambiguate a second, smaller set of user actuations instead of the first set of user actuations.

42. An apparatus as claimed in claim 41 wherein the second, smaller set of user actuations comprises only un-tethered relative sweep gestures.