Portable Electronic Device and Method for Controlling Operation Thereof Based on User Motion

• US 20130234924A1
• Filed: 03/07/2012
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Janefalkar, Tushar, Balar, Amitkumar N., Barkat, Shakil, Dalvi, Sajid I.
• Granted Patent: US 9,189,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• 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: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3861 carried in a hand or on fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• 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: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A portable electronic device includes a motion sensor and a controller. The motion sensor detects an alternating signature motion of a limb of the user about a virtual axis corresponding to the limb. The motion sensor may be an accelerometer capable of detecting three dimensional acceleration. The accelerometer detects acceleration along X, Y and/or Z axes, in which acceleration peaks of the X and Z axes alternate with each other and acceleration of the Y axis remains substantially steady relative to the X and Y axes. The portable electronic device controls at least one function based on the detected alternating signature motion of the limb and/or acceleration along the X, Y and/or Z axes.

Claims

1. A method for controlling operation of a portable electronic device positioned adjacent to a limb of a user, the method comprising:

detecting, by a motion sensor of the portable electronic device, an alternating signature motion of a limb of the user about a virtual axis corresponding to the limb; and

controlling, by the portable electronic device, at least one function based on the detected alternating signature motion of the limb.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the portable electronic device peripherally about the virtual axis corresponding to the limb before detecting the alternating signature motion of the limb.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting, by the motion sensor, a display positioning motion subsequent to the alternating signature motion, the display positioning motion being associated with directing a display of the portable electronic device towards a view angle of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the alternating signature motion of the limb includes at least two sets of signature motions within a predetermined time period; and

each set of signature motions includes rotating in a first direction about the virtual axis and rotating in a second direction opposite the first direction about the virtual axis.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the at least one function includes controlling the at least one function of a display of the portable electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the at least one function includes transitioning a display of the portable electronic device from an inactive mode to an active mode.

7. A method for controlling operation of a portable electronic device, the portable electronic device including an accelerometer capable of detecting three dimensional acceleration, the method comprising:

detecting, by the accelerometer, acceleration along at least one axis of X, Y and Z axes, wherein acceleration peaks of the X and Z axes alternate with each other; and

controlling, by the portable electronic device, at least one function based on the detected acceleration along the at least one axis of the X, Y and Z axes.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising positioning the portable electronic device peripherally about a virtual axis substantially parallel to the Y axis and substantially orthogonal to the X and Z axes.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising detecting, by the accelerometer, acceleration along the Z axis indicating that a display of the portable electronic device is directed at least, in part, upward in direction.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting that the acceleration peaks of the X and Z axes alternate with each other include detecting that the acceleration peaks of the X and Z axes alternate with each other at least twice within a predetermined time period.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein controlling the at least one function includes controlling the at least one function of a display of the portable electronic device.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein controlling the at least one function includes transitioning a display of the portable electronic device from an inactive mode to an active mode.

13. A portable electronic device positioned adjacent to a limb of a user, the method comprising:

a motion sensor configured to detect an alternating signature motion of the limb of the user about a virtual axis corresponding to the limb; and

a controller configured to control at least one function based on the detected alternating signature motion of the limb.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 13, wherein:

the motion sensor detects acceleration along at least one axis of X, Y and Z axes, wherein acceleration peaks of the X and Z axes alternate with each other and acceleration of the Y axis remains substantially steady relative to the X and Y axes; and

the controller controls the at least one function based on the detected acceleration along the at least one axis of the X, Y and Z axes.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 13, wherein:

the controller includes a display of the portable electronic device;

the controller is configured to detect a positioning motion subsequent to the alternating signature motion; and

the display positioning motion is associated with directing the display towards a view angle of the user.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 13, wherein:

the alternating signature motion of the limb includes at least two sets of signature motions within a predetermined time period; and

each set of signature motions includes rotating in a first direction about the virtual axis and rotating in a second direction opposite the first direction about the virtual axis.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 13, wherein the at least one function includes at least one function of a display of the portable electronic device.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 13, wherein the controller is configured to transition a display of the portable electronic device from an inactive mode to an active mode.