SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACTIVATING COMPONENTS ON AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE USING ORIENTATION DATA

• US 20130273966A1
• Filed: 06/07/2013
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Griffin, Jason Tyler
• Granted Patent: US 9,241,052 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/552.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0279 Improving the user comfort or ergonomics
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6008 in the transmitter circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/01 Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers for hearing aids H04R25/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a system and method for analyzing an orientation of a handheld electronic device. The method comprises: monitoring data from a first sensor in a handheld electronic device; determining an orientation of the handheld electronic device by analyzing the data from the first sensor; and when the orientation indicates that the handheld electronic device is face down, activating a first component on the handheld electronic device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring data from a first sensor in a handheld electronic device;

determining an orientation of the handheld electronic device by analyzing the data from the first sensor; and

when the orientation indicates that the handheld electronic device is face down, activating a first component on the handheld electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first sensor is an accelerometer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first sensor is a pressure switch.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the orientation indicates that the handheld electronic device is face down, deactivating a second component on the handheld electronic device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second component is a display.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first component comprises a microphone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first component comprises a speaker.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first component comprises an input/output device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first component comprises a short-range communication sub-system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first component is a speaker located on an upper portion of the handheld electronic device;

a microphone is located on the upper portion of the handheld electronic device; and

when the orientation indicates that the handheld electronic device is upright,

the speaker is activated; and

the microphone is deactivated.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the orientation is a first orientation, the method further comprising:

determining a second orientation of the handheld electronic device by analyzing the data from the first sensor; and

when the orientation indicates that the handheld electronic device is other than face down, deactivating the first component.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein when the orientation indicates that the handheld electronic device is other than face down the orientation, the orientation indicates that the handheld electronic device is in a face up orientation.

13. An activation circuit for activating components of a handheld electronic device, comprising:

an orientation module that determines an orientation of the handheld electronic device by analyzing data from a first sensor in the handheld electronic device; and

an activation module that, when the orientation module determines that the handheld electronic device is face down, activates a first component on the handheld electronic device.

14. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the orientation module comprises an accelerometer.

15. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the orientation module comprises a pressure switch.

16. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 13, wherein, when the orientation module determines that the handheld electronic device is face down, the activation module deactivates a second component on the handheld electronic device.

17. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first component comprises a microphone.

18. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first component comprises a speaker.

19. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first component comprises an input/output device.

20. The activation circuit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first component comprises a short-range communication sub-system.