MOBILE DEVICE CONTROL BASED ON SURFACE MATERIAL DETECTION

• US 20130297926A1
• Filed: 05/02/2012
• Published: 11/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Wu, Hung-Hsin, Menendez, Jose R., Frantz, William T., Eaton, John D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,996,767 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/100
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/17 Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated where the material investigated is optically excited causing a change in wavelength of the incident light G01N21/63
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• 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

Abstract

A mobile device uses sensor data related to the type of surface in contact with the mobile device to determine an action to perform. The sensors, by way of example, may be one or more of a microphone and noise generator, a light based proximity sensor, and pressure sensors, such as dielectric elastomers, configured to detect a texture of the surface, and/or pressure waves produced by setting the mobile device down or by a noise generator and reflected by the surface. The mobile device may identify the type of surface and perform the action based on the type of surface. The mobile device may further determine its location based on the sensor data and use that location to identify the action to be performed. The location may be determined using additional data, e.g., data not related to determining the type of surface with which the mobile device is in contact.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data from one or more sensors in a mobile device, wherein the data is related to a type of surface in contact with the mobile device; and

performing an action based on the received data related to the type of surface in contact with the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action comprises:

determining a type of surface in contact with the mobile device using the received data; and

performing the action based on the type of surface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action comprises determining a location for the mobile device based on the received data and using the location to identify the action to perform.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the location for the mobile device comprises:

receiving additional data; and

using the additional data with the received data for determining the location.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the additional data comprises at least one of a general position fix, detected wireless devices, environmental sounds, and time associated with a user'"'"'s routine.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining the mobile device has been removed from the surface;

performing a different action after the mobile device has been removed from the surface.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining the mobile device has moved;

receiving a second set of data from the one or more sensors;

determining a different type of surface in contact with the mobile device using the second set of data; and

performing a different action based on the determined different type of surface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a microphone and a noise generator, wherein the microphone detects sound produced by the noise generator and reflected by the surface.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the noise generator is at least one of a speaker and a vibrator.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a light based proximity sensor.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise pressure sensors configured to detect at least one of a texture of the surface and pressure waves reflected from the surface.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the pressures waves are produced by at least one of setting down the mobile device and a noise generator.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the noise generator is at least one of a speaker and a vibrator.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the pressure sensors comprises dielectric elastomers.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the action comprises controlling the mobile device to perform the action.

16. The method of claim 2, determining a type of surface in contact with the mobile device using the received data comprises determining at least one of a hardness, texture, pattern, mass and size of the surface.

17. The method of claim 2, determining a type of surface in contact with the mobile device using the received data comprises determining a material of the surface.

18. A mobile device comprising:

one or more sensors; and

a processor coupled to receive data from the one or more sensors, wherein the data is related to a type of surface in contact with the mobile device, the processor being configured to perform an action based on the data related to the type of surface in contact with the mobile device.

19. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to perform the action by being configured to determine the type of surface in contact with the mobile device using the data received from the one or more sensors;

and to perform the action based on the type of surface.

20. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to perform the action by being configured to determine a location for the mobile device based on the data received from the one or more sensors and to use the location to identify the action to perform.

21. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the processor is configured to determine the location for the mobile device by being configured to receive additional data from the one or more sensors, and to use the additional data with the data received from the one or more sensors to determine the location.

22. The mobile device of claim 21, wherein the additional data comprises at least one of a general position fix, detected wireless devices, environmental sounds, and time associated with a user'"'"'s routine.

23. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to determine when the mobile device has been removed from the surface and perform a different action after the mobile device has been removed from the surface.

24. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to determine when the mobile device has moved, receive a second set of data from the one or more sensors, determine a different type of surface in contact with the mobile device using the second set of data, and perform a different action based on the determined different type of surface.

25. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a microphone and a noise generator, wherein the microphone detects sound produced by the noise generator and reflected by the surface.

26. The mobile device of claim 25, wherein the noise generator is at least one of a speaker and a vibrator.

27. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a light based proximity sensor.

28. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the one or more sensors comprise pressure sensors configured to detect at least one of a texture of the surface and pressure waves reflected from the surface.

29. The mobile device of claim 28, wherein the pressures waves are produced by at least one of setting down the mobile device and a noise generator.

30. The mobile device of claim 29, wherein the noise generator is at least one of a speaker and a vibrator.

31. The mobile device of claim 28, wherein the pressure sensors comprises dielectric elastomers.

32. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to determine the type of surface in contact with the mobile device by being configured to determine at least one of a hardness, texture, pattern, mass and size of the surface.

33. The mobile device of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to determine the type of surface in contact with the mobile device by being configured to determine a material of the surface.

34. A mobile device comprising:

means for receiving data from one or more sensors in a mobile device, wherein the data is related to a type of surface in contact with the mobile device; and

means for performing an action based on the received data related to the type of surface in contact with the mobile device.

35. The mobile device of claim 34, wherein the means for performing the action comprises:

means for determining the type of surface in contact with the mobile device using the received data; and

means for performing the action based on the determined type of surface.

36. The mobile device of claim 34, wherein the means for performing the action comprises:

means for determining a location for the mobile device based on the received data; and

means for using the location to identify the action to perform.

37. The mobile device of claim 36, wherein the means for determining the location for the mobile device comprises:

means for receiving additional data unrelated to the type of surface in contact with the mobile device; and

means for using the additional data with the received data for determining the location.

38. The mobile device of claim 34, wherein means for receiving data comprises at least one of a microphone and a noise generator, a light based proximity sensor, and pressure sensors.

39. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including program code stored thereon, comprising:

program code to receive data from one or more sensors in a mobile device, wherein the data is related to a type of surface in contact with the mobile device; and

program code to perform an action based on the data related to the type of surface in contact with the mobile device.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the program code to perform the action comprises program code to determine the type of surface in contact with a mobile device using the data received from one or more sensors in the mobile device;

and

program code to perform the action based on the determined type of surface.

41. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 39, wherein the program code to perform the action comprises program code to determine a location for the mobile device based on the determined type of surface and program code to use the location to identify the action to perform.

42. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the program code to determine the location for the mobile device comprises program code to determine the location using additional received data that is unrelated to the type of surface in contact with the mobile device along with the determined type of surface.