PREVENTING SLEEP MODE FOR DEVICES BASED ON SENSOR INPUTS

• US 20140281617A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Hobbs, Nicholas Kenneth, Ainslie, Alex
• Granted Patent: US 9,454,208 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3228 Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4881 Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues

Abstract

A data processing device may receive, from an application running on the data processing device, an indication that one or more sensors may be associated with a user input for the application. Based on sensing information collected from the one or more sensors, a characteristic of the user input may be determined by the data processing device. The data processing device may refrain from entering a sleep mode if the characteristic of the user input matches a specific characteristic condition specified by the application. The data processing device may allow entering the sleep mode if the characteristic of the user input does not match the specific characteristic condition for a specific timeout period specified by the application. The data processing device may receive the indication, information on the specific characteristic condition and/or information on the specific timeout period via invoking, by the application, one or more application programming interfaces (APIs).

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

in a data processing device;

receiving, from an application running on the data processing device, an indication that one or more sensors are associated with a user input for the application;

determining, based on sensing information collected from the one or more sensors, a characteristic of the user input;

refraining from entering a sleep mode if the characteristic of the user input matches a specific characteristic condition specified by the application; and

allowing entering the sleep mode if the characteristic of the user input does not match the specific characteristic condition for a specific timeout period specified by the application.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising receiving the indication, information on the specific characteristic condition and/or information on the specific timeout period via invoking, by the application, one or more application programming interfaces (APIs).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise an accelerometer, a directional sensor, an acoustic sensor, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) unit, a voltage sensor, a proximity sensor, an atmospheric sensor, a camera and/or other sensors.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the specific characteristic condition associated with the accelerometer comprises a motion acceleration exceeding a specific minimum acceleration value.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the specific characteristic condition associated with the directional sensor comprises a sensor heading change exceeding a specific minimum change value.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the specific characteristic condition associated with the acoustic sensor comprises an input volume exceeding a specific minimum volume value that is within a specific frequency range.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the specific characteristic condition associated with the GNSS unit comprises a position change exceeding a specific minimum distance.

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein the specific characteristic condition associated with the voltage sensor comprises an input voltage change exceeding a specific minimum voltage value.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the specific characteristic condition is determined based on a typical characteristic of the user input for the application while the application is running.

10. A system, comprising:

a data processing device, wherein the data processing device is operable to;

receive, from an application running on the data processing device, an indication that one or more sensors are associated with a user input for the application;

determine, based on sensing information collected from the one or more sensors, a characteristic of the user input;

refrain from entering a sleep mode if the characteristic of the user input matches a specific characteristic condition specified by the application; and

allow entering the sleep mode if the characteristic of the user input does not match the specific characteristic condition for a specific timeout period specified by the application.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the data processing device is operable to receive the indication, information on the specific characteristic condition and/or information on the specific timeout period via invoking, by the application, one or more application programming interfaces (APIs).

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the one or more sensors comprise an accelerometer, a directional sensor, an acoustic sensor, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) unit, a voltage sensor, a proximity sensor, an atmospheric sensor, a camera and/or other sensors.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the specific characteristic condition associated with the accelerometer comprises a motion acceleration exceeding a specific minimum acceleration value.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the specific characteristic condition associated with the directional sensor comprises a sensor heading change exceeding a specific minimum change value.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the specific characteristic condition associated with the acoustic sensor comprises an input volume exceeding a specific minimum volume value that is within a specific frequency range.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein the specific characteristic condition associated with the GNSS unit comprises a position change exceeding a specific minimum distance.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein the specific characteristic condition associated with the voltage sensor comprises an input voltage change exceeding a specific minimum voltage value.

18. The system according to claim 10, wherein the specific characteristic condition is determined based on a typical characteristic of the user input for the application while the application is running.

19. A method, comprising:

in a data processing device;

receiving, from an application running on the data processing device, an indication that one or more sensors are associated with a user input for the application;

determining, based on sensing information collected from the one or more sensors, a characteristic of the user input;

refraining from entering a sleep mode if the characteristic of the user input matches a specific characteristic condition specified by the application; and

allowing entering the sleep mode if the characteristic of the user input does not match the specific characteristic condition for a specific timeout period specified by the application, wherein the data processing device receives the indication, information on the specific characteristic condition and/or information on the specific timeout period via invoking, by the application, one or more application programming interfaces (APIs).

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the one or more sensors comprise an accelerometer, a directional sensor, an acoustic sensor, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) unit, a voltage sensor, a proximity sensor, an atmospheric sensor, a camera and/or other sensors.