MODE SWITCHING METHOD AND APPARATUS OF TERMINAL

• US 20150058649A1
• Filed: 08/22/2014
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: SONG, Seongwook, CHO, Sungyoon, LIM, Jonghan
• Granted Patent: US 9,652,024 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 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• 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: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A mode switching method and apparatus of a terminal including a camera for acquiring motion information of a user and a plurality of operation modes for power management is provided. The mode switching method includes transitioning, when a motion of a first pattern is detected by the camera, the terminal from an active mode to a standby mode, transitioning, when a motion of a second pattern is detected by the camera, the terminal from the standby mode to an inactive mode, and transitioning, when a first mode switching input is detected in the inactive mode, from the inactive mode to the active mode, wherein the camera acquires the motion information of the user in at least one of the active mode and the standby mode.

Claims

1. A mode switching method of a terminal including a camera for acquiring motion information of a user and a plurality of operation modes for power management, the method comprising:

transitioning, when a motion of a first pattern is detected by the camera, the terminal from an active mode to a standby mode;

transitioning, when a motion of a second pattern is detected by the camera, the terminal from the standby mode to an inactive mode; and

transitioning, when a first mode switching input is detected in the inactive mode, from the inactive mode to the active mode,

wherein the camera acquires the motion information of the user in at least one of the active mode and the standby mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transitioning, when at least one of a motion of a third pattern is detected by the camera and a second mode switching input is detected in the standby mode, to the active mode.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising monitoring, at the camera, the motion of pupils of a user'"'"'s eyes, and each of the motion of the first pattern, the motion of the second patterns, and the motion of the third pattern, includes at least one pupil motion.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the camera has a standby mode resolution and an active mode resolution, and

wherein the standby mode resolution is lower than the active mode resolution.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transitioning, when no user input is detected before expiry of a first timer in the active mode, from the active mode to the standby mode; and

transitioning, when no user input is detected before expiry of a second timer in the standby mode, from the standby mode to the inactive mode.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

detecting an inactive mode disable input; and

transitioning, when the first mode switching input is detected in the standby mode, from the standby mode to the active mode,

wherein the terminal stays, when at least one of the motion of the second pattern is not detected by the camera and no user input is detected before expiry of the second timer, in the standby mode.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the camera periodically acquires the motion information of the user during at least one predetermined interval in the standby mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least one predetermined interval is synchronized with an interval at which the terminal receives a paging signal.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring a brightness around the terminal;

transitioning, when the brightness is equal to or less than a first brightness threshold value in the active mode, from the active mode to the standby mode; and

transitioning, when the brightness is equal to or less than a second brightness threshold value in the standby mode, from the standby mode to the inactive mode.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring a distance from the terminal to the user;

transitioning, when the distance is equal to or greater than a first distance threshold value in the active mode, from the active mode to the standby mode; and

transitioning, when the distance is equal to or greater than a second distance threshold value in the standby mode, from the standby mode to the inactive mode.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

continuously acquiring context information while the terminal is in the active mode,

wherein the context information includes at least one of brightness information around the terminal, a distance of the terminal from the user, and a vibration detected by the terminal.

12. A terminal having a plurality of operation modes for power management, the terminal comprising:

a camera configured to acquire motion information of a user;

an input unit configured to receive a user input; and

a control unit configured to control transitioning, when a motion of a first pattern is detected by the camera, the terminal from an active mode to a standby mode, to control transitioning, when a motion of a second pattern is detected by the camera, the terminal from the standby mode to an inactive mode, and to control transitioning, when a first mode switching input is detected in the inactive mode, from the inactive mode to the active mode,

wherein the camera acquires the motion information of the user in at least one of the active mode and the standby mode.

13. The terminal of claim 12, wherein the control unit is further configured to control transitioning, when at least one of a motion of a third pattern is detected by the camera and a second mode switching input is detected in the standby mode, to the active mode.

14. The terminal of claim 13, wherein the camera is further configured to monitor the motion of pupils of a user'"'"'s eyes, and each of the motion of the first pattern, the motion of the second patterns, and the motion of the third pattern, includes at least one pupil motion.

15. The terminal of claim 12,

wherein the camera is further configured to include a standby mode resolution and an active mode resolution, and

wherein the standby mode resolution is lower than the active mode resolution.

16. The terminal of claim 12, wherein the control unit is further configured to control transitioning, when no user input is detected before expiry of a first timer in the active mode, from the active mode to the standby mode, and to control transitioning, when no user input is detected before expiry of a second timer in the standby mode, from the standby mode to the inactive mode.

17. The terminal of claim 16,

wherein the control unit is further configured to control detecting an inactive mode disable input by the input unit, and to control transitioning, when the first mode switching input is detected in the standby mode, from the standby mode to the active mode, and

wherein the terminal is configured to stay, when at least one of the motion of the second pattern is not detected by the camera and no user input is detected before expiry of the second timer, in the standby mode.

18. The terminal of claim 12, wherein the camera periodically acquires the motion information of the user during at least one predetermined interval in the standby mode.

19. The terminal of claim 18, wherein the at least one predetermined interval is synchronized with an interval at which the terminal receives a paging signal.

20. The terminal of claim 18, wherein the control unit is further configured to control measuring a brightness around the terminal, to control transitioning, when the brightness is equal to or less than a first brightness threshold value in the active mode, from the active mode to the standby mode, and to control transitioning, when the brightness is equal to or less than a second brightness threshold value in the standby mode, from the standby mode to the inactive mode.

21. The terminal of claim 12, further comprising:

a sensing unit configured to measure a distance from the terminal to the user,

wherein the control unit is further configured to control measuring the distance from the terminal to the user, to control transitioning, when the distance is equal to or greater than a first distance threshold value in the active mode, from the active mode to the standby mode, and to control transitioning, when the distance is equal to or greater than a second distance threshold value in the standby mode, from the standby mode to the inactive mode.

22. The terminal of claim 21,

wherein the sensing unit is further configured to continuously acquire context information while the terminal is in the active mode, and

wherein the context information includes at least one of brightness information around the terminal, the distance from the terminal to the user, and a vibration detected by the terminal.