METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING AN OPERATION MODE OF A MOBILE TERMINAL

• US 20190004586A1
• Filed: 09/10/2018
• Published: 01/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: JEONG, Yong-Soo, PARK, Jin, KIM, Min-Ji
• Granted Patent: US 10,416,748 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• 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 method and apparatus for controlling an operation mode in a mobile terminal provides the mobile terminal to determine whether a predetermined time has elapsed, after a lapse of which it enters a first power-saving mode, and drive a camera module if the predetermined time has elapsed. Meanwhile, the mobile terminal determines whether a predetermined subject is recognized by the camera module, and then delays changing to the first power-saving mode if the predetermined subject is recognized, and enters the first power-saving mode if the predetermined subject is not recognized.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a display;

an image sensor; and

a processor electrically coupled with the image sensor, the processor configured to;

determine whether an input is received with respect to the electronic device for a specified period of time while the display operates at a first brightness,

obtain an image using the image sensor when no input has been received with respect to the electronic device for the specified period of time while the display operates at the first brightness,

change operation of the display from the first brightness to a second brightness when determining that a specified object is not recognized in the image, wherein a luminance of the display at the first brightness is greater than a luminance of the display at the second brightness,

maintain operation of the display at the first brightness when determining that the specified object is recognized in the image,

determine whether an input is received for a second specified period of time after the display is changed to the second brightness,

obtain a second image using the image sensor when no input has been received with respect to the electronic device for the second specified period of time while the display operates at the second brightness,

determine whether the specified object is recognized in the second image,

maintain activation of the display when the specified object is recognized in the second image and no input is received with respect to the electronic device for a second specified period of time, and

change operation of the display from the second brightness to a deactivated state and execute a lock state for the electronic device, when the specified object is not recognized in the second image and no input has been received for the second specified period of time.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

activate operation of the image sensor when no input has been received with respect to the electronic device for the specified period of time while the display operates at the first brightness.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

maintaining operation of the image sensor after obtaining the image using the image sensor to obtain the second image.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

in response to detecting an event while the electronic device is in the lock state, control the display to display a lock screen; and

release the lock state in response to detecting a specific user input when the lock screen is displayed.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the changing operation of the display from the first brightness to the second brightness comprises:

adjusting at least one of a brightness value, a gamma value, and a contrast value of the display.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when the operation of the display is changed to the second brightness or to the deactivated state, the processor is further configured to output at least one of a sound, a vibration, and a blinking light.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein determining whether the specified object is recognized in the image comprises:

determining whether a face is detected within the image.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the face is preregistered and stored in the electronic device.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein determining whether the specified object is recognized in the image comprises:

determining whether a user'"'"'s gaze is oriented towards the display.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein determining whether the specified object is recognized in the image comprises:

determining whether at least one of an iris of a user and a movement of the iris is recognized in the image.

11. An electronic device comprising:

a display;

an image sensor; and

a processor electrically coupled with the image sensor, the processor configured to;

determine whether an input is received with respect to the electronic device for a specified period of time while the display operates at a first brightness,

obtain an image using the image sensor when no input has been received with respect to the electronic device for the specified period of time while the display operates at the first brightness,

change operation of the display from the first brightness to a second brightness when determining that a face is not recognized in the image, wherein a luminance of the display at the first brightness is greater than a luminance of the display at the second brightness,

maintain operation of the display at the first brightness when determining that the face is recognized in the image,

determine whether an input is received for a second specified period of time after the display is changed to the second brightness, and

change operation of the display from the second brightness to a deactivated state when no input has been received for the second specified period of time.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

obtain a second image using the image sensor after change operation of the display from the first brightness to the second brightness;

determine whether the face is recognized in the second image; and

maintain activation of the display when the face is recognized in the second image and no input is received for the second specified period of time.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

when changing operation of the display to the deactivated state, execute a lock state.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

in response to detecting an event while the electronic device is in the lock state, display a lock screen; and

release the lock state in response to detecting a specific user input when the lock screen is displayed.

15. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

activate operation of the image sensor when no input has been received with respect to the electronic device for the specified period of time while the display operates at the first brightness.

16. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

terminate operation of the image sensor after obtaining the image using the image sensor.

17. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

in response to detecting an event while the electronic device is in the lock state, control the display to display a lock screen; and

release the lock state in response to detecting a specific user input when the lock screen is displayed.

18. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the changing operation of the display from the first brightness to the second brightness comprises:

adjusting at least one of a brightness value, a gamma value, and a contrast value of the display.

19. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein when the operation of the display is changed to the second brightness or to the deactivated state, the processor is further configured to output at least one of a sound, a vibration, and a blinking light.

20. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the face is preregistered and stored in the electronic device.

21. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein determining whether the face is recognized in the image comprises:

determining whether a user'"'"'s gaze is oriented towards the display.

22. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein determining whether the face is recognized in the image comprises:

determining whether at least one of an iris of a user and a movement of the iris is recognized in the image.

23. A non-transitory machine-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining whether an input is received with respect to an electronic device for a specified period of time while a display operates at a first brightness;

obtaining an image using an image sensor when no input has been received with respect to the electronic device for the specified period of time while the display operates at the first brightness;

changing operation of the display from the first brightness to a second brightness when determining that a face is not recognized in the image, wherein a luminance of the display at the first brightness is greater than a luminance of the display at the second brightness;

maintaining operation of the display at the first brightness when determining that the face is recognized in the image;

determining whether an input is received for a second specified period of time after the display is changed to the second brightness; and

changing operation of the display from the second brightness to a deactivated state when no input has been received for the second specified period of time.

24. A non-transitory machine-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining whether an input is received with respect to an electronic device for a specified period of time while a display operates at a first brightness;

obtaining an image using an image sensor when no input has been received with respect to the electronic device for the specified period of time while the display operates at the first brightness;

changing operation of the display from the first brightness to a second brightness when determining that a specified object is not recognized in the image, wherein a luminance of the display at the first brightness is greater than a luminance of the display at the second brightness;

maintaining operation of the display at the first brightness when determining that the specified object is recognized in the image;

determining whether an input is received for a second specified period of time after the display is changed to the second brightness;

obtaining a second image using the image sensor when no input has been received with respect to the electronic device for the second specified period of time while the display operates at the second brightness;

determining whether the specified object is recognized in the second image;

maintaining activation of the display when the specified object is recognized in the second image and no input is received with respect to the electronic device for a second specified period of time; and

changing operation of the display from the second brightness to a deactivated state and executing a lock state for the electronic device, when the specified object is not recognized in the second image and no input has been received for the second specified period of time.