Portable electronic device with alert silencing

• US 7,671,756 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Keen, Dan, Herz, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US11/770,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20080165022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 340/575, 340/576, 340/669, 340/825.36, 340/825.49, 340/539.1, 340/539.11, 340/539.13, 379/418
• US Class Current: 340/669
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1636 Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing
• 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: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/60 including speech amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

In some embodiments, audible alerts issued by a portable electronic device can be silenced in response to user smacks on the body of the device. These audible alerts are initiated by applications running on the device, such as email, phone, alarm, and/or timer applications. In some embodiments, the device includes one or more accelerometers that detect and signal the user smacks. In some embodiments, the alert response mode of the device (such as whether it rings or vibrates to signal an alert) can be changed in response to predefined patterns of user smacks.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a portable electronic device;

detecting with an accelerometer associated with the device a movement of the portable device;

determining whether the movement is due to a predetermined type of user gesture exerted on the portable electronic device, wherein the predetermined type of user gesture is a smack exerted on the portable electronic device; and

if the movement is due to the predetermined type of user gesture and the portable electronic device is emitting an audible alert signal, silencing the audible alert signal and, in addition to silencing the audible alert signal, at least one of;

silencing subsequent audible alerts for a predetermined period of time;

silencing subsequent audible alerts of a similar alert category for a predetermined period of time; and

placing the portable device into an inaudible alert mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein placing the portable device into an inaudible alert mode comprises at least one of:

placing the device into a silent mode; and

placing the device into a vibrate mode.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting with the accelerometer a second movement of the portable device;

determining whether the second movement is due to a second predetermined type of user gesture exerted on the portable electronic device; and

if the acceleration event is due to the second predetermined type of user gesture, placing the portable device in an audible alert mode.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second predetermined type of user gesture is a plurality of smacks exerted within a predefined time window on the portable device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the smack is an event that causes back and forth acceleration, in substantially opposite directions, of at least a predefined magnitude within a predefined period of time.

6. A portable electronic device, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory;

an audible alert emitter;

an accelerometer that is responsive to movement of the device; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the programs including instructions for;

detecting with the accelerometer a movement of the portable device;

determining whether the movement is due to a predetermined type of user gesture exerted on the portable electronic device, wherein the predetermined type of user gesture is a smack exerted on the portable electronic device; and

,

if the movement is due to the predetermined type of user gesture and the portable electronic device is emitting an audible alert signal, silencing the audible alert signal and, in addition to silencing the audible alert signal, at least one of;

silencing subsequent audible alerts for a predetermined period of time;

silencing subsequent audible alerts of a similar alert category for a predetermined period of time; and

placing the portable electronic device into an inaudible alert mode.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein placing the portable device into an inaudible alert mode comprises at least one of:

placing the device into a silent mode; and

placing the device into a vibrate mode.

8. The device of claim 6, further comprising instructions for:

detecting with the accelerometer a second movement of the portable device;

determining whether the second movement is due to a second predetermined type of user gesture exerted on the portable electronic device; and

if the acceleration event is due to the second predetermined type of user gesture, placing the portable device in an audible alert mode.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the second predetermined type of user gesture is a plurality of smacks exerted within a predefined time window on the portable device.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein the smack is an event that causes back and forth acceleration, in substantially opposite directions, of at least a predefined magnitude within a predefined period of time.