Device that manages power provided to an object sensor

• US 8,018,436 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2010
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Black, Jeremy K., Gates, Stephen Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh; Duc Q
• Application Number:
  US12/901,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20110018807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345163-170, 345173-179
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3259 Power saving in cursor control device, e.g. mouse, joystick, trackball
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/63 Redundant transmissions

Abstract

A hand-held device with a sensor for providing a signal indicative of a position of the hand-held device relative to an object surface enables power to the sensor at a first time interval when the hand-held device is indicated to be in a position that is stationary and adjacent relative to the object surface, enables power to the sensor at a second time interval shorter than the first time interval when the hand-held device is indicated to be in a position that is moving and adjacent relative to the object surface, and enables power to the sensor at a third time interval when the hand-held device is determined to be in a position that is removed relative to the object surface.

Claims

1. A hand-held portable device, comprising:

a touch sensitive surface providing at least one input element;

a processing device in communication with the touch sensitive surface having associated instructions; and

a sensor for providing to the processing device a signal indicative of a position of the hand-held device relative to an object surface;

wherein the instructions associated with the processing device use the signal indicative of the position of the hand-held device relative to the object surface to cause the processing device to both selectively enable the at least one input element provided by the touch sensitive surface and to selectively manage power provided to the sensor and wherein the processing device selectively manages power provided to the sensor by causing power to be provided to the sensor at a first time interval after the hand-held device is indicated to be in a position that is stationary and adjacent relative to the object surface, by causing power to be provided to the sensor at a second time interval shorter than the first time interval after the hand-held device is indicated to be in a position that is moving and adjacent relative to the object surface, and by causing power to be provided to the sensor at a third time interval after the hand-held device is determined to be in a position that is removed relative to the object surface.

2. A hand-held portable device, comprising:

a touch sensitive surface providing at least one input element;

a processing device in communication with the touch sensitive surface having associated instructions; and

a sensor for providing to the processing device a signal indicative of a position of the hand-held device relative to an object surface;

wherein the instructions associated with the processing device use the signal indicative of the position of the hand-held device relative to the object surface to cause the processing device to both selectively enable the at least one input element provided by the touch sensitive surface and to selectively manage power provided to the sensor and wherein the processing device selectively enables the at least one input element provided by the touch sensitive surface by causing power to be provided to the touch sensitive surface after the hand-held portable device is indicated to be in a positioned non-adjacent to the object surface and by disabling power provided to the touch sensitive surface after the hand-held portable device is indicated to be in a position adjacent to the object surface.

3. The hand-held device as recited in claim 2, wherein the touch sensitive surface comprises a touch screen and the at least one input element comprise a displayed icon indicative of at least one function available to be performed via use of the hand-held device.

4. A hand-held device, comprising:

a touch sensitive surface providing at least one input element;

a processing device in communication with the touch sensitive surface having associated instructions; and

a sensor for providing to the processing device a signal indicative of a position of the hand-held device relative to an object surface;

wherein the instructions associated with the processing device use the signal indicative of the position of the hand-held device relative to the object surface to cause the processing device to both selectively enable the at least one input element provided by the touch sensitive surface and to selectively manage power provided to the sensor and wherein the instructions associated with the processing device will further function to cause the processing device to disable power to the touch sensitive surface upon expiration of a predetermined period of time without a sensed user interaction with the touch sensitive surface.

5. A hand-held device, comprising:

a touch sensitive surface providing at least one input element;

a processing device in communication with the touch sensitive surface having associated instructions; and

a sensor for providing to the processing device a signal indicative of a position of the hand-held device relative to an object surface;

wherein the instructions associated with the processing device use the signal indicative of the position of the hand-held device relative to the object surface to cause the processing device to both selectively enable the at least one input element provided by the touch sensitive surface and to selectively manage power provided to the sensor and wherein the processing device will selectively manage power provided to the sensor by causing power to be continuously provided to the sensor after the hand-held device is determined to be in a position that is moving and adjacent to the object surface and by causing power to be periodically provided to the sensor at one or more time intervals when the hand-held device is determined to be in a position that is removed from the object surface.