System and method for detecting a falling state of an electronic device

• US 8,164,471 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2009
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chi Mei Communication Systems Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Chi Mei Communication Systems Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yang, Sheng-Hsiung
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fan, Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US12/479,829
• Publication Number:
  US 20100045525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,052 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/568.1, 340/686.1, 340/571, 340/572, 340/539.1, 340/669
• US Class Current: 340/669
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/16 by evaluating the time-derivative of a measured speed signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/50 for measuring linear speed G01P3/56 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/043 by detecting a free-fall condition

Abstract

A system and method for detecting a falling state of an electronic device include setting a time interval to collect position information of the electronic device and one or more alarm means, activating a global position system to locate a position of the electronic device, and acquiring position information of the electronic device at each time interval. The system and method further include calculating an acceleration of the electronic device, and activating one or more of the alarm means if the calculated acceleration is larger or equal to the acceleration of gravity.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a falling state of an electronic device using a detecting system of the electronic device, the electronic device comprising a global position system (GPS), the method comprising:

setting a time interval to collect position information of the electronic device, and setting a hotkey to enable/disable the detecting system;

setting one or more alarm means to alarm when the electronic device is in a falling state;

activating the GPS to locate a position of the electronic device;

acquiring position information of the electronic device from the GPS at each time interval, the position information comprising an altitude value of the electronic device;

acquiring a current altitude value of the electronic device;

calculating an altitude difference between the current altitude value and a previous altitude value acquired in a previous time interval, and calculating an acceleration of the electronic device according to the altitude difference and the time interval;

determining if the calculated acceleration is larger or equal to the acceleration of gravity;

detecting that the electronic device is in a falling state if the calculated acceleration is larger or equal to the acceleration of gravity; and

activating one or more of the alarm means when the electronic device is in a falling state.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the electronic device is in a normal state if the calculated acceleration is less than the acceleration of gravity, and returning to the acquiring step.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more alarm means comprise an audible alarm, a vibration alarm, a blinking alarm, and a combination of the audible alarm, the vibration alarm, and/or the blinking alarm.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the step of activating one or more of the alarm means when the electronic device is in a falling state comprises:

outputting audio alerts through a speaker of the electronic device;

vibrating the electronic device through a vibrator of the electronic device; and

/or

blinking through a display of the electronic device.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

allocating storage space to store acquired altitude values of the electronic device.

6. A computing system for detecting a falling state of an electronic device, the computing system comprising:

a global position system (GPS);

a storage system;

at least one processor; and

one or more programs stored in the storage system and being executable by the at least one processor, the one or more programs comprising;

a setting module operable to set a time interval to collect position information of the electronic device, and set one or more alarm means to alarm when the electronic device is in a falling state, and further set a hotkey to enable or disable the computing system;

an acquiring module operable to activate the GPS to locate a position of the electronic device, acquire position information of the electronic device from the GPS at each time interval, the position information comprising an altitude value of the electronic device, and acquire a current altitude value of the electronic device;

a calculating module operable to calculate an altitude difference between the current altitude value and a previous altitude value acquired in a previous time interval, and calculate an acceleration of the electronic device according to the altitude difference and the time interval; and

an alarming module operable to determine if the calculated acceleration is larger or equal to the acceleration of gravity, detect that the electronic device is in a falling state if the calculated acceleration is larger or equal to the acceleration of gravity, and activate one or more of the alarm means when the electronic device is in a falling state.

7. The computing system according to claim 6, wherein the alarming module is further operable to determine that the electronic device is in a normal state if the calculated acceleration is less than the acceleration of gravity.

8. The computing system according to claim 6, wherein the one or more alarm means comprise an audible alarm, a vibration alarm, a blinking alarm, and a combination of the audible alarm, the vibration alarm, and/or the blinking alarm.

9. The computing system according to claim 8, wherein the alarming module is further operable to output audio alerts through a speaker of the electronic device, vibrate the electronic device through a vibrator of the electronic device, and/or blink through a display of the electronic device.

10. The computing system according to claim 6, wherein the setting module is further operable to allocate storage space to store acquired altitude values of the electronic device.

11. A storage medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions capable of being executed by a processor to perform a method for detecting a falling state of an electronic device using a detecting system of the electronic device, the electronic device comprising a global position system (GPS), the method comprising:

setting a time interval to collect position information of the electronic device and setting a hotkey to enable/disable the detecting system;

setting one or more alarm means to alarm when the electronic device is in a falling state;

activating the GPS to locate a position of the electronic device;

acquiring position information of the electronic device from the GPS at each time interval, the position information comprising an altitude value of the electronic device;

acquiring a current altitude value of the electronic device;

calculating an altitude difference between the current altitude value and a previous altitude value acquired in a previous time interval, and calculating an acceleration of the electronic device according to the altitude difference and the time interval;

determining if the calculated acceleration is larger or equal to the acceleration of gravity;

detecting that the electronic device is in a falling state if the calculated acceleration is larger or equal to the acceleration of gravity; and

activating one or more of the alarm means when the electronic device is in a falling state.

12. The storage medium as claimed in claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the electronic device is in a normal state if the calculated acceleration is less than the acceleration of gravity, and returning to the acquiring step.

13. The storage medium as claimed in claim 11, wherein the one or more alarm means comprise an audible alarm, a vibration alarm, a blinking alarm, and a combination of the audible alarm, the vibration alarm, and/or the blinking alarm.

14. The storage medium as claimed in claim 13, wherein the step of activating one or more of the alarm means when the electronic device is in a falling state comprises:

outputting audio alerts through a speaker of the electronic device;

vibrating the electronic device through a vibrator of the electronic device; and

/or

blinking through a display of the electronic device.

15. The storage medium as claimed in claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

allocating storage space to store acquired altitude values of the electronic device.