Self adapting alert device

• US 8,552,859 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2009
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hill, Matthew, Huwe, Ethan Larry, Rothkopf, Fletcher, Dinh, Richard Hung Minh, Pakula, Dave
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US12/571,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20110077055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/541, 340/635, 340/407, 340/514, 340/568.1, 340/665, 340/12.5, 455/550.1, 455/567, 455/574, 455/575.3, 455/566
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 23/00 Alarms responsive to unspecified undesired or abnormal conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are disclosed that allow an electronic device to autonomously adapt one or more user alerts to the current operating environment of the electronic device. For example, some embodiments may include a method comprising providing a plurality of alert devices in an electronic device, determining an operating environment of the electronic device using a sensor of the electronic device, and actuating at least one of the plurality of alert devices that corresponds to the determined operating environment.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a storage unit;

a motor controller;

a motor coupled to the motor controller, wherein the motor is configured to provide a user alert and wherein a reference value stored in the storage unit is autonomously varied to achieve a target frequency of the motor; and

an accelerometer, wherein values from the accelerometer are iteratively used by the electronic device to adjust the stored reference value.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a phone and the adjustment of the stored reference value occurs within an integer number of rings of the phone.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein an initial reference value is stored in the storage unit that corresponds to an operating environment of the electronic device.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, further comprising a sensor, wherein the operating environment is determined based upon a measurement from the sensor.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the target frequency is determined based upon the motor controller iteratively changing a control signal to the motor.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of motors capable of being operated concurrently so as to achieve the target frequency.

7. An electronic device, comprising:

a storage unit;

a motor controller;

a motor coupled to the motor controller, wherein the motor is configured to provide a user alert and wherein a reference value stored in the storage unit is autonomously varied to achieve a tar et frequency of the motor, wherein an initial reference value is stored in the storage unit that corresponds to an operating environment of the electronic device; and

an error detector, wherein the operating environment is determined based upon minimizing an error signal from the error detector.

8. An electronic device, wherein the electronic device is configured to operate in an operating environment, comprising:

a vibration motor configured to provide a user alert;

a control system configured to control the vibration motor to achieve a target frequency that is customized to the operating environment, wherein the target frequency comprises a maximum resonance frequency; and

an accelerometer, wherein the control system is configured to control the vibration motor based on at least one measurement of the accelerometer.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 8, wherein the control system comprises a storage unit configured to store an initial reference value corresponding to an initial frequency of the electronic device in the current operating environment.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 8, wherein the target frequency comprises a maximum resonance frequency and wherein the control system is configured to control the vibration motor based on a feedback measurement from the accelerometer.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 8, wherein the electronic device comprises a cellular telephone, and wherein the control system is configured to achieve the target frequency within one ring of the cellular telephone.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 8, further comprising a storage unit configured to store a target reference value corresponding to the target frequency after the target frequency is achieved.

13. An electronic device, wherein the electronic device is configured to operate in an operating environment, comprising:

a vibration motor configured to provide a user alert;

a control system configured to control the vibration motor to achieve a target frequency that is customized to the operating environment, wherein the target frequency comprises a maximum resonance frequency, wherein the control system comprises a storage unit configured to store an initial reference value corresponding to an initial frequency of the electronic device in the current operating environment; and

a sensor configured to make a measurement of the current operating environment, wherein the initial frequency is based on the measurement from the sensor.

14. The electronic device defined in claim 13, wherein the sensor comprises an ambient light sensor.

15. The electronic device defined in claim 13, wherein the sensor comprises an accelerometer.

16. An electronic device, wherein the electronic device is configured to operate in an operating environment, comprising:

a vibration motor configured to provide a user alert;

a control system configured to control the vibration motor to achieve a target frequency that is customized to the operating environment; and

an accelerometer, wherein the control system comprises an error detector configured to compare a measurement of the accelerometer to a reference value corresponding to a current frequency of the vibration motor.

17. An electronic device, comprising:

a storage unit;

an error detector;

a sensor;

a motor controller; and

a motor coupled to the motor controller, wherein the motor is configured to provide a user alert, wherein the sensor is configured to make a measurement of the motor, wherein a reference value that corresponds to a current frequency of the motor is stored in the storage unit, wherein the error detector is configured to compare the measurement of the motor with the reference value, and wherein the reference value is autonomously varied to achieve a target frequency of the motor.