Sensor-based activation of an input device

• US 8,560,004 B1
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Sipe, Michael Andrew, Tsvetkov, Igor
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US13/601,731
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455/556.1, 455/550.1, 455/466, 455/456.1, 310/328, 345/169, 345/173, 345/156, 345/168, 345/157, 342/357.31, 342/457, 340/5.74, 340/8.1, 709/223
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• 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 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method can include receiving a first signal from a first sensor of a mobile computing device, where the first signal represents a first action of a user of the mobile computing device. In accordance with this example, the method further includes activating a second sensor of the mobile computing device based at least in part on the first signal. The method additionally can include receiving a second signal from the second sensor, where the second signal represents a second action of the user of the mobile computing device. The method further can include activating an input device of the mobile computing device based at least in part on the first and second signals. In some examples, the method may be implemented by one or more processors of a mobile computing device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a first signal from a first sensor of a mobile computing device, wherein the first signal represents a first action of a user of the mobile computing device, and wherein the mobile computing device is in a low power state in which a presence-sensitive screen is deactivated prior to receiving the first signal from the first sensor of the mobile computing device;

activating, based at least in part on the first signal, a second sensor of the mobile computing device;

receiving, by the one or more processors, a second signal from the second sensor, wherein the second signal represents a second action of the user of the mobile computing device;

activating, based at least in part on the first and second signals, an input device of the mobile computing device, wherein the input device comprises a microphone or a camera;

receiving, by the one or more processors, a first data sample captured by the input device;

determining, by the one or more processors, a captured template based at least in part on the first data sample, wherein the captured template comprises one or more features of the first data sample;

comparing, by the one or more processors, the captured template to a reference template, wherein the reference template comprises one or more features of a second data sample; and

responsive to determining that the captured template substantially matches the reference template, unlocking, by the one or more processors, the mobile computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor of the mobile computing device are each selected from a group consisting of a proximity sensor, a light sensor, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first sensor is different than the second sensor.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second sensor comprises the accelerometer and the first sensor comprises the proximity sensor, the light sensor, or the pressure sensor.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

activating a third sensor of the mobile computing device based at least in part on the first signal and the second signal; and

receiving, by the one or more processors, a third signal from the third sensor, wherein;

the third signal represents a third action of the user of the mobile computing device,

the third sensor comprises at least one of a proximity sensor, a light sensor, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope,

the third sensor is different than the first sensor and different than the second sensor, and

activating the input device of the mobile computing device based at least in part on the first and second signals comprises activating the input device of the mobile computing device based at least in part on the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first sensor comprises the light sensor, the second sensor comprises the proximity sensor, and the third sensor comprises the accelerometer.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first sensor comprises the light sensor or the proximity sensor, the second sensor comprises the accelerometer, and the third sensor comprises the gyroscope.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises the camera, the method further comprising:

activating, based at least in part on the first and second signals, the presence-sensitive screen of the mobile computing device; and

outputting for display, at the presence-sensitive screen, image or video data captured by the camera.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises the camera, the method further comprising:

receiving, a third signal from a second input device, wherein the third signal represents the user interacting with the second input device;

activating, based at least in part on the third signal, the presence-sensitive screen;

initiating, based at least in part on the third signal, the camera to capture image or video data; and

outputting for display, at the presence-sensitive screen, the image or the video data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data sample includes data representing a face of the user, a fingerprint of the user, a video gesture of the user, or an eyeball retina of the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data sample includes data representing a voice of the user.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more processors, a third signal representing an indication from the user to unlock the mobile computing device; and

updating, based at least in part on the third signal, an algorithm executed by the one or more processors to determine whether the input device is to be activated.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more processors, a third signal representing an indication from the user to not unlock the mobile computing device; and

updating, based on the third signal, an algorithm executed by the one or more processors to determine whether the input device is to be activated.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile computing device includes at least one of the one or more processors, wherein activating, based at least in part on the first and second signals, the input device of the mobile computing device comprises:

sending, by the mobile computing device, the first and second signals to a remote computing device;

receiving, by the mobile computing device, a command from the remote computing device to activate the input device; and

responsive to receiving the command, activating, the input device of the mobile computing device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first action is the same as the second action.

16. A mobile computing device comprising one or more processors, the one or more processors being configured to:

receive a first signal from a first sensor, wherein the first signal represents a first action of a user of the mobile computing device, and wherein the mobile computing device is in a low power state in which a presence-sensitive screen is deactivated prior to receiving the first signal from the first sensor of the mobile computing device;

activate, based at least in part on the first signal, a second sensor;

receive a second signal from the second sensor, wherein the second signal represents a second action of the user of the mobile computing device; and

activate, based at least in part on the first and second signals, a camera and a presence-sensitive screen operatively coupled to the computing device;

output, for display at the presence-sensitive screen, image or video data captured by the camera;

receive a first data sample captured by the camera;

determine a captured template based at least in part on the first data sample, wherein the captured template comprises one or more features of the first data sample;

compare the captured template to a reference template, wherein the reference template comprises one or more features of a second data sample; and

responsive to determining that the captured template substantially matches the reference template, unlock the mobile computing device.

17. The mobile computing device of claim 16, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are each selected from a group consisting of a proximity sensor, a light sensor, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope.

18. The mobile computing device of claim 17, wherein the second sensor comprises the accelerometer and the first sensor comprises the proximity sensor.

19. The mobile computing device of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

activate the presence-sensitive screen based at least in part on the first and second signals; and

responsive to activating the presence-sensitive screen, output for display, at the presence-sensitive screen, image or video data captured by the camera.

20. The mobile computing device of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive a third signal from an input device, wherein the third signal represents the user interacting with the input device;

activate, based at least in part on the third signal, the presence-sensitive screen;

initiate, based at least in part on the third signal, the camera to capture image or video data; and

responsive to initiating the camera, output for display, at the presence-sensitive screen, the image or the video data.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first signal from a first sensor of a mobile computing device, wherein the first signal represents a first action of a user of the mobile computing, and wherein the mobile computing device is in a low power state in which a presence-sensitive screen is deactivated prior to receiving the first signal from the first sensor of the mobile computing device;

activating, based at least in part on the first signal, a second sensor of the mobile computing device, the second sensor being different than the first sensor;

receiving a second signal from the second sensor, wherein the second signal represents a second action of the user of the mobile computing device;

activating, based at least in part on the second signal, a third sensor of the mobile computing device, the third sensor being different than the first sensor and different than the second sensor;

receiving a third signal from the third sensor, wherein the third signal represents a third action of the user of the mobile computing device;

activating, based at least in part on the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal, a camera of the mobile computing device;

receiving a first data sample captured by the camera;

determining a captured template based at least in part on the first data sample, wherein the captured template comprises one or more features of the first data sample;

comparing the captured template to a reference template, wherein the reference template comprises one or more features of a second data sample; and

responsive to determining that the captured template substantially matches the reference template, unlocking the mobile computing device.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the first sensor, the second sensor, and the third sensor of the mobile computing device are each selected from a group consisting of a proximity sensor, a light sensor, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions that cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

activating, based at least in part on the first, second, and third signals, the presence-sensitive screen; and

outputting for display, at the presence-sensitive screen, image or video data captured by the camera.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions that cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, a fourth signal from a second input device, wherein the fourth signal represents the user interacting with the second input device;

activating, based at least in part on the fourth signal, the presence-sensitive screen;

initiating, based at least in part on the third signal, the camera to capture image or video data; and

outputting for display, at the presence-sensitive screen, the image or the video data.