Power consumption management of display in portable device based on prediction of user input

• US 8,751,194 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2014
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Panther, Heiko Gernot Albert, Axley, Andrew Cole, Yuen, Shelten Gee Jao, Glick, Sara Yael, Carvalho, Shimona Avelina, Park, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond, Edward
• Application Number:
  US14/154,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20140125619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 148 Days
• Field of Search: 702/160, 702/150, 702/155, 702182-185, 702/188
• US Class Current: 702/160
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4809 Sleep detection, i.e. determining whether a subject is asleep or not
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4812 Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4815 Sleep quality
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6838 Clamps or clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/744 Displaying an avatar, e.g. an animated cartoon character
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 : Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 : Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 : for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 : relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 : for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Methods, devices, and computer programs are presented for managing power consumption of a display. One method includes an operation for setting a first display setting for a touchscreen of an activity monitoring device associated with a user. The first display setting has having a first rate of power consumption by the display and a first touchscreen scan rate for detecting touch on the touchscreen. Further, the method includes operations for receiving data at the activity monitoring device, the data being indicative of an external event, and for applying a second display setting for the touchscreen based on a predefined expected user interaction. The second display setting has a second rate of power consumption and a second touchscreen scan rate.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

setting a first display setting for a touchscreen of an activity monitoring device associated with a user, the first display setting having a first rate of power consumption by the display and a first touchscreen scan rate for detecting touch on the touchscreen;

receiving data at the activity monitoring device, the data being indicative of an external event; and

applying a second display setting for the touchscreen based on a predefined expected user interaction, the second display setting having a second rate of power consumption and a second touchscreen scan rate, wherein operations of the method are executed by a processor.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further including:

determining if the external event is associated with a predefined expected user interaction with the touchscreen.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the external event is defined by one or more of a notification, a message, an alert, an email, an alarm, a text message, a time, an incoming phone call, an incoming video call, a post on a social network, a location, an instruction for navigation, or a combination thereof, and thus is associated with information for presentation on the touchscreen.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the external event is originated, detected or obtained by a mobile phone, wherein the mobile phone transmits the data associated with the external event to the activity monitoring device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second display setting further includes parameters for one or more of a touchscreen detection accuracy, or a display brightness, or a display active scan area, or a back light intensity.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining if the external event is associated with a predefined expected user interaction:

determining a state of the user, the state of the user being selected from a group consisting of running, or being stationary, or driving, or climbing steps, or walking, or sleeping.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first display setting is set when immediate interaction with the user is not expected.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data is received from one of a tablet, a personal computer, or a laptop.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the data is received from a server on a network.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second touchscreen scan rate is greater than the first touchscreen scan rate.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second rate of power consumption is greater than the first rate of power consumption.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the external event indicates an elevated heart rate of the user.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein operations of the method are performed by a computer program when executed by one or more processors, the computer program being embedded in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

14. A method comprising:

setting a first display setting for a touchscreen of an activity monitoring device associated with a user;

receiving data at the activity monitoring device, the data being indicative of an external event;

presenting a notification message on the touchscreen regarding the external event;

determining if the external event is associated with a predefined expected user interaction with the touchscreen; and

applying a second display setting for the touchscreen based on the predefined expected user interaction, wherein applying the second display setting further includes,

setting, in a first area of the touchscreen where touch is expected, a first touchscreen scan rate for detecting touch on the touchscreen; and

setting, in a second area of the touchscreen where touch is not expected, a second touchscreen scan rate, wherein operations of the method are executed by a processor.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 further including:

entering a vibration mode for the activity monitoring device after presenting the notification message.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the notification message is one or more of an alarm, or a timer elapsed, or an email received, or an instant message received, or a text message received, or a calendar event, or a physiological goal met, or a non-physiological goal met, or an application notification, or a music player notification.

17. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the first touchscreen scan rate is greater than zero, wherein the second touchscreen scan rate is equal to zero.

18. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein applying the second display setting further includes:

identifying one or more of an expected user touch speed or an expected touch trajectory.

19. The method as recited in claim 14 further including:

resetting the first display setting after a predetermined timeout period without user interaction.

20. A method comprising:

setting a first display setting for a touchscreen of an activity monitoring device when the activity monitoring device is not interacting with a user;

receiving, at the activity monitoring device, data indicating that the user has received a communication from another user; and

setting a second display setting for the touchscreen, the second display setting including an interface in the touchscreen that enables selection of an option for viewing details of the communication, the interface including a subregion of the touchscreen for selecting the option for viewing details, wherein setting the second display setting further includes,

setting in the subregion a first touchscreen scan rate for detecting touch on the touchscreen; and

setting a second touchscreen scan rate in areas of the touchscreen outside the subregion, wherein operations of the method are executed by a processor.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the subregion is defined by a button on the display.

22. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the subregion is defined by a text message on the display.

23. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the second touchscreen scan rate is zero.

24. The method as recited in claim 20, further including:

defining a plurality of areas on the touchscreen, wherein each area is associated with a touch input area on the touchscreen.

25. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein operations of the method are performed by a computer program when executed by one or more processors, the computer program being embedded in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

26. An activity monitoring device comprising:

one or more biometric sensors for capturing biometric data of a user wearing the activity monitoring device;

a network communications module for sending and receiving data;

a memory for storing a computer program, biometric data, and communications data;

a display with a touchscreen; and

a processor for setting a first display setting for the touchscreen, the first display setting having a first rate of power consumption by the display and a first touchscreen scan rate for detecting touch on the touchscreen, the processor applying a second display setting for the touchscreen based on a predefined expected user interaction, wherein the second display setting has a second rate of power consumption and a second touchscreen scan rate.

27. The activity monitoring device as recited in claim 26, wherein the activity monitoring device is a smart watch.

28. The activity monitoring device as recited in claim 26, further including:

one or more motion sensors; and

one or more environmental sensors.

29. The activity monitoring device as recited in claim 26, wherein the processor determines if data received at the activity monitoring device is indicative of an external event associated with a predefined expected user interaction with the touchscreen.

30. The activity monitoring device as recited in claim 26, wherein the network communications module is one or more of a mobile telephony communications module, or a WiFi module, or a Bluetooth module, or a Bluetooth low energy module.