Human stimulus activation and deactivation of a screensaver

• US 8,977,326 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2013
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pratt, James, Sullivan, Marc, BELZ, STEVEN
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Nghi H
• Application Number:
  US13/911,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20130271364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 455/574, 455/550.1, 455/566, 455/418
• US Class Current: 455/574
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

Devices and methods are disclosed which relate to an electronic device having a human stimulus receptor which, when activated, suspends activation of a screensaver. The screensaver is activated to conserve the power and life of the electronic device. When latently viewing the electronic device, however, the human stimulus receptor is activated. A countdown starts counting down a pre-determined amount of time once the human stimulus receptor is inactive. At the expiration of the countdown, the screensaver is activated. The human stimulus receptor responds to skin conductivity, natural muscular twitch, pulse, skin temperature, and/or eye movement. Only when the electronic device no longer detects any of these human stimuli will the countdown begin. A user may set the predetermined amount of time.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a first human stimulus receptor;

a second human stimulus receptor;

a processor; and

a memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

resetting a first timer and a second timer,

receiving a first human stimulus at the first human stimulus receptor,

in response to receiving the first human stimulus at the first human stimulus receptor, starting the first timer,

receiving a second human stimulus at the second human stimulus receptor,

in response to receiving the second human stimulus at the second human stimulus receptor, starting the second timer, wherein the second timer is greater than first timer, and

activating a screensaver upon expiration of both the first timer and the second timer.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first human stimulus receptor is a two-way capacitive transducer.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first human stimulus receptor is coupled with one or more of a keyboard, a screen, or a housing of the portable electronic device.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising one or more of a laptop, a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, or digital music player.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the second human stimulus receptor is an input device.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a selection of a function of the first human stimulus receptor and the second human stimulus receptor.

7. An electronic device comprising:

a screen;

a power supply;

a processor; and

a memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

receiving a first human stimulus from a first human stimulus receptor,

receiving a second human stimulus from a second human stimulus receptor, and

in response to an expiration of a first period of time and an expiration of a second period of time, instructing the power supply to suspend powering on the screen of the electronic device, wherein the first period of time is greater than the second period of time.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the first human stimulus receptor is a two-way capacitive transducer.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the first human stimulus receptor is coupled with one of a keyboard, the screen, or a housing of the electronic device.

10. The device of claim 7, further comprising one or more of a laptop, a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, or a digital music player.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the second human stimulus receptor is an input device.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a selection of a function of the first human stimulus receptor and the second human stimulus receptor.

13. A method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device comprising a processor, a first input from a first input device that is coupled to the mobile device;

in response to receiving the first input from the first input device, determining, by the processor, a first period of time;

receiving, by the mobile device, a second input from a second input device that is coupled to the mobile device;

in response to receiving the second input from the second input device, determining, by the processor, a second period of time, the second period of time being less than the first period of time; and

in response to an expiration of the first period of time and an expiration of the second period of time, activating, by the processor, a screensaver.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising maintaining suspension of screensaver activation until both the first period of time and the second period of time expire.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising de-activating the screensaver upon reception of an input.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising activating the screensaver upon determining that no input is received for a pre-determined amount of time.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the input comprises one or more of a natural muscular twitch, a temperature, a pulse, or an eye movement.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising resetting the first period of time and the second period of time.