Electronic device with enhanced notifications

• US 9,152,211 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gunn, Michael E, Ling, Long, Connell, Nathan M, Flowers, Christian L, Wells, Andrew K
• Primary Examiner(s): Buttram, Todd
• Application Number:
  US13/830,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20140120988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 345/660, 345/666, 370/311, 455/574
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3293 by switching to a less power-consuming processor, e.g. sub-CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/10 Special adaptations of display systems for operation with variable images
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/145 related to small screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 : in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

There is disclosed an electronic device comprising a receiver, a display, an application processor and a sensor hub. The receiver is configured to receive notifications from a remote device. The display is configured to provide information including notifications. The application processor and the sensor hub are in communication with the display. The application processor is configured to provide instructions for displaying full screen information at the display during a non-sleep mode of the electronic device. The full screen information includes a first notification associated with information received by the electronic device during the non-sleep mode. The sensor hub is configured to provide instructions for displaying partial screen information at the display during a sleep mode of the electronic device. The partial screen information includes a second notification associated with information received by the electronic device during the sleep mode.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive notifications from a remote device;

a display configured to provide information including notifications;

at least one sensor configured to sense a movement of the electronic device;

an application processor configured to control the display during a non-sleep mode of the electronic device, wherein the application processor consumes a first amount of power while providing the display with first instructions for displaying full screen information at the display, wherein the full screen information includes a first notification associated with information received by the electronic device during the non-sleep mode; and

a sensor hub in communication with the at least one sensor and configured to control, independent of the application processor, the display during a sleep mode of the electronic device, wherein the sensor hub consumes a second amount of power that is less than the first amount of power while;

providing the display with second instructions for displaying partial screen information at the display; and

responsive to the at least one sensor detecting the movement of the electronic device, providing the display with third instructions for displaying the partial screen information in a modified manner by at least alternately displaying, and withdrawing from display, the partial screen information, wherein the partial screen information includes a second notification associated with information received by the electronic device during the sleep mode.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a mobile device, the receiver is a baseband processor configured to manage wireless communications, and the display is a touch screen display.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the full screen information includes data corresponding to substantially all pixels capable of being displayed by the display, and wherein the partial screen information includes data corresponding to less than substantially all pixels capable of being displayed by the display.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the sleep mode is associated with a substantially inactive mode of the application processor, and wherein the non-sleep mode is associated with a substantially active mode of the application processor.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein sleep mode is associated with a low-power mode of the application processor, and wherein the non-sleep mode is associated with a normal power mode of the application processor.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the sensor hub is configured to cause actuation of the display, in response to the receiving of the second information, in which so that the second notification is displayed in a periodic manner in which a brightness level with which the second notification is displayed alternates between a high level and a low level.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the partial screen information is provided at, and withdrawn from, the display alternately, varying over time based on at least one of context, notification content, notification priority, or device state.

8. A method comprising:

during a non-sleep mode of an electronic device, providing, by an application processor of the electronic device, to a display of the electronic device, first instructions for displaying full screen information at the display, wherein the application processor consumes a first amount of power while providing the display with the first instructions and the full screen information includes a first notification associated with first information received by the electronic device during the non-sleep mode; and

during a sleep mode of the electronic device and while a sensor hub consumes a second amount of power that is less than the first amount of power;

providing, by the sensor hub of the electronic device, to the display, second instructions for displaying partial screen information at the display, wherein the sensor hub is in communication with the at least one sensor of the electronic device, is configured to control, independent of the application processor, the display during the sleep mode of the electronic device, and the partial screen information includes a second notification associated with second information received by the electronic device during the sleep mode;

detecting, by at least one sensor of the electronic device, a movement of the electronic device; and

responsive to the at least one sensor detecting the movement, providing, by the sensor hub, to the display, third instructions for displaying the partial screen information in a modified manner by at least alternately displaying, and withdrawing from display, the partial screen information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first and second notifications are received from a remote device via wireless communication.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the full screen information includes data corresponding to substantially all pixels capable of being displayed by the display, whereas the partial screen information includes data corresponding to less than substantially all pixels capable of being displayed by the display.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein sleep mode is associated with a substantially inactive mode of the application processor or with a low-power mode of the application processor, and wherein the non-sleep mode is associated with a substantially active mode of the application processor or a normal power mode of the application processor.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

during the sleep mode of the electronic device, providing, by the sensor hub, to the display, based on at least one of context, notification content, notification priority, or device state, fourth instructions for alternately displaying, and withdrawing from display, the partial screen information.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the display is a touch screen display, the method further comprising:

during the sleep mode of the electronic device;

receiving, by the sensor hub, an indication of a first touch input detected at the touch screen display at a location corresponding to a first image portion associated with the second notification;

providing, by the sensor hub, to the display, fourth instructions for adjusting the partial screen information so that altered partial screen information is displayed;

determining, by the sensor hub, that the first touch input has continued to be provided during the adjusting of the partial screen information;

detecting, by the sensor hub, a modification of the first touch input in relation to the touch screen display when the altered partial screen information is displayed; and

taking, by the sensor hub, an action based upon the detected modification of the first touch input.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the received first touch input occurs when the electronic device is operating in breathing submode of the sleep mode, and the fourth instructions for adjusting the partial screen information are provided to the display when the electronic device is operating in a peek view submode of the sleep mode.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the action is selected from the group consisting of launching an application, proceeding to a breathing submode of the sleep mode, returning to the non-sleep mode, and ceasing breathing operation so as to proceed to a further reduced display mode of operation.

16. A method comprising:

during a higher-power mode of operation of an electronic device during which at least one application processor of the electronic device controls a display of the electronic device while consuming a first amount of power;

receiving, by the at least one application processor, a first notification;

determining, by the at least one application processor, that the first notification satisfies at least one criterion for display in a low-power mode of operation; and

transitioning, by the at least one application processor, from the higher-power mode of operation to a lower-power mode of operation during which a sensor hub that is in communication with the at least one sensor of the electronic device, rather than the at least one application processor, controls, independent of the application processor, the display; and

during the lower-power mode of operation and while the sensor hub consumes a second amount of power that is less than the first amount of power;

providing, by the sensor hub, to the display, first instructions for displaying a first image portion identical to or based at least in part upon the first notification in a periodic manner in which at first times the displayed first image portion is displayed with at least one higher level of brightness and at second times the display first image portion is displayed with at least one lower level of brightness;

responsive to receiving, from at least one sensor of the electronic device, an indication of movement associated with the electronic device, providing, by the sensor hub, to the display, second instructions for displaying the first image portion in a modified manner by at least alternately displaying, and withdrawing from display, the first image portion;

receiving, by the sensor hub, a signal indicative of a user input corresponding to the first image portion; and

taking, by the sensor hub, at least one first action in response to receiving the signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein display is a touch screen display and the signal indicates a touching of a region on the display corresponding to the first image portion.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining, by the sensor hub, that the touching occurs for at least a predetermined amount of time;

providing, by the sensor hub, to the display, third instructions for displaying a second image portion at a different location on the touch screen display than the first image portion; and

detecting, by the sensor hub, a modification of the touching in relation to the touch screen display indicating that the touching has been shifted to the different location at which is displayed the second image portion,

wherein the taking of the action based upon the detected modification of the first touch input includes launching an application.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first image portion is located within a first partial region associated with the touch screen display, wherein the second image portion is located within a second partial region associated with the touch screen display, and wherein the first instructions include initial instructions for initially actuating of first pixels of the touch screen display associated with the first partial region at a first time to the exclusion of second pixels of the touch screen display associated with the second partial region, and the third instructions include subsequent instructions for subsequently actuating the second pixels of the touch screen display associated with the second partial region at a second time to the exclusion of actuating the first pixels.