Method and program of controlling electronic device, electronic device and subscriber equipment

• US 9,152,840 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2005
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Puolitaival, Seppo, Tikkanen, Pauli
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHERWIN, RYAN W
• Application Number:
  US11/922,647
• Publication Number:
  US 20090243790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,757 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.1, 340/500, 340/501, 340 551- 553, 340/5.55, 340/5.8, 340 581- 583, 341 20- 35, 345/156, 345173-178, 382124-127
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0338 Fingerprint track pad, i.e. fingerprint sensor used as pointing device tracking the fingertip image
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing

Abstract

Controlling the scaling of a user perceivable output quantity of an electronic device having a sensor for detecting characteristics of a user can be performed as a function of a rotational movement of characteristics of a user detected by the sensor. Alternatively, controlling can be performed as a function of time spent for the detection of the characteristics of a user.

Claims

1. In an electronic device having a sensor for detecting characteristics of a user skin and, functionally separate from the sensor, a user interface component for receiving user input, a method comprising:

detecting pivoting movement of the characteristics of the user skin around a pivot point on a surface of a sensor detecting characteristics of the user skin;

controlling scaling of a user perceivable output quantity of the electronic device as a function of the pivoting movement detected by the sensor;

detecting context in the electronic device;

receiving from the user interface component an input determining a type of control of the user perceivable output quantity of the electronic device;

determining the type of control as strengthening or weakening at least one of the following;

a user perceivable acoustic quantity, a user perceivable visual quantity, or a user perceivable tactile quantity;

changing the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled by selecting the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled according to the context so that the controlling controls a zoom operation in the electronic device; and

additionally changing the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled by selecting the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled according to the input.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising performing detecting rotational movement of the characteristics of the user skin by detecting rotational movement of a fingerprint of a user around the normal of the surface of the sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising determining the type of control by an activation of either of a pair of input keys of the electronic device, a first input key activating one kind of control of the user perceivable output quantity and a second input key activating a different kind of control of the user perceivable output quantity.

4. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising determining the type of control by an input key of the electronic device, one kind of control of the user perceivable output quantity being active without pressing the input key and a different kind of control of the user perceivable output quantity being activated by pressing the key.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising receiving by the sensor for detecting characteristics of the user skin an activation signal for performing controlling the user perceivable output quantity, the sensor for detecting characteristics of the user being configured to be tapped by the user for activation.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled according to the context so that the controlling controls a zoom operation of a display of the electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled according to the context so that the controlling controls a zoom operation of a camera of the electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled according to the context so that the controlling controls a zoom operation of a camera and a display when the user selects using of the camera of the electronic device.

9. An electronic device including

a sensor for detecting characteristics of a user skin,

a user interface component configured to receive user input, the user interface component being functionally separate from the sensor,

at least one component configured to output a user perceivable output quantity, and

a controller configured to receive detection information from the sensor and to control the at least one component wherein

the sensor is configured to detect pivoting movement of the characteristics of the user skin around a pivot point on a surface of the sensor;

and

the controller is configured to;

control scaling of the user perceivable output quantity of the at least one component as a function of the pivoting movement detected by the sensor;

detect a context in the electronic device;

receive, from the user interface component, an input determining a type of control of the user perceivable output quantity;

determine the type of control as strengthening or weakening at least one of the following;

a user perceivable acoustic quantity, a user perceivable visual quantity, or a user perceivable tactile quantity;

change the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled by selecting the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled according to the context so that the controlling controls a zoom operation in the electronic device; and

additionally change the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled by selecting the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled according to the input.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the sensor is a fingerprint sensor configured to detect rotational movement of a fingerprint of a user around the normal of the surface of the sensor.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the electronic device includes at least one input key for receiving the input, the key being configured to be pressed by the user.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the electronic device includes a pair of input keys for determining the type of control by an activation of either of the input keys, a first input key is configured to activate one kind of control of the user perceivable output quantity and a second input key is configured to activate a different kind of control of the user perceivable output quantity.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the electronic device includes an input key for determining the type of control, the input key is configured to activate one kind of control of the user perceivable output quantity and a different kind of control of the user perceivable output quantity is active without pressing the input key.

14. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the electronic device includes a switch for receiving an activation signal for performing controlling the user perceivable output quantity, the sensor for detecting characteristics of the user skin being configured to be tapped by the user for activation.

15. Subscriber equipment of a radio system including

a sensor for detecting characteristics of a user skin,

a user interface component configured to receive user input, the user interface component being functionally separate from the sensor,

at least one component configured to output a user perceivable output quantity, and

a controller configured to receive detection information from the sensor and to control the at least one component, wherein

the sensor is configured to detect pivoting movement of the characteristics of the user skin around a pivot point on a surface of the sensor, and

the controller is configured to:

control scaling of the user perceivable output quantity of the at least one component as a function of the pivoting movement detected by the sensor;

detect a context in the electronic device;

receive, from the user interface component, an input determining a type of control of the user perceivable output quantity;

determine the type of control as strengthening or weakening at least one of the following;

a user perceivable acoustic quantity, a user perceivable visual quantity, or a user perceivable tactile quantity;

change the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled by selecting the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled according to the context so that the controlling controls a zoom operation in the electronic device; and

additionally change the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled by selecting the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled according to the input.

16. An electronic device including

sensing means for detecting characteristics of a user skin,

a user interface means for receiving user input, the user interface means being functionally separate from the sensing means,

at least one output means for outputting a user perceivable output quantity, and controlling means for receiving detection information from the sensing means and for controlling the at least one output means, wherein

the sensing means is configured to detect pivoting movement of the characteristics of the user skin around a pivot point on a surface of the sensing means;

and

the controlling means is configured to;

control scaling of the user perceivable output quantity of the at least one output means as a function of the pivoting movement detected by the sensing means;

detect a context in the electronic device;

receive, from the user interface means, an input determining a type of control of the user perceivable output quantity;

determine the type of control as strengthening or weakening at least one of the following;

a user perceivable acoustic quantity, a user perceivable visual quantity, or a user perceivable tactile quantity;

change the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled by selecting the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled according to the context so that the controlling controls a zoom operation in the electronic device, and

additionally change the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled by selecting the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled according to the input.

17. A computer program embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable program code which, when executed by at least one controller of an electronic device having a sensor for detecting characteristics of a user skin, causes the electronic device to:

detect pivoting movement of the characteristics of the user skin around a pivoting point on a surface of a sensor detecting characteristics of the user skin;

control scaling of a user perceivable output quantity of the electronic device as a function of the pivoting movement detected by the sensor;

detect a context in the electronic device;

receive, from a user interface component functionally separate from the sensor, an input determining a type of control of the user perceivable output quantity;

determine the type of control as strengthening or weakening at least one of the following;

a user perceivable acoustic quantity, a user perceivable visual quantity, or a user perceivable tactile quantity;

change the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled by selecting the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled according to the context so that the controlling controls a zoom operation in the electronic device, and

additionally change the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled by selecting the user perceivable output quantity to be controlled according to the input.