Method and apparatus for user interaction data storage

• US 9,153,166 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2015
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Lombardi, Michael J., Patel, Mitul R., Pierce, Amber M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US14/699,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20150235594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 160 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 345204-215
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/062 Adjustment of illumination source parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 for control of overall brightness
• 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 3/3208 organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method on an electronic device is described. A touch screen display of the electronic device is actively controlled in a higher-power mode of operation. Actively controlling the touch screen display in the higher-power mode is discontinued to enter a lower-power mode of operation. In the lower-power mode: at least one first control signal is provided to the touch screen display; in response to the at least one first control signal, a first portion of the touch screen display is activated and a first portion of a graphic is displayed on a first area of the touch screen display within the first portion; occurrence of a first user interaction that corresponds to the first portion of the graphic during the display of the first portion of the graphic is determined; and user interaction data is stored for the first portion of the graphic based on the first user interaction determination.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive wireless communication signals;

at least one memory device;

a touch screen display configured to, while the electronic device operates in a lower-power mode of operation;

activate, in response to at least one first control signal, a first portion of the touch screen display;

display, in response to the at least one first control signal, a first portion of a graphic on a first area of the touch screen display that is within the first portion of the touch screen display;

activate, in response to at least one second control signal, a second portion of the touch screen display; and

display, in response to the at least one second control signal, a second portion of the graphic on a second area of the touch screen display that is within the second portion of the touch screen display;

at least one application processor configured to, while the electronic device operates in a higher-power mode of operation;

control the touch screen display;

receive and store the graphic in the at least one memory device; and

prior to the electronic device operating in the lower-power mode of operation, discontinue controlling the touch screen display;

at least one processing device configured to, while the electronic device operates in the lower-power mode of operation;

control the touch screen display;

provide the at least one first control signal to the touch screen display;

determine whether a first touch input that corresponds to the first area occurs during the display of the first portion of the graphic;

provide, in response to the first touch input, the at least one second control signal to the touch screen display; and

store, user interaction data for the graphic, wherein the user interaction data comprises at least one of a duration of the first touch input, a duration of the display of the second portion of the graphic, or an action indication that corresponds to the first touch input.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to, while the electronic device operates in the lower-power mode of operation:

select a first action indication in response to determining that the touch input changed from occurring within the first area to occurring within the second area;

select a second action indication in response to determining that the touch input changed from occurring within the first area to occurring within a third area of the touch screen display, wherein the third area is within the second partial region and distinct from the second area; and

store the selected action indication.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein:

the at least one application processor is further configured to, while the electronic device operates in the higher-power mode of operation, receive and store a plurality of graphics in the at least one memory device; and

the at least one processing device is further configured to, while the electronic device operates in the lower-power mode of operation;

select the graphic from the plurality of graphics based on graphic selection criteria associated with the electronic device; and

store the graphic selection criteria with the user interaction data for the graphic.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the at least one processing device is further configured to, while the electronic device operates in the lower-power mode of operation and in response to detecting a trigger action:

select the graphic from the plurality of graphics;

provide the at least one first control signal to the touch screen display, wherein the graphic selection criteria comprises at least one of;

a trigger action type that indicates the trigger action,

a time of the trigger action, or

a date of the trigger action.

5. An electronic device comprising:

a touch screen display;

an application processor configured to control the touch screen display while the electronic device operates in a higher-power mode of operation;

a sensor hub configured to control the touch screen display while the electronic device operates in an lower-power mode of operation; and

a non-transitory memory comprising instructions that configure the electronic device to;

control, with the application processor while operating in the higher-power mode of operation, the touch screen display;

prior to entering a lower-power mode of operation, discontinue controlling, with the application processor, the touch screen display;

provide, with the sensor hub and while operating in the lower-power mode of operation, at least one first control signal to the touch screen display for activating a portion of the touch screen display and displaying a portion of a graphic on a first area of the touch screen display that is within the portion of the touch screen display;

determine, with the sensor hub and while operating in the lower-power mode of operation, whether a first user interaction that corresponds to the portion of the graphic has occurred during the display of the portion of the graphic; and

store, with the sensor hub and while operating in the lower-power mode of operation, user interaction data for the portion of the graphic based on the first user interaction determination.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the portion is a first portion, and the non-transitory memory comprises further instructions that configure the electronic device to:

determine, with the sensor hub, that a first touch input has occurred at the first area;

determine, with the sensor hub, a duration of the first touch input;

store, with the sensor hub, the duration of the first touch input with the user interaction data;

responsive to the first touch input, provide, with the sensor hub and while operating in the lower-power mode of operation, at least one second control signal to the touch screen display for activating a second portion of the touch screen display and displaying a second portion of the graphic on a second area of the touch screen display that is within the second portion of the touch screen display;

determine, with the sensor hub and while operating in the lower-power mode of operation, whether a second touch input has occurred that corresponds to the second area or a third area of the touch screen display that is distinct from the second area; and

store, with the sensor hub and while operating in the lower-power mode of operation, the user interaction data with an action indication that indicates whether the second touch input has occurred and in which area it occurred.

7. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the application processor is configured to send, via a network and to a remote network entity, the user interaction data.

8. A method comprising:

controlling, by an electronic device and while operating in a higher-power mode of operation, a touch screen display of the electronic device;

prior to the electronic device entering a lower-power mode of operation, discontinue controlling, by the electronic device, the touch screen display;

activating, by the electronic device and while operating in the lower-power mode of operation, a portion of the touch screen display;

displaying, by the electronic device and while operating in the lower-power mode of operation, a portion of a graphic on a area of the touch screen display that is within the first portion of the touch screen display;

determining, by the electronic device and while operating in the lower-power mode of operation, whether a user interaction occurs at the portion of the graphic during the display of the portion of the graphic; and

storing, by the electronic device and while operating in the lower-power mode of operation, user interaction data for the portion of the graphic in response to determining whether the user interaction occurs at the portion of the graphic.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

determining whether the first user interaction occurs at the portion of the graphic during the display of the portion of the graphic comprises;

responsive to determining that a first touch input occurs at the first area, determining, by the electronic device and while operating in the lower-power mode of operation, a duration of the first touch input;

storing the user interaction data comprises storing the duration of the first touch input for the portion of the graphic.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein storing the user interaction data comprises responsive to determining that the duration of the first touch input is below a first touch threshold, storing an indication that the portion of the graphic was not viewed.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the portion is a first portion, the method further comprising:

responsive to determining that the first touch input occurs at the first area, and while operating in the lower-power mode of operation;

activating, by the electronic device, a second portion of the touch screen display;

displaying, by the electronic device, a second portion of the graphic on a second area of the touch screen display that is within the second portion of the touch screen display; and

determining, by the electronic device,

whether a second touch input has occurred that corresponds to either the second area or a third area of the touch screen display that is distinct from the second area,

wherein storing the user interaction data further comprises storing an action indication that indicates whether the second touch input has occurred.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

displaying the second portion of the graphic comprises;

displaying the second portion of the graphic while determining that the first touch input occurs at the first area; and

determining, by the electronic device and while operating in the lower-power mode of operation, a duration of the display of the second portion of the graphic; and

storing the user interaction data further comprises storing the duration of the display of the second portion of the graphic.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein storing the user interaction data comprises responsive to determining that the duration of the display of the second portion of the graphic is below a display threshold, storing an indication that the second portion of the graphic was not viewed.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein storing the action indication comprises:

storing, by the electronic device, a first action indication in response to determining that the second touch input corresponds to the second area; and

storing, by the electronic device, a second action indication in response to determining that the second touch input corresponds to the third area.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein storing the second action indication comprises storing, by the electronic device, a dismiss action indication.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the second portion of the touch screen display comprises first and second partial regions;

the second area includes a first hit area in the first partial region and a second hit area in the second partial region; and

storing the action indication comprises storing a first action indication if the second touch input corresponds to the first hit area and storing a second action indication if the second touch input corresponds to the second hit area.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the first portion of the graphic is a primary portion of the graphic and the second portion of the graphic is a secondary portion of the graphic.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein activating the portion of the touch screen display comprises activating the portion of the touch screen display in response to at least one of:

determining that the electronic device moved after a period of being stationary;

or

determining that the touch screen display of the electronic device changed to an uncovered state after a period of being in a covered state.

19. The method of claim 8, further comprising sending, by the electronic device, the user interaction data to a remote network entity.

20. The method of claim 8, wherein determining whether the first user interaction has occurred comprises:

activating, by the electronic device and while operating in the lower-power mode of operation, an imager of the electronic device; and

determining, by the electronic device with the imager and while operating in the lower power mode of operation, whether a face of a user is detected, wherein storing the user interaction data comprises storing a view indication that indicates whether the face was detected.