Portable electronic device and method for controlling operation thereof based on user motion

• US 9,189,062 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2012
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Janefalkar, Tushar, Balar, Amitkumar N., Barkat, Shakil, Dalvi, Sajid I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yodichkas, Aneeta
• Application Number:
  US13/414,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20130234924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/474, 345/169
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• 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 3/017 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: H04B 2001/3861 carried in a hand or on fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A portable electronic device includes a motion sensor and a controller. The motion sensor detects an alternating signature motion of a limb of the user about a virtual axis corresponding to the limb. The motion sensor may be an accelerometer capable of detecting three dimensional acceleration. The accelerometer detects acceleration along X, Y and/or Z axes, in which acceleration peaks of the X and Z axes alternate with each other and acceleration of the Y axis remains substantially steady relative to the X and Y axes. The portable electronic device controls at least one function based on the detected alternating signature motion of the limb and/or acceleration along the X, Y and/or Z axes.

Claims

1. A method for controlling operation of a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting, by a motion sensor of the portable electronic device, an alternating signature motion of the portable electronic device about a virtual axis;

detecting, by the motion sensor, a stabilization time to establish an end of the alternating signature motion;

subsequent to and within a predetermined time period from detecting the end of the alternating signature motion, detecting, by the motion sensor, a display positioning motion, wherein the display positioning motion is associated with directing a display of the portable electronic device towards a view angle of the user; and

controlling, by the portable electronic device, at least one function based on the alternating signature motion and the display positioning motion.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to detecting the alternating signature motion of the portable electronic device, positioning the portable electronic device peripherally about the virtual axis.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined time period comprises a first predetermined time period;

the alternating signature motion of the portable electronic device includes at least two sets of alternating signature motions within a second predetermined time period; and

each set of the at least two sets of alternating signature motions includes rotating in a first direction about the virtual axis and rotating in a second direction opposite the first direction about the virtual axis.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the at least one function includes controlling the at least one function of a display of the portable electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the at least one function includes transitioning a display of the portable electronic device from an inactive mode to an active mode.

6. A method for controlling operation of a portable electronic device, the portable electronic device including an accelerometer capable of detecting three dimensional acceleration, the method comprising:

detecting, by the accelerometer, acceleration along at least one axis of X, Y and Z axes, wherein acceleration peaks of the X and Z axes alternate with each other;

detecting, by the accelerometer, a stabilization time to establish an end of the acceleration along at least one axis of X, Y and Z axes;

subsequent to and within a predetermined time period from detecting the end of the acceleration along the at least one axis of X, Y and Z axes, detecting, by the accelerometer, acceleration along the Z axis indicating that a display of the portable electronic device is directed at least, in part, upward in direction; and

controlling, by the portable electronic device, at least one function based on the acceleration along the at least one axis of the X, Y and Z axes and the acceleration along the Z axis.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, prior to detecting acceleration along at least one axis of X, Y and Z axes, positioning the portable electronic device peripherally about a virtual axis substantially parallel to the Y axis and substantially orthogonal to the X and Z axes.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the predetermined time period comprises a first predetermined time period, and wherein detecting acceleration along at least one axis of X, Y, and Z axes comprises detecting that the acceleration peaks of the X and Z axes alternate with each other at least twice within a second predetermined time period.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein controlling the at least one function includes controlling the at least one function of a display of the portable electronic device.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein controlling the at least one function includes transitioning a display of the portable electronic device from an inactive mode to an active mode.

11. A portable electronic device comprising:

a motion sensor configured to detect;

an alternating signature motion of the portable electronic device about a virtual axis;

a stabilization time to establish an end of the alternating signature motion; and

subsequent to and within a predetermined time period from detecting the end of the alternating signature motion, a display positioning motion, wherein the display positioning motion is associated with directing a display of the portable electronic device towards a view angle of the user; and

a controller configured to;

control at least one function based on the alternating signature motion and the display positioning motion.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 11, wherein:

the motion sensor detects the alternating signature motion as acceleration along at least one axis of X, Y and Z axes, wherein acceleration peaks of the X and Z axes alternate with each other and acceleration of the Y axis remains substantially steady relative to the X and Y axes.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 11, wherein:

the predetermined time period comprises a first predetermined time period;

the alternating signature motion includes at least two sets of signature motions within a second predetermined time period; and

each set of signature motions includes rotating in a first direction about the virtual axis and rotating in a second direction opposite the first direction about the virtual axis.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 11, wherein the at least one function includes at least one function of a display of the portable electronic device.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to transition a display of the portable electronic device from an inactive mode to an active mode.