Electronic terminals and control methods thereof

• US 9,204,304 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo (Beijing) Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo (Beijing) Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mao, Xingzhong, Lin, Lvming, Xie, Wei, Zhou, Zhiqiang
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US14/343,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20140220959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/420
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724631 by limiting the access to the user interface, e.g. locking a touch-screen or a keypad
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72484 wherein functions are triggered by incoming communication events
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An electronic terminal includes at least one input and output unit. The electronic terminal further includes: a communication detection unit configured to detect whether a communication event exists, so as to obtain a first detection result; a condition sensing unit configured to detect whether a prohibition condition for prohibiting an input and output function of the at least one input and output unit is satisfied, so as to obtain a second detection result; a prohibition unit configured to prohibit a part of the input and output function of the at least one input and output unit which is unrelated to the communication event, when the first detection result indicates that the communication event exists and the second detection result indicates that the prohibition condition is satisfied.

Claims

1. An electronic terminal comprising at least one input and output unit, the electronic terminal further comprising:

a memory configured to store a set of instructions;

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute an instruction in the set of instructions for;

detecting whether a communication event exists, so as to obtain a first detection result;

detecting whether a prohibition condition for prohibiting an input and output function of the at least one input and output unit is satisfied in response to the first detection result indicating that the communication event exists, so as to obtain a second detection result; and

prohibiting a part of the input and output function of the at least one input and output unit which is unrelated to the communication event, when the first detection result indicates that the communication event exists and the second detection result indicates that the prohibition condition is satisfied,

wherein the electronic terminal further comprises;

a brightness sensing unit configured to detect whether surrounding brightness is lower than a preset threshold, and

wherein the processor is further configured to execute an instruction in the set of instructions for obtaining the second detection result indicating that the prohibition condition is satisfied, when the brightness sensing unit detects that the surrounding brightness is lower than the preset threshold;

wherein the processor is further configured to execute an instruction in the set of instructions for detecting whether a current time period belongs to a preset time period; and

wherein the processor is further configured to execute an instruction in the set of instructions for obtaining the second detection result indicating that the prohibition condition is satisfied, when the brightness sensing unit detects that the surrounding brightness is lower than the preset threshold, the current time period belongs to the preset time period, and

wherein the electronic terminal further comprises;

a hold sensing unit configured to detect whether the electronic terminal is held, and

wherein the processor is further configured to execute an instruction in the set of instructions for obtaining the second detection result indicating that the prohibition condition is satisfied, when the hold sensing unit detects that the electronic terminal is not held.

2. The electronic terminal according to claim 1, wherein the at least one input and output unit comprises a touch sensing unit having a touch sensing region, and

wherein the processor is further configured to execute a instruction in the set of instructions for:

detecting whether a prohibition condition for prohibiting an input function of the touch sensing unit is satisfied in response to the first detection result indicating that the communication event exists, so as to obtain the second detection result; and

prohibiting the input function of the touch sensing unit, when the first detection result indicates that the communication event exists and the second detection result indicates that the prohibition condition is satisfied.

3. The electronic terminal according to claim 2, further comprises:

an approach sensing unit having a detection region which at least partly overlaps with the touch sensing region, the approach sensing unit is configured to detect whether there is an object located in the detection region,

wherein the processor is further configured to execute an instruction in the set of instructions for obtaining the second detection result indicating that the prohibition condition is satisfied, when the approach sensing unit detects that there is the object located in the detection region.

4. The electronic terminal according to claim 2, further comprises:

a hold sensing unit configured to detect whether the electronic terminal is held; and

a brightness sensing unit configured to detect whether surrounding brightness is lower than a preset threshold,

the processor is further configured to execute an instruction in the set of instructions for obtaining the second detection result indicating that the prohibition condition is satisfied, when the hold sensing unit detects that the electronic terminal is not held and the brightness sensing unit detects that the surrounding brightness is lower than the preset threshold.

5. The electronic terminal according to claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to execute an instruction in the set of instructions for:

performing a corresponding touch-control instruction according to a touch input detected by the touch sensing unit; and

prohibiting the input function of the touch sensing unit by prohibiting the touch sensing unit from detecting the touch input and/or prohibiting from executing the touch-control instruction, when the first detection result indicates that the communication event exists and the second detection result indicates that the prohibition condition is satisfied.

6. The electronic terminal according to claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to execute an instruction in the set of instructions for:

enabling the input function of the touch sensing unit, when the second detection result is switched from indicating that the prohibition condition is satisfied to indicating that the prohibition condition is not satisfied.

7. The electronic terminal according to claim 1, wherein the at least one input and output unit comprises a display screen having a display region;

the processor is further configured to execute an instruction in the set of instructions for;

detecting whether a prohibition condition for disabling backlight of the display screen is satisfied in response to the first detection result indicating that the communication event exists, so as to obtain the second detection result; and

disabling the backlight of the display screen, when the first detection result indicates that the communication event exists and the second detection result indicates that the prohibition condition is satisfied.

8. The electronic terminal according to claim 7, further comprises:

an approach sensing unit having a detection region which at least partly overlaps with the display region, the approach sensing unit configured to detect whether there is an object located in the detection region,

wherein the processor is further configured to execute an instruction in the set of instructions for obtaining the second detection result indicating that the prohibition condition is satisfied, when the approach sensing unit detects that there is the object located in the detection region.

9. The electronic terminal according to claim 7, further comprises:

a brightness sensing unit configured to detect whether surrounding brightness is lower than a preset threshold, and

wherein the processor is further configured to execute an instruction in the set of instructions for obtaining the second detection result indicating that the prohibition condition is satisfied, when the brightness sensing unit detects that the surrounding brightness is lower than the preset threshold; and

wherein the processor is further configured to execute an instruction in the set of instructions for detecting whether a current time period belongs to a preset time period; and

wherein the processor is further configured to execute an instruction in the set of instructions for obtaining the second detection result indicating that the prohibition condition is satisfied, when the brightness sensing unit detects that the surrounding brightness is lower than the preset threshold, and t the current time period belongs to the preset time period.

10. The electronic terminal according to claim 7, further comprises:

a hold sensing unit configured to detect whether the electronic terminal is held,

wherein the processor is further configured to execute an instruction in the set of instructions for obtaining the second detection result indicating that the prohibition condition is satisfied, when the hold sensing unit detects that the electronic terminal is not held.

11. The electronic terminal according to claim 7, further comprises:

a hold sensing unit configured to detect whether the electronic terminal is held; and

a brightness sensing unit configured to detect whether surrounding brightness is lower than a preset threshold,

wherein the processor is further configured to execute an instruction in the set of instructions for obtaining the second detection result indicating that the prohibition condition is satisfied, when the hold sensing unit detects that the electronic terminal is not held and the brightness sensing unit detects that the surrounding brightness is lower than the preset threshold.

12. The electronic terminal according to claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to execute an instruction in the set of instructions for outputting prompt information when the first detection result indicates that the communication event exists and the second detection result indicates that the prohibition condition is satisfied.

13. The electronic terminal according to claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to execute an instruction in the set of instructions for enabling the backlight of the display screen, when the first detection result indicates that the communication event exists and the second detection result is switched from indicating that the prohibition condition is satisfied to indicating that the prohibition condition is not satisfied.

14. A control method used in an electronic terminal, the electronic terminal comprising at least one input and output unit, the method comprising steps of:

detecting whether a communication event exists, so as to obtain a first detection result;

detecting whether a prohibition condition for prohibiting an input and output function of the at least one input and output unit is satisfied in response to the first detection result indicating that the communication event exists, so as to obtain a second detection result;

prohibiting a part of the input and output function of the at least one input and output unit which is unrelated to the communication event, when the first detection result indicates that the communication event exists and the second detection result indicates that the prohibition condition is satisfied,

wherein the step of detecting whether the prohibition condition for prohibiting the input function of the touch sensing unit is satisfied in response to the first detection result indicating that the communication event exists so as to obtain the second detection result comprises;

detecting whether surrounding brightness is lower than a preset threshold;

detecting whether a current time period belongs to a preset time period, when it is detected that the surrounding brightness is lower than the preset threshold;

obtaining the second detection result indicating that the prohibition condition is satisfied, when the current time period belongs to the preset time period, and

wherein the step of detecting whether the prohibition condition for prohibiting the input function of the touch sensing unit is satisfied in response to the first detection result indicating that the communication event exists so as to obtain the second detection result further comprises;

detecting whether the electronic terminal is held;

obtaining the second detection result indicating that the prohibition condition is satisfied, when it is detected that the electronic terminal is not held.

15. The control method according to claim 14, wherein the at least one input and output unit comprises a touch sensing unit having a touch sensing region, the method comprising:

detecting whether a prohibition condition for prohibiting an input function of the touch sensing unit is satisfied in response to the first detection result indicating that the communication event exists, so as to obtain the second detection result; and

prohibiting the input function of the touch sensing unit, when the first detection result indicates that the communication event exists and the second detection result indicates that the prohibition condition is satisfied.

16. The control method according to claim 15, wherein the step of detecting whether the prohibition condition for prohibiting the input function of the touch sensing unit is satisfied in response to the first detection result indicating that the communication event exists so as to obtain the second detection result comprises:

detecting whether there is an object located in the detection region which at least partly overlaps with the touch sensing region;

obtaining the second detection result indicating that the prohibition condition is satisfied, when it is detected that there is the object located in the detection region;

wherein the step of detecting whether the prohibition condition for prohibiting the input function of the touch sensing unit is satisfied in response to the first detection result indicating that the communication event exists so as to obtain the second detection result comprises;

detecting whether surrounding brightness is lower than a preset threshold;

obtaining the second detection result indicating that the prohibition condition is satisfied, when it is detected that the surrounding brightness is lower than the preset threshold.