Power saving control method and electronic device supporting the same

• US 9,264,608 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2013
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Wooyong, Park, Kwangkyu, Kim, Minho, Bak, Hyeonjae
• Primary Examiner(s): Haskins, Twyler
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chon, Peter
• Application Number:
  US13/961,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20140043498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/169, 348/207.99, 348/211.99, 348/211.1, 348/211.2, 348/211.3, 348/211.4, 348/211.5, 348/211.6, 348/211.7, 348/211.8, 348/211.9, 348/211.11, 348/211.12, 348/211.13, 348/211.14, 348/333.01, 348/333.02, 348/333.03, 348/333.04, 348/333.05, 348/333.06, 348/333.07, 348/333.13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera

Abstract

A control for a power saving of an electronic device is disclosed. The device includes a camera configured to be activated and then obtain an image when no input event is received within a given time after activation of a selected function. The device further includes a control unit configured to, if the obtained image contains a specific pattern, determine whether the specific pattern corresponds to a human face pattern, and to, if the specific pattern does not correspond to the human face pattern, perform a power saving control of the electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a power mode of an electronic device having a display unit and camera, the method comprising:

executing a particular function;

in response to an expiration of a specified time period without receiving an input event on the display unit while the particular function is executed, turning on the camera;

obtaining by the camera a current image in front of the display unit to determine a presence of a user of the electronic device;

determining whether the obtained current image contains a specific pattern indicative of a human facial feature; and

changing the power mode of the electronic device according to the determination outcome.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing in advance a previous image;

comparing the obtained current image with the previous image; and

when the obtained current image is identical to the previous image, changing the power mode to an energy saving mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining includes:

checking whether there is a movement of the specific pattern from a previous image stored in a memory to the current image; and

changing the power mode to an energy saving mode in response to no movement between the images.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the specific pattern comprises a region containing a pupil of a human eye.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the changing the power mode includes at least one of:

adjusting a brightness of the display unit;

changing a turn-on mode of the display unit to a turn-off mode;

entering into a sleep mode; and

pausing or stopping an activated user function.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a wakeup request; and

performing at least one of;

readjusting the brightness of the display unit to a previous brightness, changing the turn-off mode of the display unit to the turn-on mode, exiting from the sleep mode, and reactivating the paused or stopped user function.

7. A method for controlling a power saving mode of an electronic device having a camera and display unit, the method comprising:

executing a particular function;

in response to an expiration of a first specified time period without receiving an input event on the display unit while the particular function is executed, turning on the camera;

obtaining by the camera a first image in front of the display unit to determine a presence of a user of the electronic device;

determining whether the first image contains a specific pattern;

when the first image contains no specific pattern, operating a first mode of the electronic device;

when no further input event is received within a second specific time period on the display unit after the first mode, obtaining a second image through the camera;

determining whether the second image contains the specific pattern;

when the second image contains the specific pattern, determining whether the specific pattern corresponds to a human facial feature; and

when the specific pattern does not correspond to the human facial feature, operating a second mode of the electronic device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

storing in advance a previous image;

comparing the second image with the previous image; and

when the second image is identical to the previous image, changing the second mode to an energy saving mode.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining step includes:

checking whether there is a movement of a pupil region contained in the specific pattern from a previous image to the first image; and

in response to no movement, changing the first mode to an energy saving mode.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first mode comprises adjusting a brightness of the display unit to a minimum brightness level, and wherein the second mode comprises turning off the display unit.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the first mode comprises pausing an audio function, and wherein the second mode comprises stopping the audio function.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the first mode comprises disconnecting a communication channel, and wherein the second mode comprises stopping a user function based on the communication channel.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the first mode comprises pausing a video replay, and wherein the second mode comprises stopping the video replay.

14. An electronic device for supporting a power saving mode, comprising:

a camera configured to turn on to obtain an image in front of the electronic device to determine a presence of a user of an electronic device upon expiration of a specified time period during an activation of a selected function; and

a control unit configured to, activate the camera upon the expiration of the specified time period, determine whether the obtained current image contains a specific pattern indicative of a human facial feature, and configured to change the power mode of the electronic device according to the determination outcome.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the control unit is further configured to, when the specific pattern corresponds to the human facial feature, check whether there is a movement of the specific pattern, and if there is no movement, to activate the power saving mode.

16. The device of claim 14, further comprising:

a memory unit configured to store in advance a previous image having the specific pattern.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the control unit is further configured to compare the obtained image with the previous image, and in response to the obtained image being identical to the previous image, activating the power saving mode.

18. The device of claim 14, further comprising at least one of:

a display unit configured to adjust a brightness thereof or to be turned off according to the power saving mode;

an audio processing unit configured to pause or stop an audio output function according to the power saving mode; and

a communication unit configured to disconnect a communication channel according to the power saving mode.

19. The device of claim 18, further comprising at least one of:

an input unit configured to create an input signal for a wakeup request,

wherein the control unit is further configured to readjust the brightness of the display unit to a previous brightness level, to change a turn-off mode of the display unit to a turn-on mode, to exit from a sleep mode, and to re-activate the paused or stopped function.

20. The device of claim 14, wherein the control unit includes:

a timer configured to count a first expiration time and a second expiration time;

a camera driving module configured to drive the camera when at least one of the first and second expiration times elapses;

an intelligent mode changing module configured to transmit a first signal for a first mode when the obtained image contains no specific pattern, to determine whether the specific pattern corresponds to the human facial feature when another image containing the specific pattern is captured after the first mode, and to transmit a second signal for a second mode according to the determination outcome; and

a function executing module configured to control the first or second modes when the first or second signal is received from the intelligent mode changing module.

21. A method for controlling a power mode of an electronic device, the method comprising:

starting a first timer;

turning on a camera to obtain a first camera image in front of a display unit of the electronic device to determine a presence of a user of the electronic device when no input event is received until an expiration of the first timer;

when the first camera image contains a facial feature substantially identical from a previously obtained image, adjusting a brightness of a display unit by a predefined amount and starting a second timer;

obtaining a second camera image when no further input event is received until the expiration of the second timer; and

when the second camera image contains a portion of the facial feature substantially identical from the previously obtained image, entering into a sleep mode.

22. The method of claim 21, when the second image contains no facial feature or when the second image contains the portion of the facial feature different from the previously obtained image, readjusting the brightness of the display unit to a previous brightness.