Smart watch and control method thereof

• US 9,274,507 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2014
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jihwan, Kim, Jongho, Lee, Doyoung, Kim, Yongsin, Chun, Sinae
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US14/167,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20150160622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/00 Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/02 Detectors of external physical values, e.g. temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/04 using radio waves radio-controlled time-pieces G04R
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0005 Transmission of control signals
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0064 in which functions not related to time can be displayed digital output to display devices of digital computers G06F3/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• 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: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers

Abstract

A smart watch and a control method thereof are disclosed. The smart watch includes a first sensor unit configured to detect whether the smart watch is worn, a display unit configured to display visual information, a second sensor unit configured to detect movement of the smart watch, and a processor configured to control the first sensor unit, the display unit, and the second sensor unit. If first movement of the smart watch is detected on an arm of a user while the smart watch is being worn, the processor obtains direction and distance of the first movement of the smart watch. If the direction of the first movement is a first direction and the distance of the first movement is equal to or more than a first threshold distance, the processor performs a first function corresponding to the first direction.

Claims

1. A smart watch comprising:

a first sensor unit configured to detect whether the smart watch is worn;

a display unit configured to display visual information;

a second sensor unit configured to detect movement of the smart watch; and

a processor configured to control the first sensor unit, the display unit, and the second sensor unit,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

if a first movement of the smart watch is detected on an arm of a user while the smart watch is being worn, obtain a direction and a distance of the first movement of the smart watch, and

if the direction of the first movement is a first direction and the distance of the first movement is equal to or more than a first threshold distance, perform a first function corresponding to the first direction,

wherein the direction of the first movement is a direction parallel to an axis of the arm of the user and corresponds to an outward direction or an inward direction, and

wherein the distance of the first movement is a distance by which the smart watch moves on the arm of the user and along the axis of the arm.

2. The smart watch according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if a second movement of the smart watch is detected, obtain a direction and a distance of the second movement, and

if the direction of the second movement is the first direction and the distance of the second movement is equal to or more than the first threshold distance, and if the second movement is detected within a first threshold time from when the first movement is detected,

perform a second function related to the first function.

3. The smart watch according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if a second movement of the smart watch is detected, obtain a direction and a distance of the second movement, and

if the direction of the second movement is the first direction and the distance of the second movement is equal to or more than the first threshold distance, and if the second movement is detected after a first threshold time from when the first movement is detected,

perform the first function.

4. The smart watch according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if a second movement of the smart watch is detected, obtain a direction and a distance of the second movement, and

if the direction of the second movement is a direction opposite to the first direction and the distance of the second movement is equal to or more than the first threshold distance, and if the second movement is detected within a first threshold time from when the first movement is detected,

perform a second function related to the first function.

5. The smart watch according to claim 4, wherein the second function related to the first function is a function of returning to a state before the first function is performed.

6. The smart watch according to claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to, if the second movement is detected within a second threshold time from when the first movement is detected,

perform the first function after the second movement is detected, and

wherein the second threshold time is shorter than the first threshold time.

7. The smart watch according to claim 1, further comprising a rotation sensor unit configured to detect rotation of the smart watch,

wherein the processor is further configured to if the rotation of the smart watch is detected while the smart watch is being worn, obtain a direction and a distance of the rotation of the smart watch, and if the direction of the rotation is along the rotation axis of the smart watch and corresponds to an outward direction or an inward direction, and the distance of the rotation is equal to or more than the second threshold distance, perform a third function.

8. The smart watch according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, provide a feedback corresponding to the first function.

9. The smart watch according to claim 8, wherein the feedback comprises at least one of a visual feedback, an audio feedback, and a tactile feedback.

10. The smart watch according to claim 1, further comprising a touch sensor unit configured to detect a contact of the user on a front surface of the smart watch.

11. The smart watch according to claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to, perform the first function corresponding to the first direction only if the contact of the user on the front surface of the smart watch is detected.

12. The smart watch according to claim 1, further comprising a storage configured to store data,

wherein the processor is further configured to:

store history information corresponding to the direction and the distance of the first movement of the smart watch.

13. The smart watch according to claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to, select and perform one of a plurality of functions as the first function based on the history information.

14. The smart watch according to claim 1, further comprising a communication unit configured to communicate with an external device,

wherein the processor is further configured to transmit a command regarding the first function to the external device.

15. The smart watch according to claim 1, wherein the first function corresponding to the first direction is a function of capturing an image of the visual information displayed on the display unit.

16. The smart watch according to claim 1, wherein the first function corresponding to the first direction is a function of making a call based on a received call signal.

17. The smart watch according to claim 1, wherein the first function corresponding to the first direction is a function of connecting a link to or disconnecting the link from an external device.

18. The smart watch according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor unit and the second sensor unit are included in a single sensor unit.

19. A control method of a smart watch, the method comprising:

detecting whether the smart watch is worn; and

detecting a movement of the smart watch,

wherein the detecting of the movement of the smart watch comprises;

if a first movement of the smart watch is detected on an arm of a user while the smart watch is being worn, obtaining direction and distance of the first movement of the smart watch; and

if the direction of the first movement is a first direction and the distance of the first movement is equal to or more than a first threshold distance, performing a first function corresponding to the first direction,

wherein the direction of the first movement is a direction parallel to an axis of the arm of the user and corresponds to an outward direction or an inward direction, and

wherein the distance of the first movement is a distance by which the smart watch moves on the arm of the user and along the axis of the arm.