Preventing sleep mode for devices based on sensor inputs

• US 9,454,208 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Hobbs, Nicholas Kenneth, Ainslie, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Poudel, Santosh R
• Application Number:
  US13/826,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20140281617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3228 Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4881 Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues

Abstract

A data processing device may receive, from an application running on the data processing device, an indication that one or more sensors may be associated with a user input for the application. Based on sensing information collected from the one or more sensors, a characteristic of the user input may be determined by the data processing device. The data processing device may refrain from entering a sleep mode if the characteristic of the user input matches a specific characteristic condition specified by the application. The data processing device may allow entering the sleep mode if the characteristic of the user input does not match the specific characteristic condition for a specific timeout period specified by the application. The data processing device may receive the indication, information on the specific characteristic condition and/or information on the specific timeout period via invoking, by the application, one or more application programming interfaces (APIs).

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

in a data processing device having a sleep mode control configuration based on at least input related to a particular sensor;

receiving, from a plurality of applications running on the data processing device, respective indications that one or more sensors other than the particular sensor are associated with respective user inputs for the plurality of applications;

responsive to receiving the respective indications from the plurality of applications, modifying the sleep mode control configuration such that the sleep mode control configuration is based on at least input related to the one or more sensors indicated by the plurality of applications;

determining, based on sensing information collected from the one or more sensors, a characteristic of a user input for an application of the plurality of applications;

learning characteristics of the user input while the application is running;

determining, based on the learned characteristics, one or more specific minimum values pertaining to measurements indicated by the one or more sensors;

determining a specific characteristic of the user input for the application based on the determined one or more specific minimum values;

refraining from entering a sleep mode if the characteristic of the user input matches a characteristic condition specified by the application, wherein the characteristic condition is based on the determined specific characteristic of the user input; and

allowing entering the sleep mode if the characteristic of the user input does not match the characteristic condition for a specific timeout period specified by the application.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising receiving the respective indications, information on the characteristic condition and/or information on the specific timeout period via invoking, by the plurality of applications, one or more application programming interfaces (APIs).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise an accelerometer, a directional sensor, an acoustic sensor, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) unit, a voltage sensor, a proximity sensor, an atmospheric sensor, a camera and/or other sensors.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the characteristic condition associated with the accelerometer comprises a motion acceleration exceeding a specific minimum acceleration value, wherein the determined one or more specific minimum values include the specific minimum acceleration value.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the characteristic condition associated with the directional sensor comprises a sensor heading change exceeding a specific minimum change value, wherein the determined one or more specific minimum values include the specific minimum change value.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the characteristic condition associated with the acoustic sensor comprises an input volume exceeding a specific minimum volume value that is within a specific frequency range, wherein the determined one or more specific minimum values include the specific minimum volume value.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the characteristic condition associated with the GNSS unit comprises a position change exceeding a specific minimum distance, wherein the determined one or more specific minimum values include the specific minimum distance.

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein the characteristic condition associated with the voltage sensor comprises an input voltage change exceeding a specific minimum voltage value, wherein the determined one or more specific minimum values include the specific minimum voltage value.

9. A system, comprising:

a data processing device having a sleep mode control configuration based on at least input related to a particular sensor, wherein the data processing device is operable to;

receive, from a plurality of applications running on the data processing device, respective indications that one or more sensors other than the particular sensor are associated with respective user inputs for the plurality of applications;

responsive to receiving the respective indications from the plurality of applications, modify the sleep mode control configuration such that the sleep mode control configuration is based on at least input related to the one or more sensors indicated by the plurality of applications;

determine, based on sensing information collected from the one or more sensors, a characteristic of a user input for an application of the plurality of applications;

learn characteristics of the user input while the application is running;

determine, based on the learned characteristics, one or more specific minimum values pertaining to measurements indicated by the one or more sensors;

determine a specific characteristic of the user input for the application based on the determined one or more specific minimum values;

refrain from entering a sleep mode if the characteristic of the user input matches a characteristic condition specified by the application, wherein the characteristic condition is based on the determined specific characteristic of the user input; and

allow entering the sleep mode if the characteristic of the user input does not match the characteristic condition for a specific timeout period specified by the application.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the data processing device is operable to receive the respective indications, information on the characteristic condition and/or information on the specific timeout period via invoking, by the plurality of applications, one or more application programming interfaces (APIs).

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the one or more sensors comprise an accelerometer, a directional sensor, an acoustic sensor, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) unit, a voltage sensor, a proximity sensor, an atmospheric sensor, a camera and/or other sensors.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the characteristic condition associated with the accelerometer comprises a motion acceleration exceeding a specific minimum acceleration value.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the characteristic condition associated with the directional sensor comprises a sensor heading change exceeding a specific minimum change value, wherein the determined one or more specific minimum values include the specific change value.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the characteristic condition associated with the acoustic sensor comprises an input volume exceeding a specific minimum volume value that is within a specific frequency range, wherein the determined one or more specific minimum values include the specific minimum volume value.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the characteristic condition associated with the GNSS unit comprises a position change exceeding a specific minimum distance, wherein the determined one or more specific minimum values include the specific minimum distance.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein the characteristic condition associated with the voltage sensor comprises an input voltage change exceeding a specific minimum voltage value, wherein the determined one or more specific minimum values include the specific minimum voltage value.

17. A method, comprising:

in a data processing device having a sleep mode control configuration based on at least input related to a particular sensor;

receiving, from a plurality of applications running on the data processing device, respective indications that one or more sensors other than the particular sensor are associated with respective user inputs for the plurality of applications;

responsive to receiving the respective indications from the plurality of applications, modifying the sleep mode control configuration such that the sleep mode control configuration is based on at least input related to the one or more sensors indicated by the plurality of applications;

determining, based on sensing information collected from the one or more sensors, a characteristic of a user input for an application of the plurality of applications;

learning characteristics of the user input while the application is running;

determining, based on the learned characteristics, one or more specific minimum values pertaining to measurements indicated by the one or more sensors;

determining a specific characteristic of the user input for the application based on the determined one or more specific minimum values;

refraining from entering a sleep mode if the characteristic of the user input matches a characteristic condition specified by the application, wherein the characteristic condition is based on the determined specific characteristic of the user input; and

allowing entering the sleep mode if the characteristic of the user input does not match the characteristic condition for a specific timeout period specified by the application, wherein the data processing device receives the respective indications, information on the characteristic condition and/or information on the specific timeout period via invoking, by the plurality of applications, one or more application programming interfaces (APIs).

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the one or more sensors comprise an accelerometer, a directional sensor, an acoustic sensor, a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) unit, a voltage sensor, a proximity sensor, an atmospheric sensor, a camera and/or other sensors.