Electronic device, control method of electronic device, and program

• US 9,459,686 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2012
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital CE Patent Holdings SAS (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Kazuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): CONNOLLY, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US14/125,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20140136867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/14 by making use of gyroscopes gyroscopes per se G01C19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3262 Power saving in digitizer or tablet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/12 Power saving techniques of remote control or controlled devices
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/32 Remote control based on movements, attitude of remote control device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention include a device comprising a memory storing instructions and a processing circuit executing the instructions to detect a first user action. The instructions may further include instructions to establish a first user action state based on the detected first user action, designate a first mode based on the first user action state, determine if a second user action, consistent with a first detection condition associated with the first mode, has taken place, when the second user action has taken place, establish a second user action state based on the second user action, and designate a second mode based on the second user action state, the second mode consuming more power than the first mode.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions; and

a processing circuit configured to execute the instructions to;

detect a first user action;

establish a first user action state based on the detected first user action;

designate a first mode based on the first user action state;

determine if a second user action, consistent with a first detection condition associated with the first mode, has taken place;

in an event the second user action has taken place, establish a second user action state based on the second user action; and

designate a second mode based on the second user action state, the second mode consuming more power than the first mode,

wherein the first mode and the second mode are power saving modes, and

wherein the second mode saves power consumed by a second sensor.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a first sensor configured to detect the first user action and the second sensor configured to detect the second user action, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are different.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising instructions to:

in an event the second user action has not taken place, designate a third power saving mode, the third power saving mode consuming less power than the first mode.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first detection condition comprises the occurrence of the second user action within a specified time period following designation of the first mode.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the processing circuit is configured to execute the instructions to:

transmit, to an external device, information indicative of at least one of the first detection condition or the second detection condition;

receive information, from the external device, indicative of a type of application running on the external device; and

set, based on the received information, the at least one of the first detection condition or the second detection condition.

6. The device according to claim 4, wherein the processing circuit is configured to execute the instructions to establish at least one of the first detection condition or the second detection condition, based on a type of application executed in the device and at least one of the first user action or the second user action.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the second user action state is an active state.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

the second mode comprises;

a first sub-mode having a first sub-mode level of power consumption and a first sub-mode detection condition;

a second sub-mode having a second sub-mode level of power consumption and a second sub-mode detection condition, the second sub-mode level of power consumption being less than the first sub-mode level of power consumption; and

the processing circuit is configured to execute the instructions to, in an event the second mode is designated;

determine if a third user action, consistent with a second detection condition associated with the second mode, has taken place;

in an event the third user action has not taken place;

designate the first sub-mode;

determine if a fourth user action, consistent with a third detection condition associated with the second mode, has taken place; and

in an event the fourth user action has not taken place, designate the second sub-mode.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein:

the second detection condition comprises an occurrence of the third user action within a first specified time period following designating the second mode; and

the third detection condition comprises an occurrence of the fourth user action within a second specified time period following designating the first sub-mode.

10. The device according to claim 1:

further comprising a communication unit configured to transmit, to an external device, information relating to a first operation;

wherein the processing circuit is configured to execute the instructions to activate the communication unit in an event the first user action is detected.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the processing circuit is configured to execute the instructions to suspend the communication unit in an event the first user action is not detected.

12. A device comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions; and

a processing circuit configured to execute the instructions to;

detect a first user action;

establish a first user action state based on the detected first user action;

designate a first mode based on the first user action state;

determine if a second user action, consistent with a first detection condition associated with the first mode, has taken place;

in an event the second user action has taken place, establish a second user action state based on the second user action; and

designate a second mode based on the second user action state, the second mode consuming more power than the first mode,

wherein, in an event the second mode is designated, the processing circuit is configured to execute the instructions to;

determine if a third user action, consistent with a second detection condition associated with the second mode, has taken place;

in an event the third user action has taken place, establish a third user action state based on the third user action; and

in an event the third user action has not taken place, designate a third mode, the third mode consuming less power than the second mode.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the second detection condition comprises the occurrence of the third user action within a specified time period following designating the second mode.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein:

the first detection condition comprises a first detection frequency;

the second detection condition comprises a second detection frequency; and

the first detection frequency is greater than the second detection frequency.

15. The device according to claim 12, wherein:

the first user action is a grip of a housing of the device;

the second user action is a contact with a portion of the device other than the housing; and

the third user action is a contact with the portion of the device other than the housing.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein:

the first detection condition comprises an occurrence of the second user action within a first specified time period following designating the first mode; and

the second detection condition comprises an occurrence of the third user action within a second specified time period following designating the second mode, the second specified time period being shorter than the first specified time period.

17. The device according to claim 15, wherein:

the first detection condition comprises detecting the second user action via a first number of detection points arranged on the portion of the device other than the housing;

the second detection condition comprises detecting the third user action via a second number of the detection points arranged on the portion of the device other than the housing, the second number of detection points being larger than the first number of detection points.

18. A method comprising:

in a device;

detecting a first user action;

establishing a first user action state based on the detected first user action;

designating a first mode based on the first user action state;

determining if a second user action, consistent with a first detection condition associated with the first mode, has taken place;

in an event the second user action has taken place, establishing a second user action state based on the second user action; and

designate a second mode based on the second user action state, the second mode consuming more power than the first mode,

wherein the first mode and the second mode are power saving modes, and

wherein the second mode saves power consumed by a second sensor.