Electronic device with orientation-based alert adjustment

• US 9,691,260 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2015
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hill, Matthew, Huwe, Ethan Larry, Pakula, Dave, Dinh, Richard Hung Minh, Rothkopf, Fletcher R.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TAI T
• Application Number:
  US14/736,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20150348397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 340517, 340514, 3404072, 340540, 340541, 340635, 340665, 4555501, 455566, 455567, 455674, 4555754
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 23/00 Alarms responsive to unspecified undesired or abnormal conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/047 Vibrating means for incoming calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are disclosed that allow an electronic device to autonomously adapt one or more user alerts to the current operating environment of the electronic device. For example, some embodiments may include a method comprising providing a plurality of alert devices in an electronic device, determining an operating environment of the electronic device using a sensor of the electronic device, and actuating at least one of the plurality of alert devices that corresponds to the determined operating environment.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a sensor that gathers sensor data;

a light source;

a processor that determines an orientation of the electronic device based on the sensor data, wherein the processor adjusts the light source in response to the determined orientation of the electronic device, and wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the electronic device is in a face-down orientation based on the sensor data; and

an alert device that generates an audible alert and a haptic alert to notify a user of an event at the electronic device without activating the light source when the electronic device is in the face-down orientation.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the light source in response to determining that the electronic device is in the face-down orientation.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the sensor and the light source are formed on a surface of the electronic device, and wherein determining whether the electronic device is in the face-down orientation comprises determining whether the surface of the electronic device is adjacent to a surface of an object external to the electronic device.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a proximity sensor that generates proximity sensor signals that indicate whether or not the electronic device is in close proximity to an external object, and wherein the processor determines the orientation of the electronic device based on the proximity sensor signals.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a camera, and wherein the processor determines the orientation of the electronic device based on an amount of light received by the camera.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an accelerometer that generates accelerometer signals based on a position of the electronic device, and wherein the processor determines the orientation of the electronic device based on the accelerometer signals.

7. An electronic device, comprising:

a sensor that gathers sensor data, wherein the sensor comprises an ambient light sensor;

a light source; and

a processor that determines an orientation of the electronic device based on the sensor data, wherein the processor adjusts the light source in response to the determined orientation of the electronic device, and wherein the processor determines the orientation of the electronic device based on an amount of light received by the ambient light sensor.

8. A method for operating an electronic device, the method comprising:

gathering sensor data with a sensor on the electronic device, wherein the sensor comprises a proximity sensor having an infrared emitter and an infrared detector, and wherein gathering the sensor data comprises emitting infrared light onto an object with the infrared emitter and receiving the infrared light that reflects off the object with the infrared detector;

determining an orientation of the electronic device based on the gathered sensor data; and

adjusting a light source on the electronic device based on the determined orientation of the electronic device.

9. The method defined in claim 8, wherein determining the orientation of the electronic device comprises determining whether the electronic device is in a face-down orientation.

10. The method defined in claim 9, wherein adjusting the light source comprises adjusting the light source in response to determining that the electronic device is in the face-down orientation.

11. The method defined in claim 10, wherein adjusting the light source comprises not activating the light source when the electronic device is in the face-down orientation.

12. The method defined in claim 8, wherein the sensor comprises an ambient light sensor that generates ambient light sensor data in response to light received at the ambient light sensor, and wherein determining the orientation of the electronic device comprises determining the orientation of the electronic device based on the ambient light sensor data.

13. The method defined in claim 12, wherein determining the orientation of the electronic device comprises determining that the electronic device is in a face-down orientation based on the ambient light sensor data.

14. The method defined in claim 13, further comprising:

with a camera on the electronic device, generating electrical signals in response to light received at the camera, wherein the orientation of the electronic device is determined based on the electrical signals and the ambient light sensor data.

15. The method defined in claim 14, wherein determining the orientation of the electronic device comprises determining that the electronic device is in the face-down orientation in response to ambient light sensor data that indicates that the ambient light sensor is not receiving light and electrical signals that indicate that the camera is receiving light.

16. A method for operating an electronic device having a face that includes a light source, the method comprising:

determining whether the electronic device is face-down on a surface;

adjusting the light source in response to determining that the electronic device is face-down on the surface; and

generating an alert to notify a user of an event at the electronic device, wherein the alert comprises an audible alert and a haptic alert, and wherein the alert is generated without activating the light source when the electronic device is face-down on the surface.

17. The method defined in claim 16, wherein the face of the electronic device includes at least one sensor that generates sensor measurements, and wherein determining whether the electronic device is face-down on the surface comprises determining whether the electronic device is face-down on the surface based on the sensor measurements.