Power saving control method and electronic device supporting the same

• US 9,860,440 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2016
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• 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): Hannett, James
• Application Number:
  US14/990,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20160127640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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. An apparatus comprising:

a touch screen;

a camera; and

a processor configured to;

operate the apparatus with the camera turned off;

turn on the camera based at least in part on a determination that no input has been received with respect to the apparatus for a specified period of time during the operation;

obtain an image using the camera;

determine whether the image includes information corresponding to a human facial feature;

change a brightness of the touch screen based at least in part on a determination that the image does not include the information corresponding to the human facial feature;

obtain another image with the camera based at least in part on a determination that no input has been received with respect to the apparatus for another specified period; and

enter a sleep mode based at least in part on a determination that the another image does not include the information corresponding to the human facial feature.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

perform the turning on the camera further based on a determination that a specified application is being executed.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

perform the turning on the camera further based on a determination that a call application, a web application, a content playback application, a file search application, or a broadcast reception application is being executed.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

select a first specified period of time or a second specified period of time as the specified period of time in response to an input from a user corresponding to the apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

turn off the camera after obtaining the image.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information represents an arrangement, a shape, or a size of one or more eyes, a mouth, or a pupil.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

change, as at least part of performing a specified function, an operational state of the touch screen, content displayed via the touch screen, or a state of a connection with an external electronic device providing the content.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

display, via the touch screen, a notification indicating a state of the camera.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

refrain from performing a specified function based at least in part on a determination that the image includes the information corresponding to the human facial feature.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a communication module, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive, using the communication module, at least part of the information from an external electronic device.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to turn off the camera after obtaining the image when the image does not include the information corresponding to a human facial feature.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a touch screen;

a camera; and

a processor configured to;

operate the apparatus with the camera turned off;

determine that a specified period of time has passed since the operation;

turn on the camera based at least in part on the determining outcome;

obtain an image using the camera;

determine whether the image includes information corresponding to a human facial feature;

change a brightness of the touch screen based at least in part on a determination that the image does not include the information corresponding to the human facial feature; and

when no input is received during another specified period of time, enter a sleep mode based at least in part on a determination that another image obtained using the camera does not include the information corresponding to the human facial feature.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to:

perform the turning on the camera further based on a determination that an input has not been received with respect to the apparatus during the specified period of time.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to:

activate a timer to measure the specified period of time based at least in part on a determination that a specified application is executed.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to:

turn off the camera after obtaining the image.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to:

refrain from performing a specified function based at least in part on a determination that the image includes the information corresponding to the human facial feature.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

operating, at an electronic device including a touch screen and a camera, the electronic device with the camera turned off;

determining that no input has been received with respect to the electronic device for a specified period of time during the operating;

turning on the camera based at least in part on the determining;

changing a brightness of the touch screen based at least in part on a determination that an image does not include information corresponding to a human facial feature;

obtaining another image with the camera based at least in part on a determination that no input has been received with respect to the electronic device for another specified period; and

entering a sleep mode based at least in part on a determination that the another image does not include the information corresponding to the human facial feature.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the turning comprises:

performing the turning on the camera is further based on a determination that a specified application is being executed.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 16, the operations further comprising:

obtaining an image using the camera;

determining whether the image includes the information corresponding to a human facial feature; and

performing a specified function based at least in part on a determination that the image does not include the information corresponding to the human facial feature.

19. The non transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 18, the operations further comprising:

refraining from performing the specified function based at least in part on a determination that the image includes the information corresponding to the human facial feature.