Managing energy usage in mobile devices

• US 10,791,213 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2017
• Issued: 09/29/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Howe, Mark, Kohtz, Robert Arlan, Schuster, Thomas John
• Primary Examiner(s): Fuqua, Shawntina T
• Application Number:
  US15/613,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20170359860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,212 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3842 combining voltage and current measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/44 Testing lamps
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3206 Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0025 Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0225 using monitoring of external events, e.g. the presence of a signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 1/0227 Applications
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/84 Heating arrangements specially adapted for transparent or reflecting areas, e.g. for demisting or de-icing windows, mirrors or vehicle windshields
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A mobile device has one or more sensors that are configured to detect the presence of fog or frost on a surface of the mobile device. A battery provides power to the mobile device. An energy transfer element, when activated, removes fog or frost from a surface of the mobile device. A programmed processor, within the mobile device, is programmed to: read one or more sensors disposed in the mobile device to determine if there is a fog or frost condition; upon detecting a fog or frost condition, activating the energy transfer element to remove fog or frost; and upon detecting an absence of the fog or frost condition, deactivating the heater energy transfer element.

Claims

1. A method of controlling condensation on a mobile device, comprising:

providing a programmed processor, one or more sensors, and an energy transfer element that, when activated, removes condensation within the mobile device;

wherein the processor is configured to receive sensor information from a sensor disposed in the mobile device to determine that there is condensation, wherein the processor determines that the condensation is present by analyzing an image captured by the sensor;

wherein, in response to determining that condensation is present, the processor is configured to activate the energy transfer element to remove the condensation; and

wherein, in response to detecting that the condensation has been cleared, the processor deactivates the energy transfer element.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a temperature sensor, and wherein the processor determines that there is condensation if the temperature rises by more than a threshold Δ

T over a prescribed period of time.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the processor determines that the condensation has passed when the temperature sensor detects a temperature of a prescribed temperature T_Clear.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the value of Δ

T is adjustable.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the temperature sensor measures a temperature of a window covering a display or an imaging optics system.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a sensor that directly examines a surface of the mobile device to detect the presence of condensation.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises an optical sensor.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the sensor comprises an ultrasound sensor, and wherein the processor determines that the condensation is present by analysis of ultrasound signals that change in the presence of condensation.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein activating the energy transfer element comprises activating the heater element by less than 100%.

10. A mobile device, comprising:

one or more sensors that are configured to detect the presence of condensation on a surface of the mobile device;

a battery that provides power to the mobile device;

an energy transfer element that, when activated, removes the condensation from the surface of the mobile device;

a programmed processor within the mobile device, the programmed processor being programmed to;

receive sensor information from the one or more sensors disposed in the mobile device to determine if there is condensation, wherein the processor determines that the condensation is present by analyzing an image captured by the one or more sensors;

in response to determining that condensation is present, activate the energy transfer element to remove the condensation; and

in response to detecting that the condensation has been cleared, deactivate the energy transfer element.

11. The mobile device according to claim 10, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a temperature sensor, and wherein the processor determines that there is condensation if the temperature rises by more than a threshold Δ

T over a prescribed period of time.

12. The mobile device according to claim 11, wherein the processor determines that the condensation has passed when the temperature sensor detects a temperature of a prescribed temperature T_Clear.

13. The mobile device according to claim 11, wherein the value of Δ

T is user adjustable.

14. The mobile device according to claim 11, wherein the temperature sensor measures a temperature of a window covering a display or an imaging optics system.

15. The mobile device according to claim 10, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a sensor that directly examines a surface of the mobile device to detect the presence of fog or frost.

16. The mobile device according to claim 10, wherein the one or more sensors comprise an optical sensor.

17. The mobile device according to claim 15, wherein the sensor comprises an ultrasound sensor, and where the processor determines that condensation is present by analysis of ultrasound signals that change in the presence of condensation.

18. The mobile device according to claim 10, wherein the energy transfer element comprises a heater element and where activating the energy transfer element comprises activating the heater element by less than 100%.

19. The mobile device according to claim 10, wherein activation of the energy transfer element is determined by a state of the battery.

20. The mobile device according to claim 10, wherein the surface comprises at least one of a window covering a display of the mobile device, or a window covering an imager of the mobile device.