Augmented information handling system user presence detection

• US 10,819,920 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2019
• Issued: 10/27/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamlin, Daniel L., Shaw, Timothy C., Iyer, Vivek Viswanathan, McKittrick, Allen B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gee, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US16/419,779
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1618 the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An information handling system transitions security settings and/or visual image presentations based upon a user absence or user presence state detected by an infrared time of flight sensor. An operating system service monitors the state detected by the infrared time of flight sensor and other context at the information handling system to selectively apply the user absence or user presence state at the information handling system.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a processor operable to execute instructions that process information;

a memory interfaced with the processor and operable to store the instructions and information;

a display interfaced with the processor and operable to present the information as visual images;

an operating system stored in the memory and operable to execute on the processor;

one or more input devices interfaced with the processor and operable to accept end user inputs for communication to the operating system;

first and second human proximity detection sensors operable to detect human proximity as a human presence or human absence by a time of flight of infrared light from an infrared emitter reflected back to an infrared sensor; and

an operating system service executing with the operating system and interfaced with the one or more input devices and the human proximity device, the operating service receiving the human presence and human absence from the first and second human proximity detection sensor and command a human presence or human absence state based upon inputs communicated from the one or more input devices and the human proximity detection sensor human presence and human absence;

wherein the operating system service applies a first timer expiration for commanding a change between a human present state and a human absent state if both the first and second human proximity detection sensors detect a human presence and a second timer expiration for commanding a change between a human present state and a human absent state if only one of the first and second human proximity detection sensors detect a human presence.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:

a timer interfaced with the operating system service, the operating system service commanding a change from a human present state to a human absent state upon expiration of the timer;

wherein the operating system service adjusts the timer expiration based at least in part upon inputs detected at the one or more input devices.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 wherein the input detected at the one or more input devices comprises a keyboard touch, the operating system service setting the timer as an inverse proportion to the time passed from a most recent keyboard touch.

4. The information handling system of claim 2 wherein the input detected at the one or more input devices comprises an eye gaze detection, the operating system service setting a first timer expiration if an eye gaze is detected and a second timer expiration if an eye gaze is not detected.

5. The information handling system of claim 2 wherein the input detected at the one or more input devices comprises a touch at a touchpad, the operating system service setting a first timer expiration for a first touch pattern and a second time expiration for a second touch pattern.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:

a housing having first and second portions rotationally coupled by a hinge to rotate about a rotational axis;

wherein the first human proximity detection sensor integrates in the housing proximate the hinge.

7. The information handling system of claim 6 wherein the display integrates in one of the housing portions, and the first and second human proximity detection sensors are disposed on opposite sides of the display and having first and second fields of view that partially overlap.

8. The information handling system of claim 7 wherein the operating system service further selectively disables one of the first and second human proximity detection sensors based upon an amount of field of view of each of the first and second sensors that detects human presence.

9. A method for managing human absence detection at an information handling system, the method comprising:

detecting a human presence state and a human absence state with first and second infrared time of flight sensors;

reporting a change from a human presence state to a human absence state from the infrared time of flight sensor to an operating system;

delaying application of the human absence state at the information handling system for a predetermined time, the predetermined time varying based upon one or more predetermined conditions; and

adjusting the predetermined time based upon whether both or only one of the infrared time of flight sensors detect the human presence state.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

scanning a field of view with each of the first and second infrared time of flight sensor, each field of view having plural portions;

analyzing the field of view to determine the number of portions having the human presence state; and

adjusting the predetermined time based upon the number of portions.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

selecting a high security mode or low security mode at the information handling system;

if a high security mode is selected, applying at the information handling system a transition from the human absence state to the human presence state only if both the first and second time of flight sensors detect the human presence state; and

if a low security mode is selected applying at the information handling system a transition from the human absence state to the human presence state if either of the first and second time of flight sensors detect the human presence state.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

integrating the first infrared time of flight sensor proximate a hinge that rotationally couples first and second housing portions of the information handling system; and

integrating the second infrared time of flight sensor distal the hinge.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

integrating the first infrared time of flight sensor in a first housing portion of the information handling system;

rotationally coupling a second housing portion to the first housing portion;

monitoring a rotational orientation of the first and second housing portions; and

adjusting a scan angle or algorithm detection parameters of the first infrared time of flight sensor based at least in part upon the rotational orientation.

14. A method for managing human absence detection at an information handling system, the method comprising:

detecting a human presence state and a human absence state with an infrared time of flight sensor;

reporting a change between a human presence state and a human absence state from the infrared time of flight sensor to an operating system;

delaying application of the human absence state at the information handling system for a predetermined time, the predetermined time varying based upon one or more predetermined conditions;

storing at the information handling system end user physical dimensions; and

applying the end user physical dimensions to vary the predetermined time.

15. A system for managing human absence detection at an information handling system, the system comprising:

a non-transitory memory; and

instructions stored on the non-transitory memory, the instructions executable on a processor to;

receive a human absence state or human presence state from an infrared time of flight sensor;

receive one or more indications of end user interactions with the information handling system;

store end user physical dimensions; and

apply the one or more indications of end user interactions to determine a timeout, the timeout expiration triggering application of the human absence state or human presence state at the information handling system, the one or more indications of end user interactions including at least the end user physical dimensions.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the one or more indications of end user interactions include at least accelerations detected by an accelerometer.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising instructions executable on a processor to:

receive from the infrared time of flight sensor the amount of a scan of the infrared time of flight sensor that includes a human present state; and

apply the amount of scan to determine the timeout.