Automated response to and sensing of user activity in portable devices

• US 20070075965A1
• Filed: 10/24/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Huppi, Brian, Fadell, Anthony, Freeman, Daniel, Barrentine, Derek
• Granted Patent: US 7,633,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• 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: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0267 by controlling user interface components
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The various methods and devices described herein relate to devices which, in at least certain embodiments, may include one or more sensors for providing data relating to user activity and at least one processor for causing the device to respond based on the user activity which was determined, at least in part, through the sensors. The response by the device may include a change of state of the device, and the response may be automatically performed after the user activity is determined.

Claims

1. A portable data processing device comprising:

a display;

an input device;

a proximity sensor;

at least one processor coupled to the input device and to the display and coupled to the proximity sensor to receive data from the proximity sensor, the processor being configured to determine, based upon at least the data from the proximity sensor, whether to change a state of processing of data from the input device relative to receipt of user inputs and to alter a power setting of the display.

2. The portable data processing device as in claim 1 further comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver coupled to the processor;

and wherein the processor is configured to determine whether a user is communicating with another device through the RF transceiver and is configured to determine whether to change the state of processing of data from the input device and to alter the power setting based on both the data and whether the user is communicating with another device and wherein data from the input device is not processed as an intentional user input when (a) the data from the proximity sensor indicates that the portable data processing device is near the user and (b) the user is communicating with another device.

3. The portable data processing device as in claim 2 wherein the input device is at least one of (a) a keypad with discrete keys having an electrical switch for each discrete key representing at least one alphanumeric character and (b) a touch input panel having a selected area on the touch input panel for each key representing at least one alphanumeric character.

4. The portable data processing device as in claim 3 further comprising:

a speaker coupled to the RF transceiver;

a microphone coupled to the RF transceiver;

a storage device coupled to the processor, the storage device being configured to store media for playback on the portable data processing device and wherein the data represents at least one of a distance and a rate of change of distance.

5. The portable data processing device as in claim 4 further comprising:

a wheel input interface coupled to the storage device, the wheel input interface being configured to allow the user to select a particular content in the media for playback and to scroll through a listing of the media.

6. The portable data processing device as in claim 1 wherein the at least one processor compares the data from the proximity sensor to a threshold which represents a predetermined distance.

7. The portable data processing device as in claim 1 wherein the display occupies at least 75 percent of a surface of a housing of the portable device.

8. The portable data processing device as in claim 7 wherein the input device comprises a touch input panel having a selected area on the touch input panel for each key representing at least one alphanumeric character and wherein the touch input panel is integrated with the display and wherein the portable telephone device does not include a hinge.

9. The portable data processing device as in claim 5 wherein the portable data processing device comprises a mobile telephone and wherein the media for playback comprises at least one of audio or video or audio and video together.

10. The portable data processing device as in claim 1 wherein the input device comprises a multi-touch input panel which is integrated with the display and which is capable of determining multiple, separate concurrent touches on the multi-touch input panel and wherein the multi-touch input panel provides touch data derived from one or more touches to the multi-touch input panel and wherein when the data from the proximity sensor determines a first proximity state, the touch data is processed as an intentional user input and when the data from the proximity sensor determines a second proximity state, the touch data is not processed as an intentional user input.

11. The portable data processing device as in claim 10 wherein the second proximity state occurs when the portable data processing device is proximate to the user'"'"'s ear.

12. The portable data processing device as in claim 1 wherein the state of processing of the data from the input device and the power setting of the display are both changed in response to a change in the data from the proximity sensor.

13. The portable data processing device as in claim 11 further comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver coupled to the processor;

a speaker coupled to the RF transceiver;

a microphone coupled to the RF transceiver;

a storage device coupled to the at least one processor, the storage device being configured to store media for playback on the portable data processing device, and wherein the data from the proximity sensor represents at least one of a distance and a rate of change of distance; and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to change the state of processing of the touch data from the multi-touch input panel and the power setting of the display in response to a change in the data from the proximity sensor.

14. A machine implemented method comprising:

receiving proximity data from a proximity sensor of a portable data processing device;

receiving input data from an input device of the portable data processing device;

controlling a power setting of a display of the portable data processing device;

processing the proximity data to determine whether to change both a state of processing of the input data relative to receipt of user inputs and the power setting of the display in response to a change in the proximity data.

15. The method as in claim 14 wherein the input device is at least one of (a) a keypad with discrete keys having an electrical switch for each discrete key representing at least one alphanumeric character and (b) a touch input panel having a selected area on the touch input panel for each key representing at least one alphanumeric character.

16. The method as in claim 15 wherein the portable data processing device comprises a radio frequency (RF) transceiver coupled to a processor and wherein the processor is configured to determine whether to change the state of processing of data from the input device and to change the power setting of the display based on both the proximity data and whether the user is communicating with another device through the RF transceiver and wherein the input data is not processed as an intentional user input when (a) the proximity data from the proximity sensor indicates that the portable data processing device is near a user and (b) the user is communicating with another device.

17. The method as in claim 15 wherein the portable data processing device comprises a storage device coupled to a processor, the storage device being configured to store media for playback on the portable data processing device and wherein the proximity data represents at least one of a distance and a rate of change of distance.

18. A machine readable medium storing executable program instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform a method comprising:

receiving proximity data from a proximity sensor of a portable data processing device;

receiving input data from an input device of the portable data processing device;

controlling a power setting of a display of the portable data processing device;

processing the proximity data to determine whether to change both a state of processing of the input data relative to receipt of user inputs and the power setting of the display in response to a change in the proximity data.

19. The medium as in claim 18 wherein the input device is at least one of (a) a keypad with discrete keys having an electrical switch for each discrete key representing at least one alphanumeric character and (b) a touch input panel having a selected area on the touch input panel for each key representing at least one alphanumeric character.

20. The medium as in claim 19 wherein the portable data processing device comprises a radio frequency (RF) transceiver coupled to a processor and wherein the processor is configured to determine whether to change the state of processing of data from the input device and to change the power setting of the display based on both the proximity data and whether the user is communicating with another device through the RF transceiver and wherein the input data is not processed as an intentional user input when (a) the proximity data from the proximity sensor indicates that the portable data processing device is near a user and (b) the user is communicating with another device.

21. The medium as in claim 19 wherein the portable data processing device comprises a storage device coupled to a processor, the storage device being configured to store media for playback on the portable data processing device and wherein the proximity data represents at least one of a distance and a rate of change of distance.

22. A portable data processing device comprising:

a multi-touch input panel which is configured to determine multiple, separate concurrent touches on the multi-touch input panel;

a display device integrated with the multi-touch input panel;

a proximity sensor;

at least one processor coupled to the multi-touch input panel and coupled to the proximity sensor to receive proximity data from the proximity sensor, the processor being configured to determine, based on at least the proximity data, whether to change a state of processing of input data from the multi-touch input panel.

23. The portable data processing device as in claim 22 further comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) transceiver coupled to the processor; and

wherein the processor is configured to determine whether a user is communicating with another device through the RF transceiver and is configured to determine whether to change the state of processing of the input data based on both the proximity data and whether the user is communicating with another device and wherein the input is not processed as an intentional user input when (a) the proximity data indicates that the portable data processing device is near the user and (b) the user is communicating with another device.

24. The portable data processing device as in claim 23 further comprising:

a speaker coupled to the RF transceiver;

a microphone coupled to the RF transceiver;

a storage device coupled to the processor, the storage device being configured to store media for playback on the portable data processing device.

25. The portable data processing device as in claim 22 wherein the processor is configured to determine whether multiple concurrent touches resemble contact with a user'"'"'s face.

26. The portable data processing device as in claim 24 further comprising:

a wheel input interface coupled to the storage device, the wheel input interface being configured to allow the user to select a particular content in the media for playback and to scroll through a listing of the media.

27. The portable data processing device as in claim 24 wherein the processor compares the proximity data to a threshold which represents a predetermined distance and wherein the display device occupies at least 75 percent of a surface of a housing of the portable data processing device.

28. The portable data processing device as in claim 24 wherein the portable data processing device comprises a mobile telephone and wherein the media for playback comprises at least one of audio or video or audio and video together.

29. A portable device comprising:

a first housing;

a second housing;

a hinge which couples the first housing to the second housing;

a hinge state detector to detect a state of the hinge;

a proximity sensor;

at least one processor coupled to the proximity sensor and to the hinge state detector, the processor configured to analyze data from the proximity sensor when the hinge state detector detects that the portable device is in an open configuration and to modify at least one setting of the portable device in response to an analysis of the data.

30. The portable device as in claim 29 wherein the portable device comprises a cellular telephone and wherein the first housing comprises at least one display and a speaker and the second housing comprises a keypad and a microphone and wherein the proximity sensor measures an analog value and wherein the processor compares a representation of the analog value to a threshold and wherein an output from the proximity sensor is not processed to modify the at least one setting when the hinge state detector detects that the portable device is in a closed configuration.

31. The portable device as in claim 30 wherein the at least one setting is one of a setting of a display illuminator, a setting of sound input or output parameter, a state of an input device relative to receipt of user inputs, a setting of a communication parameter or a setting of the processor.

32. The portable device as in claim 31 wherein the processor sets the display illuminator in a low power mode when the proximity sensor indicates that the portable device is near a user'"'"'s head.

33. The portable device as in claim 31 further comprising:

a storage medium coupled to the processor, the storage medium to store media for playback on the portable device.

34. A machine implemented method comprising:

sensing a state of a hinge of a portable device;

analyzing data from a proximity sensor when the state of the hinge shows that the portable device is in an open configuration;

modifying, in response to the analyzing, at least one setting of the portable device.

35. The method as in claim 34 wherein the portable device comprises a cellular telephone which has a first housing and a second housing coupled to the first housing by the hinge and wherein the first housing comprises at least one display and a speaker and the second housing comprises a keypad and a microphone and wherein the proximity sensor is disposed on one of the first housing and the second housing and wherein the sensing of the state is performed by a hinge switch and wherein the proximity sensor measures an analog value and wherein the analyzing comprises comparing a threshold to a representation of the analog value and wherein an output from the proximity sensor is not processed to modify the at least one setting when the state of the hinge is in a closed configuration.

36. The method as in claim 35 wherein the modifying comprises at least one of changing a setting of a display illuminator, changing a setting of a sound input or output parameter, changing a state of an input device relative to receipt of user inputs, changing a setting of a communication parameter, changing a setting of a processor.

37. The method as in claim 36 further comprising:

determining whether the cellular telephone is being used to communicate with another device and wherein the modifying is in response to the analyzing and the determining such that when the data from the proximity sensor indicates that the portable device is near a user'"'"'s head and the determining indicates that the cellular telephone is being used to communicate with another device, then the display illuminator is placed in a low power mode.