Portable Electronic Device with Alert Silencing

• US 20080165022A1
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Keen, Dan, Herz, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,671,756 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/669
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1636 Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing
• 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 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/60 including speech amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• 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

Abstract

In some embodiments, audible alerts issued by a portable electronic device can be silenced in response to user smacks on the body of the device. These audible alerts are initiated by applications running on the device, such as email, phone, alarm, and/or timer applications. In some embodiments, the device includes one or more accelerometers that detect and signal the user smacks. In some embodiments, the alert response mode of the device (such as whether it rings or vibrates to signal an alert) can be changed in response to predefined patterns of user smacks.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a portable electronic device,

detecting with an accelerometer associated with the device a movement of the portable device;

determining whether the movement is due to a predetermined type of user gesture exerted on the portable electronic device; and

if the movement is due to the predetermined type of user gesture and the portable electronic device is emitting an audible alert signal, silencing the audible alert signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the movement event is due to the predetermined type of user gesture comprises:

determining whether a magnitude characteristic of at least one accelerometer output signal associated with the movement exceeds a preset threshold; and

determining whether a transient characteristic of the at least one accelerometer output signal associated with the movement is substantially similar to a preset transient signature.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the audible alert comprises at least one of:

an incoming call alert;

an incoming voice mail alert;

an incoming email alert;

a timer alert; and

a calendar alert.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined type of user gesture is a smack exerted on the portable electronic device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, in addition to silencing the audible alert signal, at least one of:

silencing subsequent audible alerts for a predetermined period of time;

silencing subsequent audible alerts of a similar alert category for a predetermined period of time; and

placing the portable device into an inaudible alert mode.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein placing the portable device into an inaudible alert mode comprises at least one of:

placing the device into a silent mode; and

placing the device into a vibrate mode.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

detecting with the accelerometer a second movement of the portable device;

determining whether the second movement is due to a second predetermined type of user gesture exerted on the portable electronic device; and

if the acceleration event is due to the second predetermined type of user gesture, placing the portable device in an audible alert mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second predetermined type of user gesture is a plurality of smacks exerted within a predefined time window on the portable device.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the preset transient signature corresponds to response of the accelerometer to a back and forth motion of the device in response to a smack to the body of the device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer is responsive to movements of the device with components along any of three normal axes.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is responsive to the predetermined user gesture when the device is held within at least one of:

a pocket and a carrying case.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is responsive to the predetermined user gesture when a substantial portion of a touch screen display of the device is proximate to an object.

13. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a portable electronic device,

detecting with a sensor a user gesture exerted on the portable electronic device;

determining whether the user gesture is of a predetermined type; and

if the gesture is of the predetermined type and the portable electronic device is emitting an audible alert signal, silencing the audible alert signal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the predetermined type of gesture is a smack by a user exerted on the portable electronic device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the predetermined type of gesture is selected from:

a double tap/smack required to silence the alert; and

a double smack to silence the device even in the absence of an alert.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising, using the touch screen display as the sensor for detecting the user gesture.

17. A portable electronic device, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory;

an alert annunciator;

an accelerometer that is responsive to movement of the device; and

one or more programs, stored in the memory, wherein the one or more programs, when executed by the one or more processors, respond to signals from the accelerometer, and control and respond to alert status data for the annunciator;

wherein the one or more programs are configured to determine whether the signals from the accelerometer are due to a predetermined type of user gesture exerted on the portable electronic device and, if the movement is due to the predetermined type of user gesture and the alert status data show the alert annunciator is emitting an audible alert signal, to silence the audible alert signal.

18. A portable electronic device, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory;

an alert annunciator;

an accelerometer that is responsive to movement of the device; and

one or more programs, stored in the memory, wherein the one or more programs, when executed by the one or more processors, respond to signals from the accelerometer, and control alert status data for the annunciator;

wherein the one or more programs are configured to determine whether the signals from the accelerometer are due to a predetermined type of user gesture exerted on the portable electronic device and, if the movement is due to the predetermined type of user gesture, to set the alert status data so as to suppress an audible alert signal.

19. A portable electronic device, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory;

an audible alert emitter;

a sensor configured to detect movement of the portable device and output at least one sensor signal characteristic of such movement; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the programs including;

instructions for detecting occurrence of a predetermined gesture exerted on the portable device, the detecting being based on characteristics of the at least one sensor signal; and

instructions for modifying operation of the audible alert emitter based on occurrence of the predetermined gesture.

20. A portable electronic device, comprising:

means for detecting a movement of the portable device;

means for determining whether the movement is due to a predetermined type of user gesture exerted on the portable electronic device; and

if the movement is due to the predetermined type of user gesture and the portable electronic device is emitting an audible alert signal, means for silencing the audible alert signal.