PORTABLE ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT WITH AUTOMATIC CONTROL TO KEEP DISPLAY TURNED ON AND METHOD

• US 20090082066A1
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: KATZ, Darius
• Granted Patent: US 8,159,551 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• 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: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• 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

Apparatus and method provide a hold on function in a mobile phone or other portable electronic equipment keeps the display thereof turned on in spite of a screensaver or other power saving feature while a user is reading or watching the display and allows activating of power saving facilities of the mobile phone or equipment only when a user no longer is reading or watching the display. Also, a computer program product stored in a storage medium, includes a storage medium, a computer program including face recognition software to recognize whether an input image represents that of a human face, and a control program to control operation of portable electronic equipment depending on whether or not an input image represents a human face.

Claims

1. Portable electronic equipment, comprising

a camera,

a display,

circuitry adapted to effect at least one of turning on or holding on the display in response to recognizing a specified image provided by the camera.

2. The equipment of claim 1, said circuitry comprising face recognition software adapted to recognize characteristics of a human face as the specified image.

3. The equipment of claim 2, the circuitry being adapted to effect a power saving mode for the display in the absence of a human face being seen by the camera.

4. The equipment of claim 1, at least one of the display or circuitry having a screensaver function for the display, and the circuitry being adapted to override the screensaver function at least while a human face is recognized as the specified image.

5. The equipment of claim 4, wherein the screensaver function effects a power saving mode for the display after expiration of a period of time that no input has been provided the equipment, and circuitry prevents expiration of the time period at least while the specified image is recognized.

6. The equipment of claim 5, wherein the circuitry is adapted to prevent such expiration of the time period for a duration after the specified image has been recognized.

7. The equipment of claim 1, wherein the camera is located in the equipment to face in a direction to view the face of a user of the equipment while the user is viewing the display.

8. The equipment of claim 7, further comprising a fish eye lens for the camera to obtain a wide angle view to facilitate receiving an image of the face of a user of the equipment.

9. The equipment of claim 8, wherein the fish eye lens has a focal length to provide to the camera a relatively focused image of the face of a user while such user holds the equipment in a hand during use of the equipment.

10. The equipment of claim 1, the equipment comprising a mobile phone, and the camera comprising a standard camera of the mobile phone.

11. The equipment of claim 1, comprising a second camera for taking photographs by the equipment.

12. The equipment of claim 1, wherein the circuitry includes program code adapted to recognize a prescribed image from the camera and adapted to control operation of a power saving feature associated with the display in response to whether or not the prescribed image is recognized.

13. The equipment of claim 12, wherein the circuitry comprises operational control circuitry for operating the portable electronic equipment and a memory adapted to store information and to provide for retrieval of information and program code for use in connection with operation of the portable electronic equipment, and further comprising an input module to provide user inputs to the operational control circuitry.

14. The equipment of claim 13, wherein the portable electronic equipment is a mobile phone, and further comprising a communications module adapted to wirelessly transmit and receive signals, a speaker, and a microphone.

15. A method of operating portable electronic equipment, comprising

detecting whether a specified image is received by a camera of the equipment, and

operating the equipment in response to whether or not the specified image is received.

16. The method of claim 15, said detecting comprising detecting whether the image of a human face is received.

17. The method of claim 16, said operating comprising controlling operation of a display of the equipment.

18. The method of claim 17, said controlling comprising determining operation of a power saving feature of the display.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the portable electronic equipment is a mobile phone, said detecting comprising detecting whether the image of a face is received by a camera of the mobile phone, and said operating comprising effecting control or overriding of a screensaver for a display of the mobile phone.

20. A computer program product stored in a storage medium, comprising

a storage medium,

a computer program including face recognition software to recognize whether an input image represents that of a human face, and

a control program to control operation of portable electronic equipment depending on whether or not an input image represents a human face.