Automated Response To And Sensing Of User Activity In Portable Devices

• US 20100048256A1
• Filed: 11/05/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anthony M. Fadell, Brian Huppi, Daniel Freeman, Derek Barrentine
• Original Assignee: Anthony M. Fadell, Brian Huppi, Daniel Freeman, Derek Barrentine
• Inventors: Huppi, Brian, Freeman, Daniel, Barrentine, Derek, Fadell, Anthony M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,614,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/574
• 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 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.

2. The method as in claim 1 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.

3. The method as in claim 2 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.

4. The method as in claim 2 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.

5. 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.

6. The medium as in claim 5 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.

7. The medium as in claim 6 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.

8. The medium as in claim 6 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.

9. 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.

10. The method as in claim 9 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.

11. The method as in claim 10 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.

12. The method as in claim 11 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.