ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD TO PREVENT FALLING OF THE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20100109894A1
• Filed: 08/19/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chi Mei Communication Systems Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Chi Mei Communication Systems Incorporated (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: WU, CHIEN-HAO
• Granted Patent: US 8,258,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/669
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

An electronic device and method to prevent falling of the electronic device include setting one or more alarm means, detecting an acceleration and a moving direction of the electronic device using the three-axis accelerometer, and detecting that the electronic device is in a falling state if the acceleration is larger or equal to the acceleration of gravity and the moving direction is in the gravitational direction. The electronic device and method further include activating one or more of the alarm means if the electronic device is in the falling state or if a clip connected with a strap of the electronic device is not in a tightened state.

Claims

1. A method to prevent falling of an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a strap, the strap being connected with at least one clip, the method comprising:

setting one or more alarm means;

detecting if the clip is in a tightened state using a sensor in the clip;

activating a three-axis accelerometer in the electronic device if the clip is in the tightened state;

detecting an acceleration and a moving direction of the electronic device using the three-axis accelerometer;

determining if the acceleration is larger or equal to the acceleration of gravity and if the moving direction is in the gravitational direction;

detecting that the electronic device is in a falling state if the acceleration is larger or equal to the acceleration of gravity and the moving direction is in the gravitational direction;

generating a control command to frap the strap; and

activating one or more of the alarm means.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

activating one or more of the alarm means if the clip is not in the tightened state.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the electronic device is in a normal state if the acceleration is less than the acceleration of gravity and/or the moving direction is not in the gravitational direction, and returning to the step of detecting an acceleration and a moving direction of the electronic device using the three-axis accelerometer.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more alarm means comprise an audible alarm, a vibration alarm, a blinking alarm, and a combination of the audible alarm, the vibration alarm, and/or the blinking alarm.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of activating one or more of the alarm means comprises:

outputting audio alerts through a speaker of the electronic device;

vibrating the electronic device through a vibrator of the electronic device; and

/or

blinking through a display of the electronic device.

6. An electronic device, the electronic device comprising:

a strap being connected with at least one clip, each of the at least one clip comprising a sensor;

a three-axis accelerometer;

a storage system;

at least one processor; and

one or more programs stored in the storage system and being executable by the at least one processor, the one or more programs comprising;

a setting module operable to set one or more alarm means;

a controlling module operable to activate the sensor of the clip to detect if the clip is in a tightened state, and activate the three-axis accelerometer to detect an acceleration and a moving direction of the electronic device if the clip is in the tightened state;

a determining module operable to determine if the acceleration is larger or equal to the acceleration of gravity and if the moving direction is in the gravitational direction, and detect that the electronic device is in a falling state if the acceleration is larger or equal to the acceleration of gravity and the moving direction is in the gravitational direction; and

an alarming module operable to generate a control command to frap the strap, and activate one or more of the alarm means.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the alarming module is further operable to activate one or more of the alarm means if the clip is not in the tightened state.

8. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the determining module is further operable to determine that the electronic device is in a normal state if the acceleration is less than the acceleration of gravity and/or the moving direction is not in the gravitational direction.

9. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein the one or more alarm means comprise an audible alarm, a vibration alarm, a blinking alarm, and a combination of the audible alarm, the vibration alarm, and/or the blinking alarm.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the alarming module is further operable to output audio alerts through a speaker of the electronic device, vibrate the electronic device through a vibrator of the electronic device, and/or blink through a display of the electronic device.

11. A storage medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions capable of being executed by a processor to perform a method to prevent falling of an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a strap, the strap being connected with at least one clip, the method comprising:

setting one or more alarm means;

detecting if the clip is in a tightened state using a sensor in the clip;

activating a three-axis accelerometer in the electronic device if the clip is in the tightened state;

detecting an acceleration and a moving direction of the electronic device using the three-axis accelerometer;

determining if the acceleration is larger or equal to the acceleration of gravity and if the moving direction is in the gravitational direction;

detecting that the electronic device is in a falling state if the acceleration is larger or equal to the acceleration of gravity and the moving direction is in the gravitational direction;

generating a control command to frap the strap; and

activating one or more of the alarm means.

12. The storage medium as claimed in claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

activating one or more of the alarm means if the clip is not in the tightened state.

13. The storage medium as claimed in claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the electronic device is in a normal state if the acceleration is less than the acceleration of gravity and/or the moving direction is not in the gravitational direction, and returning to the step of detecting an acceleration and a moving direction of the electronic device using the three-axis accelerometer.

14. The storage medium as claimed in claim 11, wherein the one or more alarm means comprise an audible alarm, a vibration alarm, a blinking alarm, and a combination of the audible alarm, the vibration alarm, and/or the blinking alarm.

15. The storage medium as claimed in claim 14, wherein the step of activating one or more of the alarm means comprises:

outputting audio alerts through a speaker of the electronic device;

vibrating the electronic device through a vibrator of the electronic device; and

/or

blinking through a display of the electronic device.