Methods, Devices and Computer Program Products for Operating Mobile Devices Responsive to User Input Through Movement Thereof

• US 20120009982A1
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Dunko, Gregory A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,761,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• 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: 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

Abstract

A mobile device having first and second modes of operation is operated responsive to detection of a predefined localized movement of a housing of the mobile device using a sensor associated therewith. The detected predefined localized movement is associated with first and second functions of the mobile device responsive to a user input assigning the detected predefined localized movement thereto. A first device function is performed responsive to detection of the predefined localized movement in the first mode of operation, and a second device function is performed responsive to detection of the predefined localized movement in the second mode of operation. A predetermined delay time may also be associated with the predefined localized movement, and the first and/or second functions may be performed at the predetermined delay time after detecting the predefined localized movement.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile device having first and second modes of operation, the method comprising:

detecting a predefined localized movement of a housing of the mobile device using a sensor associated therewith;

associating the detected predefined localized movement with first and second functions of the mobile device responsive to a user input assigning the detected predefined localized movement thereto;

performing the first function responsive to detecting the predefined localized movement in the first mode of operation; and

performing the second function responsive to detecting the predefined localized movement in the second mode of operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a predefined localized movement comprises:

detecting a localized movement of the housing in a user-defined pattern using the sensor; and

storing parameters generated by the sensor corresponding to the user-defined pattern in a memory of the mobile device to define the predefined localized movement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a predefined localized movement comprises:

detecting the predefined localized movement in a motion programming mode of operation of the mobile device different from the first and second modes of operation.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first mode of operation comprises a communication mode, and wherein the second mode of operation comprises a standby mode.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first and/or second mode of operation comprises an application execution mode in which a particular application on the mobile device is executing.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the first and/or second functions further comprises:

performing the first and/or second functions responsive to concurrently detecting the predefined localized movement and depression of a button of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined localized movement comprises tilting, shaking, waving, and/or snapping the mobile device housing.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined localized movement comprises an alphanumeric motion, wherein the first mode of operation comprises a standby mode, wherein the second mode of operation comprises a messaging application execution mode, and wherein performing the first and second functions comprises:

dialing a number associated with the alphanumeric motion responsive to detecting the alphanumeric motion in the standby mode; and

displaying a character associated with the alphanumeric motion responsive to detecting the alphanumeric motion in the messaging application execution mode.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined localized movement comprises a turn-over motion, wherein the first mode of operation comprises a standby mode, wherein the second mode of operation comprises a communication mode, and wherein performing the first and second functions comprises:

rejecting an incoming call responsive to detecting the turn-over motion in the standby mode; and

activating a speakerphone of the mobile device responsive to detecting the turn-over motion in the communication mode.

17. A computer program product for operating a mobile device, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein configured to carry out the method of claim 1.

10. A mobile device having first and second modes of operation, comprising:

a mobile device housing;

a sensor configured to detect localized movements of the housing;

a user interface configured to receive a user input assigning a particular predefined localized movement to first and second functions of the mobile device; and

a controller coupled to the sensor and the user interface and configured to associate the predefined localized movement with the first and second functions responsive to receiving the user input, wherein the controller is further configured to perform the first function responsive to detection of the predefined localized movement in the first mode of operation and perform the second function responsive to detection of the predefined localized movement in the second mode of operation.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to detect a localized movement of the housing in a user-defined pattern using the sensor, and further comprising:

a memory unit coupled to the controller and configured to store parameters generated by the sensor corresponding to the user-defined pattern as the predefined localized movement.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to detect the predefined localized movement using the sensor in a motion programming mode of operation of the mobile device that is different from the first and second modes of operation.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the user interface comprises a keypad including a plurality of buttons, and wherein the controller is further configured to perform the first and/or second functions responsive to concurrent detection of the predefined localized movement and depression of one of the plurality of buttons.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the predefined localized movement comprises tilting, shaking, waving, and/or snapping the mobile device housing.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the predefined localized movement comprises an alphanumeric motion, wherein the first mode of operation comprises a standby mode, wherein the second mode of operation comprises a messaging application execution mode, and wherein the first and second functions comprise:

dialing a number associated with the alphanumeric motion responsive to detecting the alphanumeric motion in the standby mode; and

displaying a character associated with the alphanumeric motion responsive to detecting the alphanumeric motion in the messaging application execution mode.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the predefined localized movement comprises a turn-over motion, wherein the first mode of operation comprises a standby mode, wherein the second mode of operation comprises a communication mode, and wherein the first and second functions comprise:

rejecting an incoming call responsive to detecting the turn-over motion in the standby mode; and

activating a speakerphone of the mobile device responsive to detecting the turn-over motion in the communication mode.