MEANS FOR DYNAMICALLY REGULATING THE TIME-OUT CHARACTERISTICS OF A DISPLAY OF AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20140361955A1
• Filed: 08/20/2013
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Goncalves, Alex G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,268,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/8
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/00 Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00 architectures of general purpose stored program computers G06F15/76
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3215 Monitoring of peripheral devices
• 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: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method, electronic device and user-wearable device for improving user-interaction with an electronic device whose display periodically transitions into a sleep state due to perceived non-viewing of the electronic device. A processor initiates a sleep state timer that, upon expiration, triggers the display to transition from an active state to a sleep state. The processor determines whether the sleep state timer has less than a time remaining threshold before the timer expires. In response to determining that the sleep state timer has less than the threshold time remaining, the processor determines whether the display is being actively viewed by a user-wearable device. The processor enables the display to transition to the sleep state at expiration of the sleep state timer in response to determining that the display is not being actively viewed. The processor resets the sleep state timer in response to determining that the display is being actively viewed.

Claims

1. A method of operating an electronic device having a display, the method comprising:

initiating a sleep state timer that, upon expiration, triggers the display to transition from an active state to a sleep state;

determining whether the a sleep state timer time to expiration is less than a time remaining threshold before the timer expires;

in response to determining that the sleep state timer time to expiration is less than the time remaining threshold;

determining whether the display is being actively viewed by a user-wearable device;

enabling the display to transition to the sleep state at expiration of the sleep state timer, in response to determining that the display is not being actively viewed; and

resetting the sleep state timer in response to determining that the display is being actively viewed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the display is being actively viewed comprises:

capturing an image of a viewing space in front of the display; and

analyzing the image to determine if the user-wearable device is within a specific orientation relative to the display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the display is being actively viewed comprises:

communicatively linking the electronic device to the user-wearable device;

communicating a request to the user-wearable device to capture an image of the user-wearable device'"'"'s field of view;

receiving the image captured by the user-wearable device; and

analyzing the image received to determine whether the image includes a view of at least a portion of the display, wherein a view of at least a portion of the display within the image is indicative that the display is being actively viewed.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

in response to determining that the first image does not contain at least a portion of the display, deciding that the display is not being actively viewed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the display is being actively viewed comprises:

displaying a first icon on the display;

communicatively linking the electronic device to the user-wearable device;

triggering the user-wearable device to capture a first image within a field of view of the user-wearable device;

receiving the first image from the user-wearable device;

analyzing the first image to determine whether the first image contains the first icon;

in response to determining that the first image contains the first icon, deciding that the display is being actively viewed by the user-wearable device.

6. An electronic device comprising:

a display;

a processor coupled to the display;

a memory having a first set of instructions located therein that triggers the display to enter into an active state by generating at least one image that is presented on the display when the first set of instructions are executed by the processor;

a display control module having instructions that execute on the processor and which configure the processor to;

initiate a sleep state timer that, upon expiration, triggers the display to transition from the active state to a sleep state;

determine whether the sleep state timer time to expiration is less than a time remaining threshold before the timer expires;

in response to determining that the sleep state timer time to expiration is less than the time remaining threshold;

determine whether the display is being actively viewed by a user-wearable device;

enabling the display to transition to the sleep state at expiration of the sleep state timer, in response to determining that the display is not being actively viewed; and

resetting the sleep state timer in response to determining that the display is being actively viewed.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, further comprising:

an image capture component; and

wherein to determine whether the display is being actively viewed, the instructions of the display control module further configure the processor to;

capture an image of a viewing space in front of the display; and

analyze the image to determine whether the user-wearable device is within a specific orientation relative to the display.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, further comprising:

a communication mechanism that communicatively links the electronic device to the user-wearable device;

wherein to determine whether the display is being actively viewed, the instructions of the display control module further configure the processor to;

communicate a request to the user-wearable device to capture an image of the user-wearable device'"'"'s field of view;

receive the image captured by the user-wearable device;

analyze the image received to determine whether the image includes a view of at least a portion of the display, wherein a view of at least a portion of the display within the image is indicative that the display is being actively viewed.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the instructions of the display control module further configure the processor to:

in response to determining that the first image does not contain at least a portion of the display, decide that the display is not actively being viewed.

10. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein to determine whether the display is being actively viewed, the instructions of the display control module further configure the processor to:

display a first icon on the display;

communicatively link the electronic device to the user-wearable device;

trigger the user-wearable device to capture a first image within a field of view of the user-wearable device;

receive the first image from the user-wearable device;

analyze the first image to determine whether the first image contains the first icon; and

in response to determining that the first image containing the first icon, decide that the display is being actively viewed by the user-wearable device.

11. A method of operating a user-wearable device (UWD), the method comprising:

linking the UWD to an electronic device via a communication mechanism;

receiving a communication of an image capture request;

in response to receiving the image capture request, triggering an image capture component to capture an image of a field of view of the image capture component;

transmitting information to the electronic device that enables the electronic device to determine whether the UWD is being utilized to actively view a display of the electronic device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein transmitting information to the electronic device comprises:

analyzing the captured image to determine whether the captured image contains at least a portion of the display; and

in response to determining that the captured image contains at least a portion of the display, transmitting a first signal which indicates that active viewing of the display is ongoing.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting information to the electronic device comprises:

analyzing the captured image to determine whether the captured image contains at least a portion of the display; and

transmitting a second signal which indicates that no active viewing of the display is ongoing, wherein the second signal triggers the electronic device to transition the display to the sleep state on expiration of the sleep state timer.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving, from the electronic device, an image of an icon that is being presented on the display;

comparing items within the captured image with the received icon to determine whether the received icon is present within the captured image; and

wherein transmitting information to the electronic device comprises;

in response to the captured image containing the first icon, transmitting the first signal as the information that is transmitted to the electronic device.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the information that is transmitted to the electronic device is a copy of the captured image, wherein the electronic device is pre-configured to process the information that is returned for a visual image of the display and to control entry of the display into the sleep state based on whether or not the visual image of the display is present in the returned information and whether a confirmed visual image of the display is a current visual image.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a time parameter, T1, that represents a maximum value of a sleep state timer;

initiating a local monitoring of a remaining time value, t1, before expiration of the sleep state timer; and

triggering the image capture component to initiate the image capture in response to the remaining time value being at a threshold time value prior to expiration of the sleep state timer, wherein the received communication of the image capture request is a local communication initiated in response to the remaining time value falling below the threshold time.

17. A user-wearable device (UWD) for complementing user-interaction with an electronic device, the user-wearable device comprising:

an image capture component;

a communication mechanism that enables the user wearable device to communicate with the electronic device; and

a microprocessor that is communicatively coupled to the image capture component and the communication mechanism and which executes visual activity confirmation (VAC) firmware that configures the UWD to;

link the UWD to the electronic device via the communication mechanism;

receive an image capture request;

in response to receiving the image capture request, trigger the image capture component to capture an image of the viewing area of the image capture component; and

transmit information to the electronic device that enables the electronic device to determine whether the UWD is being utilized to actively view a display of the electronic device.

18. The UWD of claim 17, wherein the VAC firmware comprises an image processing module, which executes on the microprocessor and configures the UWD to:

analyze the captured image to determine whether the first image contains at least a portion of the display; and

in response to determining that the captured image contains at least a portion of the display, transmit a first signal, which indicates that active viewing of the display is ongoing.

19. The UWD of claim 17, wherein the VAC firmware further configures the UWD to:

analyze the captured image to determine whether the captured image contains at least a portion of the display; and

transmit a second signal which indicates that no active viewing of the display is ongoing.

20. The UWD of claim 17, wherein the firmware further configures the UWD to:

receive, from the electronic device, an image of an icon that is being presented on the display;

compare items within the captured image with the received icon to determine whether the received icon is present within the captured image; and

in response to determining that the captured image contains the first icon, transmit a first signal as the information that is returned to the electronic device.

21. The UWD of claim 17, further comprising:

a timing mechanism; and

wherein the VAC firmware configures the UWD to;

receive a time parameter, T1, that represents a maximum value of a sleep state timer;

initiate a local monitoring of a remaining time value, t1, before expiration of the sleep state timer;

trigger the image capture component to initiate the image capture in response to the remaining time value being at a threshold time value prior to expiration of the sleep state timer, wherein the received communication of the image capture request is a local communication initiated in response to the remaining time value falling below the pre-set threshold time.