ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DETECTING PRESENCE

• US 20150069243A1
• Filed: 12/12/2013
• Published: 03/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Alameh, Rachid Mohsen, Cauwels, Patrick J., Jiang, Jun, Paitl, Kenneth A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,140,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/338.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0407 Optical elements not provided otherwise, e.g. manifolds, windows, holograms, gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/42 using electric radiation detectors optical or mechanical part G01J1/04; by comparison with a reference light or electric value G01J1/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0025 Living bodies ear thermometers G01J5/0011; detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/025 Interfacing a pyrometer to an external device or network; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0818 Waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/12 using thermoelectric elements, e.g. thermocouples
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/34 using capacitors, e.g. pyroelectric capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/50 Systems of measurement based on relative movement of target
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/10 Detecting, e.g. by using light barriers by reflection from the object G01S17/00
• 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: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• 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

An electronic device for detecting presence includes a housing and an infrared (“IR”) sensor. The housing includes an outer surface having an opening formed thereon. The IR sensor is disposed in the housing and adjacent to the opening. The IR sensor has an unobstructed path and line of sight through the opening to outside of the housing. The IR sensor is configured to receive heat emitted by a person from outside of the housing via the opening and to generate a signal in response thereto.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a housing including an outer surface having an opening formed thereon;

an infrared (“

IR”

) sensor disposed in the housing and adjacent to the opening, the IR sensor being configured to;

receive heat emitted by a person from outside of the housing via the opening; and

generate a signal in response thereto;

wherein the IR sensor has an unobstructed path and line of sight through the opening to outside of the housing.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the IR sensor is a sensor selected from the group consisting of a thermopile sensor and a pyroelectric sensor.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a mesh material covering the opening, the mesh material having one or more openings that are at least partially aligned with the opening of the outer surface of the housing.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the IR sensor is a sensor having adjustable gain;

the electronic device further comprises an accelerometer configured to detect motion of the device;

wherein if the accelerometer detects that the device is moving, the device adjusts the gain of the IR sensor to a low gain; and

wherein if the accelerometer detects that the device is stationary, the device adjusts the gain of the IR sensor to a high gain.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor communicatively linked to the IR sensor and configured to;

receive the signal generated by the IR sensor; and

detect the presence of the person based on the received signal.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, where in the processor is further configured to initiate a notification if the presence of the person is detected.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a distance between the person and the electronic device based on the received signal; and

adjust a notification volume based on the determined distance.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a distance to the person and the electronic device based on the received signal; and

change a type of notification based on the determined distance.

9. The electronic device of claim 5, where in the processor is further configured to carry out a function in response to the generated signal.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the function is selected from the group consisting of answering a call, dismissing a call, silencing a ringer, sending a call to voicemail, turning on a screen, waking up the electronic device, viewing the time, viewing new messages, scrolling a screen, scrolling through photos, panning a map, magnifying a view, switching audio mode, dismissing alert, silencing ringer, forwarding call to voice mail, setting audio level, steering audio toward the person'"'"'s location, steering camera toward the person'"'"'s location, turning on camera for user confirmation, authentication, or detection, and altering device functionality based on distance between the person and the device.

11. An electronic device comprising:

a housing including an outer surface having an opening formed thereon;

an first infrared (“

IR”

) sensor disposed in the housing and adjacent to the opening; and

a second IR sensor disposed in the housing and adjacent to the opening, the second IR sensor has a smaller target area than the first IR sensor;

wherein the first IR sensor has an unobstructed path and line of sight through the opening to outside of the housing;

wherein the second IR sensor has an unobstructed path and line of sight through the opening to outside of the housing;

wherein the first IR sensor is configured to;

receive heat emitted by a person from outside of the housing via the opening; and

generate a first signal in response thereto; and

wherein the second IR sensor is configured to;

receive heat emitted by the person from outside of the housing via the opening; and

generate a second signal in response thereto.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, further comprising:

a processor communicatively linked to the first IR sensor and the second IR sensor, and configured to;

receive the first signal and the second signal;

detect the presence of the person based on the first signal; and

detect the proximity of the person based on the second signal.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein each of the first IR sensor and the second IR sensor is a sensor selected from the group consisting of a thermopile sensor and a pyroelectric sensor.

14. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein:

the electronic device further comprises an accelerometer configured to detect motion of the device;

wherein if the accelerometer detects that the device is moving, the device deactivates the first IR sensor; and

wherein if the accelerometer detects that the device is stationary, the device activates the first IR sensor and then activates the second IR sensor when the first IR sensor receives heat emitted by the person.

15. A method in an electronic device comprising a housing including an outer surface having an opening formed thereon, an infrared (“

IR”

) sensor disposed in the housing and adjacent to the opening, wherein the IR sensor has an unobstructed path and line of sight through the opening to outside of the housing, the method comprising;

receiving, by the IR sensor, heat emitted by a person from outside of the housing via the opening;

generating a signal in response thereto; and

detecting the presence of the person based on the generated signal.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

initiating a notification the presence of the person is detected.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the initiating of the notification comprises at least one of displaying a notification on a display unit of the device, emitting a notification sound from the device, and vibrating the device.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a distance between the person and the device based on the generated signal.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

adjusting a notification volume based on the determined distance between the person and the device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the adjusted notification volume does not exceed an initial notification volume.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

changing a type of notification based on the determined distance between the person and the device.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

repeating the initiated notification based on the determined distance between the person and the device.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

carrying out a function in response to the generated signal.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the function is selected from the group consisting of answering a call, dismissing a call, silencing a ringer, sending a call to voicemail, turning on a screen, waking up the electronic device, viewing the time, viewing new messages, scrolling a screen, scrolling through photos, panning a map, magnifying a view, switching audio mode, dismissing alert, silencing ringer, forwarding call to voice mail, setting audio level, steering audio toward the person'"'"'s location, steering camera toward the person'"'"'s location, turning on camera for user confirmation, authentication, or detection, and altering device functionality based on distance between the person and the device.