Application interface

• US 8,140,115 B1
• Filed: 07/18/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DP Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: DP Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Kahn, Philippe, Kinsolving, Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Minh D
• Application Number:
  US12/176,313
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/168.1, 455/418, 455/3.06, 455/127.4, 345/158, 379/330, 379/88.12, 379/88.13
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• 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 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: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system

Abstract

A method and apparatus for detecting a shake by a user to invoke an invoked application, identifying whether there is a conflicting application. When a conflicting application is detected, storing state information for the conflicting application and halting the conflicting application. The method further comprising starting the invoked application, and upon detecting an end of use of the invoked application, restoring the conflicting application to the stored state.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a shake by a user to invoke an invoked application;

identifying whether there is a conflicting application, and when a conflicting application is detected storing state information for the conflicting application and halting the conflicting application;

starting the invoked application; and

upon detecting an end of use of the invoked application, restoring the conflicting application to the stored state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the application comprises a telephone application in a multi-use handheld device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein starting the invoked application comprises displaying a dialing keypad, and the end of the use of the application comprises hanging up a call.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the invoked application utilizes bandwidth; and

throttling available bandwidth to other applications while the invoked application is active.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein halting the application comprises one of the following:

terminating the application, pausing the application, and suspending the application.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a user to register one or more motions as the shake.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the invoked application comprises one of the following:

answering a telephone call, displaying a dial pad to enable making of a telephone call, displaying a contact list to enable making of a telephone call.

8. A processor including an invocation logic to invoke an application on a handheld device, the invocation logic comprising:

an invoked command identification logic to identify an application invoked by a shake by a user;

an application halt logic to halt a conflicting application which conflicts with the invoked application, the application halt logic to store a state of the conflicting application in a memory;

an application start logic to start the invoked application; and

a restoration logic to restore the conflicting application to a prior state when the invoked application is ended.

9. The invocation logic of claim 8, further comprising:

a bandwidth logic to throttle bandwidth to an application when the invoked application uses high bandwidth.

10. The invocation logic of claim 8, further comprising:

an invoked application monitor to determine when the invoked application use is terminated, and to trigger the restoration logic.

11. The invocation logic of claim 8, wherein the application comprises a telephone application in a multi-use handheld device.

12. The invocation logic of claim 8, wherein starting the invoked application comprises displaying a dialing keypad, and the end of the use of the application comprises hanging up a call.

13. The invocation logic of claim 8, wherein halting the application comprises one of the following:

terminating the application, pausing the application, and suspending the application.

14. The invocation logic of claim 8, further comprising:

a gesture registration logic enabling a user to register one or more motions as the shake.

15. The invocation logic of claim 8, wherein the invoked application comprises one of the following:

answering a telephone call, displaying a dial pad to enable making of a telephone call, displaying a contact list to enable making of a telephone call.

16. A handheld mobile device comprising:

an accelerometer to detect a shake;

an invoked command identification logic to identify an application invoked by the shake;

an application halt logic to halt a conflicting application which conflicts with the invoked application, the application halt logic to store a state of the conflicting application in a memory;

an application start logic to start the invoked application; and

a restoration logic to restore the conflicting application to a prior state when the invoked application is ended.

17. The handheld mobile device of claim 16, further comprising:

a communication logic to send and receive information using bandwidth;

a bandwidth logic to throttle bandwidth to an application when the invoked application uses high bandwidth.

18. The handheld mobile device of claim 16, further comprising:

an invoked application monitor to determine when the invoked application use is terminated, and to trigger the restoration logic.

19. The handheld mobile device of claim 16, wherein halting the application comprises one of the following:

terminating the application, pausing the application, and suspending the application.

20. The handheld mobile device of claim 16, further comprising:

a gesture registration logic enabling a user to register one or more motions to invoke one or more applications.