Mobile device display management

• US 8,170,621 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Lockwood, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): Corsaro, Nick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ajayi, Joel
• Application Number:
  US13/250,870
• Time in Patent Office: 214 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0202 Portable telephone sets, e.g. cordless phones, mobile phones or bar type handsets constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. of speakers or microphones H04M1/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The display of a mobile device is managed during a voice communication session using a proximity sensor and an accelerometer. In one example, the display of a mobile device is turned off during a phone call on the mobile device when a proximity sensor detects an object is proximate the device and an accelerometer determines the device is in a first orientation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, during a phone call on a mobile device, an object proximate the mobile device using a proximity sensor of the mobile device;

determining, during the phone call, the mobile device is in an approximately vertical orientation using an accelerometer of the mobile device;

automatically turning off a display of the mobile device during the phone call in response to detecting the object proximate the mobile device and detecting the mobile device is in the approximately vertical orientation;

determining, during the phone call, the mobile device is in an approximately horizontal orientation using the accelerometer; and

automatically turning on the display,

wherein automatically turning on the display occurs only after the display was turned off responsive to the object being proximate the mobile device and the orientation of the mobile device previously comprising the approximately vertical orientation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein turning on the display comprises turning on the display regardless of whether the proximity sensor detects the object proximate the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, during the phone call, the mobile device is in the approximately horizontal orientation for a threshold period of time before turning on the display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the orientation of the mobile device as approximately horizontal using the accelerometer comprises:

determining an orientation vector of the mobile device using the accelerometer; and

approximating the orientation of the mobile device as horizontal based on the orientation vector.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein approximating the orientation of the mobile device as horizontal based on the orientation vector comprises:

calculating a first angle between the orientation vector and a projection of the vector onto a plane that is generally perpendicular to the direction of gravity; and

approximating the orientation of the mobile device as horizontal when the first angle is less than or equal to approximately 50 degrees.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the object is not proximate the mobile device using the proximity sensor before automatically turning on the display.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the object is not proximate the mobile device using the proximity sensor occurs before determining, during the phone call, the mobile device is in the approximately horizontal orientation using the accelerometer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one of detecting the object proximate the mobile device a second time using the proximity sensor of the mobile device or determining the mobile device is in the approximately vertical orientation a second time using an accelerometer of the mobile device;

automatically turning off a display of the mobile device during the phone call in response to the at least one of detecting the object proximate the mobile device or detecting the mobile device is in the approximately vertical orientation;

terminating the phone call;

determining the object is not proximate the mobile device using the proximity sensor; and

automatically turning on the display.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an audio input/output configuration of the mobile device as one of a microphone, a speaker phone, or a headset; and

turning off the display of the mobile device when the object is proximate the mobile device, the orientation of the mobile device is approximately vertical, and the audio input/output of the mobile device is the microphone.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the orientation of the mobile device as approximately vertical using the accelerometer comprises:

determining an orientation vector of the mobile device using the accelerometer; and

approximating the orientation of the mobile device as vertical based on the orientation vector.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein approximating the orientation of the mobile device as vertical based on the orientation vector comprises:

calculating a first angle between the orientation vector and the projection of the vector onto a plane that is generally perpendicular to the direction of gravity; and

approximating the orientation of the mobile device as vertical when the first angle is greater than approximately 50 degrees.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor comprises one of a capacitive, photoelectric, or inductive sensor.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer comprises at least one of a piezoelectric or capacitive accelerometer, or a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS).

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, during the phone call, the mobile device is in the approximately vertical orientation for a threshold period of time before turning off the display.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the object proximate the mobile device using the proximity sensor comprises detecting that the object is a threshold distance away from the mobile device.

16. A mobile device comprising:

a display;

a proximity sensor configured to detect an object proximate to the mobile device;

an accelerometer configured to determine an orientation of the mobile device;

means for automatically turning off the display of the mobile device during a phone call on the mobile device in response to the proximity sensor detecting the object is proximate the mobile device and the accelerometer determining the mobile device is in an approximately vertical orientation; and

means for automatically turning on the display of the mobile device during the phone call in response to determining the mobile device is in an approximately horizontal orientation using the accelerometer,

wherein the means for automatically turning on the display is configured to turn on the display only after the display is turned off by the means for automatically turning off the display responsive to the object being proximate the mobile device and the orientation of the mobile device previously comprising the approximately vertical orientation.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor to:

automatically turn off a display of a mobile device during a phone call on the mobile device in response to a proximity sensor of the mobile device detecting an object proximate to the mobile device and an accelerometer of the mobile device determining the mobile device is in an approximately vertical orientation; and

automatically turn on the display of the mobile device during the phone call in response to determining the mobile device is in an approximately horizontal orientation using the accelerometer, wherein automatically turning on the display occurs only after the display was turned off responsive to the object being proximate the mobile device and the orientation of the mobile device previously comprising the approximately vertical orientation.