Activating a computer device based on the detecting result from a single touch sensor if the battery level is high

• US 8,230,246 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Sharkey, Jeffrey Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, VINCENT HUY
• Application Number:
  US13/250,613
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 713/320, 713/323, 713/324, 345/158, 345/173, 345/174, 345/175
• US Class Current: 713/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

In general, this disclosure describes techniques for managing power consumption states of a computing device. In one example, a method includes detecting, using at least one sensor of a computing device comprising a plurality of components, at least one indication of user contact with at least one surface of the computing device, wherein the at least one indication of user contact conforms with a touch pattern. The method further includes in response to detecting the at least one indication of user contact with at least one surface of the computing device, modifying a power consumption state of the computing device, wherein which components of the computing device receive power is based on the power consumption state.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting, using a first sensor of a computing device a first indication of user contact with at least one surface of the computing device;

determining a form of the user contact corresponding to the first indication;

comparing the form of the user contact corresponding to the first indication with at least one touch pattern that is representative of a human hand holding the computing device;

determining, based on the comparing, that the form of the user contact corresponding to the first indication approximately conforms with the at least one touch pattern;

if a current battery level of one or more batteries of the computing device is above a threshold battery level, modifying a power consumption state of the computing device, wherein modifying the power consumption state comprises activating the computing device from a low power consumption state; and

if the current battery level is below the threshold battery level;

detecting, using a second sensor of the computing device, a second indication of user contact with the computing device; and

in response to detecting the second indication of user contact, modifying the power consumption state of the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one surface comprises at least one of a touch-sensitive display surface of the computing device, a touch-sensitive non-display surface of the computing device, a back, front, or side surface of the computing device, and combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the computing device is being held by a user based on the form of the user contact corresponding to the first indication with at least one surface of the computing device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the computing device is being held by the user further comprises:

determining user contact with a plurality of regions of the at least one surface.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining user contact with the plurality of regions of the at least one surface comprises determining user contact with a plurality of predefined regions of the at least one surface.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein determining user contact with the plurality of regions of the at least one surface comprises determining user contact with at least some of the plurality of regions disposed on a plurality of surfaces of the computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the current battery level is below the threshold battery level, modifying a power consumption state of at least the second sensor of the computing device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first indication of user contact with the at least one surface of the computing device comprises a first indication that the computing device is being held by a user, and

wherein modifying the power consumption state of the at least the second sensor comprises:

activating at least the second sensor to detect the second indication of user contact with at least one surface that indicates that the computing device is being held by the user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second sensor comprises an accelerometer sensor, and wherein detecting the second indication comprises detecting movement of the computing device that indicates the computing device is being held by the user.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the second sensor comprises a proximity sensor, and wherein detecting the second indication comprises detecting a proximity of the computing device to at least one object in an environment of the computing device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the second sensor comprises a gyroscope sensor, and wherein detecting the second indication comprises detecting an orientation of the computing device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the second sensor comprises a camera, and wherein detecting the second indication comprises:

detecting the at least one second indication based on one or more images captured by the camera; and

performing facial recognition techniques on the one or more images.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the second sensor comprises an acoustic sensor, and wherein detecting the second indication comprises detecting the at least one second indication based on one or more sounds captured by the acoustic sensor.

14. The method of claim 1,

wherein the computing device comprises a plurality of sensors configured to detect user touch of at least one surface of the computing device,

wherein the computing device is configured to, when the computing device is not operating in an active power consumption mode, operate a subset of the plurality of sensors configured to detect user touch with the at least one surface of the computing device to detect user input, and

wherein detecting the first indication of user contact comprises detecting, using the subset of the plurality of sensors, the first indication of user contact with the at least one surface of the computing device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one surface of the computing device comprises a first edge of the computing device,

detecting the second indication of user contact comprises detecting user contact with at least a second surface of the computing device, wherein the second surface of the mobile device comprises a second edge of the computing device, and

wherein the second edge is opposite the first edge of the computing device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein modifying the power consumption state of the computing device further comprises modifying the power consumption state in response to detecting the second indication of user contact while detecting the first indication of user contact.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the computing device up from a low power consumption state further comprises the computing device entering a high power consumption state.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one sensor operates at a first resolution when the computing device is functioning in the low power consumption state and at a second resolution when the computing device is functioning in the high power consumption state, wherein the first resolution is lower than the second resolution.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing at least one programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

determining, using a first sensor of a mobile device, that the mobile device is being held by a user, wherein determining further comprises;

detecting at least one first indication of a touch on at least one surface of the mobile device;

determining a form of the user contact corresponding to the first indication;

comparing the form of the user contact corresponding to the first indication with one or more touch patterns; and

determining, based on the comparing, that the mobile device is being held by the user when the form of the user contact corresponding to the first indication approximately conforms with a touch pattern, wherein the touch pattern is approximately congruent with at least one touch of a human hand;

if a current battery level of one or more batteries of the mobile device is above a threshold battery level, and in response to detecting the first indication, modifying a power consumption state of the mobile device, wherein which components of the mobile device receive power is based on the power consumption state;

if the current battery level is below the threshold battery level;

activating, based on the first indication, at least one second sensor of the mobile device;

detecting, using the at least one second sensor of the mobile device, at least one second indication that the mobile device is being held by the user; and

responsive to detecting the at least one first indication and the at least one second indication, modifying the power consumption state of the mobile device, wherein the power consumption state determines which of the plurality of components of the mobile device are powered on.

20. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more batteries;

at least one surface of the computing device; and

means for detecting user contact with at least a portion of the at least one surface of the computing device, wherein a form of at least a first indication of user contact approximately conforms with a touch pattern, wherein the touch pattern is approximately congruent with at least one touch of a human hand;

wherein the one or more processors is configured to;

compare a current battery level of the one or more batteries to a threshold battery level,

activate, based on the comparing, at least one second sensor of the computing device if the current battery level is below the threshold battery level; and

detecting, via at least the second sensor, at least a second indication of user contact with the computing device; and

wherein a power consumption state of the computing device is modified based at least in part on the detected user contact, wherein the power consumption state determines how power is available throughout the computing device.