Controlling method and system for handheld communication device and recording medium using the same

• US 8,682,277 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2012
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Luke, Hok-Sum Horace, Wang, Chih-Hua, Wu, Ying-Huang, Chen, Yi-Lin, Peng, Hsiang-Yuan, Tsui, Yuan-Mao, Chin, Cheng-Hao
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc M
• Application Number:
  US13/541,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20120270609A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 455/574, 455/343.1, 455/343.2, 455/567
• US Class Current: 455/343.1
• 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 1/1694 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 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• 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: H04B 1/1607 Supply circuits converters H02M; filters therefor H02M1/14; voltage stabilisers G05F1/46
• 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 52/02 Power saving arrangements in wired systems H04L12/12; signaling of mobile application services, e.g. low battery notifications H04W4/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A controlling method and a controlling system for a handheld communication device are provided. In the present method, a tilting state of the handheld communication device is detected by using a G-sensor when a notice is activated. Then, whether the tilting state is changed from a face up state to a face down state is determined. The handheld communication device is controlled to perform a function when the tilting state is confirmed to be changed from the face up state to the face down state. Accordingly, the handheld communication device may be controlled to perform a function timely according to the positioned state of the device without going through complicated procedures, so as to provide a more intuitive and convenient way to control the handheld communication device.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a handheld electronic device to perform a function by using a sensor to detect a tilting state of the handheld electronic device, comprising:

detecting the tilting state of the handheld communication device by using the sensor;

determining whether the tilting state of the handheld electronic device is changed from a face up state to a face down state, wherein the face up state corresponds to a first range and the face down state corresponds to a second range; and

controlling the handheld electronic device to perform the function only when the handheld electronic device is determined to change from the face up state to the face down state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the handheld electronic device to perform the function comprises controlling the handheld electronic device to enter a mute mode.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the mute mode comprises muting a sound of the handheld electronic device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the mute mode comprises muting a ringtone notice.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a G-sensor.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first range of the face up state is 10 degrees such that the handheld electronic device is determined by the G-sensor to be in the face up state when the handheld electronic device is face up directly toward the positive normal Cartesian Z axis within the first range.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the tilting state of the handheld electronic device is determined to be in the face down state when the handheld electronic device is determined by the G-sensor to be face down directly toward a negative Cartesian Z axis within the second range which is 10 degrees.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating a sound notice; and

in response to detecting that the tilting state of the handheld electronic device is changed from the face up state to the face down state while the sound notice is still being activated, controlling the handheld electronic device to enter a mute mode to mute the sound notice.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating a ringtone notice; and

in response to detecting that the tilting state of the handheld electronic device is changed from the face up state to the face down state while the ringtone is still being activated, controlling the handheld electronic device to enter a mute mode to mute the ringtone notice.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating the ringtone notice in response to an incoming call;

in response to detecting that the tilting state of the handheld electronic device is changed from the face up state to the face down state, controlling the handheld electronic device to enter a mute mode to mute the ringtone notice; and

controlling the handheld electronic device to enter a normal mode after the incoming call is terminated.

11. A handheld electronic device, comprising:

a sensor;

a tilting state determining module coupled to the sensor for detecting a tilting state of the handheld communication device by using the sensor; and

a controller coupled to the sensor and the tilting state determining module and is configured for determining whether the tilting state of the handheld electronic device is changed from a face up state to a face down state, wherein the face up state corresponds to a first range and the face down state corresponds to a second range and controlling the handheld electronic device to perform a function only when the handheld electronic device is determined changed from the face up state to the face down state.

12. The handheld electronic device of claim 11, wherein the function comprises controlling the handheld electronic device to enter a mute mode.

13. The handheld electronic device of claim 12, wherein the function comprises controlling the handheld electronic device to enter a mute mode comprises muting a sound of the handheld electronic device.

14. The handheld electronic device of claim 12, wherein the mute mode comprises muting a ringtone notice.

15. The handheld electronic device of claim 11, wherein the sensor comprises a G-sensor.

16. The handheld electronic device of claim 15, wherein the tilting state of the handheld electronic device is determined to be in the face up state when the handheld electronic device is determined by the G-sensor to be face up directly toward a positive Cartesian Z axis within the first range which is 10 degrees.

17. The handheld electronic device of claim 15, wherein the tilting state of the handheld electronic device is determined to be in the face down state when the handheld electronic device is determined by the G-sensor to be face down directly toward a negative Cartesian Z axis within the second range which is 10 degrees.

18. The handheld electronic device of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured for

activating a sound notice;

and

controlling the handheld electronic device to enter a mute mode to mute the sound in response to detecting that the tilting state of the handheld electronic device is changed from the face up state to the face down state while the sound notice is still being activated.

19. The handheld electronic device of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured for:

activating a ringtone notice; and

controlling the handheld electronic device to enter a mute mode to mute the ringtone notice in response to detecting that the tilting state of the handheld electronic device is changed from face up state to the face down state while the ringtone is still being activated.

20. The handheld electronic device of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured for:

activating the ringtone notice in response to an incoming call;

controlling the handheld electronic device to enter a mute mode to mute the ringtone notice in response to detecting that the tilting state of the handheld electronic device is changed from the face up state to the face down state; and

controlling the handheld electronic device to enter a normal mode after the incoming call is terminated.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions loaded into an electronic device to perform a function by using a sensor to detect a tilting state of the handheld electronic device comprising:

detecting the tilting state of the handheld communication device by using the sensor;

determining whether the tilting state of the handheld electronic device is changed from a face up state to a face down state, wherein the face up state corresponds to a first range and the face down state corresponds to a second range; and

controlling the handheld electronic device to perform the function only when the handheld electronic device is determined to change from the face up state to the face down state.