User computer device with temperature sensing capabilities and method of operating same

• US 8,751,056 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2011
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Slaby, Jiri, Krahenbuhl, John H., Alameh, Rachid M., Merrell, Thomas Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Masinick, Michael D
• Application Number:
  US13/307,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20120072044A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 700/299, 700/300, 709/228, 709/230, 709/237
• US Class Current: 700/299
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

A user computer device is provided that comprises a temperature sensitive touchscreen having a temperature sensitive user interface comprising multiple thermal energy emitter/detector devices, such as thermocouples. The multiple thermal energy emitter/detector devices are capable both of detecting thermal energy and emitting thermal energy. The temperature sensitive user interface generates thermal patterns that may be transferred to other thermally sensitive electronic devices or that may be used to authenticate the user computer device. The user computer device also can detect and thermally communicate with a thermal energy docking station and, based on thermal recognition, activate applications displayed on the temperature sensitive touchscreen. Further, the user computer device can auto-bias a temperature of the temperature sensitive user interface in order to better assure proper operation of the temperature sensitive user interface in all operating conditions.

Claims

1. A method for thermal recognition of an external accessory device that may be used in conjunction with a user computer device, the method comprising:

detecting, by the user computer device, a thermal pattern that identifies the external accessory device;

in response to detecting the thermal pattern and based on the detected thermal pattern, performing one or more of;

activating, by the user computer device, an application corresponding to the detected thermal pattern;

adjusting, by the user computer device, an operational setting of the user computer device;

establishing a wireless connectivity with the external accessory device; and

executing, by the user computer device, the one or more of the activated application, the adjusted setting, and the establishment of the wireless connectivity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the external accessory device is a docking station for the user computer device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing a wireless connectivity with the external accessory device comprises establishing a wireless connectivity in accordance with a short-range wireless protocol.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the short-range wireless protocol comprises one or more of a Bluetooth protocol and an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802 protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting comprises receiving, via a temperature sensitive touchscreen of the user computer device, the thermal pattern.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining to thermally authenticate the external accessory device and wherein the thermal pattern is an authentication pattern.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the thermal pattern comprises detecting a first thermal pattern during a first time period and detecting a second thermal pattern during a second time period, wherein the first thermal pattern is different from the second thermal pattern.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to detecting the thermal pattern and based on the detected thermal pattern, the user computer device activates an application corresponding to the detected thermal pattern and wherein the method further comprises changing the application executed by the user computer device in response to detecting a change in the thermal pattern.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the detected thermal pattern identifies the external accessory device as one or more of a calendar-based device, a navigational device an email reader, a music player, a video player, a video game controller, a video game console, and a social networking device, and wherein the method comprises one or more of, in response to detecting that the external accessory device is a calendar-based device, executing a time-and-date application, in response to detecting that the external accessory device is a navigational device, executing a navigational application, in response to detecting that the external accessory device is an email reader, executing a email application, in response to detecting that the external accessory device is a music player, executing a music application, in response to detecting that the external accessory device is a video player, executing a video application, in response to detecting that the external accessory device is one of a video game controller and a video game console, executing a video game application, and in response to detecting that the external accessory device is a social networking device, executing a social networking application.

10. A user computer device comprising:

a housing;

an at least one memory device that maintains at least one thermal pattern that identifies an external accessory device;

a temperature sensitive user interface having a plurality of thermal energy devices that are configured to one or more of emit thermal energy and detect thermal energy; and

a processor coupled to the temperature sensitive user interface and the at least one memory device and that is configured to detect, via the temperature sensitive user interface, the at least one thermal pattern that identifies the external accessory device, in response to detecting the thermal pattern and based on the detected thermal pattern, perform one or more of;

activating an application corresponding to the detected thermal pattern, adjusting an operational setting of the user computer device, and establishing a wireless connectivity with the external accessory device, and execute the one or more of the activated application, the adjusted setting, and the establishment of the wireless connectivity.

11. The user computer device of claim 10, wherein the external accessory device is a docking station for the user computer device.

12. The user computer device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to establish a wireless connectivity with the external accessory device by establishing a wireless connectivity in accordance with a short-range wireless protocol.

13. The user computer device of claim 12, wherein the short-range wireless protocol comprises one or more of a Bluetooth protocol and an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802 protocol.

14. The user computer device of claim 10, wherein the temperature sensitive user interface is part of a temperature sensitive touchscreen of the user computer device.

15. The user computer device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine to thermally authenticate the external accessory device and wherein the thermal pattern is an authentication pattern.

16. The user computer device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to detect the thermal pattern by detecting a first thermal pattern during a first time period and detecting a second thermal pattern during a second time period, wherein the first thermal pattern is different from the second thermal pattern.

17. The user computer device of claim 10, wherein in response to detecting the thermal pattern and based on the detected thermal pattern, the processor activates an application corresponding to the detected thermal pattern and wherein the processor is configured to change the application executed by the user computer device in response to detecting a change in the thermal pattern.

18. The user computer device of claim 10, wherein the detected thermal pattern identifies the external accessory device as one or more of a calendar-based device, a navigational device, an email reader, a music player, a video player, a video game controller, a video game console, and a social networking device, and wherein the processor is configured to one or more of, in response to detecting that the external accessory device is a calendar-based device, execute a time-and-date application, in response to detecting that the external accessory device is a navigational device, execute a navigational application, in response to detecting that the external accessory device is an email reader, executing a email application, in response to detecting that the external accessory device is a music player, executing a music application, in response to detecting that the external accessory device is a video player, executing a video application, in response to detecting that the external accessory device is one of a video game controller and a video game console, executing a video game application, and in response to detecting that the external accessory device is a social networking device, executing a social networking application.

19. An electronic device for thermally interfacing with a user computer device, the electronic device comprising:

a thermal energy interface that is configured to exchange thermal energy with the user computer device; and

a processor coupled to the thermal energy interface that is configured to one or more of generate a thermal pattern in the thermal energy interface that may be detected by the user computer device and detect a thermal pattern emitted by the user computer device.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, further comprising an at least one memory device coupled to the processor that maintains a list of applications that may be executed by the user computer device and that maintains, in association with each such application, a thermal pattern that identifies the application.

21. The electronic device of claim 19, further comprising a user interface that is configured to receive instructions from a user of the electronic device and to provide information to the user of the electronic device.

22. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the electronic device comprises a docking station for the user computer device.