Methods and systems for providing sensory information to devices and peripherals

• US 8,830,169 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Herz, Scott, Keen, Dan, Westerman, Wayne Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): CERULLO, LILIANA P
• Application Number:
  US13/411,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20120162066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 345 7- 9, 710 1- 74, 381/388, 340901-904, 434/116
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• 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 1/1694 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 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• 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 3/017 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: H04M 1/6058 involving the use of a headset accessory device connected to the portable telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• 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: Y10S 345/901 Electronic book with display

Abstract

Peripherals and data processing systems are disclosed which can be configured to interact based upon sensor data. In at least certain embodiments, a method for sensing motion and orientation information for a device includes receiving a motion event from at least one sensor located in a device. The method further includes determining an orientation for a display of the device. The method further includes determining whether the device is currently moving. The method further includes determining whether the device moves within an angle with respect to a ground reference for a first time period. The method further includes switching the orientation of the display of the device if the device moves in excess of the angle.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a peripheral vector associated with a peripheral of a portable device, the peripheral vector indicates an orientation of the peripheral including a direction with respect to a ground reference;

generating an audio signal associated with an event from the portable device;

determining whether the peripheral vector has a predetermined relationship with a device vector associated with the portable device in response to the audio signal; and

silencing the audio signal when the peripheral vector has the predetermined relationship with the device vector in response to the audio signal, wherein the device vector indicates an orientation of the portable device, wherein the peripheral is external from the portable device, wherein the peripheral vector does not have the predetermined relationship with the device vector when the peripheral vector points towards the device vector prior to and after the audio signal is generated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the peripheral vector has the predetermined relationship with the device vector when the peripheral vector turns towards the device vector in response to the audio signal.

3. The method of claim1, further comprising:

ignoring the audio signal when the peripheral vector does not have the predetermined relationship with the device vector in response to the audio signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining of the peripheral vector occurs based on a user wearing the peripheral.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the event comprises at least one of:

a calendar event, a phone call, an alarm event, a to do event, an email event, and a reminder event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio signal represents a voice command.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

acknowledging the voice command if the peripheral vector moves in a vertical direction with respect to the reference.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

rejecting the voice command if the peripheral vector moves in a horizontal direction with respect to the reference.

9. A machine readable non-transitory medium storing executable program instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform a method comprising:

determining a peripheral vector associated with a peripheral of a portable device, the peripheral vector indicates an orientation of the peripheral including a direction with respect to a ground reference;

generating an audio signal associated with an event from the portable device;

determining whether the peripheral vector has a predetermined relationship with a device vector associated with the portable device in response to the audio signal; and

silencing the audio signal when the peripheral vector has the predetermined relationship with the device vector in response to the audio signal, wherein the device vector indicates an orientation of the portable device, wherein the peripheral is external from the portable device, wherein the peripheral vector does not have the predetermined relationship with the device vector when the peripheral vector points towards the device vector prior to and after the audio signal is generated.

10. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 9, wherein the peripheral vector has the predetermined relationship with the device vector when the peripheral vector turns towards the device vector in response to the audio signal.

11. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 9, further comprising:

ignoring the audio signal when the peripheral vector does not have the predetermined relationship with the device vector in response to the audio signal.

12. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 9, wherein determining of the peripheral vector occurs based on a user wearing the peripheral.

13. The machine readable non-transitory medium of claim 9, wherein the event comprises at least one of:

a calendar event, a phone call, an alarm event, a to do event, an email event, and a reminder event.

14. A peripheral comprising:

a peripheral interface to couple the peripheral to a portable device;

at least one peripheral sensor to sense a user of the peripheral; and

a peripheral processor coupled to the peripheral interface and to the at least one peripheral sensor, the peripheral processor configured to determine a peripheral vector indicating an orientation of the peripheral including a direction with respect to a ground reference, wherein the portable device to initiate an audio signal associated with an event and to determine whether the peripheral vector has a predetermined relationship with a device vector associated with the portable device in response to the audio signal, wherein the peripheral is external from the portable device, wherein the peripheral processor is further configured to silence the audio signal when the peripheral vector has the predetermined relationship with the device vector in response to the audio signal, wherein the peripheral vector does not have the predetermined relationship with the device vector when the peripheral vector points towards the device vector prior to and after the audio signal is generated.

15. The peripheral of claim 14, wherein the peripheral vector has the predetermined relationship with the device vector when the peripheral vector turns towards the device vector in response to the audio signal.

16. The peripheral of claim 14, wherein the peripheral processor is further configured to ignore the audio signal when the peripheral vector does not have the predetermined relationship with the device vector in response to the audio signal, wherein determining of the peripheral vector occurs based on a user wearing the peripheral.

17. The peripheral as in claim 14 wherein the peripheral interface comprises a wireless transceiver which wirelessly couples the portable device to the peripheral and wherein the peripheral further comprises a speaker coupled to the peripheral interface and a microphone coupled to the peripheral interface and wherein the wireless transceiver transmits first audio data from the microphone to the portable device and wherein the wireless transceiver receives second audio data from the portable device and passes the second audio data to the speaker and wherein the portable device comprises a wireless mobile telephone transceiver.

18. The peripheral as in claim 17 wherein at least one of the peripheral processor and a processor of the portable device receive data from at least one of the at least one peripheral sensor and at least one sensor of the portable device and determine, based on the data, whether to use the speaker and the microphone for a phone call communicated through the wireless mobile telephone transceiver.

19. A data processing system comprising:

an interface to couple the data processing system to a peripheral;

at least one sensor to sense the user;

a processor coupled to the interface and to the at least one sensor, the processor configured to determine a device vector indicating an orientation of the data processing system including a direction with respect to a ground reference;

initiate an audio signal associated with an event; and

determine whether a peripheral vector associated with the peripheral has a predetermined relationship with the device vector in response to the audio signal, wherein the peripheral is external from the data processing system, wherein the processor is further configured to silence the audio signal when the peripheral vector has the predetermined relationship with the device vector in response to the audio signal, wherein the peripheral vector does not have the predetermined relationship with the device vector when the peripheral vector points towards the device vector prior to and after the audio signal is generated.

20. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the peripheral vector has the predetermined relationship with the device vector when the peripheral vector turns towards the device vector in response to the audio signal.

21. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to ignore the audio signal when the peripheral vector does not have the predetermined relationship with the device vector in response to the audio signal, wherein the peripheral vector does not have the predetermined relationship with the device vector in response to the audio signal based on the peripheral vector pointing towards the device vector prior to and after the audio signal is generated.

22. The data processing system as in claim 19 wherein the data processing system comprises a wireless mobile telephone transceiver.

23. The data processing system as in claim 22 wherein the processor to receive data from the at least one sensor and determine, based on the data, whether to use the peripheral for a phone call communicated through the wireless mobile telephone transceiver.

24. A data processing system comprising:

an interface to couple the data processing system to a peripheral;

at least one sensor to sense the user;

a processor coupled to the interface and to the at least one sensor, the processor configured to determine a device vector indicating an orientation of the data processing system including a direction with respect to a horizontal ground reference;

initiate an audio signal associated with an event; and

determine whether a peripheral vector associated with the peripheral points towards the device vector in response to the audio signal, wherein the processor to determine based on the device and peripheral vectors that the user is viewing content being displayed on the data processing system, wherein the processor to change a default time period for locking the data processing system or dimming the display of the data processing system based on this determination that the user is viewing content.