Method and apparatus for activating a function of an electronic device

• US 8,866,735 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2010
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zhao, Hong, Olley, Michael F., Valentine, Mark F.
• Primary Examiner(s): ABDIN, SHAHEDA A
• Application Number:
  US12/970,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20120154292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/158, 345/204, 348/155, 713/320, 713/300, 715/863
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 2200/1636 Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing
• 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: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for activating a function of the electronic device is disclosed herewith. The method includes detecting a first input by a motion sensor. Further, the method activates a touch sensor of the electronic device in response to detecting the first input. The method then detects a second input by the motion sensor within a predetermined time period from the first input. Next, the method determines, in response to detecting the second input, whether contact has occurred at the touch sensor and activates a function of the electronic device in response to determining that contact has occurred at the touch sensor when the second input is detected.

Claims

1. A method for activating an electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting, by a motion sensor, a first tap input;

after detecting the first tap input, and responsive to detecting the first tap input, activating a touch sensor of the electronic device;

within a predetermined time period after detecting the first tap input, detecting, by the motion sensor, a second tap input;

after detecting the second tap input within the predetermined time period, and responsive to detecting the second tap input, determining whether contact has occurred at the touch sensor; and

responsive to determining that the contact has occurred at the touch sensor, activating a function of the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor is associated with a touch-sensitive screen of the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the contact has occurred at the touch sensor includes determining whether the contact has occurred at the touch sensor since activating the touch sensor in response to the first tap input.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after detecting the first tap input, and responsive to detecting the first tap input, activating a proximity sensor of the electronic device; and

after detecting the second tap input, and responsive to detecting the second tap input, determining whether the proximity sensor has detected activity,

wherein activating the function of the electronic device includes activating the function of the electronic device in response to determining that the contact has occurred at the touch sensor and that the proximity sensor has not detected activity.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to detecting the first tap, outputting, by the motion sensor, an interrupt signal for activating the touch sensor, wherein activating the touch sensor is in response to receiving the interrupt signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined time period is between two hundred and five hundred milliseconds, the method further comprising:

responsive to determining that the second tap input has not been detected within the predetermined time period, refraining from activating the function of the electronic device.

8. A method for activating a function of an electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting a first input by a motion sensor;

activating a touch sensor of the electronic device in response to detecting the first input;

detecting a second input by the motion sensor within a predetermined time period from the first input;

determining, in response to detecting the second input, whether a touch data buffer associated with the touch sensor indicates that contact has occurred at the touch sensor, wherein the determining step includes determining whether a quantity of data stored by the buffer is above a threshold; and

activating a function of the electronic device in response to determining that contact has occurred at the touch sensor when the second input is detected.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

activating a function of the electronic device in response to determining that the quantity of data stored by the buffer is above the threshold.

10. An activation circuit for activating an electronic device, the activation circuit comprising:

a touch-sensitive screen;

a motion sensor for detecting a first tap input and a second tap input at the touch-sensitive screen, wherein the second tap input is detected within a predetermined time period from the first tap input;

a touch sensor; and

a microcontroller, coupled to the motion sensor and the touch sensor, the microcontroller being configured to;

activate the touch sensor after the motion sensor detects the first tap input and responsive to the motion sensor detecting the first tap input,

after the motion sensor detects the second tap input within the predetermined time period, and responsive to the motion sensor detecting the second tap input, determine whether contact has occurred at the touch sensor, and

responsive to determining that the contact has occurred at the touch sensor, activate a function of the electronic device.

11. The activation circuit of claim 10, wherein the motion sensor is an accelerometer.

12. The activation circuit of claim 10, wherein the touch sensor is associated with the touch-sensitive screen of the electronic device.

13. The activation circuit of claim 10, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to activate the function of the electronic device in response to determining that the contact has occurred at the touch sensor since activating the touch sensor.

14. The activation circuit of claim 10, further comprising:

a proximity sensor, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to;

after the motion sensor detects the second tap, and responsive to the motion sensor detecting the second tap, determine whether the proximity sensor has detected activity, and

responsive to determining that the contact has occurred at the touch sensor and that the proximity sensor has not detected activity, activate the function of the electronic device.

15. An activation circuit for activating an electronic device, the activation circuit comprising:

a touch-sensitive screen;

a motion sensor for detecting a first input and a second input at the touch-sensitive screen, wherein the second input is detected within a predetermined time period from the first input;

a touch sensor being activated in response to the motion sensor detecting the first input; and

a microcontroller, coupled to the motion sensor and the touch sensor, comprising a touch data buffer associated with the touch sensor, wherein the microcontroller determines whether the touch data buffer indicates that contact has occurred at the touch sensor by determining whether a quantity of data stored by the touch data buffer is above a threshold, and wherein the microcontroller activates a function of the electronic device when the second input is detected.

16. The activation circuit of claim 15, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to activate a function of the electronic device in response to determining that the quantity of data stored by the touch data buffer is above the threshold.