Managing power states of a computing device

• US 8,930,734 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2011
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• 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): YANCHUS III, PAUL B
• Application Number:
  US13/221,359
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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:

while a power consumption state of a computing device comprises a powered-down state, receiving, by the computing device, at least one indication of a user contact with at least one surface of the computing device, wherein the user contact is detected by a first sensor of the computing device, and wherein the at least one indication of the user contact conforms with a touch pattern; and

responsive receiving the at least one indication of the user contact with the at least one surface of the computing device;

modifying a power consumption state of a second sensor of the computing device;

receiving, by the computing device, an indication of a user interaction with the computing device, wherein the user interaction is detected by the second sensor; and

responsive to receiving the indication of the user interaction with the computing device, modifying the power consumption state of the computing device from the powered-down state to an active state, wherein the active state determines which of a plurality of components of the computing device receive power.

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

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the user contact with the plurality of regions of the at least one surface comprises determining the user contact with a plurality of predefined regions of the at least one surface.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the user contact with the plurality of regions of the at least one surface comprises determining the user contact with at least some of the plurality of regions disposed on a plurality of surfaces of the computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second sensor comprises an accelerometer sensor, and wherein receiving the indication of the user interaction with the computing device comprises receiving an indication of computing device movement that indicates the computing device is being held by the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second sensor comprises a proximity sensor, and wherein receiving the indication of the user interaction with the computing device comprises receiving an indication of a proximity of the computing device to at least one object of an environment of the computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second sensor comprises a gyroscope sensor, and wherein receiving the indication of the user interaction with the computing device comprises receiving an indication of an orientation of the computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second sensor comprises a camera, and wherein receiving the indication of the user interaction with the computing device comprises:

receiving the indication of the user interaction based on one or more images captured by the camera; and

performing facial recognition techniques on the one or more images.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the second sensor comprises an acoustic sensor, and wherein receiving the indication of the user interaction with the computing device comprises receiving the indication of the user interaction based on one or more sounds captured by the acoustic sensor.

11. The method of claim 1,

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

wherein the computing device is configured to, while the computing device is not operating in the active state, 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 the user input;

and

wherein receiving the at least one indication of the user contact comprises receiving the at least one indication of the user contact with the at least one surface of the computing device based on detection of the user contact using the subset of the plurality of sensors.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least a second indication of a user contact with at least a second surface of the computing device, wherein the second surface of the computing device comprises a first edge of the computing device,

wherein the at least one surface of the computing device comprises a second edge of the computing device, wherein the second edge is opposite the first edge of the computing device; and

wherein modifying the power consumption state of the second sensor of the computing device further comprises modifying the power consumption state of the second sensor in response to receiving at least the second indication of user contact.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein modifying the power consumption state of the second sensor further comprises modifying the power consumption state in response to receiving at least the second indication of the user contact while receiving the at least one indication of the user contact.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the at least one indication of the user contact with the at least one surface of the computing device further comprises comparing the at least one indication of the user contact with one or more touch patterns.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving the at least one indication of the user contact with the at least one surface of the computing device further comprises determining the at least one indication of the user contact conforms with a touch pattern within a threshold limit, wherein the touch pattern is similar to an outline of a human hand touching the computing device.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

while a power consumption state comprises a powered-down state, receiving at least one indication of a user contact with at least one surface of the computing device, wherein the user contact is detected by a first sensor of the computing device, and wherein the at least one indication of the user contact conforms with a touch pattern;

activating, responsive to receiving the at least one indication of the user contact, at least one second sensor of the computing device;

receiving an indication of a user interaction with the computing device, wherein the user indication is detected by the second sensor; and

responsive to receiving the at least one indication of the user interaction and the indication of user interaction with the computing device, modifying the power consumption state of the computing device from the powered-down state to an active state, wherein the active state determines which of a plurality of components of the computing device are powered on.

17. A computing device, comprising:

a first sensor;

a second sensor;

at least one surface of the computing device; and

one or more processors configured to;

while a power consumption state of the computing device comprises a powered-down state, receive at least one indication of a user contact with at least one surface of the computing device, wherein the user contact is detected by the first sensor, and wherein the at least one indication of the user contact conforms with a touch pattern, and responsive to receiving the at least one indication of the user contact with the at least one surface of the computing device;

modify a power consumption state of a second sensor of the computing device,

receive, by the computing device, an indication of a user interaction with the computing device, wherein the user interaction is detected by the second sensor, and

responsive to receiving the indication of the user interaction with the computing device, modify the power consumption state of the computing device from the powered-down state to an active state, wherein the active state determines which of a plurality of components of the computing device receive power.