Layout design of proximity sensors to enable shortcuts

• US 8,954,099 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2010
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Forutanpour, Babak, Momeyer, Brian, Beckwith, Kevin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US12/891,625
• Publication Number:
  US 20110312349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,597 Days
• Field of Search: 348/158, 379/156, 379/158, 379/168, 379/169, 379/173, 396/429, 396/434, 455/424, 455/425, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/575, 455/575.1, 455/575.2, 455/575.3, 455/575.4, 455/575.8, 455/41.1, 345/174, 345/158, 345/169, 345/173, 345/156, 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 455/466
• 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 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• 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 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A mobile platform includes a plurality of proximity sensors coupled to a housing including on the sides, front and back of the housing. Signals from the proximity sensors are analyzed to determine configuration of the proximity sensors that are activated. The configuration may be a sequence of proximity sensors that are activated, e.g., when a gesture is detected, or the locations of the proximity sensors that are activated when the mobile platform is held in different manners. Mobile platform applications associated with the configuration are determined and automatically launched. For example, the applications may include a camera application or short message service (SMS) application, as well as controlling telephony operations, controlling a music player, and providing status information. Information from an orientation sensor and/or ambient light detector may also be used to assist in determining the applications to be launched.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a housing having a front, back, first side, second side, top side and a bottom side;

a touch screen display on the front of the housing;

a plurality of proximity sensors coupled to the housing, each proximity sensor is activated when an object passes through a field produced by the proximity sensor, the plurality of proximity sensors having a configuration on the housing, the configuration comprising;

at least one proximity sensor mounted on the first side and at least one proximity sensor mounted on the second side;

at least one proximity sensor mounted on the back of the housing;

a processor connected to the plurality of proximity sensors;

memory connected to the processor;

software held in the memory and run in the processor to;

determine a configuration of activated proximity sensors;

determine a power mode of the mobile device;

if the power mode of the mobile device is a lower power mode than awake, determine a function to be performed by the mobile device based at least in part on the configuration of activated proximity sensors and the power mode, wherein the function comprises performing a telephony operation, performing a music player operation, launching an application, performing a camera application operation, performing a texting application operation, performing an email application operation, providing status information of the mobile device or any combination thereof; and

control the mobile device by performing the determined function.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of proximity sensors detect finger movement through a protective element.

3. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the protective element is a pocket of a garment or a mobile device holder.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the configuration on the housing of the plurality of proximity sensors further comprises at least one proximity sensor mounted on the front of the housing.

5. The mobile device of claim 4, wherein the software held in the memory and run in the processor further causes the processor to determine an orientation of the mobile device when in a pocket of a garment based on the configuration of activated proximity sensors and wherein to determine a function is further based at least in part on the orientation.

6. The mobile device of claim 5, further comprising an orientation sensor and an ambient light detector, the processor connected to receive signals from the orientation sensor and the ambient light detector, wherein the software held in the memory and run in the processor further causes the processor to determine the orientation of the mobile device using signals from the orientation sensor and to determine a light level from the signals from the ambient light detector and to determine that the mobile device is in the pocket when the light level is less than a threshold.

7. The mobile device of claim 4, wherein the configuration of activated proximity sensors includes the at least one proximity sensor mounted on the front of the housing being activated, and the processor disables the touch screen display based on the configuration of activated proximity sensors.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein there are at least two proximity sensors mounted on the first side and wherein the at least one proximity sensor mounted on the second side is mounted at approximately a center of the second side with respect to the top side and bottom side.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein there are at least two proximity sensors mounted on the first side and at least two proximity sensors mounted on the second side.

10. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of proximity sensors comprises a first electrode and a second electrode mounted at separate locations on the housing.

11. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the configuration on the housing of the plurality of proximity sensors further comprises a plurality of proximity sensors mounted on the back of the housing.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the software held in the memory and run in the processor to determine the configuration of activated proximity sensors causes the processor to determine a sequence of activation of the plurality of proximity sensors mounted on the back of the housing, and the software held in the memory and run in the processor to control the mobile device based on the sequence of activation of the plurality of proximity sensors mounted on the back of the housing.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the software held in the memory and run in the processor to determine the configuration of activated proximity sensors causes the processor to determine the sequence of activation while one of the plurality of proximity sensors mounted on the back of the housing remains activated.

14. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising an orientation sensor connected to provide signals to the processor, wherein the software held in the memory and run in the processor further causes the processor to detect a pattern of contacts on the housing from the signals from the orientation sensor, wherein the processor determines the configuration of activated proximity sensors after detecting the pattern of contacts on the housing.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the pattern of contacts is a plurality of sets of multiple contacts.

16. The mobile device of claim 14, further comprising an ambient light detector connected to provide signals to the processor, wherein the software held in the memory and run in the processor further causes the processor to determine a light level from the signals from the ambient light detector, wherein the processor determines the configuration of activated proximity sensors after determining the light level is less than a threshold.

17. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the configuration of activated proximity sensors includes at least one proximity sensor is activated on both the first side and the second side, and the processor controls the mobile device to wake up.

18. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the configuration of activated proximity sensors includes no proximity sensor being activated, and the processor controls the mobile device to enter low power mode.

19. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the software held in the memory and run in the processor controls at least one of controlling a telephony operation, controlling a music player, and providing status information of the mobile device.

20. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the software held in the memory and run in the processor controls the mobile platform by launching one of a camera application and a short message service (SMS) application when the at least one proximity sensor mounted on the first side and at least one proximity sensor mounted on the second side are activated.

21. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the activated at least at least one proximity sensor mounted on the first side comprises a first proximity sensor mounted on the first side near the top side and a second proximity sensor mounted on the first side near the bottom side, and the activated at least at least one proximity sensor mounted on the second side comprises a third proximity sensor mounted on the second side near the top side and a fourth proximity sensor mounted on the second side near the bottom side.

22. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the activated at least at least one proximity sensor mounted on the first side comprises a first electrode mounted on the first side near the top side and a second electrode mounted on the first side near the bottom side, and the activated at least at least one proximity sensor mounted on the second side comprises a third electrode mounted on the second side near the top side and a fourth electrode mounted on the second side near the bottom side.

23. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the activated at least at least one proximity sensor mounted on the first side and at least one proximity sensor mounted on the second side are activated comprises at least a first electrode mounted on the first side and a second electrode mounted on the second side.

24. The mobile device of claim 20, further comprising an orientation sensor connected to provide signals to the processor, wherein the software held in the memory and run in the processor further causes the processor to determine an orientation of the mobile device and to run the camera application in a first orientation and run the SMS application in a second orientation.

25. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the software held in the memory and run in the processor controls the mobile device automatically capture an image after launching the camera application.

56. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the configuration of activated proximity sensors comprises at least a set of paired proximity sensors.

57. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a low power controller coupled to the plurality of proximity sensors, wherein the power mode of the mobile device is determined based at least in part on the low power controller.

26. A method comprising:

monitoring for signals from a plurality of proximity sensors coupled to a housing of a mobile device;

analyzing signals received from the plurality of proximity sensors to determine a configuration of activated proximity sensors;

determining a power mode of the mobile device;

if the power mode of the mobile device is a lower power mode than awake, determining a function based at least in part on the configuration of activated proximity sensors and the power mode, wherein the function comprises performing a telephony operation, performing a music player operation, launching an application, performing a camera application operation, performing a texting application operation, performing an email application operation, providing status information of the mobile device or any combination thereof; and

controlling the mobile device based on the determined function.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising analyzing signals from an orientation sensor to determine an orientation of the mobile device and wherein the determining the function further based at least in part on the orientation of the mobile device.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the orientation of the mobile device is determined to be approximately vertical and the configuration of activated proximity sensors indicates that the mobile device is held near two or more corners of the mobile device, and the function is a camera application.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising automatically capturing an image after running the camera application.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the orientation of the mobile device is determined to be approximately horizontal and the configuration of activated proximity sensors indicates that the mobile device is held near two or more corners of the mobile device, and the function is a short message service application.

31. The method of claim 26, the housing including a front, a back, a first side, a second side, a top side and a bottom side with a display mounted on the front and wherein a first proximity sensor is mounted on the front of the housing and a second proximity sensor is mounted on the back of the housing.

32. The method of claim 31, the method further comprising determining a position of the mobile device carried in a pocket by a user based on the configuration of activated proximity sensors being the first proximity sensor or the second proximity sensor.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein controlling the mobile device comprises automatically performing a predefined function in response to an incoming call or message based on the position of the mobile device.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein proximity sensors are mounted on the first side and the second side, wherein the configuration of activated proximity sensors does not include the proximity sensors mounted on the first side and the second side.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein there is a plurality of proximity sensors mounted on the back of the housing, wherein analyzing signals comprises analyzing signals received from the plurality of proximity sensors on the back of the housing and determining a sequence of activation of the plurality of proximity sensors mounted on the back of the housing.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein determining a sequence of activation of the plurality of proximity sensors mounted on the back of the housing is performed while one of the plurality of proximity sensors mounted on the back of the housing remains activated.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising detecting a pattern of contacts on the housing before analyzing signals received from the plurality of proximity sensors on the back of the housing.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the pattern of contacts is a plurality of sets of multiple contacts detected by an orientation sensor.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein the signals from the plurality of proximity sensors mounted on the back of the housing are generated by sensing a gesture performed by a finger.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the plurality of sensors detect finger movement through a protective element.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the protective element is a pocket of a garment or a mobile device holder.

42. The method of claim 35, further comprising detecting an ambient light level and determining that the ambient light level is below a threshold before analyzing signals received from the plurality of proximity sensors on the back of the housing.

43. A system for controlling an operation of a mobile device comprising:

means for capacitively sensing a proximity of an object to a housing of the mobile device, the means for capacitively sensing being located at multiple locations on the housing including a first side, a second side, and a back side;

means for determining a configuration of the means for capacitively sensing that are activated by the proximity of the object to the housing;

means for determining a power mode of the mobile device;

if the power mode of the mobile device is a lower power mode than awake, means for determining a function to be performed by the mobile device based at least in part on the configuration and the power mode, wherein the function comprises performing a telephony operation, performing a music player operation, launching an application, performing a camera application operation, performing a texting application operation, performing an email application operation, providing status information of the mobile device or any combination thereof;

means for controlling mobile device based on the determined function.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the means for capacitively sensing comprises a plurality of proximity sensors.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein the object is one of a hand and fingers.

46. The system of claim 43, wherein the configuration of the means for capacitively sensing is determined to be at corners of the housing and the function is one of a camera application and a short message service (SMS) application.

47. The system of claim 46, further comprising a means for determining an orientation of the mobile device, wherein the function is the camera application in a first orientation and the SMS application in a second orientation.

48. The system of claim 46, further comprising a means for automatically capturing an image after running the camera application.

49. The system of claim 43, wherein the means for determining a configuration of the means for capacitively sensing determines a sequence of activation of a plurality of the means for capacitively sensing mounted on the back of the housing and the function is based on the sequence of activation.

50. The system of claim 49, further comprising a means for detecting a pattern of contacts on the housing, wherein the means for determining the configuration determines the configuration after the means for detecting a pattern of contacts detects the pattern of contacts.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the wherein the pattern of contacts is a plurality of sets of multiple contacts.

52. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including program code stored thereon, comprising:

program code to analyze signals received from a plurality of proximity sensors coupled to a housing of a mobile device to determine a configuration of activated proximity sensors;

program code to determine a power mode of the mobile device;

if the power mode of the mobile device is a lower power mode than awake, program code to determine a function based at least in part on the configuration of activated proximity sensors and the power mode, wherein the function comprises performing a telephony operation, performing a music player operation, launching an application, performing a camera application operation, performing a texting application operation, performing an email application operation, providing status information of the mobile device or any combination thereof; and

program code to automatically run the determined function on the mobile device.

53. The computer-readable medium of claim 52, further comprising program code to analyze signals from an orientation sensor to determine an orientation of a mobile device and wherein the program code to determine the function further based at least in part on the orientation of the mobile device.

54. The computer-readable medium of claim 53, wherein the orientation of the mobile device is determined to be approximately vertical and the configuration of activated proximity sensors indicates that the mobile device is held near two or more corners of the mobile device, and the function is a camera application.

55. The computer-readable medium of claim 53, wherein the orientation of the mobile device is determined to be approximately horizontal and the configuration of activated proximity sensors indicates that the mobile device is held near two or more corners of the mobile device, and the function is a short message service application.