Controlling access to a mobile device

• US 9,071,679 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2014
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Forutanpour, Babak, Parekh, Shyam K., Forrester, John, Prasad, Harsha Rajendra
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US14/265,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20140235225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141-4144, 455418-420, 455/550.1, 4555561-5562, 455/566, 345/581, 345/594, 345/660, 345/156, 345173-175
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1072 measuring distances on the body, e.g. measuring length, height or thickness A61B5/1076 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0279 Improving the user comfort or ergonomics
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/24 Arrangements for testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/66 with means for preventing unauthorised or fraudulent calling verifying user identity or authority in secret or secure digital communications H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724631 by limiting the access to the user interface, e.g. locking a touch-screen or a keypad
• 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: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

Various arrangements for customizing a configuration of a mobile device are presented. The mobile device may collect proximity data. The mobile device may determine that a user has gripped the mobile device based on the proximity data. A finger length of the user may be determined using the proximity data. Configuration of the mobile device may be customized at least partially based on the determined finger length of the user.

Claims

1. A method for customizing a configuration of a mobile device, the method comprising:

collecting, by the mobile device, proximity data;

determining, by the mobile device, that a user has gripped the mobile device based on the proximity data;

determining, by the mobile device, a hand size of the user using the proximity data;

determining, by the mobile device, whether the user is an adult or a child based on the hand size; and

customizing, by the mobile device, the configuration of the mobile device at least partially based on whether the user is the adult or the child.

2. The method for customizing the configuration of the mobile device of claim 1, wherein:

customizing, by the mobile device, the configuration of the mobile device comprises limiting a data transmission rate of the mobile device.

3. The method for customizing the configuration of the mobile device of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the mobile device, a text message routed to the mobile device at least partially based on the user gripping the mobile device, wherein a mobile phone linked with the user does not ring or vibrate in response to the text message.

4. The method for customizing the configuration of the mobile device of claim 1, wherein determining that the user has gripped the mobile device based on the proximity data comprises:

using the proximity data, determining, by the mobile device, that the user has gripped the mobile device with two hands.

5. The method for customizing the configuration of the mobile device of claim 4, wherein determining, by the mobile device, the hand size of the user using the proximity data comprises:

determining, by the mobile device, a first hand size of a left hand of the user and a second hand size of a right hand of the user.

6. The method for customizing the configuration of the mobile device of claim 4, wherein:

the mobile device comprises;

a housing, wherein;

the housing has a front surface and a rear surface; and

the front surface comprises a display; and

the proximity data is collected by the mobile device using a plurality of proximity sensors arranged on the rear surface of the housing of the mobile device.

7. The method for customizing the configuration of the mobile device of claim 6, wherein:

the mobile device is configured to measure a first hand size of the user on a first hand and a second hand size of a second hand when the first hand of the user grips a first side of the mobile device and the second hand of the user grips a second side of the mobile device; and

the first hand of the user and the second hand of the user simultaneously grip the mobile device.

8. The method for customizing the configuration of the mobile device of claim 1, wherein:

customizing, by the mobile device, the configuration of the mobile device comprises selecting functions from a set of functions available to the user at least partially based on the hand size of the user.

9. The method for customizing the configuration of the mobile device of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the mobile device, proximity data for each user of a plurality of users, wherein;

the plurality of users comprises the user; and

the proximity data corresponding to each user is used to determine the hand size for each user of the plurality of users; and

storing, by the mobile device, a user profile for each user, wherein the user profile identifies the hand size for the corresponding user.

10. A mobile device configured to customize a configuration, the mobile device comprising:

a housing comprising;

a front surface comprising a display; and

a rear surface;

two pairs of capacitive proximity sensors configured to;

collect proximity data that indicates proximity to a triggering entity;

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled with and readable by one or more processors and having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

determine that a user has gripped the mobile device based on the proximity data;

determine a hand size of the user using the proximity data;

determine whether the user is an adult or a child based on the hand size and

customize the configuration of the mobile device at least partially based on whether the user is the adult or the child.

11. The mobile device configured to customize the configuration of claim 10, further comprising:

a transmitter, wherein a data transmission rate of the transmitter is adjusted at least partially based on the configuration of the mobile device customized.

12. The mobile device configured to customize the configuration of claim 10, wherein the processor-readable instructions further comprise processor-readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:

present a text message routed to the mobile device at least partially based on the user gripping the mobile device, wherein a mobile phone linked with the user does not ring or vibrate in response to the text message.

13. The mobile device configured to customize the configuration of claim 10, wherein the processor-readable instructions that cause the one or more processors to determine that a user has gripped the mobile device based on the proximity data further comprises processor-readable instructions that cause the one or more processors to, using the proximity data, determine that the user has gripped the mobile device with two hands.

14. The mobile device configured to customize the configuration of claim 13, wherein the processor-readable instructions configured to cause to the one or more processors to determine the hand size of the user using the proximity data comprises processor-readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:

determine a first hand size of a left hand of the user and a second hand size of a right hand of the user.

15. The mobile device configured to customize the configuration of claim 14, wherein the two pairs of capacitive proximity sensors are arranged on the rear surface of the housing of the mobile device.

16. The mobile device configured to customize the configuration of claim 10, wherein the processor-readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to customize the configuration of the mobile device comprises processor-readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to select functions from a set of functions available to the user at least partially based on the hand size of the user.

17. The mobile device configured to customize the configuration of claim 10, wherein the processor-readable instructions further comprise processor-readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:

receive proximity data for each user of a plurality of users, wherein;

the plurality of users comprises the user; and

the proximity data corresponding to each user is used to determine the hand size for each user of the plurality of users; and

cause a user profile for each user to be stored, wherein the user profile identifies the hand size for the corresponding user.

18. A computer program product residing on a non-transitory processor-readable medium for customizing a configuration of a mobile device, the computer program product comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:

receive proximity data;

determine that a user has gripped the mobile device based on the proximity data;

determine a hand size of the user using the proximity data;

determine whether the user is an adult or a child based on the hand size; and

customize the configuration of the mobile device at least partially based on whether the user is the adult or the child.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the processor-readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to customize the configuration of the mobile device further comprises processor-readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to limit a data transmission rate of the mobile device.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer program product further comprises processor-readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:

cause a text message routed to the mobile device at least partially based on the user gripping the mobile device to be presented, wherein a mobile phone linked with the user does not ring or vibrate in response to the text message.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the processor-readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to determine that a user has gripped the mobile device based on the proximity data further comprises processor-readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to, using the proximity data, determine that the user has gripped the mobile device with two hands.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the processor-readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to determine the hand size of the user using the proximity data further comprises processor-readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:

determine a first hand size of a left hand of the user and a second hand size of a right hand of the user.

23. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the processor-readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to customize the configuration of the mobile device further comprises processor-readable instructions to cause the one or more processors to select functions from a set of functions available to the user at least partially based on the hand size of the user.

24. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer program product further comprises processor-readable instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to:

receive proximity data for each user of a plurality of users, wherein;

the plurality of users comprises the user; and

the proximity data corresponding to each user is used to determine the hand size for each user of the plurality of users; and

cause a user profile for each user to be stored, wherein the user profile identifies the hand size for the corresponding user.

25. An apparatus for customizing a configuration of a mobile device, the apparatus comprising:

means for collecting proximity data;

means for determining that a user has gripped the mobile device based on the proximity data;

means for determining a hand size of the user using the proximity data;

means for determining whether the user is an adult or a child based on the hand size; and

means for customizing the configuration of the mobile device at least partially based on whether the user is the adult or the child.

26. The apparatus for customizing the configuration of the mobile device of claim 25, wherein the means for customizing the configuration of the mobile device comprises:

means for limiting a data transmission rate of the mobile device.

27. The apparatus for customizing the configuration of the mobile device of claim 25, further comprising:

means for presenting a text message routed to the mobile device at least partially based on the user gripping the mobile device, wherein a mobile phone linked with the user does not ring or vibrate in response to the text message.

28. The apparatus for customizing the configuration of the mobile device of claim 25, wherein the means for determining that a user has gripped the mobile device based on the proximity data comprises:

means for determining, using the proximity data, that the user has gripped the mobile device with two hands.

29. The apparatus for customizing the configuration of the mobile device of claim 25, wherein the means for determining the hand size of the user using the proximity data comprises:

means for determining a first hand size of a left hand of the user and a second hand size of a right hand of the user.

30. The apparatus for customizing the configuration of the mobile device of claim 25, wherein:

the means for customizing the configuration of the mobile device comprises means for selecting functions from a set of functions available to the user at least partially based on the hand size of the user.