U.S. patent application number 13/215481 was filed with the patent office on 2012-06-21 for method for conserving power on a portable electronic device and a portable electronic device configured for the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED. Invention is credited to Danny Thomas Dodge, John Edward Dolson, Mihal Lazaridis, Donald James Lindsay, Robert James Lowles.
Application Number | 20120154303 13/215481 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44534001 |
Filed Date | 2012-06-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120154303 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lazaridis; Mihal ; et
al. |
June 21, 2012 |
METHOD FOR CONSERVING POWER ON A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND A
PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE CONFIGURED FOR THE SAME
Abstract
The present disclosure describes a method for conserving power
on a portable electronic device and a portable electronic device
configured for the same. In accordance with one embodiment, there
is provided a method for conserving power comprising: switching a
portable electronic device to a low power mode in response to a
trigger condition; and switching the portable electronic device
from the low power mode to a full power mode on the portable
electronic device in response to detection of a designated wake-up
gesture on a touch-sensitive overlay of the portable electronic
device.
Inventors: |
Lazaridis; Mihal; (Waterloo,
CA) ; Lowles; Robert James; (Waterloo, CA) ;
Lindsay; Donald James; (Mountain View, CA) ; Dolson;
John Edward; (Carp, CA) ; Dodge; Danny Thomas;
(Ottawa, CA) |
Assignee: |
RESEARCH IN MOTION LIMITED
Waterloo
CA
|
Family ID: |
44534001 |
Appl. No.: |
13/215481 |
Filed: |
August 23, 2011 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61386147 |
Sep 24, 2010 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
345/173 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 1/3215 20130101;
G06F 1/3206 20130101; G06F 3/04883 20130101; G06F 3/017
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
345/173 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/041 20060101
G06F003/041 |
Claims
1. A method for conserving power on a portable electronic device,
comprising: switching the portable electronic device to a low power
mode in response to a trigger condition; detecting a touch on the
touch-sensitive overlay; determining touch attributes of the touch;
determining when the touch is the designated wake-up gesture based
on the determined touch attributes; and switching the portable
electronic device from the low power mode to a full power mode on
the portable electronic device in response to detection of the
designated wake-up gesture on the touch-sensitive overlay of the
portable electronic device.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated wake-up gesture is
a pair of swipes each in a designated direction.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the designated wake-up gesture is
a pair of down swipes located towards opposite sides of the
portable electronic device.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein the designated wake-up gesture is
a pair of up swipes located towards opposite sides of the portable
electronic device.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated wake-up gesture is
a meta-navigation gesture, wherein the meta-navigation gesture
comprises a gesture with a start location outside of a display area
of the touch-sensitive overlay and an end location within the
display area of the touch-sensitive overlay.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determined touch attributes
comprise a start location of the touch and one or more of a
distance travelled of the touch, a speed of the touch when the
touch is detected, a direction of the touch when the touch is
detected or an end location of the touch, wherein the touch is
determined to be a meta-navigation gesture based on the start
location and the one or more of the speed when the touch is
detected, the direction of the touch when the touch is detected or
the end location of the touch.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the touch is determined to be a
meta-navigation gesture when the start location of the touch is
outside of a display area of the touch-sensitive display and the
touch travels to the display area of the touch-sensitive
display.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein the touch is determined to be a
meta-navigation gesture when the start location of the touch is
outside of a display area of the touch-sensitive display and an
outside of a buffer region adjacent the display area and the touch
travels through the buffer region to the display area of the
touch-sensitive display.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the touch is not a
meta-navigation gesture when the start location is in the buffer
region.
10. The method of claim 5, wherein detecting a touch comprises
detecting multiple touches that overlap in time on the
touch-sensitive display and determining touch attributes for each
touch, wherein determining when the touch is the designated wake-up
gesture comprises determining that the multiple touches comprise a
meta-navigation gesture when at least one of the touches is a
meta-navigation gesture.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated wake-up gesture
is performed in a designated area of the touch-sensitive
overlay.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the designated area is outside
of a display area of the touch-sensitive overlay.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the designated area is a buffer
region between a display area and a non-display area of the
touch-sensitive overlay.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the designated area is a
non-display area outside of a buffer region adjacent to a display
area of the touch-sensitive overlay.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein only the designated area of the
touch-sensitive overlay is scanned to detect the designated wake-up
gesture.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein inputs other than the designated
wake-up gesture are ignored when the portable electronic device is
in the low power mode.
17. An electronic device comprising: a display; a touch-sensitive
overlay which overlays a portion of the display; a processor
coupled to the touch-sensitive overlay, wherein the processor is
configured for switching to a low power mode in response to a
trigger condition; detecting a touch on the touch-sensitive
overlay; determining touch attributes of the touch; determining
when the touch is the designated wake-up gesture based on the
determined touch attributes; and switching from the low power mode
to a full power mode on the portable electronic device in response
to detection of the designated wake-up gesture on the
touch-sensitive overlay.
18. An electronic device comprising: a display; a touch-sensitive
overlay which overlays at least a portion of the display; a
touch-sensitive bezel adjacent the touch-sensitive display; a
processor coupled to the touch-sensitive overlay and
touch-sensitive bezel, wherein the processor is configured for
switching to a low power mode in response to a trigger condition;
detecting a touch on the touch-sensitive overlay; determining touch
attributes of the touch; determining when the touch is the
designated wake-up gesture based on the determined touch
attributes; and switching from the low power mode to a full power
mode on the portable electronic device in response to detection of
the designated wake-up gesture on the touch-sensitive overlay.
19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the designated
wake-up gesture is a meta-navigation gesture which comprises a
gesture with a start location on the touch-sensitive bezel.
20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the meta-navigation
gesture comprises a gesture with a start location on the
touch-sensitive bezel and the touch travels across the
touch-sensitive bezel to a display area of the touch-sensitive
display.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION DATA
[0001] The present application claims priority to, and the benefit
of, provisional U.S. patent application Ser. No. 61/386,147, filed
Sep. 24, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference in its
entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to electronic devices
including, but not limited to, portable electronic devices having
touch-sensitive displays, and more particularly to a method for
conserving power on a portable electronic device and a portable
electronic device configured for the same.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Electronic devices, including portable electronic devices,
have gained widespread use and may provide a variety of functions
including, for example, telephonic, electronic messaging and other
personal information manager (PIM) application functions. Portable
electronic devices include several types of devices including
mobile.cndot.stations such as simple cellular telephones, smart
telephones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), tablet computers,
and laptop computers, with wireless network communications or
near-field communications connectivity such as Bluetooth.RTM.
capabilities.
[0004] Portable electronic devices such as PDAs, or tablet
computers are generally intended for handheld use and ease of
portability. Smaller devices are generally desirable for
portability. A touch-sensitive display, also known as a touchscreen
display, is particularly useful on handheld devices, which are
small and have limited space for user input and output. The
information displayed on the touch-sensitive display may be
modified depending on the functions and operations being performed.
Improvements in electronic devices with touch-sensitive displays
are desirable.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a portable electronic device in
accordance with an example embodiment of the present
disclosure;
[0006] FIG. 2 is a front view of an example of a portable
electronic device of the present disclosure;
[0007] FIG. 3 illustrates examples of touches on the portable
electronic device of FIG. 2;
[0008] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling
the portable electronic device in accordance with one example
embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0009] FIG. 5 illustrates examples of associations between
meta-navigation gestures and information from applications in
accordance with one example embodiment of the present disclosure;
and
[0010] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a method of conserving
power on the portable electronic device in accordance with one
example embodiment of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
[0011] The present disclosure describes an electronic device and a
method that includes displaying information associated with a first
application on a touch-sensitive display, detecting a touch on a
touch-sensitive display and determining touch attributes,
determining when the touch is a first gesture type based on the
touch attributes, and when the touch is determined to be the first
gesture type, forwarding information related to the touch to a
second application, otherwise forwarding the information related to
the touch to the first application. The present disclosure also
describes a method of conserving power and a portable electronic
device configured for the same.
[0012] In accordance with one embodiment, there is provided a
method comprising: switching a portable electronic device to a low
power mode in response to a trigger condition; and switching the
portable electronic device from the low power mode to a full power
mode on the portable electronic device in response to detection of
a designated wake-up gesture on a touch-sensitive overlay of the
portable electronic device. In some examples, the designated
wake-up gesture is a meta-navigation gesture, wherein the
meta-navigation gesture comprises a gesture with a start location
outside of a display area of the touch-sensitive overlay and an end
location within the display area of the touch-sensitive
overlay.
[0013] In accordance with another embodiment, there is provided a
method for conserving power on a portable electronic device,
comprising: switching the portable electronic device to a low power
mode in response to a trigger condition; detecting a touch on the
touch-sensitive overlay; determining touch attributes of the touch;
determining when the touch is the designated wake-up gesture based
on the determined touch attributes; and switching the portable
electronic device from the low power mode to a full power mode on
the portable electronic device in response to detection of the
designated wake-up gesture on the touch-sensitive overlay of the
portable electronic device.
[0014] In some examples, the designated wake-up gesture is
performed in a designated area of the touch-sensitive overlay. In
some examples, the designated area is outside of a display area of
the touch-sensitive overlay. The designated area may be a buffer
region between a display area and a non-display area of the
touch-sensitive overlay or a non-display area outside of a buffer
region adjacent to a display area of the touch-sensitive overlay.
In some examples, only the designated area of the touch-sensitive
overlay is scanned to detect the designated wake-up gesture.
[0015] In some examples, the designated wake-up gesture is a
meta-navigation gesture, wherein the meta-navigation gesture
comprises a gesture with a start location outside of a display area
of the touch-sensitive overlay and an end location within the
display area of the touch-sensitive overlay. In some examples, the
touch is determined to be a meta-navigation gesture when the start
location of the touch is outside of a display area of the
touch-sensitive display and the touch travels to the display area
of the touch-sensitive display. In some examples, the touch is
determined to be a meta-navigation gesture when the start location
of the touch is outside of a display area of the touch-sensitive
display and an outside of a buffer region adjacent the display area
and the touch travels through the buffer region to the display area
of the touch-sensitive display. In some examples, the touch is not
a meta-navigation gesture when the start location is in the buffer
region.
[0016] In accordance with a further embodiment, there is provided
an electronic device comprising: a display, a touch-sensitive
overlay which overlays a portion of the display; a processor
coupled to the touch-sensitive overlay, wherein the processor is
configured to perform the methods described herein. In some
examples, the designated wake-up gesture is a meta-navigation
gesture, wherein the meta-navigation gesture comprises a gesture
with a start location outside of a display area of the
touch-sensitive overlay and an end location within the display area
of the touch-sensitive overlay.
[0017] In accordance with yet a further embodiment, there is
provided an electronic device comprising: a display; a
touch-sensitive overlay which overlays at least a portion of the
display; a touch-sensitive bezel adjacent the touch-sensitive
display; a processor coupled to the touch-sensitive overlay and
touch-sensitive bezel, wherein the processor is configured to
perform the methods described herein. In some examples, the
designated wake-up gesture is a meta-navigation gesture which
comprises a gesture with a start location on the touch-sensitive
bezel. In some examples, the touch travels across the
touch-sensitive bezel to a display area of the touch-sensitive
display.
[0018] In accordance with yet a further embodiment, there is
provided a computer-readable medium having computer-readable code
stored thereon which is executable by at least one processor of a
portable electronic device to perform the described method.
[0019] For simplicity and clarity of illustration, reference
numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate
corresponding or analogous elements. Numerous details are set forth
to provide an understanding of the embodiments described herein.
The embodiments may be practiced without these details. In other
instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not
been described in detail to avoid obscuring the embodiments
described. The description is not to be considered as limited to
the scope of the embodiments described herein.
[0020] The disclosure generally relates to an electronic device,
such as a portable electronic device. Examples of portable
electronic devices include wireless communication devices such as
pagers, mobile or cellular telephones, smartphones, wireless
organizers, PDAs, notebook computers, netbook computers, tablet
computers, and so forth. The portable electronic device may also be
a portable electronic device without wireless communication
capabilities. Examples include handheld electronic game devices,
digital photograph albums, digital cameras, notebook computers,
netbook computers, tablet computers, and so forth.
[0021] A block diagram of an example of a portable electronic
device 100 is shown in FIG. 1. The portable electronic device 100
includes multiple components, such as a processor 102 that controls
the overall operation of the portable electronic device 100. The
portable electronic device 100 presently described optionally
includes a communication subsystem 104 and a short-range
communications 132 module to perform various communication
functions, including data and voice communications. Data received
by the portable electronic device 100 is decompressed and decrypted
by a decoder 106. The communication subsystem 104 receives messages
from and sends messages to a wireless network 150. The wireless
network 150 may be any type of wireless network, including, but not
limited to, data wireless networks, voice wireless networks, and
networks that support both voice and data communications. A power
source 142, such as one or more rechargeable batteries or a port to
an external power supply, powers the portable electronic device
100.
[0022] The processor 102 interacts with other components, such as
Random Access Memory (RAM) 108, memory 110, a display 112 with a
touch-sensitive overlay 114 operably connected to an electronic
controller 116 that together comprise a touch-sensitive display
118, one or more force sensors 122, an auxiliary input/output (I/O)
subsystem 124, a data port 126, a speaker 128, a microphone 130,
short-range communications 132, and other device subsystems 134.
User-interaction with a graphical user interface is performed
through the touch-sensitive overlay 114. The processor 102
interacts with the touch-sensitive overlay 114 via the electronic
controller 116. Information, such as text, characters, symbols,
images, icons, and other items that may be displayed or rendered on
a portable electronic device, is displayed on the touch-sensitive
display 118 via the processor 102. The processor 102 may interact
with an orientation sensor such as an accelerometer 136 to detect
direction of gravitational forces or gravity-induced reaction
forces so as to determine, for example, the orientation of the
portable electronic device 100.
[0023] To identify a subscriber for network access, the portable
electronic device 100 uses a Subscriber Identity Module or a
Removable User Identity Module (SIM/RUIM) card 138 for
communication with a network, such as the wireless network 150.
Alternatively, user identification information may be programmed
into memory 110.
[0024] The portable electronic device 100 includes an operating
system 146 and software programs or components 148 that are
executed by the processor 102 and are typically stored in a
persistent, updatable store such as the memory 110. Additional
applications or programs may be loaded onto the portable electronic
device 100 through the wireless network 150, the auxiliary I/O
subsystem 124, the data port 126, the short-range communications
subsystem 132, or any other suitable subsystem 134.
[0025] A received signal, such as a text message, an e-mail
message, or web page download, is processed by the communication
subsystem 104 and input to the processor 102. The processor 102
processes the received signal for output to the display 112 and/or
to the auxiliary I/O subsystem 124. A subscriber may generate data
items, for example e-mail messages, which may be transmitted over
the wireless network 150 through the communication subsystem 104,
for example.
[0026] The touch-sensitive display 118 may be any suitable
touch-sensitive display, such as a capacitive, resistive, infrared,
surface acoustic wave (SAW) touch-sensitive display, strain gauge,
optical imaging, dispersive signal technology, acoustic pulse
recognition, and so forth, as known in the art. In the presently
described example embodiment, the touch-sensitive display 118 is a
capacitive touch-sensitive display which includes a capacitive
touch-sensitive overlay 114. The overlay 114 may be an assembly of
multiple layers in a stack which may include, for example, a
substrate, a ground shield layer, a barrier layer, one or more
capacitive touch sensor layers separated by a substrate or other
barrier, and a cover. The capacitive touch sensor layers may be any
suitable material, such as patterned indium tin oxide (ITO).
[0027] The display 112 of the touch-sensitive display 118 includes
a display area in which information may be displayed, and a
non-display area extending around the periphery of the display
area. Information is not displayed in the non-display area, which
is utilized to accommodate, for example, electronic traces or
electrical connections, adhesives or other sealants, and/or
protective coatings around the edges of the display area.
[0028] One or more touches, also known as touch contacts or touch
events, may be detected by the touch-sensitive display 118. The
processor 102 may determine attributes of the touch, including a
location of a touch. Touch location data may include an area of
contact or a single point of contact, such as a point at or near a
center of the area of contact known as the centroid. A signal is
provided to the controller 116 in response to detection of a touch.
A touch may be detected from any suitable object, such as a finger,
thumb, appendage, or other items, for example, a stylus, pen, or
other pointer, depending on the nature of the touch-sensitive
display 118. The location of the touch moves as the detected object
moves during a touch. The controller 116 and/or the processor 102
may detect a touch by any suitable contact member on the
touch-sensitive display 118. Similarly, multiple simultaneous
touches, are detected.
[0029] The touch-sensitive overlay 114 is configured to detect one
or more gestures. Alternatively, the processor 102 may be
configured to detect one or more gestures in accordance with touch
data provided by the touch-sensitive overlay 114. A gesture is a
particular type of touch on a touch-sensitive display 118 that
begins at an origin point and continues to an end point. A gesture
may be identified by attributes of the gesture, including the
origin point, the end point, the distance travelled, the duration,
the velocity, and the direction, for example. A gesture may be long
or short in distance and/or duration. Two points of the gesture may
be utilized to determine a direction of the gesture.
[0030] An example of a gesture is a swipe (also known as a flick).
A swipe has a single direction. The touch-sensitive overlay 114 may
evaluate swipes with respect to the origin point at which contact
is initially made with the touch-sensitive overlay 114 and the end
point at which contact with the touch-sensitive overlay 114 ends
rather than using each of location or point of contact over the
duration of the gesture to resolve a direction.
[0031] Examples of swipes include a horizontal swipe, a vertical
swipe, and a diagonal swipe. A horizontal swipe typically comprises
an origin point towards the left or right side of the
touch-sensitive overlay 114 to initialize the gesture, a horizontal
movement of the detected object from the origin point to an end
point towards the right or left side of the touch-sensitive overlay
114 while maintaining continuous contact with the touch-sensitive
overlay 114, and a breaking of contact with the touch-sensitive
overlay 114. Similarly, a vertical swipe typically comprises an
origin point towards the top or bottom of the touch-sensitive
overlay 114 to initialize the gesture, a horizontal movement of the
detected object from the origin point to an end point towards the
bottom or top of the touch-sensitive overlay 114 while maintaining
continuous contact with the touch-sensitive overlay 114, and a
breaking of contact with the touch-sensitive overlay 114.
[0032] Swipes can be of various lengths, can be initiated in
various places on the touch-sensitive overlay 114, and need not
span the full dimension of the touch-sensitive overlay 114. In
addition, breaking contact of a swipe can be gradual in that
contact with the touch-sensitive overlay 114 is gradually reduced
while the swipe is still underway.
[0033] Meta-navigation gestures may also be detected by the
touch-sensitive display 118. A meta-navigation gesture is a gesture
that has an origin point that is outside the display area of the
touch-sensitive display 118 and that moves to a position on the
display area of the touch-sensitive display 118. In other words, a
meta-navigation gesture comprises a gesture with a start location
outside of a display area of the touch-sensitive overlay 114 and an
end location within the display area of the touch-sensitive overlay
114. Other attributes of the gesture may be detected and be
utilized to detect the meta-navigation gesture. Meta-navigation
gestures may also include multi-touch gestures in which gestures
are simultaneous or overlap in time and at least one of the touches
has an origin point that is outside the display area and moves to a
position on the display area of the touch-sensitive display 118.
Thus, two fingers may be utilized for meta-navigation gestures.
Further, multi-touch meta-navigation gestures may be distinguished
from single touch meta-navigation gestures and may provide
additional or further functionality.
[0034] In some example embodiments, an optional force sensor 122 or
force sensors is disposed in any suitable location, for example,
between the touch-sensitive display 118 and a back of the portable
electronic device 100 to detect a force imparted by a touch on the
touch-sensitive display 118. The force sensor 122 may be a
force-sensitive resistor, strain gauge, piezoelectric or
piezoresistive device, pressure sensor, or other suitable device.
Force as utilized throughout the specification refers to force
measurements, estimates, and/or calculations, such as pressure,
deformation, stress, strain, force density, force-area
relationships, thrust, torque, and other effects that include force
or related quantities.
[0035] Force information related to a detected touch may be
utilized to select information, such as information associated with
a location of a touch. For example, a touch that does not meet a
force threshold may highlight a selection option, whereas a touch
that meets a force threshold may select or input that selection
option. Selection options include, for example, displayed or
virtual keys of a keyboard; selection boxes or windows, e.g.,
"cancel," "delete," or "unlock"; function buttons, such as play or
stop on a music player; and so forth. Different magnitudes of force
may be associated with different functions or input. For example, a
lesser force may result in panning, and a higher force may result
in zooming.
[0036] FIG. 2 shows a front view of an example of the portable
electronic device 100. The portable electronic device 100 includes
a housing 202 that encloses components such as shown in FIG. 1. The
housing 202 may include a back, sidewalls, and a front 204 that
frames the touch-sensitive display 118. In the example of FIG. 2,
the touch-sensitive display 118 is generally centered in the
housing 202 such that the display area 206 of the display 112 is
generally centered with respect to the front 204 of the housing
202. The non-display area 208 of the touch-sensitive overlay 114
extends around the display area 206. In the presently described
embodiment, the width of the non-display area is 4 mm.
[0037] For the purpose of the present example, the touch-sensitive
overlay 114 extends to cover the display area 206 and the
non-display area 208. Touches on the display area 206 may be
detected and, for example, may be associated with displayed
selectable features. Touches on the non-display area 208 may be
detected, for example, to detect a meta-navigation gesture.
Alternatively, meta-navigation gestures may be determined by both
the non-display area 208 and the display area 206. The density of
touch sensors may differ from the display area 206 to the
non-display area 208. For example, the density of nodes in a mutual
capacitive touch-sensitive display, or density of locations at
which electrodes of one layer cross over electrodes of another
layer, may differ between the display area 206 and the non-display
area 208.
[0038] Gestures received on the touch-sensitive display 118 may be
analyzed based on the attributes to discriminate between
meta-navigation gestures and other touches, or non-meta navigation
gestures. Meta-navigation gestures may be identified when the
gesture crosses over a boundary near a periphery of the display
112, such as a boundary 210 between the display area 206 and the
non-display area 208. In the example of FIG. 2, the origin point of
a meta-navigation gesture on the touch-sensitive display 118 may be
determined utilizing the area of the touch-sensitive overlay 114
that covers the non-display area 208.
[0039] A buffer region 212 or band that extends around the boundary
210 between the display area 206 and the non-display area 208 may
be utilized such that a meta-navigation gesture is identified when
a touch has an origin point outside the boundary 210 and the buffer
region 212 and crosses through the buffer region 212 and over the
boundary 210 to a point inside the boundary 210 (i.e., in the
display area 206). Thus, the buffer region 212 extends around the
display area 206 and the non-display area 208 extends around the
buffer region 212. Although illustrated in FIG. 2, the buffer
region 212 may not be visible. Instead, the buffer region 212 may
be a region around the boundary 210 that extends a width that is
equivalent to a predetermined number of pixels, for example.
Alternatively, the boundary 210 may extend a predetermined number
of touch sensors or may extend a predetermined distance from the
display area 206. The boundary 210 may be a touch-sensitive region
or may be a region in which touches are not detected.
[0040] Gestures that have an origin point in the buffer region 212,
for example, may be identified as non-meta navigation gestures.
Optionally, data from such gestures may be utilized by an
application as a non-meta navigation gesture. Alternatively, data
from such gestures may be discarded such that touches that have an
origin point on the buffer region 212 are not utilized as input at
the portable electronic device 100.
[0041] FIG. 3 illustrates examples of touches on the
touch-sensitive display 118. The buffer region 212 is illustrated
in FIG. 3 by hash markings for the purpose of explanation. As
indicated, the buffer region 212 may not be visible to the user.
For the purpose of explanation, touches are illustrated by circles
at their points of origin. Arrows extending from the circles
illustrate the paths of the touches that are gestures.
[0042] The touch 302 begins at the origin point outside the
boundary 210 and the outside of the buffer region 212. The path of
the touch 302 crosses the buffer region 212 and the boundary 210
and is therefore identified as a meta-navigation gesture.
Similarly, the touches 304, 306, 308, 310, 312, 314, 316 each have
origin points outside the boundary 210 and the buffer region 212
and their paths cross the buffer region 212 and the boundary 210.
Each of the touches 304, 306, 308, 310, 312, 314, 316 is therefore
identified as a meta-navigation gesture. However, the touch 318 has
an origin point that falls within the buffer region 212 and the
touch 318 is therefore not identified as a meta-navigation gesture.
The touch 320 begins at an origin point outside the boundary 210
and the buffer region 212. However, the path of the touch 320 does
not cross the boundary 210 and is therefore not identified as a
meta-navigation gesture. The touch 322 also has an origin point
outside the boundary 210 and the buffer region 212 but is not a
gesture and therefore does not cross the boundary 210 and is not
identified as a meta-navigation gesture.
[0043] A flowchart illustrating a method of controlling an
electronic device, such as the portable electronic device 100, is
shown in FIG. 4. The method may be carried out by computer-readable
code executed, for example, by the processor 102. Coding of
software for carrying out such a method is within the scope of a
person of ordinary skill in the art given the present description.
The method may contain additional or fewer processes than shown
and/or described, and may be performed in a different order.
[0044] The process may be carried out in any suitable application
148 including but not limited to a home screen application, an
email messaging application, a text messaging application, a
calendar application, a task application, an address book
application, a Web browser application, or any other suitable
application 148. Information from the application 148, referred to
as the first application, is displayed on the touch-sensitive
display 118 of the portable electronic device 100 at 402. When a
touch is detected at 404, the process continues at 406 and a
determination is made whether or not the touch is a meta-navigation
gesture. The determination is made based on the attributes of the
touch as described above. In response to determining that the touch
is not a meta-navigation gesture, which may be a tap on the
touch-sensitive display 118 or may be a non-meta navigation
gesture, the touch data is utilized in association with the first
application for which information is displayed on the
touch-sensitive display 118 at the time the gesture is received, at
408. In response to identifying the touch as a meta-navigation
gesture at 406, the touch data is utilized in a second application
and information associated with the second, or with a further
application, is displayed on the touch-sensitive display 118 at
410. The information associated with the second application may be
overlaid on the information associated with the first application,
for example, to facilitate navigation back to the information
associated with the first application. Alternatively, the
information associated with the second application may include, for
example, information from a system level navigation interface, a
configuration interface, a notification interface, a status
interface, a menu interface, or information associated with any
other interface.
[0045] Referring again to FIG. 3, the touches 302, 304, 306, 308,
310, 312, 314, 316 identified as meta-navigation gestures may each
be associated with information from an application such that
attributes of the meta-navigation gesture such as the origin point,
may be utilized to determine which application the meta-navigation
gesture is associated with. FIG. 5 illustrates examples of
associations between meta-navigation gestures and information from
applications 148, other than the application associated with the
information displayed on the touch-sensitive display 118 at the
time the gesture is received. The relationships shown in FIG. 5 are
shown for illustrative purposes only and are interchangeable.
Further relationships may also be utilized illustrated for the
purpose of explanation. Further applications 148 and alternative
associations may be utilized. The terms top, bottom, right, and
left are utilized herein for the purpose of providing a reference
and refer to an area of the portable electronic device 100 relative
to the orientation in which the information associated with the
application is displayed.
[0046] The meta-navigation gesture 302, which originates near a
bottom, center of the touch-sensitive display 118 and follows a
generally vertical path in the orientation in which the information
from a current application 502 is displayed, causes a home screen
associated with a root-navigation application 510 to replace the
information associated with the current application 502. The home
screen includes a carousel showing the currently active
applications indicated in a top portion of the display.
Accordingly, currently active apps are shown in a browsable
carousel in the top portion of the home screen. The carousel is
located at a top portion of the home screen. In the described
embodiment, the top portion utilizes only about 1/3 of the home
screen and application icons for non-active applications are
provided at the bottom portion of the home screen for ease of
selection.
[0047] The meta-navigation gesture 304, which originates near a
left, center of the touch-sensitive display 118 and follows a
generally lateral path, causes the information associated with the
current application 502 to be replaced with information associated
with a previous application 506, which may be a previous
application in a grouping or may be an application associated with
information previously displayed. The meta-navigation gesture 306,
which originates near a right, center of the touch-sensitive
display 118 and follows a generally lateral path, causes the
information associated with the current application 502 to be
replaced with information associated with a next application 508,
which may be a next application in a grouping.
[0048] The lateral gesture from either the left side or the right
side of the touch-sensitive display 118 may cause the information
associated with the current application 502 to be reduced in size
to provide a visual cue of other active applications 148 prior to
replacing the information with the previous application 506 or the
next application 508. For example, a portion of the information of
the previous application 506 or a portion of the information for
the next application 508 may be displayed in a thin sliver adjacent
the edges of the display area 206. In this example, a swipe within
the thin sliver may cause scrolling of the next and last
applications in a list.
[0049] The meta-navigation gesture 308, which originates near a
top, center of the touch-sensitive display 118 and follows a
generally vertical path, causes the information associated with the
current application 502 to be replaced with information associated
with an applications settings application 504.
[0050] The meta-navigation gesture 310, which originates near a
top, left corner of the touch-sensitive display 118, causes
information associated with a notification application 512 to be
tiled over the information associated with the current application
502. Similarly, the meta-navigation gesture 312, which originates
near a top, right corner of the touch-sensitive display 118, causes
information associated with the notification application 512 to be
tiled over the information associated with the current application
502.
[0051] The meta-navigation gesture 314, which originates near a
bottom, left corner of the touch-sensitive display 118, causes
information associated with a status application 514 to be tiled
over the information associated with the current application 502.
Similarly, the meta-navigation gesture 316, which originates near a
bottom, right corner of the touch-sensitive display 118, causes
information associated with the status application 514 to be tiled
over the information associated with the current application
502.
[0052] The present disclosure is not limited to identifying
meta-navigation gestures utilizing a touch-sensitive overlay 114
that extends over a non-display area. Meta-navigation gestures may
be detected based on, for example, the first detected touch
location at a margin of the touch-sensitive overlay 114, which may
be at a margin of the displayable area, and, optionally, based on
the gesture speed or direction when the touch is detected or path
traversed by the gesture. Identification of meta-navigation
gestures may also be carried out utilizing a heuristic algorithm
based on touch attributes and responsive to touch attributes such
as one or more of the origin point, speed, direction, distance and
path of the gesture.
[0053] Optionally, the electronic device may include a
touch-sensitive frame of the housing or a touch-sensitive bezel
circumscribing the touch-sensitive overlay. Meta-navigation
gestures may be identified based on an origin point detected on the
touch-sensitive frame or bezel.
[0054] Further, the boundary that is crossed by a meta-navigation
gesture is not limited to the boundary between the display area and
the non-display area of the touch-sensitive display 118. Other
suitable boundaries may be utilized and may include a region or
band along a margin of the touch-sensitive overlay 114, a
predetermined line, or lines on the touch-sensitive display 118, or
the boundary where the bezel or frame of the electronic device
meets the touch-sensitive display 118.
[0055] Thus, identification of meta-navigation gestures is not
limited to electronic devices with touch-sensitive displays that
include a touch-sensitive overlay 114 that covers the non-display
area of the display 112. The identification of meta-navigation
gestures may be carried out utilizing other electronic devices.
[0056] The use of meta-navigation gestures and the identification
of such gestures provide additional input that may be distinguished
from non-meta navigation gestures or other touches. These
meta-navigation gestures facilitate entry of input related to an
application 148 for which information is not displayed at the time
the gesture is received. Thus, input may be received relating to an
application that is not associated with information displayed on
the touch-sensitive display 118 without the use of icons or
selectable features displayed on the touch-sensitive display 118.
An area or areas of the touch-sensitive display 118 are not taken
up to display such icons or selectable features. System level
navigation is therefore provided without the use of additional
screens or menus for such navigation, providing an improved
interface.
[0057] A flowchart illustrating a method of conserving power on an
electronic device, such as the portable electronic device 100, is
shown in FIG. 6. The method may be carried out by computer-readable
code executed, for example, by the processor 102. Coding of
software for carrying out such a method is within the scope of a
person of ordinary skill in the art given the present description.
The method may contain additional or fewer processes than shown
and/or described, and may be performed in a different order. The
process may be carried out by a power saving process which operates
in the background as part of the operating system 146.
[0058] The processor 102 monitors for one or more predetermined
trigger conditions for entering a low power mode at 602. The
portable electronic device 100 has several power modes: a full
power mode (also referred to as a normal power or "on" mode) in
which full or "normal" functionality of the portable electronic
device 100 is provided; a low power mode (sometimes also referred
to as a "sleep" or "standby" mode) in which reduced functionality
of the portable electronic device 100 is provided to conserve
power; and an "off" mode in which the portable electronic device
100 is powered-off and performs no functions or a minimized set of
functions.
[0059] The trigger conditions may include but are not limited to
one or any combination of selection of a corresponding option via
corresponding input, inactivity of the input devices (e.g.,
touch-sensitive overlay 114) for a threshold duration, inactivity
of the communication subsystem 104 for a threshold duration, a lack
of wireless network coverage for a threshold duration, or other
suitable trigger condition(s).
[0060] When a trigger condition for entering the low power mode is
detected, the processor 102 causes the portable electronic device
100 to switch to the low power mode from the full power mode at
604. The portable electronic device 100 monitors for and detects a
designated wake-up gesture on the touch-sensitive overlay 114 at
606. In some example embodiments, in the low power mode the
portable electronic device 100 monitors for a wake-up interrupt
from the touch-sensitive overlay 114. The wake-up interrupt is a
signal transmitted from the touch-sensitive overlay 114 to an
interrupt port on the processor 102 of the portable electronic
device 100. In the shown example, the processor 102 monitors for
and detects interrupts from the touch-sensitive overlay 114. The
touch-sensitive overlay 114 monitors for and detects a designated
wake-up gesture. The wake-up gesture is a gesture designated to
cause the portable electronic device 100 to exit or "terminate" the
low power mode.
[0061] In at least some examples, monitoring for and detecting a
designated wake-up gesture on the touch-sensitive overlay 114
comprises detecting a touch on the touch-sensitive overlay 114. The
touch attributes of the touch are then determined. The processor
102 then determines whether the touch is the designated wake-up
gesture based on the determined touch attributes. When the
determined touch attributes match touch attributes of the
designated wake-up gesture, the designated wake-up gesture has been
detected.
[0062] In other embodiments, rather than monitoring for and
detecting a wake-up interrupt from the touch-sensitive overlay 114,
touch data may be passed from the touch-sensitive overlay 114 to
the processor 102 which detects the designated wake-up gesture. In
such embodiments, the touch-sensitive overlay 114 can be put in a
low reporting mode when the portable electronic device 100 is in
the low power mode. In the low reporting mode, the touch-sensitive
overlay 114 only sends touch data to the processor 102 when a
threshold change in state of the is detected. The low reporting
mode can be contrasted with a full reporting mode in which the
touch-sensitive overlay 114 sends touch data to the processor 102
at regular scanning cycles irrespective of its state. For example,
a change in the location of a touch event greater than a
predetermined threshold or a change in the number of touches can
cause a change of state of the touch-sensitive overlay 114.
[0063] The portable electronic device 100 may also enter or
initiate a locked mode in response to detecting a trigger condition
at 602. In some embodiments, the trigger conditions to enter the
locked mode are the same as the trigger conditions to enter the low
power mode. Alternatively, entering the low power mode may be a
trigger condition to enter the locked mode. In the locked mode, the
processor 102 enforces restrictions limiting interaction with the
portable electronic device 100. The restrictions typically affect
at least some of its input interfaces/devices (e.g.,
touch-sensitive overlay 114, auxiliary I/O 124, accelerometer 136)
and at least some of its output interfaces/devices (e.g., display
screen 112, speaker 128).
[0064] When the portable electronic device 100 is in the low power
mode, all or substantially all of the other functions normally
performed by the processor 102 in the full power mode, including
but not limited to receiving inputs other than an interrupt from
the touch-sensitive overlay 114, are disabled. Accordingly, inputs
from device subsystems other than the interrupt port of the
processor 102 coupled to the touch-sensitive overlay 114 are not
monitored nor detected in the low power mode.
[0065] In some example embodiments, the processor 102 also switches
from a system clock (not shown) to a sleep clock (not shown) in the
low power mode. In such embodiments, the portable electronic device
100 may include one or more clocks including the system clock and
sleep clock. Alternatively, the portable electronic device 100 may
include a single clock which can operate as both the system clock
and the sleep clock. The sleep clock is a lower power, lower
frequency clock. By way of example, the system clock may comprise a
voltage controlled oscillator operating at a frequency of
approximately 700 to 800 megahertz (though the speed of the system
clock may vary depending on the mode of the portable electronic
device 100), whereas the sleep clock may comprise a low power
oscillator operating at a frequency in the range of 30 kilohertz to
60 kilohertz. In one example embodiment, the sleep clock operates
at 32 kilohertz to reduce the power consumption compared with the
system clock which operates at 700 to 800 megahertz.
[0066] The display 112 is also deactivated when the portable
electronic device 100 is in the low power mode. When the display
112 is deactivated, its backlight is deactivated. Typically, the
display 112 is not powered in the low power mode. The
touch-sensitive overlay 114, or a part thereof, continues to
monitor for touch inputs and detect the designated wake-up gesture
in the low power mode. Other touch inputs, such as other gestures,
are not detected and are ignored when performed by a user when the
portable electronic device 100 is in the low power mode.
[0067] In some example embodiments, in the low power mode the
touch-sensitive overlay 114 scans for touch events and detects
touch data at a lower rate than when in the full power mode to
conserve the power of the power source 142 (e.g., battery). Because
fewer gestures and other touch events need to be detected in the
low power mode, a lower scanning rate may be used without
significantly affecting its ability to detect the designated
wake-up gesture. This can be contrasted with the full power mode
during normal operation of the portable electronic device 100 when
scanning should be performed at a higher rate to keep up with user
interaction with the touch-sensitive overlay 114. In such
embodiments, the designated wake-up gesture should be selected so
as to be readily determined using the lower scanning rate while
reducing or avoiding erroneous detections of the designated wake-up
gesture.
[0068] To debounce accidental touches by the user or other objects
on the touch-sensitive overlay 114, the designated wake-up gesture
may have a threshold distance, velocity, or length. In example
embodiments, the length of a gesture is determined as a straight
line from the origin point and the end point of the gesture.
Alternatively, the length of the gesture is determined as a travel
distance of the location of the touch event (e.g., centroid of the
touch event) over the duration of the gesture. The length may be
measured in displayed pixels or screen distance (e.g., the physical
distance travelled by the detected objected). An example threshold
length is 30 millimeters (mm) in screen distance. The screen
distance may be determined from the origin point and the end point
of the gesture, typically measured in terms of pixels, using a
ratio of the screen resolution (which, for example, may be given in
pixels) to screen size (which, for example, may be given in
millimeters).
[0069] In some example embodiments, the designated wake-up gesture
is a swipe in a designated direction relative to a top of the
portable electronic device 100 (or more particularly the
touch-sensitive overlay 114) or other reference position on the
portable electronic device 100 (or more particularly the
touch-sensitive overlay 114). The reference position may be
relative to a screen orientation of the GUI or other information
displayed on the display 112, such as the top of the GUI. The
screen orientation may change depending on the orientation of the
portable electronic device 100, which may be detected with the
accelerometer 136 or based on acceleration data provided by the
accelerometer 136 or other orientation sensor. Thus, the designated
wake-up gesture may be a swipe in a designated direction relative
to a top of the GUI or other information displayed on the display
112.
[0070] The designated wake-up gesture may be an edge-to-edge swipe
between a first edge of the boundary 210 and a second edge of the
boundary 210 opposite to the first edge such as, for example, a
left-right swipe between the left and right edge of the boundary
210, right-left swipe between the right and left edge of the
boundary 210, up-down swipe between the top and bottom edge of the
boundary 210, or down-up swipe between the bottom and top edge of
the boundary 210.
[0071] In other example embodiments, the designated wake-up gesture
may be a pair of swipes on opposite sides of the touch-sensitive
overlay 114 each in a designated direction relative to a top of the
portable electronic device 100 (or more particularly the
touch-sensitive overlay 114) or other reference position on the
portable electronic device 100 (or more particularly the
touch-sensitive overlay 114). Thus, the designated wake-up gesture
may be a pair of swipes on opposite sides of the touch-sensitive
overlay 114 each in a designated direction relative to a top of the
GUI or other information displayed on the display 112.
[0072] The swipes in the pair of swipes are performed concurrently
or substantially concurrently with each other. For example, the
designated wake-up gesture may be a pair of down swipes located
towards the left and right sides of the touch-sensitive overlay 114
which are detected concurrently or substantially concurrently with
each other, or a pair of up swipes located towards the left and
right sides of the touch-sensitive overlay 114 which are detected
concurrently or substantially concurrently with each other. These
configurations allow the designated wake-up gesture to be performed
relatively easily by a user while holding the portable electronic
device 100 with two hands such as, for example, when the portable
electronic device 100 is a tablet computer or other tablet-style
electronic device. A table-style device is typically held with
two-hands, with each hand grasping one of the sides of the device.
While being held in this way, the user can easily perform a pair of
down or up swipes with his or her thumbs in the area of about the
left and right sides of the touch-sensitive overlay 114.
[0073] The designated wake-up gesture may be limited to a
designated area. In some example embodiments, the designated
wake-up gesture is a gesture performed entirely in the display area
206 of the touch-sensitive overlay 114. Alternatively, in other
example embodiments, the designated wake-up gesture is a gesture
performed entirely in the non-display area 208 of the
touch-sensitive overlay 114. Alternatively, in yet other example
embodiments, the designated wake-up gesture is a gesture performed
entirely in the buffer region 212 of the touch-sensitive overlay
114 between the display area 206 and non-display area 208, or the
area outside of the display area 206 defined by both the
non-display area 208 and buffer region 212. The described locations
limit the area in which the designated wake-up gesture may be
performed, reducing the possibility that erroneous or accidental
touch input may be detected as the designated wake-up gesture. This
aims to reduce the number of accidental wake-ups, providing further
power conservation while reducing wear on the touch-sensitive
overlay 114.
[0074] The use of the non-display area 208 of the touch-sensitive
overlay 114, the buffer region 212 of the touch-sensitive overlay
114 between the display area 206 and non-display area 208, or
entire the area outside of the display area 206 defined by the
non-display area 208 and buffer region 212 as the designated area
allow the designated wake-up gesture to be performed relatively
easily by a user while holding the portable electronic device 100
with two hands such as, for example, when the portable electronic
device 100 is a tablet computer or other tablet-style electronic
device. A table-style device is typically held with two-hands, with
each hand grasping one of the sides of the device. While being held
in this way, the user can easily perform a pair of down or up
swipes with his or her thumbs in the area of about the left and
right sides of the touch-sensitive overlay 114.
[0075] When the designated wake-up gesture is limited to a
designated area of the touch-sensitive overlay 114, as in the
embodiments described above, only the designated area of the
touch-sensitive overlay 114 is relevant to monitoring and detecting
the designated wake-up gesture. Depending on design factors such as
the scanning orientation and technique utilized by the
touch-sensitive overlay 114, the low power mode may further
comprise scanning only the area of the touch-sensitive overlay 114
in which the designated wake-up gesture may be performed, such as
the non-display area 208 and/or buffer region 212, or display area
206. In some embodiments, the display area 206, non-display area
208 and buffer region 212 may each be separately driven, for
example, and only the relevant area in which the designated wake-up
gesture may be performed is scanned in the low power mode of the
portable electronic device 100. This may require that the
touch-sensitive overlay 114 be comprised of separate sensor
elements.
[0076] In yet other example embodiments, the designated wake-up
gesture may be a meta-navigation gesture such as a swipe having an
origin point that is outside the display area 206 of the
touch-sensitive overlay 114 and that moves to a position on the
display area 206 of the touch-sensitive overlay 114. In other
words, the meta-navigation gesture comprises a gesture with a start
location outside of a display area 206 of the touch-sensitive
overlay 118 and an end location within the display area 206 of the
touch-sensitive overlay 118. The origin point may be in the
non-display area 208, the buffer region 212, or either the
non-display area 208 or the buffer region 212, depending on the
embodiment. The meta-navigation gesture of the designated wake-up
gesture may be a swipe in any direction, or a swipe in a designated
direction relative to a top of the portable electronic device 100
(or more particularly the touch-sensitive overlay 114) or other
reference position on the portable electronic device 100 (or more
particularly the touch-sensitive overlay 114).
[0077] When the designated wake-up gesture is a meta-navigation
gesture, in at least some examples the determined touch attributes
comprise a start location of the touch and one or more of a
distance travelled of the touch, a speed of the touch when the
touch is detected, a direction of the touch when the touch is
detected or an end location of the touch. A touch is determined to
be a meta-navigation gesture based on the start location and the
one or more of the speed when the touch is detected, the direction
of the touch when the touch is detected or the end location of the
touch. In some examples, the touch is determined to be a
meta-navigation gesture when the start location of the touch is
outside of a display area of the touch-sensitive display and the
touch travels to the display area of the touch-sensitive display.
In some examples, the touch is determined to be a meta-navigation
gesture when the start location of the touch is outside of a
display area of the touch-sensitive display and an outside of a
buffer region adjacent the display area and the touch travels
through the buffer region to the display area of the
touch-sensitive display. In some examples, the touch is not a
meta-navigation gesture when the start location is in the buffer
region.
[0078] In some examples, when the designated wake-up gesture is a
meta-navigation gesture, detecting a touch comprises detecting
multiple touches that overlap in time on the touch-sensitive
display and determining touch attributes for each touch, wherein
determining when the touch is the designated wake-up gesture
comprises determining that the multiple touches comprise a
meta-navigation gesture when at least one of the touches is a
meta-navigation gesture.
[0079] In some examples, the designated wake-up gesture is a
meta-navigation gesture which comprises a gesture with a start
location on a touch-sensitive bezel of the portable electronic
device 100. In some examples, the touch travels across the
touch-sensitive bezel to the display area 206 of the
touch-sensitive display 118. Alternatively, the touch travels
across the touch-sensitive bezel to the buffer region 212 between
the display area 206 and the non-display area 208 of the
touch-sensitive overlay 118. Alternatively, the touch travels
across the touch-sensitive bezel to a non-display area 208 outside
of the buffer region 212 adjacent to the display area 206 of the
touch-sensitive overlay 218.
[0080] The use of a designated wake-up gesture limits the gestures
which can switch from the low power mode to the full power mode
area to a single, distinct gesture, reducing the possibility that
erroneous or accidental touch input may be detected as the
designated wake-up gesture. This aims to reduce the number of
accidental wake-ups, providing further power conservation while
reducing wear on the touch-sensitive overlay 114. The use of a pair
of swipes on opposite sides of the touch-sensitive overlay 114 or a
meta-navigation gesture further reduces the possibility that
erroneous or accidental touch input may be detected as the
designated wake-up gesture as such gestures are more unlikely to be
performed accidentally.
[0081] When the designated wake-up gesture is detected by the
touch-sensitive overlay 114 at 606, the processor 102 causes the
portable electronic device 100 to switch from the low power mode to
the full power mode at 608 (e.g., to wake-up from or exit the low
power mode). When exiting or leaving the low power mode, the
changes made to the operation of the portable electronic device 100
are reversed or undone.
[0082] Initiating the full power mode comprises enabling the
functions normally performed by the processor 102 in the full power
mode which were disabled in the low power mode, including but not
limited to receiving inputs other than an interrupt from the
touch-sensitive overlay 114. Initiating the full power mode may
also comprise the processor 102 switching from the sleep clock to
the system clock, reactivating the display 112, and increase the
scanning rate of the touch-sensitive overlay 114 from the lower
rate of the low power mode to the higher rate of the full power
mode.
[0083] The present disclosure provides a method of conserving power
on a portable electronic device 100 and a portable electronic
device 100 configured for same which uses a designated wake-up
gesture to cause a wake-up from a low power mode. Other touch
events are ignored by the portable electronic device 100. This
avoids the need for a dedicated key, button or switch to wake the
portable electronic device.
[0084] The present disclosure may be embodied in other specific
forms without departing from its spirit or essential
characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in
all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of
the present disclosure is, therefore, indicated by the appended
claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that
come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are
to be embraced within their scope.
* * * * *