U.S. patent application number 14/915223 was filed with the patent office on 2016-07-28 for sensor for detecting presence of material.
The applicant listed for this patent is Apple Inc.. Invention is credited to Anna-Katrina SHEDLETSKY.
Application Number | 20160216753 14/915223 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49213086 |
Filed Date | 2016-07-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160216753 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
SHEDLETSKY; Anna-Katrina |
July 28, 2016 |
SENSOR FOR DETECTING PRESENCE OF MATERIAL
Abstract
A device having one or more sensors configured to detect a
material covering the device, and logic configured to detect one or
more characteristics of the material and change an operating state
of the device based on the detected one or more characteristics. In
some examples, the one or more sensors can be ambient light sensors
(ALS), proximity sensors and/or cameras. In some examples, the
device can change the operating state of a processor, a touch panel
and/or a display. In some examples, the device can detect a
direction of coverage of the material, a color of the material
and/or a usage state of the device. In some examples, the device
can change its operating state based on a pattern of the one or
more characteristics and/or information in addition to the one or
more characteristics. In some examples, the device can receive the
information from an external device.
Inventors: |
SHEDLETSKY; Anna-Katrina;
(Mountain View, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Apple Inc. |
Cupertino |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
49213086 |
Appl. No.: |
14/915223 |
Filed: |
March 19, 2014 |
PCT Filed: |
March 19, 2014 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US14/31253 |
371 Date: |
February 27, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 1/163 20130101;
G06F 1/1626 20130101; G06F 1/3246 20130101; Y02D 10/00 20180101;
G06F 1/3218 20130101; G06F 1/3262 20130101; G06F 1/3265 20130101;
G06F 3/14 20130101; G06F 2203/04101 20130101; Y02D 10/153 20180101;
Y02D 10/152 20180101; G06F 1/3206 20130101; G06F 1/3243 20130101;
G06F 3/0416 20130101; Y02D 10/173 20180101; G06F 1/3231
20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 1/32 20060101
G06F001/32; G06F 3/14 20060101 G06F003/14; G06F 3/041 20060101
G06F003/041 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 28, 2013 |
US |
PCT/US2013/057159 |
Claims
1. A device comprising: one or more sensors configured to detect a
material covering the device; and logic coupled to the one or more
sensors, the logic configured to detect one or more characteristics
of the material covering the device, and change an operating state
of the device based on the detected one or more
characteristics.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise
one or more ambient light sensors (ALS).
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise
one or more proximity sensors.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise
one or more cameras.
5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a processor, wherein
changing the operating state of the device comprises changing an
operating state of the processor.
6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a touch panel, wherein
changing the operating state of the device comprises changing an
operating state of the touch panel.
7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a display, wherein
changing the operating state of the device comprises changing an
operating state of the display.
8. The device of claim 5, wherein: detecting the one or more
characteristics comprises detecting that the material is covering
at least a portion of the device, and changing the operating state
comprises putting the processor in a low-power state.
9. The device of claim 6, wherein: detecting the one or more
characteristics comprises detecting that the material is covering
at least a portion of the touch panel, and changing the operating
state comprises turning off at least the portion of the touch
panel.
10. The device of claim 7, wherein: detecting the one or more
characteristics comprises detecting that the material is covering
at least a portion of the display, and changing the operating state
comprises reducing a brightness of at least the portion of the
display.
11. The device of claim 7, wherein: detecting the one or more
characteristics comprises detecting that the material is covering
at least a portion of the display, and changing the operating state
comprises turning off at least the portion of the display.
12. The device of claim 2, wherein detecting the one or more
characteristics comprises detecting one or more wavelengths of
light transmitted by the material to the one or more ALS.
13. The device of claim 1, wherein detecting the one or more
characteristics comprises detecting a direction of coverage of the
material.
14. The device of claim 1, wherein detecting the one or more
characteristics comprises detecting a color of the material.
15. The device of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured
to determine a usage state of the device based on the one or more
characteristics.
16. The device of claim 1, wherein: the logic is further configured
to detect a pattern of the one or more characteristics, and
changing the operating state of the device comprises changing the
operating state of the device based on the pattern.
17. The device of claim 1, wherein changing the operating state of
the device comprises changing the operating state of the device
based on information in addition to the one or more
characteristics.
18. The device of claim 17, further comprising a communication
interface coupled to the logic, the communication interface
configured to receive the information from an external device.
19. A device comprising: one or more sensors configured to detect a
material covering the device; a communication interface coupled to
the one or more sensors, the communication interface configured to
send one or more outputs from the one or more sensors to an
external device, and receive one or more characteristics of the
material from the external device; and logic coupled to the
communication interface, the logic configured to change an
operating state of the device based on the one or more
characteristics.
20. A method comprising: detecting one or more characteristics of a
material covering a device; and changing an operating state of the
device based on the detected one or more characteristics.
21. A method comprising: sending, to a second device, one or more
outputs from one or more sensors configured to detect a material
covering a first device; receiving, from the second device, one or
more characteristics of the material; and changing an operating
state of the first device based on the one or more
characteristics.
22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored
therein instructions, which when executed by a device, cause the
device to perform a method comprising: detecting one or more
characteristics of a material covering the device; and changing an
operating state of the device based on the detected one or more
characteristics.
23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored
therein instructions, which when executed by a first device, cause
the device to perform a method comprising: sending, to a second
device, one or more outputs from one or more sensors configured to
detect a material covering the first device; receiving, from the
second device, one or more characteristics of the material; and
changing an operating state of the first device based on the one or
more characteristics.
Description
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0001] This relates generally to preserving battery life in a
portable electronic device, and more specifically to doing so based
on device status determined using information from one or more
sensors.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] Portable electronic devices, such as mobile telephones,
portable media players or wearable devices such as watches or smart
watches, generally operate using some form of battery power.
Batteries, however, usually only provide a limited amount of power
for a limited amount of time before being drained. Therefore,
portable electronic devices can have stringent power consumption
requirements to make sure that they are able to power the device
for an adequate amount of time, without requiring big and heavy
batteries to do so.
[0003] To conserve battery power, it can be beneficial to
temporarily turn off selected components of a portable electronic
device that can consume a lot of power. A display on a portable
electronic device, for example, can consume a large portion of the
power used by the device. Some example displays on portable
electronic devices can be liquid crystal displays (LCD),
electroluminescent displays (ELD), field emission displays (FED),
light-emitting diode displays (LED), organic light-emitting diode
displays (OLED), quantum dot displays (QLED), and many other types
of displays. However, a user's experience with the portable
electronic device can be negatively impacted if parts of the device
(e.g., the display) have been turned off when the user wishes to
use the device. Having the ability to turn off components while
maintaining a positive user experience can therefore be
desired.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0004] The following description includes examples of detecting a
material partially or fully covering a device. The device can
include a display. The device can also include one or more sensors
for detecting the material, and can change its operating state
(e.g., turn off its display) based on whether and how much the
material is covering the device. The sensors can be sensors such as
ambient light sensors (ALS), proximity sensors and/or cameras. In
some examples, the device can process outputs from the one or more
sensors itself. In other examples, the device can partially or
fully offload the processing of the outputs from the one or more
sensors to a host. In other examples, the device can use
information (e.g., weather information) in addition to the outputs
from the one or more sensors to change its operating state.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1A illustrates an example mobile telephone that
includes a touch screen.
[0006] FIG. 1B illustrates an example digital media player that
includes a touch screen.
[0007] FIG. 1C illustrates an example wearable electronic device,
such as a smart watch, that includes a touch screen.
[0008] FIG. 2A illustrates an example partial covering of a device
and a touch screen by a material.
[0009] FIG. 2B illustrates another example partial covering of a
device and a touch screen by a material.
[0010] FIG. 2C illustrates an example complete covering of a device
and a touch screen by a material.
[0011] FIG. 3A illustrates an example device with a sensor in a
border region of the device.
[0012] FIG. 3B illustrates an example of an alternative placement
of a sensor in a device.
[0013] FIG. 4A illustrates the structure and operation of an
exemplary ambient light sensor (ALS) for use in the device of the
examples of this disclosure when not covered by a material.
[0014] FIG. 4B illustrates exemplary operation of ALS when covered
by a material.
[0015] FIG. 5A illustrates the structure and operation of an
exemplary proximity sensor for use in the device of the examples of
this disclosure when not covered by a material.
[0016] FIG. 5B illustrates exemplary operation of a proximity
sensor when covered by a material.
[0017] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary device that includes two
sensors in a border region.
[0018] FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary configuration of a device
having sensors in a border region and a touch screen.
[0019] FIG. 8 illustrates an example configuration in which a
device is connected to a host, which performs processing of sensor
outputs from the device.
[0020] FIG. 9 illustrates an example system according to examples
of this disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] In the following description of examples, reference is made
to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which
it is shown by way of illustration specific examples that can be
practiced. It is to be understood that other examples can be used
and structural changes can be made without departing from the scope
of the disclosed examples.
[0022] A portable electronic device can include a display, which
can be an integral gateway through which a user can interact with
the device. The display, along with other components in the device,
can consume a substantial amount of the device's battery power.
That consumed power can instead be conserved by temporarily turning
the display off. However, a user can have a contrary expectation
that the display will always be on without the need for the user to
interact with the device to turn the screen on. To meet the user's
expectation while saving power, power can be conserved by turning
off the display during times when it may be unlikely that the user
will be looking at the portable electronic device and/or its
display. An exemplary period of time when the user is unlikely to
be looking at or able to see the display can be when the portable
electronic device is covered by material, such as a user's
clothing. Other components of the portable electronic device, such
as a processor, can additionally or alternatively be turned off in
such circumstances. In other examples, even devices without
displays can have certain components or functions disabled or
turned off when it is determined that the device is covered by a
material such as clothing. For example, a device may not
incorporate a display, but may instead have other types of user
interfaces such as a multitude of sensors, a touch sensitive region
without a display, or even a traditional mechanism such as the
hands on a watch. In these examples, it may still be beneficial to
disable certain components or functions when it is determined that
the device is covered by material and unlikely to be actively in
use by the user.
[0023] FIGS. 1A-1C illustrate example portable electronic devices
in which material detection according to examples of the disclosure
may be implemented. FIG. 1A illustrates an example mobile telephone
136 that includes touch screen 124. Touch screen 124 can include a
touch panel portion for touch detection, and a display portion for
displaying images on the touch screen. As used throughout this
disclosure, "touch screen" can refer to the touch panel portion of
a touch screen, the display portion of the touch screen, or both.
FIG. 1B illustrates an example digital media player 140 that
includes touch screen 126. FIG. 1C illustrates an example watch 144
that includes touch screen 128. Touch screens 124, 126 and 128 may
be based on, for example, self capacitance or mutual capacitance,
or another touch sensing technology. For example, in a self
capacitance based touch system, an individual electrode with a
self-capacitance to ground can be used to form a touch pixel (touch
node) for detecting touch. As an object approaches the touch pixel,
an additional capacitance to ground can be formed between the
object and the touch pixel. The additional capacitance to ground
can result in a net increase in the self-capacitance seen by the
touch pixel. This increase in self-capacitance can be detected and
measured by a touch sensing system to determine the positions of
one or more objects when they touch the touch screen. A mutual
capacitance based touch system can include, for example, drive
regions and sense regions, such as drive lines and sense lines. For
example, drive lines can be formed in rows while sense lines can be
formed in columns (i.e., drive lines and sense lines can be
orthogonal). Touch pixels (touch nodes) can be formed at the
intersections or adjacencies (in single layer configurations) of
the rows and columns. During operation, the rows can be stimulated
with an AC waveform and a mutual capacitance can be formed between
the row and the column of the touch pixel. As an object approaches
the touch pixel, some of the charge being coupled between the row
and column of the touch pixel can instead be coupled onto the
object. This reduction in charge coupling across the touch pixel
can result in a net decrease in the mutual capacitance between the
row and the column and a reduction in the AC waveform being coupled
across the touch pixel. This reduction in the charge-coupled AC
waveform can be detected and measured by the touch sensing system
to determine the positions of one or more objects when they touch
the touch screen. In some examples, a touch screen can be
multi-touch, single touch, projection scan, full-imaging
multi-touch, or any capacitive touch.
[0024] The display portions of touch screens 124, 126 and 128 may
be based on display types such as liquid crystal displays (LCD),
electroluminescent displays (ELD), field emission displays (FED),
light-emitting diode displays (LED), organic light-emitting diode
displays (OLED), or quantum dot displays (QLED). Many other types
of display technologies can also be used in touch screens 124, 126
and 128, and are equally within the scope of this disclosure.
[0025] As stated above, the devices of the disclosure can sometimes
be covered by a material, such as a user's clothing. FIG. 2A
illustrates the partial covering of device 204 and touch screen 206
by material 202. Device 204 can be a device such as those in FIGS.
1A-1C. Material 202 can be, for example, a fabric such as the
fabric of a user's clothing. Material 202 can also be any other
material that can partially or completely cover the surface of
device 204 that includes touch screen 206. In the example of FIG.
2A, material 202 is covering a right portion 208 of device 204 and
touch screen 206. FIG. 2B illustrates another partial covering of
device 204 and touch screen 206 by material 202. In particular, in
FIG. 2B, material 202 is covering a left portion 210 of device 204
and touch screen 206. The partial coverings of FIGS. 2A-2B can
occur if, for example, device 204 is a watch or other wearable
device on a user's wrist, torso, arm or leg, and material 202 is
the end of the user's sleeve, glove, top, or pant leg. The partial
coverings of FIGS. 2A-2B can also occur if, for example, device 204
is a mobile telephone sitting face up on a surface, and material
202 is an object that is lying partially on top of the device. In
another example, the partial coverings of FIGS. 2A-2B can occur if
a portable device is partially situated inside a pocket of a user's
clothing.
[0026] FIG. 2C illustrates a complete covering of device 204 and
touch screen 206 by material 202. In particular, material 202 is
covering the entire surface of device 204 and touch screen 206. The
complete covering shown in FIG. 2C can occur if, for example,
device 204 is a mobile telephone or a media player in a user's
pants pocket or purse/backpack, and material 202 is the material of
the user's pants pocket or purse/backpack. The complete covering of
FIG. 2C can also occur if, for example, device is a watch or other
wearable device on a user's wrist, torso, arm or leg, and material
202 is the end of the user's sleeve, glove, top or pant leg that
completely covers the device. The coverage scenarios above are
provided by way of example only, and are understood to not limit
the scope of this disclosure to their descriptions. Further, the
extent to which a material is covering the device (e.g., the
material is covering 20% of the device surface) can be a
"characteristic" of the material covering the device, and in some
examples, the device can respond accordingly to different extents
of coverage.
[0027] In the scenarios in FIGS. 2A-2C, when touch screen 206 is
partially or completely covered by material 202, it can be the case
that the user cannot see what is displayed on the touch screen. In
such a circumstance, it can be likely that the user is not looking
at touch screen 206. As such, device 204 can reduce its power
consumption by, for example, partially or completely turning off
touch screen 206. As stated above, touch screen 206 can include a
touch panel portion and a display portion. By describing that
device 204 can partially or completely turn off touch screen 206,
it is understood that the device can partially or completely turn
off the touch panel portion of the touch screen, the display
portion of the touch screen, or both. The above description of
touch screen 206 applies equally to other examples in this
disclosure, and it is understood that any changes in operation of
the touch screen can be changes in operation of the touch panel
portion, the display portion, or both.
[0028] Device 204 can partially turn off touch screen 206 by
changing the touch screen's brightness, or by turning off a portion
of touch screen (e.g., the portion that is covered). Device 204 can
additionally or alternatively take other actions, such as entering
different modes of operation based on whether the device is
partially or fully covered by material 202, and/or entering
different modes of operation based on how much the device is
covered (i.e., based on the characteristic of the material as to
how much of the device the material is covering). For example,
device 204 can enter a low-power operation mode in which a
processor inside the device can be turned off, or its functionality
reduced, while the device is partially or completely covered by
material 202. Or, the device can wait until it is 70% covered
before entering the low-power operation mode, for example.
[0029] Various components, such as touch screen 206 or the
processor, need not be turned off immediately upon sensing that
device 204 is covered by material 202. Rather, touch screen 206 can
be turned off immediately, for example, and the processor inside
device 204 can be turned off or reduced in functionality if the
device remains in a covered state for a predetermined period of
time, such as one minute, for example.
[0030] In order to determine whether device 204 is partially or
completely covered by material 202, it can be useful to incorporate
one or more sensors into the device that can detect the presence or
absence of the material covering the device.
[0031] In the description that follows, it is understood that
regardless of whether device 204 determines that it is likely
covered by material 202, if a user interacts with the device by,
for example, entering a user input, the device can respond by
entering a normal operating mode (i.e., turning touch screen and
processor on). In such a circumstance, it is likely that the user
can see, and is looking at, touch screen 206 on device 204.
Therefore, the material coverage determinations that will be
described below can be overridden. Device 204 can sense a user
input through touch screen 206 because, for example, all or some of
the touch panel portion of the touch screen can remain on even
while all or some of the display portion of the touch screen is
off.
[0032] FIGS. 3A-3B illustrate exemplary configurations of device
304 incorporating sensor 308. FIG. 3A illustrates device 304 with
sensor 308 in border region 310 of the device. Border region 310
can be a region of device 304 that can exist between the edge of
touch screen 306 and the edge of the device. Sensor 308 can be
incorporated into border region 310 such that when a material
covers the sensor, the sensor can sense the presence of the
material covering the region into which the sensor is incorporated.
The placement of sensor 308 shown in FIG. 3A is exemplary only, and
does not limit the scope of this disclosure to the sensor placement
illustrated.
[0033] FIG. 3B illustrates an alternative placement of sensor 308
in device 304. In this example, sensor 308 can be placed within
touch screen 306. In some examples, sensor 308 can be placed
underneath touch screen 306 in such a way as to allow the sensor to
function through the touch screen (e.g., in an OLED display, the
sensor can be placed behind the display). In some examples, sensor
308 can be placed on top of touch screen 306 in such a way as to
not hinder the ability of the touch screen to display content
through or around the sensor. In some examples, sensor 308 can be
incorporated into the structure of touch screen 306 (i.e., the
sensor can be manufactured in the same process layers as the touch
screen). The placement of sensor 308 shown in FIG. 3B is exemplary
only, and does not limit the scope of this disclosure to the sensor
placement illustrated. Although FIGS. 3A-3B only show an example
device with one sensor, it should be understood that in other
examples, multiple sensors may be employed.
[0034] Many different types of sensors may be suitable for use in
detecting the absence or presence of material covering device 304.
Some such sensors can be ambient light sensors (ALS), proximity
sensors (e.g., photodiode and LED pairs) and cameras. FIG. 4A
illustrates the structure and operation of an exemplary ALS 400 for
use in the device of the examples of this disclosure when not
covered by a material. ALS 400 can be formed of sensor 402 placed
inside surface 406 of the device. Surface 406 of the device can be,
for example, the surface of the touch screen of the device, if ALS
400 is incorporated within the touch screen, or the surface can be
the surface of the border region of the device, if the ALS is
incorporated within the border region.
[0035] Sensor 402 can measure light incident on it through opening
408. Opening 408 can be defined by barrier 401. Barrier 401 can be
any region that can be substantially opaque to light, for example a
dark ink layer or a light shield. Opening 408 can be any section of
surface 406 that can allow the transmission of light through it,
such that the light can reach sensor 402. For example, opening 408
can be a section of surface 406 that contains no structure at all
such that sensor 402 is exposed to an environment external to the
device. Alternatively, opening 408 can be a section of surface 406
that includes structure and that can allow at least some light
transmission through it, such as an optically transparent glass or
plastic. It is understood that other structures that can allow at
least some light transmission to sensor 402 can be suitable for use
as opening 408.
[0036] Sensor 402 can be a sensor that is sensitive to light
incident upon it. For example, sensor 402 can be sensitive to a
wide range of wavelengths of light, or can be sensitive to a single
wavelength or narrow range of wavelengths. The light can be visible
light, infrared light, ultraviolet light, and/or other spectra of
light, or can be any combination or portion of the above
spectra.
[0037] In operation, sensor 402 can sense light that is transmitted
through opening 408; here, incident light 404. If sensor 402 is
sensitive to all or part of incident light 404, the sensor can
generate a signal that is indicative of one or more characteristics
of the incident light. For example, the signal can be indicative of
the intensity of incident light 404 at one or more wavelengths,
and/or can be indicative of the range of wavelengths included in
the incident light. Further, the signal can be a voltage, a
current, or any other signal that can convey information to the
device for use by the device.
[0038] In some examples, sensor 402 can sense light that is
transmitted through opening 408 during a period in time in which
the display of the device (e.g., LCD, OLED, etc.) is momentarily
turned off so as to prevent the light emitted from the display from
interfering with the operation of the sensor. This technique can be
used in conjunction with other sensor types described in this
disclosure, as well as other sensor types that can be used for
material detection according to examples of this disclosure.
Further, this technique can be used regardless of the placement of
sensor 402 on the device (i.e., in the border region, under the
touch screen, over the touch screen, etc.).
[0039] As shown in FIG. 4A, sensor 402 may not be covered by any
material. Therefore, ALS 400 can generate a signal indicative of
non-coverage, and the device can operate accordingly, as described
throughout this disclosure.
[0040] FIG. 4B illustrates exemplary operation of ALS 400 when
covered by material 410. Material 410 can be disposed between
incoming light 403 and sensor 402. Incoming light 403 can hit
material 410, and the material can transmit or pass incident light
405, which can then reach sensor 402. If material 410 is
substantially opaque to the wavelengths of incoming light 403,
incident light 405 can have approximately zero intensity (i.e., the
material can transmit approximately no light). In such an instance,
sensor 402 can detect almost no light incident on it, and the
device can interpret such a detection as the device being covered
by material. The device can then operate accordingly, as described
throughout this disclosure.
[0041] In some examples, material 410 can transmit some or all of
incoming light 403 as incident light 405. In some examples,
incident light 405 can be of approximately the same wavelength
distribution as incoming light 403. In some examples, material 410
may be biased towards only transmitting or passing certain ranges
of wavelengths of incoming light 403. For example, material 410 may
transmit or pass only wavelengths of incoming light 403 that are in
the red light wavelength spectrum. In such a circumstance, sensor
402 can detect that incident light 405 is in the red light
spectrum, and device can interpret this detection as indicative of
the device being covered by red material (i.e., the sensor has
detected the characteristic of the material being red, and the
characteristic of the material to transmit or pass red light). This
result can be in contrast to another scheme of material detection
by sensor 402, which can result in the device interpreting the
reception of any light--red or otherwise--as indicative of the
device not being covered by material 410. The desired detection
scheme can be implemented based on desired device performance.
[0042] In some examples, sensor 402 can be configured to be
sensitive to certain wavelength ranges based on the desired
operation of the device. If the device includes more than one
sensor, each sensor can be tuned to the same or different
wavelength ranges depending on desired operation of the device.
[0043] For example, sensor 402 can be configured to detect known
spectra of light, and if the sensor detects a spectrum of light
different from the known spectra, the device can determine that the
device is covered. For example, sensor 402 can be configured to
detect the spectra of sunlight, fluorescent lights, incandescent
lights, and other known light sources. If sensor 402 detects a
spectrum of blue light instead of the known spectra above, the
device can determine that it is covered by blue fabric, and the
device can change its operation accordingly.
[0044] In some examples, the device can determine whether a user is
using the device indoors or outdoors based on the spectra of light
detected by sensor 402. For example, if sensor 402 detects
sunlight, device can determine that the user is outdoors, whereas
if the sensor detects incandescent light, the device can determine
that the user is indoors. Such information can be relevant to the
determination of whether a watch or other wearable device, for
example, is covered by a sleeve.
[0045] In some examples, one or more of the sensors on the device
of this disclosure can be proximity sensors. FIG. 5A illustrates
the structure and operation of an exemplary proximity sensor 500
when not covered by a material for use in the device of the
examples of this disclosure. Proximity sensor 500 can be formed of
a light emitting diode (LED) 501 and photodiode 502 pair. Both LED
501 and photodiode 502 can be placed inside surface 506 of the
device, and can be separated from each other by a barrier 504.
Barrier 504 can be any region that can be substantially opaque to
light, for example a dark ink layer or a light shield. LED 501 and
photodiode 502 can have access to light in the environment external
to the device by way of openings 508. Openings 508 can be any
regions or materials that can allow the transmission of light
through them, such that light from LED 501 can be transmitted out
through an opening and surface 506, and light can be transmitted in
from the surface through an opening to photodiode 502. For example,
opening 508 can be a section of surface 506 that contains no
structure at all such that LED 501 and photodiode 502 are exposed
to an environment external to the device. Alternatively, opening
508 can be a section of surface 506 that includes structure and can
allow at least some light transmission through it, such as an
optically transparent glass. It is understood that other structures
that can allow at least some light transmission from LED 501, and
to photodiode 502, are suitable for use as openings 508.
[0046] LED 501 can be configured to emit light, such as emitted
light 512. The light emitted by LED 501 can be one or more
wavelengths of light, one or more ranges of wavelengths of light,
or any combination thereof, based on the desired operation of the
device. Photodiode 502 can be configured to detect light at the one
or more wavelengths and/or ranges that LED 501 is configured to
emit. As such, in operation, photodiode 502 can detect light
emitted by LED 501 that has been reflected back onto the photodiode
by a nearby object, signaling that proximity sensor 500 is covered
by that object.
[0047] In the example of FIG. 5A, substantially no light emitted by
LED 501 can be sensed by photodiode 502, because there is no object
close to proximity sensor 500 to reflect all or part of emitted
light 512 back down to the photodiode. The device can interpret
this result as being indicative of no material coverage, and can
adjust its operation accordingly.
[0048] The wavelengths to be emitted and/or sensed can be chosen
such that wavelengths of light that can generally exist in an
operating environment of the device will not oversaturate
photodiode 502, which can cause inaccurate operation of proximity
sensor 500. For example, if photodiode 502 is configured to sense
wavelengths of light that include wavelengths that are part of
sunlight, the photodiode can become oversaturated when the device
is used outdoors during the day. To avoid such a result, LED 501
and photodiode 502 can be configured to emit/detect wavelengths of
light that are outside of the range of wavelengths included in
sunlight, or at a minimum will not saturate the photodiode in
sunlight.
[0049] FIG. 5B illustrates exemplary operation of proximity sensor
500 when covered by material 510. As stated above, LED 501 can emit
emitted light 512. Because material 510 can be sufficiently close
to surface 506, the material can reflect part or all of emitted
light 512 that is incident upon it as reflected light 514. Some of
reflected light 514 can be reflected towards photodiode 502.
Photodiode 502 can sense the part of reflected light 514 that is
incident upon it, and the device can interpret the photodiode's
measurement as being indicative of an object, in this case material
510, covering the device. The device can then adjust its operation
accordingly.
[0050] As stated above, in some examples, LED 501 and photodiode
502 can be configured to operate at wavelengths of light outside of
wavelengths that generally exist in an operating environment of the
device. In this way, detection of ambient light (e.g., sunlight) by
photodiode 502 should not result in an erroneous determination that
an object is reflecting the ambient light towards the photodiode,
and thus that the device is covered by the object.
[0051] In some examples, LED 501 and photodiode 502 can be
configured based on the types of materials 510 that are desired to
be detected. For example, some materials can reflect certain
wavelengths of light more than other wavelengths of light. If it is
desired to detect such materials, LED 501 can be configured to emit
light at the corresponding wavelengths, and photodiode 502 can be
configured to detect primarily those wavelengths of light that will
likely be reflected by such materials (i.e., the proximity sensor
can detect the light reflection characteristics of the
material).
[0052] As stated above, the device of the examples of this
disclosure can utilize only ALS sensors, only proximity sensors, or
both types of sensors to determine whether and/or how much the
device is covered by a material, and thus to determine that a user
is likely not looking at, and cannot see, the screen or face on the
device. It is understood that other sensors that can detect the
absence or presence of a material covering the device--such as a
camera or other type of sensor--are also within the scope of this
disclosure. Cameras can be suitable for material detection because
cameras can provide for many pixels of resolution in a single area
of the camera sensor, allowing for high-resolution detection of a
material covering a portion of the camera sensor (e.g., the edge of
a user's sleeve). Regardless of the type or types of sensors used,
the device can include multiple sensors to provide for better
device performance.
[0053] FIG. 6 illustrates exemplary device 604 that includes two
sensors, 608 and 609, in border region 610. Here, the left side of
device 604 is covered by material 602. Because it is covered by
material 602, sensor A 608 can detect a covered scenario. Sensor B
609 on the other hand, may not detect coverage. Because device 604
can include both sensor A 608 and sensor B 609, the device can
determine that it is partially covered. Further, device 604 can
determine that it is covered on its left side and not its right
side. In some examples, sensor A 608 may not be completely covered
by material 602, if, for example, the material covering the device
is a loose fabric that moves a lot. In this case, coverage, or the
direction of coverage, can also be determined by sensing a measured
light gradient between sensor A 608 and sensor B 609, whereby
sensor A receives less light on average than sensor B. Sensor
readings from multiple sensors, as above, can also be used to
determine not only the fact of partial coverage of device 604 by
material 602, but also the extent of partial coverage of the device
by the material, the extent of coverage being a characteristic of
the material covering the device.
[0054] This ability to determine partial coverage, and to be able
to determine the direction of partial coverage, can be used by
device 604 for increased functionality. For example, if device 604
is a watch and is generally covered by material 602 from the left
direction, the device can interpret that it is being worn on the
left wrist of a user. In some examples, in response to a
determination of being partially covered, device 604 can adjust
what is displayed on touch screen 606 so as to bias the displayed
information toward the side of the device that is not covered, so
that useful information is not obscured by material 602. The
functionalities described above are provided by way of example
only, and it is understood that many other functionalities are also
within the scope of this disclosure.
[0055] In some examples, the device can include sensors in both its
border region and in its touch screen or device face. FIG. 7
illustrates an exemplary configuration of device 704 having sensors
in border region 710 and touch screen 706. The sensors (708, 709,
712 and 713) can all be of the same type or of different types, as
described above. Further, it is understood that the functionality
of the device of FIG. 7 can expand upon the functionalities
described throughout this disclosure.
[0056] In some examples, the sensors described above, such as the
ALS sensors and the proximity sensors, can be included in the
actual device of this disclosure, and processing of the sensor
outputs can be performed on the device as well. However, in some
examples, the processing of the outputs from the sensors need not
be performed on the device itself. FIG. 8 illustrates an example
configuration in which device 804 is connected to host 808, which
performs processing of sensor outputs 810. Device 804 can include
sensors 802, and can be connected to host 808 via connection 806.
Device 804 can include a communication interface to which
connection 806 can be connected. Host 808 can be any device
external to device 804. For example, if device 804 is a mobile
telephone, host 808 can be a computer; if device 804 is a watch or
other wearable device, host 808 can be a mobile telephone. Device
804 and host 808 need not be different types of devices; both can
be mobile telephones, for example.
[0057] Connection 806 can be any communication link that is
suitable for communication between device 804 and host 808. For
example, connection 806 can be a connection over a physical cable
that can be connected between device 804 and host 808. The physical
cable can be based on, for example, standards such as Universal
Serial Bus (USB), FireWire, Thunderbolt, or any other format for
communication over a cable. Alternatively, connection 806 can be a
wireless connection between device 804 and host 808. The wireless
connection can be based on standards such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,
infrared, or any other format for wireless communication.
[0058] In operation, instead of processing the outputs from sensors
802 itself, device 804 can send sensor outputs 810 to host 808 for
processing. In turn, host 808 can process sensor outputs 810, can
determine, based on the sensor outputs, whether device 804 is
covered, and can send processed result 812 back to the device.
Based on processed result 812, device 804 can adjust its operation
accordingly. By offloading the processing of the outputs from
sensors 802, device 804 can conserve power, and if the device is
battery powered, can prolong battery life by doing so. Such
processing offloading can also enable device 804 to remain small
and portable, if desired, as space that could otherwise be required
for processing logic can be freed up on the device.
[0059] In addition to adjusting its operation based on real-time
sensor measurements, the device of the examples of this disclosure
can determine its mode of operation based on histories and/or
patterns of outputs from the sensors of this disclosure. For
example, in the device of FIG. 6, if device 604 is a watch, and if
sensor A 608 is historically covered more often than sensor B 609,
the device can determine that it is being worn on a user's left
wrist, and that the user is likely right-handed. This knowledge can
help the device determine whether it is being covered by a material
such that the user cannot see the screen. For example, if device
604 receives a measurement of coverage from sensor A 608 on the
left, it can determine that it is likely being covered by the
user's sleeve. If, on the other hand, device 604 receives a
measurement of coverage from sensor B 609 on the right, it is
likely that something other than the user's sleeve is covering the
device, and the device can respond accordingly.
[0060] As another example, device 604 may be a watch. If sensors A
608 and B 609 on the watch are generally covered from day to day,
and if one day sensors A and B are only marginally covered (i.e.,
the sensors detect the presence of more than a threshold of light),
the watch can determine that a user, instead of wearing an opaque
fabric, is wearing a fabric that is more light transmissive on that
day. The watch can determine this because it can infer, for
example, based on the history of coverage, that the user almost
always wears long-sleeved shirts, and is likely doing so again on
this day. Importantly, however, the watch or other wearable device
can still determine that it is covered by fabric, regardless. In
such a circumstance, the device can still turn off its touch screen
as not likely to be visible to the user, whereas if the sensor
history had not been known and considered, the device may have
turned its screen on in response to having detected the presence of
light.
[0061] In some examples, in addition to the ALS and/or proximity
sensors of this disclosure, the device can use information from
other sensors and data sources to aid it in its determination as to
whether a user is likely to look at the screen on the device, and
therefore whether the device can turn the screen off in response.
Some of these other sensors and data sources can provide calendar
information (e.g., date, time, meetings, events, appointments,
etc.), weather information, location information (e.g., GPS),
movement information (e.g., from an inertial sensor), biometric
information, battery level information, and any other information
that might be relevant to the device's determination. For example,
if, according to a user's calendar, the user is currently in a
meeting, the device can assume that the user is likely indoors, and
any measurements made by the ALS and/or proximity sensors on the
device can be interpreted in view of the user being indoors. As
another example, if the device is a watch, and local weather
information indicates high temperatures in the area, the device can
bias its ALS and/or proximity sensor determinations towards the
device not being covered by a material, because a user is less
likely to be wearing long sleeves, which could cover the watch, on
a hot day. As a further example, if the device is a watch, the
device can determine whether a user is sleeping by using inertial
sensors, biometric sensors, calendar information, and possibly
other sensors. If the user is sleeping, the device can adjust its
mode of operation accordingly, as described above, to conserve
battery power (e.g., the device can turn off its touch screen and
its processor).
[0062] In some examples, the device can bias all coverage
determinations towards the device being uncovered (i.e., presenting
a brighter image on the touch screen, and/or leaving or turning the
touch screen on) so as to reduce the likelihood that the device
will interfere with a user's experience with the device by turning
off the touch screen at a non-ideal time.
[0063] The sensors and/or data sources from which the
above-described additional information can be received can be on
the device itself, on one or more external devices, or any
combination thereof. If on an external device, the device can
receive the relevant information via a communication link as in
FIG. 8.
[0064] FIG. 9 illustrates example system 900 according to examples
of this disclosure. System 900 can include touch screen 912, one or
more processors 906 and storage 908. System 900 can also include
one or more ALS and/or proximity sensors 902, and other sensors
904, such as those described above. Other sensors 904 can also
include other sources of information, as described above. All of
the above can be communicatively coupled via bus 910.
[0065] ALS and/or proximity sensors 902 can output sensor outputs
to processor 906 for processing via bus 910. Other sensors 904, if
included in system 900, can also output sensor outputs to processor
906 for processing via bus 910. Touch screen 912 can be the touch
screen on the device according to examples of this disclosure.
Storage 908 can be any non-transitory computer-readable storage
medium, and can store, for example, history and/or pattern data
relating to measurements from ALS and/or proximity sensors 902 and
other sensors 904. Storage 908 can also store instructions that can
cause processor 906 to perform the material detection processing,
as described in this disclosure. Processor 906 can adjust the
device's operation based on the ALS and/or proximity sensors 902
and other sensors 904, as described in this disclosure.
[0066] The various components of system 900 can all be on a single
device or can be distributed amongst multiple devices. For example,
ALS and/or proximity sensors 902 and touch screen 912 can be on a
mobile telephone, and other sensors 904, processor 906 and storage
908 can be on a host, as described with reference to FIG. 8.
Regardless of whether processor 906 for processing sensor outputs
is on a host, the device (e.g., the mobile telephone) can still
include sufficient logic for adjusting the operating states of its
various components (e.g., the touch screen), based on the results
of the processing done by the host. Relatedly, bus 910 can be a
physical bus line, a wireless connection, or any combination of the
two (i.e., portions of bus line can be physical bus lines while
other portions can be wireless connections). Bus 910 merely denotes
the ability of the various components of system 900 to communicate
with each other, if needed, via any suitable communication
link.
[0067] For example, in the example above, bus 910 between ALS
and/or proximity sensors 902 and touch screen 912 can be a physical
bus line, because the ALS and/or proximity sensors and the touch
screen can be on the same device. Similarly, bus 910 between
processor 906, storage 908 and other sensors 904 can also be a
physical bus line because those components can be on the same host.
However, the connection between the two physical bus line segments
can be a wireless connection, to allow for the device to
communicate with the host.
[0068] Therefore, according to the above, some examples of the
disclosure are directed to a device comprising one or more sensors
configured to detect a material covering the device, and logic
coupled to the one or more sensors, the logic configured to detect
one or more characteristics of the material covering the device,
and change an operating state of the device based on the detected
one or more characteristics. Additionally or alternatively to one
or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the one
or more sensors comprise one or more ambient light sensors (ALS).
Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples
disclosed above, in some examples, the one or more sensors comprise
one or more proximity sensors. Additionally or alternatively to one
or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the one
or more sensors comprise one or more cameras. Additionally or
alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in
some examples, the device further comprises a processor, wherein
changing the operating state of the device comprises changing an
operating state of the processor. Additionally or alternatively to
one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the
device further comprises a touch panel, wherein changing the
operating state of the device comprises changing an operating state
of the touch panel. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of
the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the device further
comprises a display, wherein changing the operating state of the
device comprises changing an operating state of the display.
Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples
disclosed above, in some examples, detecting the one or more
characteristics comprises detecting that the material is covering
at least a portion of the device, and changing the operating state
comprises putting the processor in a low-power state. Additionally
or alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in
some examples, detecting the one or more characteristics comprises
detecting that the material is covering at least a portion of the
touch panel, and changing the operating state comprises turning off
at least the portion of the touch panel. Additionally or
alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in
some examples, detecting the one or more characteristics comprises
detecting that the material is covering at least a portion of the
display, and changing the operating state comprises reducing a
brightness of at least the portion of the display. Additionally or
alternatively to one or more of the examples disclosed above, in
some examples, detecting the one or more characteristics comprises
detecting that the material is covering at least a portion of the
display, and changing the operating state comprises turning off at
least the portion of the display. Additionally or alternatively to
one or more of the examples disclosed above, in some examples,
detecting the one or more characteristics comprises detecting one
or more wavelengths of light transmitted by the material to the one
or more ALS. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the
examples disclosed above, in some examples, detecting the one or
more characteristics comprises detecting a direction of coverage of
the material. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the
examples disclosed above, in some examples, detecting the one or
more characteristics comprises detecting a color of the material.
Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the examples
disclosed above, in some examples, the logic is further configured
to determine a usage state of the device based on the one or more
characteristics. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of
the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the logic is
further configured to detect a pattern of the one or more
characteristics, and changing the operating state of the device
comprises changing the operating state of the device based on the
pattern. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of the
examples disclosed above, in some examples, changing the operating
state of the device comprises changing the operating state of the
device based on information in addition to the one or more
characteristics. Additionally or alternatively to one or more of
the examples disclosed above, in some examples, the device further
comprises a communication interface coupled to the logic, the
communication interface configured to receive the information from
an external device.
[0069] Some examples of the disclosure are directed to a device
comprising one or more sensors configured to detect a material
covering the device, a communication interface coupled to the one
or more sensors, the communication interface configured to send one
or more outputs from the one or more sensors to an external device,
and receive one or more characteristics of the material from the
external device, and logic coupled to the communication interface,
the logic configured to change an operating state of the device
based on the one or more characteristics.
[0070] Some examples of the disclosure are directed to a method
comprising detecting one or more characteristics of a material
covering a device, and changing an operating state of the device
based on the detected one or more characteristics.
[0071] Some examples of the disclosure are directed to a method
comprising sending, to a second device, one or more outputs from
one or more sensors configured to detect a material covering a
first device, receiving, from the second device, one or more
characteristics of the material, and changing an operating state of
the first device based on the one or more characteristics.
[0072] Some examples of the disclosure are directed to a
non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored
therein instructions, which when executed by a device, cause the
device to perform a method comprising detecting one or more
characteristics of a material covering the device, and changing an
operating state of the device based on the detected one or more
characteristics.
[0073] Some examples of the disclosure are directed to a
non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored
therein instructions, which when executed by a first device, cause
the device to perform a method comprising sending, to a second
device, one or more outputs from one or more sensors configured to
detect a material covering the first device, receiving, from the
second device, one or more characteristics of the material, and
changing an operating state of the first device based on the one or
more characteristics.
[0074] Although examples of this disclosure have been fully
described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be
noted that various changes and modifications will become apparent
to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to
be understood as being included within the scope of examples of
this disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *