Initializing camera subsystem for face detection based on sensor inputs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10728442-B2
Application number	US-201815923786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2018
Priority date	Sep 9, 2011
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method comprises monitoring one or more sensors of a computing device that is in a locked state and is associated with an authorized user of a social-networking system, identifying, based on information associated with the authorized user, content to be downloaded from the social-networking system, and downloading the identified content from the social-networking system, wherein the identified content is stored for display after the computing device is unlocked. The downloading may be in response to determining that an operation to unlock the computing device is imminent, and the content may include commonly-viewed content. The downloading may include downloading one or more notifications from the social-networking system. The downloading may be based on one or more previous habits of the authorized user. The information associated with the authorized user may include information indicating that the authorized user habitually checks one or more sites or feeds.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
by a computing device, monitoring a plurality of sensors comprising first and second sensors, wherein each of the first and second sensors is one of an accelerometer, a gyrometer, a proximity sensor, or a microphone, and wherein the computing device is in a locked state;
by the computing device, identifying, based on information associated with an authorized user of the computing device, content to be downloaded from a social-networking system;
by the computing device, receiving input from the first and second sensors of the computing device in the locked state;
by the computing device, in response to receiving input from the first and second sensors indicating that an unlock operation is imminent:
initializing a camera subsystem of the computing device to prepare for image capture; and
downloading the identified content from the social-networking system, wherein the identified content is stored for display after the computing device is unlocked;

by the computing device, in response to camera initialization, monitoring the input from the camera subsystem for the presence of a face;
by the computing device, detecting, in the input from the camera subsystem, a face of a current user; and
by the computing device, unlocking the computing device when the detected face of the current user matches a pre-stored image representing a face of the authorized user of the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the downloading comprises downloading one or more notifications from the social-networking system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identified content comprises newsfeed information.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
by the computing device, determining that the user of the device checks one or more news sites or feeds each time the user unlocks the computing device,
wherein downloading the identified content by the computing device in response to receiving the input from the first and second sensors indicating that an operation to unlock the computing device is imminent includes downloading content from the news sites or feeds.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
by the computing device, detecting input from the plurality of sensors, wherein each of the plurality of sensors is of a different type, and
wherein the unlock operation is imminent when the input from each of the plurality of sensors indicates a change in an environment related to the computing device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a light sensor, and the unlock operation is imminent at least when input from the light sensor indicates an increase in an ambient light level.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
by the computing device, receiving a request to unlock the device, the request comprising authentication data; and
by the computing device, determining whether to exit the locked state based at least in part on the authentication data and data associated with the authorized user in the social-networking system.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor comprises an infrared Light-Emitting Diode (LED) proximity sensor on a back side of the computing device, and the unlock operation is imminent at least when input from the proximity sensor indicates that the computing device is in close proximity to an object.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second sensor comprises an infrared Light-Emitting Diode (LED) proximity sensor on a front side of the computing device, and the unlock operation is imminent at least when input from the proximity sensor indicates a transition from a positive proximity sensor reading indicating detection of an object to a negative proximity sensor reading indicating detection of no objects.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensors comprise a microphone that periodically captures ambient audio waveforms, and the unlock operation is imminent at least when input from the microphone indicates a transition from a quiet environment to a noisy environment.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
by the computing device, performing waveform analysis to determine whether sound captured by the microphone is muffled or clear,
wherein the unlock operation is imminent at least when the waveform analysis indicates a transition from a muffled audio environment to a clear audio environment.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising automatically sending, by the computing device, an image of the detected face to the social-networking system in response to the unlocking of the computing device when the detected face of the current user matches a pre-stored image representing a face of the authorized user of the computing device.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising automatically sending, by the computing device, an updated status of the authorized user to the social-networking system in response to receiving input from the first and second sensors indicating that an unlock operation is imminent.

14. A method comprising:
by a computing device, monitoring a plurality of sensors comprising first and second sensors, wherein the computing device is in a locked state;
by the computing device, receiving input from the first and second sensors of the computing device in the locked state;
by the computing device, in response to receiving input from the first and second sensors indicating that an unlock operation is imminent, initializing a camera subsystem of the computing device to prepare for image capture;
by the computing device, in response to camera initialization, monitoring the input from the camera subsystem for the presence of a face;
by the computing device, detecting, in the input from the camera subsystem, a face of a current user; and
by the computing device, unlocking the computing device when the detected face of the current user matches a pre-stored image representing a face of an authorized user of the computing device;
by the computing device, identifying, based on information associated with the authorized user, content to be downloaded from a social-networking system; and
by the computing device, downloading the identified content from the social-networking system, wherein the identified content is stored for display after the computing device is unlocked;
wherein the downloading is in response to receiving the input from the first and second sensors indicating that an operation to unlock the computing device is imminent, and
wherein the downloading is in response to determining that the user has moved to an area that is neither the user's home nor the user's office, and the identified content comprises nearby points of interest for a check-in operation.

15. A method comprising:
by a computing device, monitoring a plurality of sensors comprising first and second sensors, wherein the computing device is in a locked state;
by the computing device, receiving input from the first and second sensors of the computing device in the locked state;
by the computing device, in response to receiving input from the first and second sensors indicating that an unlock operation is imminent, initializing a camera subsystem of the computing device to prepare for image capture;
by the computing device, in response to camera initialization, monitoring the input from the camera subsystem for the presence of a face;
by the computing device, detecting, in the input from the camera subsystem, a face of a current user; and
by the computing device, unlocking the computing device when the detected face of the current user matches a pre-stored im

Assignees

• Facebook Inc

Inventors

• Papakipos Matthew Nicholas
• Garcia David Harry

Classifications

• H04N23/00

  Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof · CPC title

• H04N23/61

  based on recognised objects · CPC title

• G06F1/1686 Primary

  the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera · CPC title

• H04N23/63

  by using electronic viewfinders · CPC title

• H04N23/611 Primary

  where the recognised objects include parts of the human body · CPC title