Electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016109959-A1
Application number	US-201514887593-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 20, 2015
Priority date	Oct 20, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electronic device and method are disclosed, the electronic device including a variable detection module operable in a plurality of modes, each of the plurality of modes configuring the variable detection module to detect a different external signal; and a controller. The controller may implement the method, including operating the variable detection module in one of the plurality of operating modes, and executing a function of the electronic device in response to a signal detected by the variable detection module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
a variable detection module operable in a plurality of modes, each of the plurality of modes configuring the variable detection module to detect a different external signal; and a controller configured to operate the variable detection module in one of the plurality of operating modes.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the variable detection module further comprises:
a light emitter for emitting light; a transmitter adjacent to the light emitter; and a receiver adjacent to the transmitter configured to receive at least a signal of the transmitter.

3 . The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the variable detection module is configured to execute at least one of:
a notification mode in which light emitted by the light emitter indicates a status of the electronic device; a gesture and motion sensor mode in which light received by the receiver is used to detect a gesture or a motion; and a biometric sensor mode in which the transmitter transmits light information to the receiver through an object disposed against the variable detection module to detect biometric data of a user.

4 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein controller operates the variable detection module in the notification mode, the gesture and motion sensor mode, or the biometric sensor mode according to a user configuration setting.

5 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the light emitter comprises a first light source that emits light of one or more of red, green, and blue light, the transmitter comprises a second light source that emits an infrared ray, and the receiver comprises a photo diode.

6 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein when the variable detection module executes the notification mode or the gesture and motion sensor mode, the first light source emits light in the notification mode, and the second light source and the photo diode operate to perform transmission/reception in the gesture and motion sensor mode, and
wherein when the variable detection module executes a body signal detection mode, the first light source and the second light source operate as the transmitter to measure body information, and the photo diode receives a signal from the transmitter.

7 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the variable detection module executes the notification mode and the gesture and motion sensor mode simultaneously, such that:
the first light source is configured to emit light of at least one of red, green, and blue light to indicate a state of the electronic device, and the second light source of the transmitter and the photo diode of the receiver operate to detect proximity of an object to the electronic device.

8 . The electronic device of claim 7 , further comprising a display unit, wherein:
the controller causes the display unit to activate or deactivate according a proximity of the object as detected by the second light source and the photo diode.

9 . The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the object comprises a portion of a user's body, and:
when the variable detection module executes the biometric sensor mode, the light emitter and the transmitter are configured to operate together as a single transmission module to transmit the light information through the object, and the receiver is configured to receive the light information indicating the biometric data, the biometric data including at least one of a heart rate and a blood oxygen saturation.

10 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein when the variable detection module executes the biometric sensor mode:
the first light source is configured to emit at least one of red and green light through the object; the second light source is configured to emits the infrared ray through the object in tandem with the first light source; and the photo diode is configured to receive a body signal which includes the at least one of red and green light and the infrared ray as modified by passing through the object to the photo diode.

11 . An electronic device comprising:
a variable detection module operable in a plurality of modes, each of the plurality of modes configuring the variable detection module to detect a different external signal; and a controller configured to:
operate the variable detection module in one of the plurality of operating modes, and
execute a function of the electronic device in response to a signal detected by the variable detection module.

12 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the variable detection module comprises:
a first light source disposed on a periphery of the electronic device and configured to emit at least one visible ray of red, green, and blue light; a second light source disposed adjacent to the first light source and configured to emit an infrared ray; and a photo diode disposed adjacent to the second light source.

13 . The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of modes comprises a biometric sensor mode in which the first light source and the second light source are configured to transmit light information to the photo diode through an object disposed against the variable detection module to detect biometric data of a user.

14 . The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of modes further comprises:
a notification mode in which light emitted by the first light source indicates a status of the electronic device; and a gesture and motion sensor mode in which light received by the photo diode is used to detect a gesture or a motion.

15 . The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the variable detection module executes the notification mode and the gesture and motion sensor mode simultaneously, such that:
the first light source is configured to emit light of at least one of red, green, and blue light to indicate a state of the electronic device, and the second light source and the photo diode operate to detect proximity of an object to the electronic device.

16 . The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the object comprises a portion of a user's body.

17 . The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein when the variable detection module executes the biometric sensor mode, the first light source and the second light source are configured to operate together as a single transmission module to transmit the light information through the object.

18 . The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the at least one of red and green light transmitted from the first light source, and the infrared ray transmitted from the second light source, are modified by passing through the object to the photo diode to generate a signal indicating the biometric data.

19 . The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the biometric data includes at least one of a heart rate and a blood oxygen saturation.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Heo Joon

Classifications

• G06F1/3265

  Power saving in display device · CPC title

• A61B5/6898

  Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers · CPC title

• G06F3/0304

  Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means (constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042) · CPC title

• G06F1/1684

  Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675 · CPC title

• G06F3/017 Primary

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title