Portable electronic device with acoustic and/or proximity sensors and methods therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9883301-B2
Application number	US-201414301417-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2014
Priority date	Apr 22, 2014
Publication date	Jan 30, 2018
Grant date	Jan 30, 2018

Abstract

An electronic device includes a housing and a user interface. The electronic device also includes an acoustic detector and one or more processors operable with the acoustic detector. The one or more processors can receive, from the user interface, user input corresponding to an operation of the electronic device. The one or more processors can then optionally initiate a timer in response to receiving the user input and monitor the acoustic detector for a predefined acoustic marker, one example of which is acoustic data indicating detection of one or more finger snaps. Where the one or more finger snaps occur prior to expiration of the timer, the one or more processors can perform the operation of the electronic device. Otherwise ignore the user input. The acoustic confirmation of user input helps to eliminate false triggers, thereby conserving battery power and extending run time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a housing;
one or more proximity sensor components disposed along the housing;
an acoustic detector; and
one or more processors coupled to the one or more proximity sensor components and to the acoustic detector, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
receive sensor data from the one or more proximity sensor components, the sensor data indicating that an object is approaching the housing;
responsive to receiving the sensor data indicating that the object is approaching the housing, initiate a timer;
prior to an expiration of the timer, receive user input corresponding to an operation of the electronic device, wherein the user input comprises one or more of a touch input or at least one voice command;
after receiving the user input and prior to the expiration of the timer, receive acoustic data from the acoustic detector; and
responsive to determining that the acoustic data indicates a finger snap pattern that corresponds to the operation of the electronic device, perform the operation of the electronic device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a display, wherein the operation comprises activating the display.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the operation comprises one of starting or stopping playback of media content.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the operation comprises selecting media content.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the user input comprises the at least one voice command, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to further monitor the acoustic detector for receipt of the at least one voice command.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to further monitor the acoustic detector for receipt of the at least one voice command between receipt of the sensor data from the one or more proximity sensor components and receipt of the acoustic data from the acoustic detector.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic detector comprises one or more microphones.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the finger snap pattern comprises a number of finger snaps.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the number of finger snaps comprises multiple finger snaps.

10. An electronic device, comprising:
an acoustic detector; and
one or more processors coupled to the acoustic detector, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
receive user input corresponding to an operation of the electronic device, wherein the user input comprises one or more of a touch input or at least one voice command;
responsive to receiving the user input, initiate a timer;
after receiving the user input and prior to an expiration of the timer, receive acoustic data from the acoustic detector; and
responsive to determining that the acoustic data indicates a finger snap pattern that corresponds to the operation of the electronic device, perform the operation of the electronic device.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the finger snap pattern comprises a number of finger snaps.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the number of finger snaps comprises multiple finger snaps.

13. A method comprising:
receiving, by an electronic device, sensor data provided by one or more proximity sensor components, the sensor data indicating that an object is approaching a housing of the electronic device;
responsive to receiving the sensor data indicating that the object is approaching the housing of the electronic device, initiating, by the electronic device, a timer;
prior to an expiration of the timer, receiving, by the electronic device, user input corresponding to an operation of the electronic device, wherein the user input comprises one or more of a touch input or at least one voice command;
after receiving the user input and prior to the expiration of the timer, receiving, by the electronic device, acoustic data provided by an acoustic detector; and
responsive to determining that the acoustic data indicates a finger snap pattern that corresponds to the operation of the electronic device, performing, by the electronic device, the operation of the electronic device.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the sensor data comprises first sensor data, wherein the acoustic data comprises first acoustic data, wherein the timer comprises a first timer, wherein the object comprises a first object, wherein the finger snap pattern comprises a first finger snap pattern, wherein the user input comprises first user input, wherein the operation comprises a first operation, wherein the touch input comprises a first touch input, wherein the at least one voice command comprises a first at least one voice command, and wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, by the electronic device, second sensor data provided by the one or more proximity sensor components, the second sensor data indicating that a second object is approaching the housing of the electronic device;
responsive to receiving the second sensor data indicating that the second object is approaching the housing of the electronic device, initiating, by the electronic device, a second timer;
prior to an expiration of the second timer, receive second user input corresponding to a second operation of the electronic device, wherein the second user input comprises one or more of a second touch input or a second at least one voice command;
after receiving the second user input and prior to the expiration of the second timer, receiving, by the electronic device, second acoustic data provided by the acoustic detector; and
responsive to determining that the second acoustic data indicates a second finger snap pattern that corresponds to the second operation of the electronic device, performing, by the electronic device, the second operation of the electronic device.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein performing the operation comprises activating, by the electronic device, a display of the electronic device.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein performing the operation comprises one of starting or stopping, by the electronic device, playback of media content.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the user input comprises the at least one voice command, the method further comprising:
monitoring, by the electronic device, the acoustic detector for receipt of the at least one voice command.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein monitoring the acoustic detector for receipt of the at least one voice command comprises monitoring, by the electronic device, the acoustic detector for receipt of the at least one voice command between receipt of the sensor data and receipt of the acoustic data.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the finger snap pattern comprises a number of finger snaps.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the number of finger snaps comprises multiple finger snaps.

Assignees

• Motorola Mobility Llc
• Google Technology Holdings LLC

Inventors

• Gan Su-Yin
• Waddington Alex Vaz

Classifications

• H04R29/00 Primary

  Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements {(for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308)} · CPC title

• H04R2499/11

  Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's · CPC title