Impact and contactless gesture inputs for electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9891719-B2
Application number	US-201715400727-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2017
Priority date	Apr 21, 2014
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

A docking station configured to mate to an electronic device enables methods of interacting with the electronic device by impacting (e.g., knocking) on a table on which the device and/or the docking station are disposed and by means of contactless gestures. The electronic device may remain in a powered off state while the docking station continuously monitors for user input. The docking station may have a processor that is capable of detecting a user's impact and contactless gesture inputs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable electronic device that can be coupled to a charging device, the portable electronic device comprising:
a housing;
a charging device interface that allows the portable electronic device to be coupled to the charging device;
charging circuitry configured to, when the portable electronic device is coupled to the charging device, receive electrical charge from the charging device through the charging device interface; and
processing circuitry disposed within the housing and configured to:
(i) activate a vibration analysis mode of the portable electronic device in response to receiving a signal from the charging device, and
(ii) while in the vibration analysis mode, receive a vibration signal corresponding to a vibration of a surface supporting the portable electronic device and the charging device, analyze the vibration signal, determine an action based on the analysis of the vibration signal, and perform the action on the portable electronic device;
wherein after receiving the signal from the charging device the processing circuitry delays a predetermined amount of time before activating the vibration analysis mode.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1 wherein analyzing the vibration signal includes determining if the vibration signal is above a predetermined threshold value.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1 wherein the portable electronic device is a wristwatch.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1 wherein data gathered in a training mode is used to determine if the vibration signal corresponds to a user impact command.

5. A portable electronic device comprising:
a housing;
a vibration sensor configured to generate a vibration signal in response to a vibration of the portable electronic device;
a processor disposed within the housing and operatively coupled to the vibration sensor, the processor configured to:
detect an activation event;
delay a predetermined amount of time after detecting the activation event and subsequently activate a vibration detection mode of the portable electronic device;
receive, after the delay, a vibration signal from the vibration sensor;
analyze the vibration signal;
determine an action based on the analysis of the vibration signal; and
perform the action on the portable electronic device.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 5 wherein after detecting the activation event and delaying the predetermined amount of time, the processor opens a time window in which it is able to receive the vibration signal.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 6 wherein the time window has a predetermined ending time.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 5 wherein analyzing the vibration signal includes determining if the vibration signal is above a predetermined threshold value.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 5 wherein the vibration sensor comprises an accelerometer.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 5 wherein the portable electronic device is a wristwatch.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 5 wherein data gathered in a training mode is used to determine if the vibration signal corresponds to a user impact command.

12. A method of communicating with a portable electronic device, the method comprising:
placing the portable electronic device on a surface;
detecting, by the portable electronic device, an activation event;
delaying a predetermined amount of time after detecting the activation event and subsequently activating a vibration detection mode of the portable electronic device;
communicating with the portable electronic device by causing the surface to vibrate;
sensing, by a vibration sensor within portable electronic device, a vibration signal corresponding to the vibration of the surface;
analyzing the vibration signal;
determining an action based on the analysis of the vibration signal; and
performing the action on the portable electronic device.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein analyzing the vibration signal includes determining if the vibration signal is above a predetermined threshold value.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the vibration sensor comprises an accelerometer.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the portable electronic device is a wristwatch.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising gathering data in a training mode and using the data to determine if the vibration signal corresponds to a user impact command.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Kasar Darshan R
• Nayman Greg
• Watson Robert Doran
• Mcpeak James L
• Foo Edwin
• Golko Albert
• Terlizzi Jeffrey J

Classifications

• G06F2200/1636

  Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing · 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

• G06F3/0346

  with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors · CPC title

• G06F1/1632

  External expansion units, e.g. docking stations · CPC title

• G06F1/3206

  Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality · CPC title