Abstract:
The present invention relates to a portable electronic device which can be switched between a first mode and a second mode. The portable electronic device comprises a first sensor to detect a touch on the portable electronic device and generate a first signal based on such touch, a second sensor to detect a movement of the portable electronic device and generate a second signal based on such movement, and a processing unit which electrically connects the first sensor and the second sensor. When the portable electronic device is in the first mode, the processing unit switches the portable electronic device to the second mode based on the first and second signals. In addition, the present invention provides a mode switching method that enables the portable electronic device to determine whether to enter or exit from the sleep mode.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a mode switching method for portable electronic device, more particularly, to a portable electronic device and its mode switching method, in which the mode is switched between a first mode and a second mode based on the signals generated by two types of sensors. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Portable electronic devices such as mobile phones and PDAs are usually equipped with two modes, a sleep mode and an operating mode. Such portable electronic device will remain in operating mode when its functions and applications are operated by the user and will enter sleep mode to extend its battery life after being idle for a certain period of time. 
         [0005]    For a conventional portable electronic device, the switch between sleep mode and operating mode usually relies on a predetermined period of time set with software. Where a predetermined period of inactivity has elapsed, the portable electronic device will enter sleep mode and the user must manually press a default key to switch the portable electronic device to operating mode when s/he wants to operate it. 
         [0006]    As the mode switching method of the conventional portable electronic device is not based on the user&#39;s actions, the device will not enter sleep mode immediately after the user stops using it, and will thus cause unnecessary power consumption during the predetermined period of time. Moreover, prior to the portable electronic device resuming operating mode, the user is required to perform an additional step of pressing a key to have the portable electronic device exit from sleep mode, thus resulting in unnecessary operation for the user. To address the aforementioned drawbacks, the present invention provides a portable electronic device and the mode switching method thereof designed based on the user&#39;s actions to reduce unnecessary power consumption and simplify the operation procedure. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    An object of the present disclosure is to provide a portable electronic device that switches between different modes of operation based on the user&#39;s actions. 
         [0008]    Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a mode switching method for the portable electronic device designed based on the user&#39;s actions. 
         [0009]    To achieve the aforementioned objects, the present disclosure provides a portable electronic device which can be switched between a first mode and a second mode. The portable electronic device comprises a first sensor to detect a touch on the portable electronic device and generate a first signal based on such touch, a second sensor to detect a movement of the portable electronic device and generate a second signal based on such movement, and a processing unit which electrically connects the first sensor and the second sensor. When the portable electronic device is in the first mode, the processing unit will switch the portable electronic device to the second mode based on the first and second signals. 
         [0010]    According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the aforementioned first and second modes may be sleep mode and operating mode respectively, and the portable electronic device consumes less power in the first mode than in the second mode. 
         [0011]    According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the aforementioned first sensor is a capacitive touch sensor disposed at one side of the portable electronic device and/or on the surface opposite to the surface of the display and the second sensor is an accelerometer. 
         [0012]    To achieve the aforementioned objects, the present disclosure further provides a mode switching method for a portable electronic device which can be switched between a first mode and a second mode. The mode switching method comprises the following steps: detecting a touch on the portable electronic device and generating a first signal based on such touch; detecting a movement of the portable electronic device and generating a second signal based on such movement; and switching the portable electronic device to the second mode based on the first and second signals when the portable electronic device is in the first mode. 
         [0013]    According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the aforementioned first mode and second mode are sleep mode and operating mode respectively; a capacitive touch sensor is used to detect the touch on the portable electronic device; and an accelerometer is used to detect a movement of the portable electronic device. 
         [0014]    According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the aforementioned mode switching method further comprises the step of initiating the detection of the portable electronic device&#39;s movement based on the first signal. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a three-dimensional view showing the portable electronic device of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view showing the rear portion of the portable electronic device of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3A  is a system block diagram of the portable electronic device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3B  is a system block diagram of the portable electronic device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart showing the steps of determining whether to switch from sleep mode to operating mode according to the method of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a flow chart showing the steps of determining whether to switch from operating mode to sleep mode according to the method of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is another flow chart showing the steps of determining whether to switch from operating mode to sleep mode according to the method of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0022]    The techniques, functions and features of the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with the preferred embodiments of the present invention and the accompanying drawings. 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is a three-dimensional view showing a portable electronic device  10  of the present invention. According to the embodiment of the present invention, the portable electronic device  10  may be any portable electronic device which performs the present invention, including but not limited to a mobile phone, PDA, digital camera, etc. In the embodiment, the portable electronic device  10  is a mobile phone. The portable electronic device  10  includes an LCD display  11  and a touch sensor  12  which is mounted on at least one of the two adjoining sides of the LCD display  11 . Such touch sensor  12  detects whether or not the portable electronic device  10  is being held by a user. In addition, the touch sensor  12  may be a capacitive touch sensor that detects whether the portable electronic device  10  is being held by a user. 
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view showing the rear portion of the portable electronic device of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 2 , a touch sensor  13  positioned at the rear portion opposite to the LCD display  11  is further included to more accurately detect the user&#39;s grip on the portable electronic device  10 . As such, the portable electronic device  10  detects whether it is being held by the user through the touch sensors  12  and  13 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 3A  is a system block diagram of the portable electronic device  10  according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the portable electronic device  10  can switch between an operating mode and a sleep mode and comprises an application processor  14  and an input interface (not shown). When the portable electronic device  10  is in the operating mode, the application processor  14  can execute applications and display information on the LCD display  11  via the display interface. When the portable electronic device  10  enters the sleep mode, the operation of the application processor  14  consumes relatively less power and the LCD display  11  is turned off. The portable electronic device  10  consumes less power in the sleep mode than in the operating mode. 
         [0026]    The application processor  14  receives at least one touching signal from at least one of the touch sensors  12  and  13  and a movement data signal from an accelerometer  15 . The application processor  14  then analyzes the touching signal and the movement data signal and switches the portable electronic device  10  to one of the operating mode and the sleep mode based on the analyzed results. The movement data signal of the accelerometer  15  includes a value of gravitational acceleration (value g) of the portable electronic device  10  in a three dimensional space (x-, y- and z-axes). 
         [0027]      FIG. 3B  is a system block diagram of the portable electronic device  10  according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the portable electronic device  10  can switch between an operating mode and a sleep mode, and comprises an application processor  14 , a micro-controller (MCU)  16  and an input interface (not shown). When the portable electronic device  10  is in the operating mode, the application processor  14  can execute applications and display information on an LCD display  11  via the display interface. When the portable electronic device  10  enters the sleep mode, the operation of the application processor  14  consumes relatively less power and the LCD display  11  is turned off. 
         [0028]    In both of the operating mode and the sleep mode, the MCU  16  will monitor at least one of the touch sensor  12  and the accelerometer  15 . The MCU  16  also analyzes the touching signal generated by the touch sensor  12  and the movement data signal generated by the accelerometer  15 , and sends an interruption signal to the application processor  14  based on the analyzed results. Based on the interruption signal, the application processor  14  will then execute the interruption program to switch the portable electronic device  10  from the operating/sleep mode to the sleep/operating mode accordingly. 
         [0029]    The MCU  16  generates an interruption signal to perform different tasks in various embodiments. The following description lists a number of situations in which an interruption signal is generated. For example, in the sleep mode, when the MCU  16  analyzes a touching signal generated when the touch sensor  12  is touched (i.e. the user is holding the portable electronic device  10 ), an interruption signal will be generated to enable the application processor  14  to read the movement data signal from the accelerometer  15  via the MCU  16 . In the operating mode, when the MCU  16  determines that the change of the value g of the accelerometer  15  falls within a predetermined range, an interruption signal will be generated to cause the application processor  14  to execute certain procedures. In the operating mode, when the MCU  16  determines that the touching signal of the touch sensor  12  is disenabled or not actuated (i.e. the portable electronic device  10  is no longer held by the user), an interruption signal will be generated to cause the application processor  14  to execute certain procedures. 
         [0030]    According to the first and second embodiments described above, the portable electronic device  10  of the present invention utilizes two types of sensors to detect the user&#39;s act of gripping the portable electronic device  10 . More specifically, the touch sensors (or capacitive touch sensors)  12  and  13  are utilized to detect whether the portable electronic device  10  is being held by the user and, in the affirmative, the accelerometer  15  will start to detect the movement of the portable electronic device  10  in the three dimensional space to determine whether the portable electronic device  10  is “being lifted” or “being put down”. More particularly, only when the signal generated by the first sensor satisfies a predetermined condition or range, the present invention determines whether the signal generated by the second sensor satisfies another predetermined condition or range. The portable electronic device  10  will be switched between operating mode and sleep mode based on the analyzed results of the signal generated by the second sensor. 
         [0031]    As depicted in the embodiments shown in  FIG. 3A  and  FIG. 3B , the portable electronic device  10  of the present invention utilizes two types of sensors to detect the user&#39;s behavior of operating the portable electronic device  10  to determine the mode thereof.  FIG. 4  is a flow chart showing the steps of determining whether to enter operating mode from sleep mode. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the portable electronic device  10  first reads the touching signal generated by the touch sensor and then enables the accelerometer  15  to determine whether to switch modes.  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  are two flow charts showing the steps of determining whether to enter sleep mode from operating mode. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the portable electronic device  10  may read and analyze the value g of the accelerometer  15  before determining whether to enter sleep mode based on the touching signals of the touch sensors  12  and  13 . Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the portable electronic device  10  may read and analyze the touching signal generated by the touch sensors  12  and  13  before determining whether to enter sleep mode based on the value g of the accelerometer  15 . Each flow chart will be further described in detail as follows. 
         [0032]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart showing the method of determining whether to enter operating mode from sleep mode. When the portable electronic device  10  is in sleep mode (Step  101 ), the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  will monitor whether the touch sensors  12  and  13  have been touched or actuated (Step  102 ) and will read and analyze the touching signal to determine whether the portable electronic device has been gripped or touched by the user accidentally. If the touch sensors  12  and  13  are not being touched or if it is determined that the touching signal is caused due to an accident touch, then the portable electronic device  10  will remain in sleep mode (Step  101 ). If the touch sensors  12  and  13  are being touched or if it is determined that the touching signal is correct, it means that the user is holding the portable electronic device  10  and the application processor  14  will execute the interruption program to perform the following steps. Alternatively, the MCU  16  may send the application processor  14  an interruption signal to execute the interruption program to perform the following steps. 
         [0033]    After the user&#39;s grip on the portable electronic device  10  is confirmed, the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  will enable the accelerometer  15  to detect the movement of the portable electronic device  10  and monitor the change of the value g, gravitational acceleration, generated by the accelerometer  15  (Step  103 ). The value g represents the gravitational acceleration in the three dimensional space. When the portable electronic device  10  is being held and a movement is detected, the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  will continuously reads the value g, generated by the accelerometer  15 , to determine whether the value g falls within a first predetermined range (Step  104 ). The first predetermined range represents the range corresponding to changes in the value g which is generated by the accelerometer  15  when the portable electronic device  10  is “being lifted”. By conducting prior experiments to record the change in the value g when the portable electronic device  10  is being lifted, the first predetermined range may be established and stored in the database of the portable electronic device  10 . 
         [0034]    As the speed at which the portable electronic device  10  is being lifted varies from person to person, the confidence level that the change in the value g outputted by the accelerometer  15 , falls within the range of change corresponding to the portable electronic device  10  being lifted can be calculated via different sampling time. Once the confidence level reaches a threshold, thereby indicating that the user&#39;s act of lifting the portable electronic device  10  is confirmed and the analyzed result is reliable, then the system of the portable electronic device  10  will enter operating mode (Step  107 ). In addition, if the change in the value g outputted by the accelerometer  15 , corresponds to the trend of change in the value g stored in the database (established through the “lifting” of the portable electronic device  10 ), the user&#39;s act of lifting the portable electronic device  10  can also be confirmed. Therefore, when the process proceeds to Step  107 , the user&#39;s grip on the portable electronic device  10  would have been confirmed and the user can simply lift the portable electronic device  10  to have the system enter operating mode without pressing any key. 
         [0035]    When the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  determines that the value g outputted by the accelerometer  15 , does not fall within the first predetermined range (Step  104 ), that is, the portable electronic device  10  is not being lifted, the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  will keep monitoring the touch sensors  12  and  13  to determine whether such sensors continue to be touched (Step  105 ). If the touch sensors  12  and  13  are continuously touched, then the user continues to hold the portable electronic device  10  and the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  will continue to read the value g outputted by the accelerometer  15 , to determine whether the change in the value g outputted by the accelerometer  15 , falls within the first predetermined range (Step  104 ). If the touch sensors  12  and  13  are not being touched, then the user has loosened his/her grip on the portable electronic device  10  before lifting it. The application processor  14  or the MCU  16  will then interrupt the process of determining whether the value g outputted by the accelerometer  15 , falls within the first predetermined range and disenable the accelerometer  15  (Step  106 ). The portable electronic device  10  will then remain in sleep mode (Step  101 ) until the touch sensors  12  and  13  are once again touched or the user once again grips the portable electronic device  10 . 
         [0036]    In a further embodiment of the present invention, when the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  enables the accelerometer  15  and monitors its movement data signal (Step  103 ), the process proceeds to a loop between Step  104  and Step  105 . At the same time, the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  will start a timer and, within a predetermined period of time, will read the gravitational acceleration g outputted by the accelerometer  15 , to determine whether the portable electronic device  10  is being lifted. If the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  is unable to determine, within the predetermined period of time, that the portable electronic device  10  is being lifted based on the value g outputted by the accelerometer  15 , to switch the system to operating mode, then the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  will cause the portable electronic device  10  to enter operating mode once such predetermined period of time has elapsed. Therefore, forcing the system to enter operating mode after the predetermined period of time has elapsed by means of the timer prevents the system from being trapped in the loop between Step  104  and Step  105 . Moreover, if the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  determines, within such predetermined period of time, that the touch sensors  12  and  13  are no longer being touched, the accelerometer  15  will then be disenabled (Step  106 ) and the portable electronic device  10  will remain in sleep mode (Step  101 ). 
         [0037]    Both  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  show the method of determining whether to enter sleep mode from operating mode, but the steps illustrated in the two drawings are slightly different in terms of order. In the flow chart shown in  FIG. 5 , the value g of the accelerometer  15  is read before determining whether the touch sensors  12  and  13  detect any touch on the portable electronic device  10 . In the flow chart shown in  FIG. 6 , whether the touch sensors  12  and  13  detect any touch on the portable electronic device  10  is determined before reading the value g of the accelerometer  15 . With reference to  FIG. 5 , when the portable electronic device  10  is in operating mode (Step  201 ), the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  monitors the movement data signal of the accelerometer  15  continuously or regularly at a predetermined period of time, and determines whether the value g outputted by the accelerometer  15 , falls within a second predetermined range (Step  202 ). The second predetermined range represents the range corresponding to changes in the value g generated by the accelerometer  15  when the portable electronic device  10  is “being put down”. By conducting prior experiments to record the change in the value g when the portable electronic device  10  is being put down, the second predetermined range may be established and stored in the database of the portable electronic device  10 . 
         [0038]    As the speed at which the portable electronic device  10  is being put down varies from person to person, the confidence level that the change in the value g outputted by the accelerometer  15 , falls within the range of change corresponding to the portable electronic device  10  being put down can be calculated via different sampling time. Once the confidence level reaches a threshold, the user&#39;s act of putting down the portable electronic device  10  is confirmed and the analyzed result is reliable. In addition, if the change in the value g outputted by the accelerometer  15 , corresponds to the trend of change in the value g stored in the database (established through the “putting down” of the portable electronic device  10 ), the user&#39;s act of putting down the portable electronic device  10  can also be confirmed. When the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  determines that the value g outputted by the accelerometer  15 , does not fall within the second predetermined range (Step  202 ), that is, the portable electronic device  10  has not been put down, the portable electronic device  10  will remain in operating mode (Step  201 ). 
         [0039]    If the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  determines that the value g outputted by the accelerometer  15 , falls within the second predetermined range, the application processor  14  will execute the interruption program (alternatively, the MCU  16  may generate an interruption signal to cause the application processor  14  to execute the interruption program) and further monitor the touch sensors  12  and  13  to determine whether they are not being touched (Step  203 ). If the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  reads the touching signal and determines that the user has put down the portable electronic device  10 , the system of the portable electronic device  10  will enter sleep mode (Step  205 ). As such, when the process proceeds to Step  205 , the user&#39;s act of putting down the portable electronic device  10  would have been confirmed and the system will enter sleep mode immediately without having to wait for a predetermined period of time, thus reducing power consumption. 
         [0040]    Where the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  determines that the user is still holding the portable electronic device  10 , that is, the touch sensors are touched continuously, the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  will determine whether the value g outputted by the accelerometer  15 , falls within the first predetermined range (Step  204 ). In the affirmative, the portable electronic device  10  has been lifted again before the user loosened his/her grip on it and the portable electronic device  10  will therefore remain in operating mode (Step  201 ). If the value g does not fall within the first predetermined range, the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  will continue to monitor the touch sensors  12  and  13  to determine whether they are not being touched (Step  203 ) to confirm whether the portable electronic device  10  has been put down. 
         [0041]    In the further embodiment of the present invention, the process will proceed to a loop between Step  203  and Step  204  after the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  determines that the value g outputted by the accelerometer  15 , falls within the second predetermined range. At the same time, the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  will start a timer and monitor the touch sensors  12  and  13  to determine, within a predetermined period of time, whether the two sensors  12  and  13  are not being touched (Step  203 ). If the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  is unable to determine, within such predetermined period of time, whether the user has loosened his/her grip on the portable electronic device  10  based on the touching signal generated by the touch sensors  12  and  13  and to switch the system to sleep mode (Step  205 ), then the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  will cause the portable electronic device  10  to enter sleep mode once such predetermined period of time has elapsed. Therefore, forcing the system to enter sleep mode after the predetermined period of time has elapsed by means of the timer can prevent the system from being trapped in the loop between Step  203  and Step  204 . Moreover, if the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  determines, within such predetermined period of time, that the value g outputted by the accelerometer  15 , falls within the first predetermined range (Step  204 ), then the portable electronic device  10  has again been lifted and the portable electronic device  10  will remain in operating mode (Step  201 ). 
         [0042]    In reference to  FIG. 6 , when the portable electronic device  10  is in operating mode (Step  301 ), the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  will monitor the touch sensors  12  and  13  to determine whether they are not being touched (Step  302 ). If the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  reads the touching signal and determines that the user is still holding the portable electronic device  10 , the portable electronic device  10  will remain in operating mode (Step  301 ). If the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  determines that the user has likely loosened his/her grip on the portable electronic device  10  (whereas in fact the touch sensors  12  and  13  may not be touched by reason of different ways of holding the portable electronic device  10 ), then the application processor  14  will execute the interruption program (alternatively, the MCU  16  may generate an interruption signal to cause the application processor  14  to execute the interruption program) and further monitor the value g comprised in the movement data signal of the accelerometer  15  (Step  303 ). If the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  determines that the value g outputted by the accelerometer  15 , falls within the second predetermined range, then the user&#39;s act of putting down the portable electronic device  10  is confirmed and the system of the portable electronic device  10  will enter sleep mode (Step  305 ). 
         [0043]    The application processor  14  or the MCU  16  will monitor the touch sensors  12  and  13  to determine whether they are being touched (Step  304 ) before confirming that the portable electronic device  10  has not been put down, that is, the value g of the accelerometer  15  has not yet fallen within the second predetermined range. If the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  determines that the touch sensors  12  and  13  are being touched, then the user is again holding the portable electronic device  10  before putting it down and the portable electronic device  10  will therefore remain in operating mode (Step  301 ). If the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  determines that the touch sensors  12  and  13  are not being touched, the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  will continue to monitor the value g comprised in the movement data signal of the accelerometer  15  to determine whether the portable electronic device  10  has been put down. 
         [0044]    In the further embodiment of the present invention, the process will proceed to a loop between Step  303  and Step  304  after the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  determines that the touch sensors  12  and  13  have not been touched. At the same time, the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  will start a timer and constantly monitor, within a predetermined period of time, the value g comprised in the movement data signal of the accelerometer  15  (Step  303 ) in order to determine whether the portable electronic device  10  has been put down. If the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  is unable to determine, within such predetermined period of time, whether the portable electronic device  10  is being put down based on the movement data signal of the accelerometer  15  and to switch the system to sleep mode (Step  305 ), then the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  will cause the portable electronic device  10  to enter sleep mode. As such, forcing the system to enter sleep mode after the predetermined period of time has elapsed by means of the timer can prevent the system from being trapped in the loop between Step  303  and Step  304 . In addition, if the application processor  14  or the MCU  16  determines, within such predetermined period of time, that the touch sensors  12  and  13  are being touched (Step  304 ), then the user is again holding the portable electronic device  10  and the portable electronic device  10  will therefore remain in operating mode (Step  301 ). 
         [0045]    While this invention has been described by way of examples and preferred embodiments above, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited thereto, and that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. The scope of the protection of this invention should therefore be based on the following appended claims.