Patent Publication Number: US-2015077354-A1

Title: Screen Control System of Handheld Devices and Method Thereof

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of China Patent Application No. 201310419978.7, filed on Sep. 13, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a system for controlling a screen on a handheld device and method thereof, and more particularly, to a system for controlling a screen on a handheld device and a method thereof, which controls the screen of a handheld device automatically by a gravity sensor, a proximity sensor and a processing unit. 
     2. Related Art 
     With handheld devices developing nowadays like PDAs, smart phones and tablet computers, it may be a challenge for handheld devices manufacturers to reduce power consumption and increase battery life with battery size and charging capacity limitations. Moreover, displaying is one of the most power consuming functions in handheld devices. Most of the time, users are used to put their handheld device into a pocket or a suitcase directly or turn over their handheld device on the desk without shutting off the screen of the handheld device. Although most of handheld devices provide a sleep mode, it still consumes additional power before the screen is shut off. 
     SUMMARY 
     In order to overcome the deficiencies of prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide a system for controlling a screen on a handheld device and a method thereof, in order to turn off the screen on the handheld device when the screen is facing downwards and in proximity to an object. 
     Therefore, the present invention provides a system for controlling a screen on a handheld device, including a gravity sensor, a proximity sensor, and a processing unit. The gravity sensor is configured for determining a direction in which a screen on a handheld device is facing. The proximity sensor is configured for determining whether the screen is in proximity to an object or not. The processing unit is coupled to the gravity sensor, the proximity sensor, and the screen, and configured to conduct turning off the screen when the screen is facing downwards and in proximity to an object. 
     Preferably, the system may further include a timing module coupled to the processing unit and configured to measure a screen-on duration of the screen, and the processing unit is configured to conduct turning off the screen when the screen-on duration expires. 
     The present invention also provides a method of controlling a screen on a handheld device, including: using a gravity sensor to determine a direction in which a screen on a handheld device is facing; using a proximity sensor to determine whether the screen is in proximity to an object or not; and turning off the screen when the screen is facing downwards and in proximity to the object. 
     Preferably, the method may further include measuring a screen-on duration of the screen; and turning off the screen when the screen-on duration expires. 
     The present invention further provides a method of controlling a screen, including: activating a gravity sensor and a proximity sensor upon a screen on a handheld device being turned on by a controlling unit; using the gravity sensor to determine a direction in which the screen is facing; using the proximity sensor to determine whether the screen is in proximity to an object or not; and using a processing unit, coupled to the gravity sensor, the proximity sensor, and the screen, to turn off the screen when the screen is facing downwards and in proximity to the object; and turning off the gravity sensor and the proximity sensor upon the screen being turned off by the controlling unit. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a system for controlling a screen on a handheld device according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a flow chart of turning off a screen on a handheld device of the system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a flow chart of turning on a screen on a handheld device of the system according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a loop flow of a system for controlling a screen on a handheld device according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     To understand the above feature and advantages of the present invention, reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings are simplified drawings schematically drawn for the purpose of describing basic structure of the present invention. 
     The following descriptions referred to relative drawings will illustrate embodiments of the system for controlling a screen on a handheld device and method thereof, and the same parts and components will represent the same symbols so that they can be easily understood. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , it is a block diagram of a system for controlling a screen on a handheld device according to the present invention. In  FIG. 1 , the system for controlling a screen on a handheld device comprises a gravity sensor  101 , a proximity sensor  102 , a processing unit  104  and a screen  105 . 
     The gravity sensor  101  is configured for determining a direction in which the screen  105  is facing. The proximity sensor  102  is configured for determining whether the screen  105  is in proximity to an object or not. In addition, the processing unit  104  is coupled to the gravity sensor  101 , the proximity sensor  102 , and the screen  105 , and the processing unit  104  is configured to conduct turning off the screen  105  when the screen  105  is facing downwards and in proximity to an object. 
     Any particular limit of the distance between the screen  105  and an object can be chosen (e.g. through a design choice of/by a person of skill in the art to improve controlling the screen  105  or the convenience of using the handheld device) so that when the distance is within the limit the screen  105  will be determined to be in proximity to the object. 
     In addition, the system for controlling a screen on a handheld device further comprises a timing module  103  coupled to the processing unit  104  and configured to measure a screen-on duration of the screen  105 , and the processing unit  104  is configured to conduct turning off the screen  105  when the screen-on duration expires, wherein the screen-on duration is a predetermined time and the screen-on duration is set up as long as the handheld device is not in use. 
     In addition, the processing unit  104  activates the gravity sensor  101  and the proximity sensor  102  before the screen-on duration expires. 
     In addition, the processing unit  104  is configured to conduct turning off the gravity sensor  101  and the proximity sensor  102  upon the screen-on duration expiring. 
     In addition, the processing unit  104  keeps the screen  105  on when the screen  105  is either not facing downwards or not in proximity to an object, before the screen-on duration expires. 
     In addition, the handheld device may further comprise a physical button used to control the power of the screen as a controlling unit, therefore the gravity sensor  101 , the proximity sensor  102  and the screen-on duration may be activated or terminated according to the power of the screen. For example, when the user uses the physical button to turn on the screen, and the gravity sensor  101 , the proximity sensor  102  and the screen-on duration may be activated, otherwise, when the user uses the physical button to turn off the screen, and the gravity sensor  101 , the proximity sensor  102  and the screen-on duration may be turned off or terminated. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , it is a flow chart of turning off a screen on a handheld device of a system according to the present invention. In Step S 10 , the screen is in turned-on state, and then Steps S 11  and S 13  will be performed. 
     In Step S 11 , the gravity sensor determines whether the screen is facing downwards or not. If yes, Step S 12  will be performed. If no, back to Step S 10 . 
     In Step S 12 , the proximity sensor determines whether the screen is in proximity to an object or not. If yes, Step S 14  will be performed. If no, back to Step S 10 . 
     In Step S 13 , it will determine whether the screen-on duration expires or not. If yes, Step S 14  will be performed. If no, back to Step S 10 . 
     In Step S 14 , the screen will be turned off automatically, and Step S 15  will be performed. 
     In Step S 15 , the screen is in turned-off state. 
     For example, when the screen on the handheld device of the present invention is facing downwards and in proximity to an object like a tabletop, a bed, a briefcase or a pocket etc, the processing unit determines that the handheld device is not in use, and turns off the screen on the handheld device. In addition, when the user neither turns over the screen nor makes the screen approaching to an object, the processing unit will still turn off the screen on the handheld device when the screen-on duration of the screen expires. 
     In other words, as long as the screen-on duration of the screen expires or the screen is facing downwards and in proximity to an object, the processing unit will turn off the screen automatically. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , it is a flow chart of turning on a screen on a handheld device of a system according to the present invention. In Step S 20 , the screen is in turned-off state, and then Step S 21  and S 22  will be performed. 
     In Step S 21 , the proximity sensor determines whether the screen is in proximity to an object or not. If yes, back to Step S 20 . If no, Step S 23  will be performed. 
     In Step S 22 , the gravity sensor determines whether the screen is facing downwards or not. If yes, back to Step S 20 . If no, Step S 23  will be performed. 
     In Step S 23 , it will determine whether the screen-on duration expires or not. If no, Step S 24  will be performed. If yes, Step S 26  will be performed. 
     In Step S 24 , the screen is turned on automatically, and then Step S 25  will be performed. 
     In Step S 25 , the screen on the handheld device is in turned-on state. 
     In Step S 26 , the gravity sensor and the proximity sensor are in turned-off state, and then Step S 27  will be performed. 
     In Step S 27 , it will determine whether the user turns on the screen manually or not. If yes, Step S 25  will be performed. If no, back to Step S 20 . 
     For example, before the screen-on duration expires and the screen is picked up from facing downwards and in proximity to an object such as a tabletop, a bed, a briefcase or a pocket etc, the screen will be turned on automatically from turned-off state. However, after the screen-on duration expires and the screen is picked up from facing downwards and in proximity to an object, the screen will keep in turned-off state. 
     In other words, the processing unit turns on the screen on the handheld device automatically only when the screen-on duration of the screen has not expired and the screen is neither facing downwards nor in proximity to an object. 
     In addition, the user may turn on the screen on the handheld device manually. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , it is a loop flow of a system for controlling a screen on a handheld device according to the present invention. In Step S 30 , the screen on the handheld device has been turned on, similarly, the gravity sensor and the proximity sensor are in turned-on state, and then Step S 31  will be performed. 
     In Step S 31 , it will determine whether the screen-on duration of the screen expires or not. If the screen-on duration has expired, Step S 34  will be performed. If the screen-on duration has not expired yet, Step S 32  will be performed. 
     In Step S 32 , the gravity sensor determines whether the screen is facing downwards, and the proximity sensor determines whether the screen is in proximity to an object. If the screen is facing downwards and in proximity to an object, Step S 33  will be performed. If the screen is neither facing downwards nor in proximity to an object, then back to Step S 30 . 
     In Step S 33 , since the screen is facing downwards and in proximity an object, the processing unit turns off the screen. The screen is turned off, but the processing unit keeps the gravity sensor and the proximity sensor in turned-on state, and back to Step S 31 . 
     In Step S 34 , since the screen-on duration has already expired, the processing unit turns off the screen. The screen is turned off and Step S 35  will be performed. 
     In Step S 35 , the processing unit determines whether the user turns off the screen manually. If the user turns on the screen manually, then back to Step S 30 . If the user does not turn on the screen manually, then back to Step S 34 . 
     For example, when the user turns on the screen, the processing unit performs Step S 30 ˜S 32  or S 31 ˜S 33  continually until the screen-on duration expires, and it will determine whether turns on or off the screen according to every step. 
     In general, practicing the present invention may have one or more of the following advantages: 
     (1) When the screen-on duration expires, the processing unit turns off the screen to save the power consumption of the handheld device.
 
(2) Although the screen-on duration has not expired yet, the processing unit turns off the screen when the screen is facing downwards and in proximity to an object.
 
(3) Until the screen-on duration expires, the processing unit keeps the screen on when the screen is either not facing downwards or not in proximity to the object, before the screen-on duration expires.
 
     In other words, before the screen-on duration expires, the system for controlling a screen on a handheld device will turn on or off the screen according to different status thereof to save power consumption of the handheld device and increase the convenience when using the handheld device. 
     The previous description of the preferred embodiment is provided to further describe the present invention, not intended to limit the present invention. Any modification apparent to those skilled in the art according to the disclosure within the scope will be construed as being included in the present invention.