# US 11,307,690 B2 · Electronic device, program, and control method

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- Number: US 11,307,690 B2
- Document ID: US11307690B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/788,658
- Filed: 2020-02-12
- Published: 2020-06-11
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-08-22
- Assignees: KYOCERA Corporation
- Applicants: KYOCERA Corporation
- Inventors: Kenji Shimada; Shigeki Tanabe; Koutaro Yamauchi; Manabu Sakuma; Hideki Morita; Yasuhiro Ueno; Isao Masuike
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11307690B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/0412: {Digitisers structurally integrated in a display}
- G01C 3/06: Use of electric means to obtain final indication
- G06F 3/01: Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer (G06F3/16 takes precedence)
- G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)}
- G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
- H03K 17/945: Proximity switches (H03K17/96 takes precedence)
- H04M 1/72469: for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
- H03K 2017/9455: {constructional details}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)
- H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## Abstract

Provided are an electronic device, a program, and a control method capable of improving detection accuracy. An electronic device includes a proximity sensor, a ranging sensor, and a controller configured to switch a sensor to be operated between the proximity sensor and the ranging sensor in accordance with the distance between an object to be detected and the electronic device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electronic device comprising:
a proximity sensor;
a ranging sensor; and
a controller configured to switch a sensor to be operated between the proximity sensor and the ranging sensor in accordance with a distance between an object to be detected and the electronic device, wherein
distances at which the proximity sensor and the ranging sensor are capable of detecting the object to be detected are different,
the controller is configured to detect the object by the ranging sensor in a range where the object is detected by the proximity sensor through a protective sheet which affects a value of the range in which the proximity sensor detects the object,
the controller is further configured to estimate a distance from a user to the electronic device based on a distance to the user detected by the ranging sensor, and to turn a display of the electronic device on or off based on the estimated distance, and
the controller is further configured to perform at least one of the following:
switch the proximity sensor from an on state to an off state, and switch the ranging sensor from an off state to an on state, in response to the object being no longer detected by the proximity sensor; and
switch the ranging sensor from an on state to an off state, and switch the proximity sensor from an off state to an on state, in response to the object being no longer detected by the ranging sensor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the distances at which the proximity sensor and the ranging sensor are capable of detecting the object to be detected partially overlap.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to switch the proximity sensor from the on state to the off state, and switch the ranging sensor from the off state to the on state, in response to the object being no longer detected by the proximity sensor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to switch the ranging sensor from the on state to the off state, and switch the proximity sensor from the off state to the on state, in response to the object being no longer detected by the ranging sensor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The electronic device of claim 1, wherein
the proximity sensor senses an object at a distance equal to or greater than zero from a surface of a touch screen of the electronic device and less than a first distance from the surface, and the ranging sensor senses an object at a position equal to or greater than a second distance from the surface, which is smaller than the first distance and less than a third distance from the surface, which is greater than the first distance.

### Claim 6

An electronic device comprising:
a proximity sensor;
a ranging sensor; and
a controller configured to detect a gesture based on output of the proximity sensor and the ranging sensor, wherein
distances at which the proximity sensor and the ranging sensor are capable of detecting the object to be detected are different,
the controller is configured to detect the object by the ranging sensor in a range where the object is detected by the proximity sensor through a protective sheet which affects a value of the range in which the proximity sensor detects the object,
the controller is further configured to estimate a distance from a user to the electronic device based on a distance to the user detected by the ranging sensor, and to turn a display of the electronic device on or off based on the estimated distance, and
the controller is further configured to perform at least one of the following:
switch the proximity sensor from an on state to an off state, and switch the ranging sensor from an off state to an on state, in response to the object being no longer detected by the proximity sensor; and
switch the ranging sensor from an on state to an off state, and switch the proximity sensor from an off state to an on state, in response to the object being no longer detected by the ranging sensor.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the distances at which the proximity sensor and the ranging sensor are capable of detecting the object to be detected partially overlap.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to detect the gesture based on output of whichever of the proximity sensor and the ranging sensor is detecting the object to be detected.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to switch the proximity sensor from the on state to the off state, and switch the ranging sensor from the off state to the on state, in response to the object being no longer detected by the proximity sensor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to switch the ranging sensor from the on state to the off state, and switch the proximity sensor from the off state to the on state, in response to the object being no longer detected by the ranging sensor.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The electronic device of claim 6, wherein
the proximity sensor senses an object at a distance equal to or greater than zero from a surface of a touch screen of the electronic device and less than a first distance from the surface, and the ranging sensor senses an object at a position equal to or greater than a second distance from the surface, which is smaller than the first distance and less than a third distance from the surface, which is greater than the first distance.

### Claim 12

A control method for an electronic device comprising a proximity sensor, a ranging sensor, and a controller, the control method comprising:
detecting, using the controller, a gesture based on output of the proximity sensor and the ranging sensor, such that distances at which the proximity sensor and the ranging sensor are capable of detecting the object to be detected are different,
detecting the object, using the controller, by the ranging sensor in a range where the object is detected by the proximity sensor through a protective sheet which affects a value of the range in which the proximity sensor detects the object,
estimating, using the controller, a distance from a user to the electronic device based on a distance to the user detected by the ranging sensor, and turning a display of the electronic device on or off based on the estimated distance, and
performing, using the controller, at least one of the following:
switching the proximity sensor from an on state to an off state, and switching the ranging sensor from an off state to an on state, in response to the object being no longer detected by the proximity sensor; and
switching the ranging sensor from an on state to an off state, and switching the proximity sensor from an off state to an on state, in response to the object being no longer detected by the ranging sensor.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The control method of claim 12, wherein the performing uses the controller is to switch the proximity sensor from the on state to the off state, and switch the ranging sensor from the off state to the on state, in response to the object being no longer detected by the proximity sensor.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The control method of claim 12, wherein the performing uses the controller to switch the ranging sensor from the on state to the off state, and switch the proximity sensor from the off state to the on state, in response to the object being no longer detected by the ranging sensor.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The control method of claim 12, wherein
the proximity sensor senses an object at a distance equal to or greater than zero from a surface of a touch screen of the electronic device and less than a first distance from the surface, and the ranging sensor senses an object at a position equal to or greater than a second distance from the surface, which is smaller than the first distance and less than a third distance from the surface, which is greater than the first distance.