Gyroscopic alerting mechanism for portable communications device
OwnerGary S. SHUSTERinventor
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Abstract
A portable communications device, such as a mobile phone, includes a novel tactile alerting mechanism capable of alerting the user of an incoming communication or other event. A gyroscopic mechanism is coupled to a housing of the portable communications device and controlled by a processor. The processor is configured to control a spin velocity of the gyroscopic mechanism based on receiving an alert of an incoming call or message, or detecting a fall. The gyroscopic mechanism may spin up or change a spin state to provide a tactile signal via the housing of the communications device, by imparting stabilizing force to the housing that can be felt by a person wearing the communications device, or to change an orientation of the device while falling.
Claims12
A mobile communications device, comprising:
- a processor and a memory operably coupled to the processor;
- a receiver capable of determining that a message is being sent to the mobile communications device;
- at least one sensor capable of detecting whether the mobile communications device is being interacted with;
- a gyroscope of sufficient size and speed to permit a user to feel a change to the mobile communications device's rigidity in space;
- the gyroscope spinning up in response to receipt of a signal;
- and
- the speed of the gyroscope increasing as time passes without detection of interaction with the device.
A mobile communications device, comprising:
- a processor and a memory operably coupled to the processor;
- a receiver capable of determining that a message is being sent to the mobile communications device;
- at least one sensor capable of detecting whether the mobile communications device is being worn on a user's body;
- a gyroscope of sufficient size and speed to permit the user to feel a change to the mobile communications device's rigidity in space;
- the mobile communications device, in response to receiving a signal, determining whether the mobile communications device is being worn on the user's body;
- the mobile communications device spinning up the gyroscope only if the mobile communications device is being worn on the user's body.
A mobile device, comprising:
- a processor and a memory operably coupled to the processor;
- a receiver capable of determining that a message is being sent to the mobile communications device;
- at least one sensor capable of detecting whether the mobile communications device is being interacted with;
- a gyroscope of sufficient size and speed to permit a user to feel a change to the mobile communications device's rigidity in space;
- the gyroscope spinning up to one of a plurality of speeds;
- recording whether the user interacts with the mobile communications device when spun up at the one of the plurality of speeds;
- and
- adjusting a gyroscopic rotational speed for future notifications based on the user's history of responding at different rotational speeds.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.