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US 8,850,508 B2Granted
Dual mode proximity sensor
AssigneeGoogle Inc.
InventorJoe Freeman Britt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A computer-implemented method for controlling an electronic device including receiving a signal through a light sensor of the device, identifying with a processor of the device whether the received signal originated from a light emitter of the device, and controlling a function of the device, the function selected based on whether the signal is identified as originating from the light emitter of the device or the light emitter separate from the device.
Claims14
A computer-implemented method, comprising:
- receiving a signal though a light sensor of a first electronic device;
- determining whether the received signal originated from a second electronic device that is different from the first electronic device or is a reflection of a signal that originated from the first electronic device;
- based on the determination of whether the received signal originated from the second electronic device or is a reflection of a signal that originated from the first electronic device, selecting, from a plurality of functions that can be performed by the first electronic device, a function that corresponds to the device from which the signal was determined to originate;
- and
- executing the selected function with the first electronic device, wherein the executed function is a function of whether an item was placed adjacent to the first electronic device so as to reflect light generated by the first electronic device back to the light sensor in the first electronic device.
2 more elements
An electronic device comprising:
- a light sensor;
- one or more processors arranged to receive data generated as a result of a signal received by the light sensor;
- and
- one or more storage devices storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform operations that include determining from the received data whether the received signal originated from a second electronic device that is different from the first electronic device or is a reflection of a signal that originated from the first electronic device;
- based on the determination of whether the received signal originated from the second electronic device or is a reflection of a signal that originated from the first electronic device, selecting, from a plurality of functions that can be performed by the first electronic device, a function that corresponds to the device from which the signal was determined to originate;
- and
- executing the selected function with the first electronic device, wherein the executed function is a function of whether an item was placed adjacent to the first electronic device so as to reflect light generated by the first electronic device back to the light sensor.
4 more elements
A computer-implemented method for controlling an electronic device, the method comprising:
- receiving a reflected signal though a light sensor of the electronic device;
- identifying with a processor of the electronic device whether the reflected signal originated from a light emitter that is part of the electronic device or instead from a light emitter that is not part of the electronic device, by detecting a signal parameter of the reflected signal, and comparing the detected signal parameter to predetermined frequency characteristics for (i) the light emitter that is part of the electronic device, or (ii) the light emitter that is not part of the electronic device;
- and
- executing a function of the electronic device, the function selected based at least in part on the detected signal parameter of the reflected signal.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.