Back to results
US 8,912,877 B2Granted
System and method for activating an electronic device using two or more sensors
AssigneeBlackBerry Limited
InventorsSpencer Ling, Antonio Chan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The disclosure provides a system and method for activating an electronic device. The activation circuit comprises: a first sensor to monitor for a first condition relating to an environment as affected by a user of the device; a second sensor to monitor for the first condition relating to an environment isolated from effects of the user; and an activation circuit to evaluate signals from the first and second sensors to determine whether to change an activation state of a component on the device. This may involve activating or deactivating the component.
Claims18
An activation circuit for an electronic device, comprising:
- a first heat sensor located on the electronic device in a first location where a user of the electronic device is expected to handle the electronic device;
- a second heat sensor located on the electronic device in a second location where the user is not expected to handle the electronic device;
- and
- an activation circuit to activate a component in the electronic device when the electronic device is in
- a first environment that is room temperature and a difference in readings between the first heat sensor and the second heat sensor exceeds a first threshold to activate the electronic device at room temperature;
- and the activation circuit further conditionally adjusts readings from the second heat sensor to adjusted readings and activates the component when
- the electronic device is in a second environment having a second environment temperature reading that is less than room temperature whereby the second environment temperature reading is adjusted to a first adjusted reading, and the difference in readings between the first heat sensor and the first adjusted reading from the second heat sensor exceeds a second threshold to activate the electronic device at the temperature, the second threshold being different than the first threshold;
- and
- the electronic device is in a third environment having a third environment temperature reading that is more than room temperature whereby the third environment temperature reading is adjusted to a second adjusted reading and the difference in readings between the first heat sensor and the second adjusted reading from the second heat sensor exceeds a third threshold to activate the electronic device at the temperature, the third threshold also being different than the first threshold.
6 more elements
A method for activating a component in an electronic device, comprising:
- monitoring readings from a first heat sensor located on the electronic device in a first location where a user of the electronic device is expected to handle the electronic device;
- monitoring readings from a second heat sensor located on the electronic device in a second location where the user is not expected to handle the electronic device;
- activating a component in the electronic device when the electronic device is in a first environment that is room temperature and a difference in readings between the first heat sensor and the second heat sensor exceeds a first threshold to activate the electronic device at room temperature;
- and
- conditionally adjusting readings from the second heat sensor to adjusted readings and activating the component when
- the electronic device is in a second environment having a second environment temperature reading that is less than room temperature whereby the second environment temperature reading is adjusted to a first adjusted reading, and the difference in readings between the first heat sensor and the first adjusted reading from the second heat sensor exceeds a second threshold to activate the electronic device at the temperature, the second threshold being different than the first threshold;
- and
- the electronic device is in a third environment having a third environment temperature reading that is more than room temperature whereby the third environment temperature reading is adjusted to a second adjusted reading, and the difference in readings between the first heat sensor and the second adjusted reading from the second heat sensor exceeds a third threshold to activate the electronic device at the temperature, the third threshold also being different than the first threshold.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.