Gesture-based power management of a wearable portable electronic device with display

1. A method for gesture-based power management for a portable device with display, comprising:

calibrating an inertial sensor to a reference orientation that is relative to a user's body angle, wherein the user's body angle is substantially vertical;

tracking motion of the portable device with respect to the reference orientation;

enabling the display when the portable device is within a viewable range, wherein the viewable range is a predefined rotational angle range in each of an x, y, and z axis, to a user based upon a position of the portable device with respect to the reference orientation; and

responsive to detecting that the user's body angle is not substantially vertical, automatically adjusting the reference orientation and the viewable range by the difference between the user's body angle and a vertical body angle.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising turning off the display when an object is detected within a predetermined distance of the display for a predetermined amount of time.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein at least one of the predetermined distance and the predetermined amount of time are user configurable.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the object is detected by a plurality of proximity sensors located on at least one edge of the display.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined rotational angle range for the x axis is approximately −30 degrees to 180 degrees, the predefined rotational angle range for the y axis is approximately −45 degrees to 45 degrees, and the predefined rotational angle range for the z axis is approximately −90 degrees to 180 degrees.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising gradually increasing display brightness when entering the predefined rotational angle ranges and gradually reducing display brightness when exiting the predefined rotational angle ranges.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined rotational angle ranges are reconfigurable by the user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined rotational angle ranges comprise different angle ranges corresponding to different wear locations on a user's body.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing the tracking motion of the portable device in response to determining that the portable device is being worn.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

using Bayesian inference to store behavioral patterns of the user; and

adjusting the viewable range based upon the behavioral patterns of the user.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting when the user enters a learning mode; and

changing the viewable range after receiving at least one predetermined indication that the user is viewing the display.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising selectively turning off at least one component of the portable device when the portable device is in a selected operation mode.

13. A portable device having gesture-based power management, comprising:

an inertial sensor;

a proximity sensor;

a display; and

a microprocessor coupled to the display, the inertial sensor and the proximity sensor, wherein the microprocessor is configured to:

calibrate the inertial sensor to a reference orientation that is relative to a user's body angle, wherein the user's body angle is substantially vertical;

track motion of the portable device with respect to the reference orientation using the inertial sensor;

enable the display when the portable device is within a viewable range, wherein the viewable range is a predefined rotational angle range in each of an x, y, and z axis, to a user based upon a position of the portable device with respect to the reference orientation; and

responsive to detecting that the user's body angle is not substantially vertical, automatically adjusting the reference orientation and the viewable range by the difference between the user's body angle and a vertical body angle.

14. The portable device of claim 13 wherein the microprocessor is further configured to turn off the display when the proximity sensor detects an object within a predetermined distance of the display for a predetermined amount of time.

15. The portable device of claim 14 wherein at least one of the predetermined distance and the predetermined amount of time are user configurable.

16. The portable device of claim 14 wherein the object is detected by a plurality of proximity sensors located on at least one edge of the display.

17. The portable device of claim 13 wherein the predefined rotational angle range for the x axis is approximately −30 degrees to 180 degrees, the predefined rotational angle range for the y axis is approximately −45 degrees to 45 degrees, and the predefined rotational angle range for the z axis is approximately −90 degrees to 180 degrees.

18. The portable device of claim 13 wherein the microprocessor is further configured to gradually increase display brightness when entering the predefined rotational angle ranges and gradually reduce the display brightness when exiting the predefined rotational angle ranges.

19. The portable device of claim 13 wherein the predefined rotational angle ranges are reconfigurable by the user.

20. The portable device of claim 13 wherein the predefined rotational angle ranges comprise different angle ranges corresponding to different wear locations on a user's body.

21. The portable device of claim 13 wherein the microprocessor is further configured to determine if the portable device is being worn, such that the tracking the portable device is performed if it is determined that the portable device is being worn.

22. The portable device of claim 13 wherein the microprocessor is further configured to:

use Bayesian inference to store behavioral patterns of the user; and

adjust the viewable range based upon the behavioral patterns of the user.

23. The portable device of claim 13 wherein the microprocessor is further configured to:

detect when the user enters a learning mode; and

change the viewable range after receiving at least one predetermined indication that the user is viewing the display.

24. The portable device of claim 13 wherein the microprocessor is further configured to selectively turn off at least one component of the portable device when the portable device is in a selected operation mode.

25. An executable software product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing program instructions for gesture-based power management for a portable device with display, the program instructions for:

calibrating an inertial sensor to a reference orientation that is relative to a user's body angle, wherein the user's body angle is substantially vertical;

tracking motion of the portable device with respect to the reference orientation;

enabling the display of the portable device when the portable device is within a viewable range, wherein the viewable range is a predefined rotational angle range in each of an x, y, and z axis, to a user based upon a position of the portable device with respect to the reference orientation; and

responsive to detecting that the user's body angle is not substantially vertical, automatically adjusting the reference orientation and the viewable range by the difference between the user's body angle and a vertical body angle.

26. A portable device having gesture-based power management, comprising:

a case; and

a module, wherein the module is configured to be removably received by the case and comprises:

an inertial sensor;

a proximity sensor;

a display that is viewable when the module is received by the case; and

a microprocessor coupled to the display, the inertial sensor and the proximity sensor, wherein the microprocessor is configured to:

calibrate the inertial sensor to a reference orientation that is relative to a user's body angle, wherein the user's body angle is substantially vertical;

track motion of the portable device with respect to the reference orientation using the inertial sensor;

enable the display when the portable device is within a viewable range, wherein the viewable range is a predefined rotational angle range in each of an x, y, and z axis, to a user based upon a position of the portable device with respect to the reference orientation; and

responsive to detecting that the user's body angle is not substantially vertical, automatically adjusting the reference orientation and the viewable range by the difference between the user's body angle and a vertical body angle.

27. A method for gesture-based power management for a portable device with display, comprising:

calibrating an inertial sensor to a reference orientation that is relative to a user's body angle;

tracking motion of the portable device with respect to the reference orientation;

determining an approximate time of day using data on a location of the portable device;

determining a maximum amount of ambient light available using the approximate time of day; and

setting a minimum threshold for a display brightness based on the maximum amount of ambient light available; and

enabling the display when the portable device is within a viewable range, wherein the viewable range is a predefined rotational angle range in each of an x, y, and z axis, to a user based upon a position of the portable device with respect to the reference orientation.

28. A portable device having gesture-based power management, comprising:

an inertial sensor;

a proximity sensor;

a display; and

a microprocessor coupled to the display, the inertial sensor and the proximity sensor, wherein the microprocessor is configured to:

calibrate the inertial sensor to a reference orientation that is relative to a user's body angle;

track motion of the portable device with respect to the reference orientation using the inertial sensor;

determine an approximate time of day using data on a location of the portable device;

determine a maximum amount of ambient light available using the approximate time of day; and

set a minimum threshold for a display brightness based on the maximum amount of ambient light available; and

enable the display when the portable device is within a viewable range, wherein the viewable range is a predefined rotational angle range in each of an x, y, and z axis, to a user based upon a position of the portable device with respect to the reference orientation.