Method and apparatus for adjusting a function of an electronic device

1. A method for adjusting a function of an electronic device, comprising:

providing a conductive wire that is coupled to an electronic circuit of the electronic device, the electronic circuit being adapted to generate an output signal depending on an inductivity induced by a user touching the conductive wire,

receiving, by a detector unit, the output signal of the electronic circuit,

determining, by the detector unit, the induced inductivity on the basis of the output signal, and

adjusting, by a control unit, the function of the electronic device depending on the inductivity determined by the detector unit.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic circuit comprises an oscillator circuit generating the output signal having a frequency depending on a capacity and the inductivity both influenced by the user touching the conductive wire.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the step of determining the inductivity on the basis of the output signal comprises the steps of:

determining a first frequency of the output signal of the oscillator circuit,

coupling a capacitive element to the conductive wire,

determining a second frequency of the output signal of the oscillator circuit with the capacitive element being coupled to the conductive wire, and

determining the inductivity on the basis of the first frequency and the second frequency.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of adjusting the function of the electronic device comprises looking up an adjustment in a look-up table, the look-up table providing a correlation between the inductivity and the adjustment.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive wire is included in a wire for connecting the electronic device to an accessory.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the accessory comprises at least one of a microphone, a headphone or a charger.

7. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the electronic device comprises a device selected from the group comprising a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a mobile navigation system, a mobile media player, a bluetooth headset controller, and a mobile computer.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of adjusting the function of the electronic device depending on the determined inductivity comprises:

depending on the determined inductivity, determining a position where the user touches the wire and adjusting the function of the electronic device according to the position.

9. The method according to claim 8 , comprising:

determining consecutively a plurality of positions where the user touches the conductive wire by respectively determining the inductivity,

determining a moving direction of the position where the user touches the conductive wire along the conductive wire based on the plurality of positions, and

adjusting the function of the electronic device depending on the determined moving direction.

10. The method according to claim 8 , comprising:

determining consecutively a plurality of positions where the user touches the conductive wire by respectively determining the inductivity,

determining a moving speed of the position where the user touches the conductive wire along the conductive wire based on the plurality of positions, and

adjusting the function of the electronic device depending on the determined moving speed.

11. An apparatus for adjusting a function of an electronic device, comprising:

an electronic circuit coupled to a conductive wire of the electronic device, the electronic circuit being adapted to generate an output signal depending on an inductivity of the conductive wire induced by a user touching the conductive wire,

a detector unit receiving the output signal of the electronic circuit and determining the induced inductivity on the basis of the output signal, and

a control unit for adjusting the function of the electronic device depending on the inductivity determined by the detector unit.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the electronic circuit comprises an oscillator circuit generating the output signal having a frequency depending on a capacity and the inductivity both influenced by the user touching the conductive wire.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , comprising

a switching element controlled by the detector unit, and

a capacitive element coupleable via the switching element to the conductive wire,

wherein the detector unit is adapted to

determine a first frequency of the output signal of the oscillator circuit while the capacitive element is not coupled to the conductive wire,

determine a second frequency of the output signal of the oscillator circuit while the capacitive element is coupled to the conductive wire, and

determine the inductivity on the basis of the first frequency and the second frequency.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the control unit is adapted to adjust the function of the electronic device by looking up an adjustment in a look-up table, the look-up table providing a correlation between the inductivity and the adjustment.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the conductive wire is included in a wire for connecting the electronic device to an accessory.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the accessory comprises at least one of a microphone, a headphone or a charger.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the electronic device comprises a device selected from the group comprising a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a mobile navigation system, a mobile media player, a bluetooth headset controller, and a mobile computer.

18. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the control unit is adapted to adjust the function of the electronic device depending on the determined induced inductivity by, depending on the determined inductivity, determining a position where the user touches the wire and adjusting the function of the electronic device according to the position.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the apparatus is adapted to:

determine consecutively a plurality of positions where the user touches the conductive wire by respectively determining the inductivity with the aid of the detector unit ,

determine a moving direction of the position where the user touches the conductive wire along the conductive wire based on the plurality of positions, and

adjust the function of the electronic device depending on the determined moving direction with the aid of the control unit.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the apparatus is adapted to:

determine consecutively a plurality of positions where the user touches the conductive wire by respectively determining the inductivity with the aid of the detector unit,

determine a moving speed of the position where the user touches the conductive wire along the conductive wire based on the plurality of positions, and

adjust the function of the electronic device depending on the determined moving speed with the aid of the control unit.