Holster profile detection via electric-field proximity sensor technology

1. A mobile electronic device operable to be placed inside a portable case, the mobile electronic device comprising:

a processor operably coupled to an input device;

a plurality of electric-field proximity detectors adapted to recognize at least one metallic proximity activator in a portable case that at least partially encloses the mobile electronic device, the at least one proximity activator being non-magnetic; and

a component configured to effect setting a state indicator in a device profile in dependence on an output from the plurality of electric-field proximity detectors, wherein

when none of the plurality of proximity detectors detect the presence of the respective proximity activator, setting the state indicator to a first state,

when at least one, but not all, of the plurality of proximity detectors detects the presence of the respective proximity activator, setting the state indicator to a second state, and

when all of the plurality of proximity detectors detects the presence of the respective proximity activator, setting the state indicator to a third state, said first, second and third states being different from each other.

2. The mobile electronic device of claim 1 wherein the component configured to effect setting the state indicator sets the state indicator in the mobile electronic device.

3. The mobile electronic device of claim 1 wherein the component configured to set the state indicator is operable to set the state indicator to in-case when all of the plurality of proximity detectors detects the presence of the at least one proximity activator and to set the state indicator to out-of-case when none of the proximity detectors detects the presence of the at least one proximity activator.

4. The mobile electronic device of claim 3 wherein the component configured to set the state indicator is further operable to set the state indicator to in-transit when some, but not all of the proximity detectors detects the presence of the at least one proximity activator.

5. The mobile electronic device of claim 4 wherein the at least one proximity activator comprises a strip of metal that can be detected by all of the plurality of proximity detectors when the mobile electronic device is in seated in the portable case.

6. The mobile electronic device of claim 4 wherein the at least one proximity activator comprises a respective metallic proximity activator that aligns with each the plurality of proximity detectors when the mobile electronic device is in seated in the portable case.

7. The mobile electronic device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of states indicates a direction of travel of the mobile electronic device with regard to the case.

8. The mobile electronic device of claim 1 further comprising determining an order in which the plurality of presence detectors are activated and deactivated.

9. A method for operating a mobile electronic device, comprising:

determining which proximity detectors of a plurality of proximity detectors in the mobile electronic device detect the presence of a respective proximity activator of a plurality of proximity activators in a case associated with the mobile electronic device; and

setting a state indicator to one of a plurality of states in dependence on the determining, wherein

when none of the plurality of proximity detectors detect the presence of the respective proximity activator, setting the state indicator to a first state,

when at least one, but not all, of the plurality of proximity detectors detects the presence of the respective proximity activator, setting the state indicator to a second state, and

when all of the plurality of proximity detectors detects the presence of the respective proximity activator, setting the state indicator to a third state, said first, second and third states being different from each other.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the state indicator is set to the first state to indicate an out-of-holster mode, the indicator is set to the second state to indicate an in-transit mode and the indicator is set to the third state to indicate in-holster mode.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the state indicator is set in a device profile in the mobile electronic device.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the state indicator is set in a device profile in the case.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of states indicates a direction of travel of the mobile electronic device with regard to the case.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining an order in which the plurality of presence detectors are activated and deactivated.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising disabling the input device when the state of the state indicator is set to in-case.