Movement detection system for a portable device such as a portable phone
View Patent ↗An unintentional dialing event is detected by characterizing some action of a portable phone, e.g., its movement or its surroundings. The action can be characterized by a sensor, and that sensor can be for example an accelerometer, a camera in the phone, or a microphone in the phone, or some other way. The movement can be characterized to see if it is synchronous with entries on the keyboard, which would likely represent the unintentional dialing event or “but dialing”. The environment can also be characterized other ways, for example by using a microphone in the phone to text sound profiles or to detect sounds in sync with the entries, or can be characterized using a camera in the phone to detect a light profile.
1. A portable communication device comprising:
a portable housing;
a processor in said portable housing;
a user interface in said portable housing said user interface controlling actions of the portable communication device including an action of entering information that requests a communication to be initiated;
said processor also operating to detect that information that has been entered on the user interface,
said processor operating to detect entries on the user interface, and detect a movement of the portable communication device, and to detect that said entries on the user interface are synchronized in time with said movement,
said processor operating to prevent said communication from being carried out by said portable communication device responsive to said action unless there is confirmation that said entered information has been intentionally entered by the user, only when said entries are synchronized in time with said movement, and
said processor operating to permit said communication to be carried out by said portable communication device responsive to said action without confirmation that said entered information has been intentionally entered by the user, only when said entries are not synchronized in time with said movement.
2. A portable communication device comprising:
a portable housing;
a processor in said portable housing;
a user interface in said portable housing said user interface controlling actions of the portable communication device including an action of entering information that requests a communication to be initiated;
said processor also operating to detect that information that has been entered on the user interface,
said processor operating to detect entries on the user interface, and detect a movement of the portable communication device, and to detect that said entries on the user interface or pauses between entries on the user interface are synchronized in time with said movement,
said processor operating to prevent said communication from being carried out by said portable communication device responsive to said action, unless there is confirmation that said entered information has been intentionally entered by the user, only when said entries are synchronized in time with said movement, and said processor operating to permit said communication to be carried out by said portable communication device responsive to said action, without confirmation that said entered information has been intentionally entered by the user, only when said entries are not synchronized in time with said movement.
3. The device as in claim 1 , wherein said portable communication device also includes a device for detecting acceleration, and uses said device for detecting acceleration for said detect movement.
4. The device as in claim 1 , wherein said portable communication device detects said movement without using a device for detecting acceleration.
5. The device as in claim 1 , wherein said portable communication device includes a camera, and uses said camera for said detect movement.
6. The device as in claim 5 , wherein said camera is used for detecting said movement of the portable communication device.
7. The device as in claim 5 , wherein said camera is also used for detecting an environmental condition making it unlikely that a user is dialing the portable communication device.
8. The device as in claim 7 , wherein said environmental condition making it unlikely that the user is dialing the portable communication device is darkness.
9. The device as in claim 7 , wherein said environmental condition comprises a profile of light and darkness.
10. The device as in claim 1 , wherein said portable communication device includes a microphone, and also uses said microphone to find said entered information.
11. A portable communication device comprising:
a portable housing;
a processor in said portable housing;
a user interface in said portable housing, said user interface controlling actions of the portable communication device including an action of entering information that requests a communication to be initiated;
said processor also operating to detect that information has been entered on the user interface,
wherein said portable communication device includes a microphone, wherein said microphone is used for detecting sounds that are synchronized with an aspect of entries on the user interface, said processor operating to prevent said communication from being carried out by said portable communication device responsive to said action unless there is confirmation that said entered information has been intentionally entered by the user only when said sounds from said microphone are synchronized with the aspect of entries on the user interface, and said processor operating to permit said communication from being carried out by said portable communication device responsive to said action without confirmation that said entered information has been intentionally entered by the user when said sounds from said microphone are not synchronized with the aspect of entries on the user interface.
12. The device as in claim 1 , further comprising detecting a second communication that is an emergency call, and wherein said second communication is made without said detect movement.
13. A portable communication device, comprising:
a portable housing having a user interface;
a processor, in said portable housing detecting information from a sensor within the portable housing, and also detecting actuations on the user interface of the portable communication housing, and detecting if at least plural of said actuations on the user interface of the portable communication housing are synchronized in time with an action detected by said sensor, and based on said detecting that said plural actuations are synchronized in time with actions detected by said sensor, executing a routine that requires user confirmation before carrying out at least one function, and otherwise, if said plural actuations are not synchronized in time with the action detected by said sensor, carrying out said at least one function without said confirmation that the user intends to carry out said at least one function.
14. The device as in claim 13 , wherein said sensor includes an accelerometer that detects movement, and determines if entries on the user interface are synchronized in time with said movement.
15. The device as in claim 13 , wherein said sensor includes a microphone that detects sound, and determines if entries on the user interface are synchronized in time with said sound.