Electronic Device with Sensing Assembly and Method for Interpreting Consecutive Gestures

1 . A method for interpreting at least two consecutive gestures, wherein each gesture is a specified pattern of movement of an external object relative to an electronic device, the method comprising:

providing as part of the electronic device a sensing assembly, wherein the sensing assembly includes either (a) at least one first photoreceiver and a plurality of first phototransmitters, wherein each first phototransmitter is positioned to emit a respective portion of first infrared light away from the electronic device about a corresponding central transmission axis, wherein each central transmission axis is oriented in a respective different angular direction with respect to the others, and wherein the at least one first photoreceiver is configured to receive at least some of the first infrared light, or (b) at least one second phototransmitter and a plurality of second photoreceivers, wherein the at least one second phototransmitter is configured to emit second infrared light, wherein each second photoreceiver is positioned to receive at least some of the second infrared light about a corresponding central receiving axis, and wherein each central receiving axis is oriented in a respective different angular direction with respect to the others;

controlling either first emissions of the portions of the first infrared light by the first phototransmitters or second emissions of the second infrared light by the at least one second phototransmitter during each of a plurality of time periods;

for each of the plurality of time periods, generating a corresponding measured signal indicative of a respective amount of the first or second infrared light that was received by a respective one of the at least one first photoreceiver or the plurality of second photoreceivers;

evaluating the measured signals to identify a first gesture and a second gesture;

operating the electronic device to ignore the first gesture upon the identifying of the first gesture; and

controlling the electronic device to take a first action in response to the identifying of the second gesture according to a first mode of operation of the electronic device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first gesture occurs prior to the second gesture.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the operating of the electronic device to ignore the first gesture occurs in accordance with the first mode of operation and occurs prior to the controlling of the electronic device to take the first action.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the first mode of operation of the electronic device is a screenlock mode of operation, and wherein the second gesture is a push gesture.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the electronic device enters the screenlock mode of operation in response to a touch input provided at a touch screen of the electronic device, prior to the identifying of the first gesture.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the first action taken by the electronic device is a turning on of a display screen of the electronic device.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the first gesture includes at least one of a slide gesture, a pull gesture, a tilt gesture, a hover gesture, and a combination gesture formed from at least two of the slide gesture, the pull gesture, the tilt gesture, and the hover gesture.

8 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the first mode of operation of the electronic device is a camera snapshot mode of operation, and wherein the second gesture is a pull gesture.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first action taken by the electronic device is an actuation of a camera of the electronic device to take a snapshot.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first gesture includes at least one of a slide gesture, a push gesture, a tilt gesture, a hover gesture, and a combination gesture formed from at least two of the slide gesture, the push gesture, the tilt gesture, and the hover gesture.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the electronic device is configured to receive at least one touch screen input signal and to adjust at least one of a shutter speed, a focus, and an image region of interest in response to the received at least one touch screen input signal, at a time that is substantially coincident with a time at which the electronic device ignores the first gesture.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying of the first gesture involves determining that at least some of the measured signals indicate that a first specified pattern of movement has occurred that is different than a second specified pattern of movement corresponding to the second gesture, and wherein the first mode is one of a plurality of modes of operation of the electronic device including at least one of a screenlock mode, a camera snapshot mode, a telephone mode, a music gallery mode, and a photo gallery mode.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second gesture occurs prior to the first gesture, wherein the controlling of the electronic device to take the first action occurs prior to the operating of the electronic device to ignore the first gesture, and wherein the ignoring of the first gesture occurs when it is determined during the evaluating that a calculated measured signal set concerning the first gesture does not include any signal having a magnitude which is greater than a first identification threshold.

14 . A method for interpreting at least one movement pattern of an external object relative to an electronic device, the method comprising:

providing as part of the electronic device a sensing assembly, wherein the sensing assembly includes either (a) at least one first photoreceiver and a plurality of first phototransmitters, wherein each first phototransmitter is positioned to emit a respective portion of first infrared light away from the electronic device about a corresponding central transmission axis, wherein each central transmission axis is oriented in a respective different angular direction with respect to the others, and wherein the at least one first photoreceiver is configured to receive at least some of the first infrared light, or (b) at least one second phototransmitter and a plurality of second photoreceivers, wherein the at least one second phototransmitter is configured to emit second infrared light, wherein each second photoreceiver is positioned to receive at least some of the second infrared light about a corresponding central receiving axis, and wherein each central receiving axis is oriented in a respective different angular direction with respect to the others;

determining a first occurrence of a first movement pattern of the at least one movement pattern based at least in part upon the received first infrared light or the received second infrared light;

operating the electronic device in accordance with a first mode so as to avoid taking at least one possible action in response to the determining of the first occurrence of the first movement pattern;

determining a second occurrence of a second movement pattern of the at least one movement pattern based at least in part the received first infrared light or the received second infrared light; and

controlling the electronic device in accordance with the first mode so as to take at least one first action in response to the determining of the second occurrence of the second movement pattern.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first mode is a screenshot mode, wherein the second movement pattern is a push gesture, and wherein the first action is to cause a display screen of the electronic device to proceed from a first status where the display screen is not substantially lit up to a second status where the display screen is substantially lit up.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the first mode is one of a plurality of modes of the electronic device, wherein the first occurrence occurs prior to the second occurrence, wherein the electronic device enters the first mode prior to the first occurrence, and wherein the first movement pattern includes at least one of a slide gesture, a tilt gesture, a hover gesture, a pull gesture, and a combination gesture formed from at least two of the slide gesture, the tilt gesture, the hover gesture, and the pull gesture.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first mode is a camera snapshot mode, wherein the second movement pattern is a pull gesture, and wherein the first action is to actuate a camera so that a photograph is taken.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the first mode is one of a plurality of modes of the electronic device, wherein the first occurrence occurs prior to the second occurrence, wherein the electronic device enters the first mode prior to the first occurrence, and wherein the first movement pattern includes at least one of a slide gesture, a tilt gesture, a hover gesture, a push gesture, and a combination gesture formed from at least two of the slide gesture, the push gesture, the tilt gesture, and the hover gesture.

19 . An electronic device comprising:

a sensing assembly, wherein the sensing assembly includes either (a) at least one first photoreceiver and a plurality of first phototransmitters, wherein each first phototransmitter is positioned to emit a respective portion of first infrared light away from the electronic device about a corresponding central transmission axis, wherein each central transmission axis is oriented in a respective different angular direction with respect to the others, and wherein the at least one first photoreceiver is configured to receive at least some of the first infrared light, or (b) at least one second phototransmitter and a plurality of second photoreceivers, wherein the at least one second phototransmitter is configured to emit second infrared light, wherein each second photoreceiver is positioned to receive at least some of the second infrared light about a corresponding central receiving axis, and wherein each central receiving axis is oriented in a respective different angular direction with respect to the others;

either a camera or a touch screen display;

at least one processing device coupled at least indirectly to the sensing assembly and the camera or touch screen display,

wherein the at least one processing device is configured to: (a) control either first emissions of the portions of the first infrared light by the first phototransmitters or second emissions of the second infrared light by the at least one second phototransmitter during each of a plurality of time periods; (b) for each of the plurality of time periods, generate a corresponding measured signal indicative of a respective amount of the first or second infrared light that was received by a respective one of the at least one first photoreceiver or the plurality of second photoreceivers; (c) evaluate the measured signals to determine occurrences of a first pattern of movement and a second pattern of movement of an external object relative to the electronic device; (d) avoid taking at least one possible action upon the determining of the occurrence of the first pattern of movement; and, (e) upon the determining of the occurrence of the second pattern of movement, cause the camera to be actuated so that a photograph is taken or cause the touch screen display to become substantially it up.

20 . The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the electronic device is a mobile device, wherein the at least one processing device is configured so that the mobile device can be operated in a plurality of modes including a screenlock mode and a camera snapshot mode, and wherein the at least one processing device is configured to cause the camera to be actuated when the mobile device is in the camera snapshot mode upon the determining of the occurrence of the second pattern of movement and to cause the touch screen display to become substantially lit up upon the determining of the occurrence of the second pattern of movement.