IP Library Granted Patent US 9,666,139
Granted Patent B2
US 9,666,139 · App. 14/285,805 · Granted May 30, 2017

Terminal apparatus and method of controlling the same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,666,139
App. No.
14/285,805
Granted
May 30, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A terminal apparatus includes a light modulation unit to perform an automatic light modulation of a touch panel, an illuminance sensor, a proximity sensor, an illuminance determination unit to determine whether or not an illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor varies, and an operation determination unit to determine whether or not an operation of the touch panel occurs near the illuminance sensor, wherein the light modulation unit suspends the automatic light modulation when the operation of the touch panel occurs before a first time elapses after the detected illuminance decreases, and the light modulation unit suspends the automatic light modulation when the operation determination unit determines that the operation of the touch panel does not occur before the first time elapses after that the detected illuminance decreases and then the proximity sensor detects an object before a second time elapses.

Claims (38)

1. A terminal apparatus, comprising:

a touch panel;

an illuminance sensor provided adjacent to the touch panel;

a proximity sensor provided adjacent to the illuminance sensor, the proximity sensor detecting a presence of an object approaching the terminal apparatus;

a processor; and

memory storing instructions for causing the processor to execute:

performing an automatic light modulation of the touch panel;

determining whether or not an illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor varies by a predetermined amount; and

determining whether or not an operation of the touch panel occurs in a predetermined area in a vicinity of the illuminance sensor,

wherein after the processor determines that the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor decreases by the predetermined amount, the processor suspends the automatic light modulation of the touch panel when the processor determines that the operation of the touch panel occurs before a first time elapses and when the processor determines that the operation of the touch panel does not occur before the first time elapses and the proximity sensor detects a presence of an object approaching to the terminal apparatus before a second time elapses after the first time elapses,

the processor restarts the suspended automatic light modulation of the touch panel when the proximity sensor does not detect the presence of the object, and

the processor suspends the proximity sensor when the proximity sensor does not detect the presence of the object before the second time elapses.

2. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor continues the suspension of the automatic light modulation of the touch panel when the processor determines that the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor does not vary by the predetermined amount after the processor suspends the automatic light modulation of the touch panel.

3. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor starts the automatic light modulation of the touch panel when the processor determines that the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor increases by the predetermined amount after the processor suspends the automatic light modulation of the touch panel.

4. A method of controlling a terminal apparatus to perform an automatic light modulation of a touch panel of the terminal apparatus, the method comprising:

determining by a processor whether or not an illuminance detected by an illuminance sensor provided adjacent to the touch panel varies by a predetermined amount;

determining by the processor whether or not an operation of the touch panel occurs in a predetermined area in a vicinity of the illuminance sensor;

suspending by the processor the automatic light modulation of the touch panel,

wherein after the processor determines that the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor decreases by the predetermined amount, the processor suspends the automatic light modulation of the touch panel when the processor determines that the operation of the touch panel occurs before a first time elapses and when the processor determines that the operation of the touch panel does not occur before the first time elapses and a proximity sensor provided adjacent to the illuminance sensor detects a presence of an object approaching the terminal apparatus before a second time elapses after the first time elapses,

the processor restarts the suspended automatic light modulation of the touch panel when the proximity sensor does not detect the presence of the object, and

the processor suspends the proximity sensor when the proximity sensor does not detect the presence of the object before the second time elapses.

5. The method of controlling the terminal apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:

continuing by the processor the suspension of the automatic light modulation of the touch panel when the processor determines that the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor does not vary by the predetermined amount after the automatic light modulation of the touch panel is suspended.

6. The method of controlling terminal apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:

starting by the processor the automatic light modulation of the touch panel when the processor determines that the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor increases by the predetermined amount after the automatic light modulation of the touch panel is suspended.

7. A non-transitory recording medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute a process comprising:

determining whether or not an illuminance detected by an illuminance sensor provided adjacent to the touch panel varies by a predetermined amount;

determining whether or not an operation of the touch panel occurs in a predetermined area in a vicinity of the illuminance sensor;

suspending the automatic light modulation of the touch panel,

wherein after the process determines that the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor decreases by the predetermined amount, the process suspends the automatic light modulation of the touch panel when the process determines that the operation of the touch panel occurs before a first time elapses and when the process determines that the operation of the touch panel does not occur before the first time elapses and a proximity sensor provided adjacent to the illuminance sensor detects a presence of an object approaching the computer before a second time elapses after the first time elapses,

the process restarts the suspended automatic light modulation of the touch panel when the proximity sensor does not detect the presence of the object, and

the process suspends the proximity sensor when the proximity sensor does not detect the presence of the object before the second time elapses.

8. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 7 , further comprising:

continuing the suspension of the automatic light modulation of the touch panel when the process determines that the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor does not vary by the predetermined amount after the automatic light modulation of the touch panel is suspended.

9. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 7 , further comprising: starting the automatic light modulation of the touch panel when the process determines that the illuminance detected by the illuminance sensor increases by the predetermined amount after the automatic light modulation of the touch panel is suspended.

10. The terminal apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the object detected by the proximity sensor does not come into contact with the terminal apparatus.

11. The method of controlling the terminal apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the object detected by the proximity sensor does not come into contact with the terminal apparatus.

12. The non-transitory recording medium according to claim 7 , wherein the object detected by the proximity sensor does not come into contact with the terminal apparatus.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 26, 2024
From: YAMATO KANZAI LIMITED
To: FCNT LLC
Reel/Frame 066908/0856 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 21, 2024
From: FCNT LIMITED
To: YAMATO KANZAI LIMITED
Reel/Frame 066854/0942 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 19, 2024
From: FUJITSU CONNECTED TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
To: FCNT LIMITED
Reel/Frame 066832/0399 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 20, 2018
From: FUJITSU LIMITED
To: FUJITSU CONNECTED TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
Reel/Frame 047609/0349 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 12, 2014
From: TANADA, TOSAKU
To: FUJITSU LIMITED
Reel/Frame 033086/0977 →