METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TRANSITIONING A DEVICE POWER STATE

1 . A method executed in a processor of a computing device, the computing device further including an ambient lighting brightness sensor, an orientation sensor, and a memory storing instructions, the method comprising:

receiving, via the orientation sensor, an indication that the computing device is in a generally horizontally flat orientation;

sensing, via the ambient lighting brightness sensor, a substantial change in the ambient lighting brightness; and

transitioning a power state of the computing device to an alternate power state.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein generally horizontally flat orientation comprises a limit of about 30 degrees from an absolute horizontally flat orientation.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the substantial change in the ambient lighting brightness comprises at least a 50 percent change.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the alternate power state comprises a lower power device sleep state.

5 . The method of claim 4 further comprising receiving an indication of a substantial orientation change from the generally horizontally flat orientation.

6 . The method of claim 5 further comprising sensing, via the ambient lighting brightness sensor, a substantial crease in the ambient lighting brightness.

7 . The method of claim 6 further comprising transitioning the device from the lower power sleep state to a higher power device wake state.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the orientation sensor comprises a multiple-axis accelerometer arrangement.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the ambient lighting brightness is sensed by one of a light emitting diode, a photo-resistor and a phototransistor component in optical communication with one of a display screen and a front housing of the computing device.

10 . The method of claim 1 wherein the ambient lighting brightness is sensed by an electroluminescent panel in optical communication with a display screen of the computing device.

11 . A computing device comprising:

a memory that stores a set of instructions;

an orientation sensor;

an ambient lighting brightness sensor; and

a processor that access the instructions in memory, the processor further configured to:

receive, via the orientation sensor, an indication that the computing device is in a generally horizontally flat orientation;

sense, via the ambient lighting brightness sensor, a substantial change in the ambient lighting brightness; and

transition a power state of the computing device to an alternate power state.

12 . The computing device of claim 11 wherein generally horizontally flat orientation comprises a limit of about 30 degrees from an absolute horizontally flat orientation.

13 . The computing device of claim 11 wherein the substantial change in the ambient lighting brightness comprises at least a 50 percent change.

14 . The computing device of claim 11 wherein the alternate power state comprises a lower power device sleep state.

15 . The computing device of claim 14 further comprising receiving an indication of a substantial orientation change from the generally horizontally flat orientation.

16 . The computing device of claim 15 further comprising sensing, via the ambient lighting brightness sensor, a substantial increase in the ambient lighting brightness.

17 . The computing device of claim 16 further comprising transitioning the device from the lower power sleep state to a higher power device wake state.

18 . The computing device of claim 11 wherein the orientation sensor comprises a multiple-axis accelerometer arrangement.

19 . The computing device of claim 11 wherein the ambient lighting brightness is sensed by one of a light emitting diode, a photo-resistor and a phototransistor component in optical communication with a display screen of the computing device.

20 . The computing device of claim 11 wherein the ambient lighting brightness is sensed by one of a light emitting diode, a photo-resistor and a phototransistor component in optical communication with a front housing of the computing device.