IP Library Granted Patent US 10,069,956
Granted Patent B2
US 10,069,956 · App. 15/357,431 · Granted Sep 4, 2018

Apparatus, method, and program product for performing an action in response to a movement

Inventors: Scott Wentao Li (Cary, NC); Robert James Kapinos (Durham, NC); Timothy Winthrop Kingsbury (Cary, NC); Russell Speight VanBlon (Raleigh, NC)
Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) PTE. LTD.
H04M1/72519G06F3/011
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,069,956
App. No.
15/357,431
Granted
Sep 4, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Apparatuses, methods, and program products are disclosed for performing an action in response to a movement. One apparatus includes a sensor, a processor, and a memory that stores code executable by the processor. The code is executable by the processor to detect, by use of the sensor, movement of one or more facial parts of a user. The sensor is positioned in an ear canal of the user. The code is executable by the processor to perform a predetermined action in response to detecting the movement of the one or more facial parts.

Claims (28)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first sensor comprising a pressure sensor;

a second sensor comprising a motion sensor;

a processor;

a memory that stores code executable by the processor to:

detect, by the first sensor, movement of one or more facial parts of a user, wherein the first sensor is positioned in an ear canal of the user;

detect, by the second sensor, a head motion of the user; and

perform a predetermined action in response to detecting the movement of the one or more facial parts and the head motion, wherein the predetermined action is selected from the group consisting of activating a voice control feature, answering a phone call, rejecting a phone call, hanging up a phone call, and putting a phone call on hold.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the code executable by the processor provides an indication signifying performance of the predetermined action.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the code executable by the processor performs a first predetermined action in response to detecting movement of an upper jawbone toward a lower jawbone.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the code executable by the processor performs a second predetermined action in response to detecting movement of an upper jawbone away from a lower jawbone.

5. A method comprising:

detecting, by a first sensor comprising a pressure sensor, movement of one or more facial parts of a user, wherein the first sensor is positioned in an ear canal of the user;

detecting, by a second sensor comprising a motion sensor, a head motion of the user; and

performing a predetermined action in response to detecting the movement of the one or more facial parts and the head motion, wherein the predetermined action is selected from the group consisting of activating a voice control feature, answering a phone call, rejecting a phone call, hanging up a phone call, and putting a phone call on hold.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein detecting movement of the one or more facial parts comprises detecting movement of an upper jawbone relative to a lower jawbone using a pressure sensor positioned in the ear canal.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising providing an indication signifying performance of the predetermined action.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein providing the indication comprises providing haptic feedback.

9. The method of claim 5 , further comprising performing a first predetermined action in response to detecting movement of an upper jawbone toward a lower jawbone.

10. The method of claim 5 , further comprising performing a second predetermined action in response to detecting movement of an upper jawbone away from a lower jawbone.

11. A program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores code executable by a processor, the executable code comprising code to perform:

detecting, by a first sensor comprising a pressure sensor, movement of one or more facial parts of a user, wherein the sensor is positioned in an ear canal of the user;

detecting, by a second sensor comprising a motion sensor, a head motion of the user; and

performing a predetermined action in response to detecting the movement of the one or more facial parts and the head motion, wherein the predetermined action is selected from the group consisting of activating a voice control feature, answering a phone call, rejecting a phone call, hanging up a phone call, and putting a phone call on hold.

12. The program product of claim 11 , wherein the executable code further comprises code to perform providing an indication signifying performance of the predetermined action.

13. The program product of claim 12 , wherein providing the indication comprises providing haptic feedback.

14. The program product of claim 11 , wherein the executable code further comprises code to perform performing a first predetermined action in response to detecting movement of an upper jawbone toward a lower jawbone.

15. The program product of claim 11 , wherein the executable code further comprises code to perform performing a second predetermined action in response to detecting movement of an upper jawbone away from a lower jawbone.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 10, 2025
From: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
To: LENOVO SWITZERLAND INTERNATIONAL GMBH
Reel/Frame 069870/0670 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 8, 2019
From: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
To: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 049690/0658 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 21, 2016
From: LI, SCOTT WENTAO; KAPINOS, ROBERT JAMES; KINGSBURY, TIMOTHY WINTHROP; VANBLON, RUSSELL SPEIGHT
To: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 040394/0117 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180146080A1 · May 24, 2018