IP Library Granted Patent US 10,339,932
Granted Patent B2
US 10,339,932 · App. 15/606,505 · Granted Jul 2, 2019

Audio input activation based on thermal data detection

Inventors: John Weldon Nicholson (Cary, NC); Daryl Cromer (Cary, NC)
Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
G10L15/24G01V9/005G10L15/30G10L25/78H04R3/00H04R29/004G06F3/16
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,339,932
App. No.
15/606,505
Granted
Jul 2, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

One embodiment provides a method, including: detecting, using at least one thermal sensor associated with an information handling device, thermal data, determining, using a processor, if the thermal data is associated with a human; and activating, based on determining that the thermal data is associated with a human, at least one audio input device associated with the information handling device. Other aspects are described and claimed.

Claims (33)

1. A method, comprising:

detecting, using at least one thermal sensor associated with an information handling device and without receiving user touch input, thermal data associated with an entity,

determining, using a processor, whether the thermal data is associated with a human or another thermal entity, the determining comprising identifying whether a height level of the entity is above a predetermined threshold and whether a heat signature of the entity is greater than a predetermined threshold; and

activating, based on determining that the thermal data is associated with a human, at least one audio input device associated with the information handling device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising activating a digital assistant in response to receiving audio input at the at least one audio input device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one thermal sensor is disposed on another device.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising deactivating, based upon determining that the thermal data is not associated with a human, at least one other sensor of the information handling device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting comprises continuously detecting the thermal data by maintaining the at least one thermal sensor in an active state.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises differentiating the thermal data associated with the human from thermal data associated with another thermal entity.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the differentiating comprises using height data associated with the human.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising, responsive to determining the thermal data is associated with the another thermal entity, not activating the at least one microphone.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising responsive to determining that the thermal data is not associated with the human, not activating the at least one audio input device.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising activating, based on determining the thermal data is associated with the human, at least one other sensor.

11. An information handling device, comprising:

at least one thermal sensor;

a processor;

a memory device that stores instructions executable by the processor to:

detect, without receiving user touch input, thermal data associated with an entity;

determine whether the thermal data is associated with a human or another thermal entity, the determining comprising identifying whether a height level of the entity is above a predetermined threshold and whether a heat signature of the entity is greater than a predetermined threshold; and

activate, based on determining that the thermal data is associated with a human, at least one audio input associated with the information handling device.

12. The information handling device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to activate a digital assistant in response to receiving audio input at the least one audio input.

13. The information handling device of claim 11 , further comprising an input for another thermal sensor.

14. The information handling device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to deactivate, based upon determining that the thermal data is not associated with a human, at least one other sensor of the information handling device.

15. The information handling device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to detect comprise instructions executable by the processor to continuously detect the thermal data by maintaining the at least one thermal sensor in an active state.

16. The information handling device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to determine comprise instructions executable by the processor to differentiate the thermal data associated with a human from thermal data associated with another thermal entity.

17. The information handling device of claim 16 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to not activate, responsive to determining the thermal data is associated with the another thermal entity, the at least one audio input.

18. The information handling device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to not activate, responsive to determining that the thermal data is not associated with a human, the at least one audio input.

19. The information handling device of claim 11 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to activate, based on determining the thermal data is associated with a human, at least one other sensor.

20. A product, comprising:

a storage device that stores code, the code being executable by a processor and comprising:

code that detects, without receiving user touch input, thermal data associated with an entity;

code that determines whether the thermal data is associated with a human or another thermal entity, the determining comprising identifying whether a height level of the entity is above a predetermined threshold and whether a heat signature of the entity is greater than a predetermined threshold; and

code that activates, based on determining that the thermal data is associated with a human, at least one microphone associated with the product.

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 Jun 12, 2020
From: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD
To: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LTD
Reel/Frame 052931/0633 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 26, 2017
From: NICHOLSON, JOHN WELDON; CROMER, DARYL
To: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 042516/0612 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180342247A1 · Nov 29, 2018