TW201423487A - Electronic apparatus and method of controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes a physical button to be manipulated by a predetermined manipulation, a sensor to measure ambient illuminance when an operation mode of the electronic apparatus is a power saving mode or a power off mode and the physical button is manipulated, and a controller to perform an operation corresponding to the predetermined manipulation of the physical button when it is determined that the ambient illuminance measured by the sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined illuminance value.

Description

Electronic device, control method thereof, and computer readable recording medium [Cross-Reference to Related Applications]

This application claims the Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0021446 filed on February 27, 2013 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office and US Provisional Application No. 61/ filed on December 11, 2012 in the U.S. Patent Office. Priority is claimed to 735,685, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

A method and apparatus consistent with an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept relates to an electronic device, a control method thereof, and a computer readable recording medium, and more particularly, to a peripheral illumination preventing power button A erroneously operated electronic device, a control method thereof, and a non-transitory computer readable recording medium containing a computer readable program code as a program for executing the method.

A computer is a device that processes a series of calculations performed by a logical language, and Equipped with an operating system that is effective to operate the hardware system. Since modern computers are equipped with touch screens to enhance mobility, keyboard-less PCs, tablet PCs, and smart phones have been widely used in recent years.

The user can place these electronic devices in their bags or pockets. In this case, the power button of the electronic device can be inadvertently pressed attributable to the user's movement, and thus an operation that the user does not intend to perform can be performed.

According to the related art method of preventing this erroneous operation of the power button, the power button is processed to be pressed when the button is pressed for a predetermined time. Also, changing the shape of the power button makes it impossible to inadvertently press.

However, the method of processing the power button to be pressed only when the button is pressed for a predetermined time has a problem that it is difficult to intuitively understand the operation of the power button, and thus the user can hardly understand the method of operating the power button. Again, this method takes time to manipulate the buttons. Also, the method of changing the shape of the button still has a problem of button misoperation.

The features and utilities of the present general inventive concept may overcome the above disadvantages and other disadvantages not described above. However, it will be appreciated that one or more exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept are not required to overcome the disadvantages described above, and that the one or more exemplary embodiments may not overcome the problems described above. Any of them.

One or more exemplary embodiments of the present general inventive concept provide an electronic device, a control method thereof, and a computer readable recording medium that can prevent erroneous operation of a power button using ambient illumination.

The additional features and utilities of the present general inventive concept will be set forth in part in the description which follows.

An exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept provides an electronic device having a plurality of operational modes, the electronic device comprising: a physical button to be manipulated by a predetermined manipulation action; and a sensor for operating in the electronic device a power saving mode or a power off mode and measuring the ambient illuminance when the physical button is manipulated; and a controller for performing a button corresponding to the physical entity when determining that the ambient illuminance measured by the sensor is greater than or equal to the predetermined illuminance value The operation of the predetermined manipulation.

The electronic device can further include a user interface for displaying a message requesting confirmation of manipulation of the physical button when it is determined that the ambient illumination measured by the sensor is less than the predetermined illumination value.

The controller may control the user interface to display the message when the physical button is manipulated for a first predetermined time and it is determined that the ambient illuminance measured by the sensor during the first predetermined time is less than the predetermined illuminance value.

The user interface can only display the message for a second predetermined time.

When the user confirms that the command is input after the message is displayed, the controller may perform an operation corresponding to a predetermined manipulation of the physical button.

The user confirmation command can be input via at least one of: a manipulated physical button, a button other than the manipulated physical button, and a touch input of the user interface.

The controller may change the operation mode of the electronic device to the normal mode when the operation mode of the electronic device is the power saving mode and the physical button is manipulated and the measured ambient illuminance is determined to be greater than or equal to the predetermined illuminance value.

The electronic device may further include: a plurality of functional components including a sensor; and a power supply that supplies power to each of the plurality of functional components. When the operation mode of the electronic device is the power off mode and the physical button is manipulated, the controller may control the power supply to supply only the power to the sensor, and when it is determined that the measured ambient illuminance is greater than or equal to the predetermined illuminance value The controller can controller the power supply to supply power to all of the functional components.

Multiple functional components may further include a user interface. The controller may control the power supply to supply power to the user interface when the physical button is manipulated for a first predetermined time and it is determined that the ambient illuminance measured by the sensor during the first predetermined time is less than the predetermined illuminance value.

The controller may control an operation mode of the electronic device to change to a power-off mode when it is determined that the ambient illuminance measured by the sensor is less than the predetermined illuminance value within a third predetermined time after the physical button has been manipulated.

The physical button may be at least one of: a power button for receiving a power steering command; a volume control button for receiving a volume control command; a first button for receiving a screen display command; and a keyboard button It is used to enter text.

The physical button may be at least one of a push button and a slide button.

The electronic device may be connectable to the connection device. When the electronic device is coupled to the docking device and the physical button is manipulated, the controller can control the sensor to not measure ambient illumination and can directly perform operations corresponding to predetermined manipulations of the physical button.

An exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept provides an electronic device having a plurality of operating modes, the electronic device comprising: a physical button that will be operated by a predetermined operation Manipulating a longitudinal motion; a sensor for measuring ambient illumination; a first controller for performing an operation corresponding to the manipulated physical button; and a second controller for operating at the electronic device The mode is a power saving mode or a power off mode and the sensor is controlled to measure the ambient illuminance when the physical button is manipulated, and the first controller is controlled to perform the corresponding when the measured ambient illuminance is greater than or equal to the predetermined illuminance value The operation of a predetermined manipulation of a physical button.

The electronic device can further include a power supply for supplying power to each of the sensor and the first controller. When the operating mode of the electronic device is the power off mode, the second controller may not supply power to the sensor and the first controller, and when the operating mode of the electronic device is the power off mode and the physical button When manipulated, the second controller can control the power supply to supply power to the sensor. The second controller may control the power supply to supply power to the first controller when power is supplied to the sensor and the measured ambient illuminance is determined to be greater than or equal to the predetermined illuminance value.

An exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept provides a method of controlling an electronic device having a plurality of operation modes, the method comprising: manipulating an entity by a predetermined manipulation action when an operation mode of the electronic device is a power saving mode or a power off mode a button; measuring ambient illuminance when the physical button is manipulated; and performing an operation corresponding to a predetermined manipulation of the physical button when determining that the measured ambient illuminance is greater than or equal to the predetermined illuminance value.

The method can further include displaying a message to receive confirmation regarding manipulation of the physical button when the determined measured ambient illumination is less than the predetermined illumination value.

Displaying the message may include: when the physical button is manipulated for a first predetermined time and determining that the ambient illuminance measured within the first predetermined time is less than the predetermined illuminance value When the message is displayed.

Displaying the message may include displaying only the message for a second predetermined time.

Performing the operation corresponding to the predetermined manipulation of the physical button may include performing an operation corresponding to the predetermined manipulation of the physical button when the user confirms that the command is input after the message is displayed.

The user confirmation command can be input via at least one of: a manipulated physical button, a button other than the manipulated physical button, and a touch input of the user interface.

Performing the operation corresponding to the predetermined manipulation may include changing the operation mode of the electronic device to when the physical button is manipulated and the measured ambient illuminance is greater than or equal to the predetermined illuminance value while the operation mode of the electronic device is the power saving mode Normal mode.

The electronic device may be connectable to the connection device. When the electronic device is connected to the connection device, the measurement may not measure the ambient illumination, and performing the operation corresponding to the predetermined manipulation of the physical button may include: when the electronic device is connected to the connection device and the physical button is manipulated, the corresponding execution is directly performed The operation of the predetermined manipulation of the physical button.

A non-transitory computer readable medium can include a computer readable code as a program for executing a method.

An exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept provides an electronic device including: a physical button to be manipulated; a sensor for detecting ambient illumination after manipulation of a physical button; and a controller, The method is configured to perform an operation corresponding to the manipulation of the physical button when the detected ambient illumination is higher than the predetermined level, to request the user confirmation of the manipulation of the physical button when the detected ambient illumination is lower than the predetermined level. And for performing the corresponding confirmation when receiving the user confirmation The manipulation of the manipulation of a physical button.

An exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept provides a method of controlling an electronic device, the method comprising: detecting ambient illuminance in response to manipulation of a physical button of the electronic device; and detecting that the ambient illuminance is higher than a predetermined level Performing an operation corresponding to the manipulation of the physical button; requesting confirmation of the manipulation of the manipulation of the physical button if the detected ambient illumination is lower than the predetermined level; and executing if the user confirmation is received Corresponds to the manipulation of the manipulation of the physical button.

These and/or other features and utilities of the present general inventive concept will become apparent and more readily apparent from the description of the appended claims.

100‧‧‧Electronic devices

110‧‧‧Communication interface

120‧‧‧User interface

125‧‧‧ physical button

126‧‧‧press button

126a‧‧‧Upper protruding area

127‧‧‧ Shell area

128‧‧‧Sliding button

130‧‧‧Storage components

140‧‧‧ sensor

141‧‧‧illuminance sensor

150‧‧‧ Controller

151‧‧‧First controller

152‧‧‧Second controller

153‧‧‧System Firmware

160‧‧‧Power supply

200‧‧‧Connecting device

600‧‧‧User interface window

601‧‧‧Information

1000‧‧‧Electronic system

F-1, F-2, F-3, F-4, F-5‧‧‧ wiring

S810, S820, S830, S840, S850, S860‧‧‧ operations

S905, S910, S915, S920, S925, S930, S935, S940, S945, S950, S955, S960, S965, S970‧‧

1 is a view illustrating an electronic system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept.

2 is a view for explaining a detailed configuration of the electronic device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a schematic circuit of an electronic device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept.

4 and 5 are views illustrating a detailed shape of the physical button illustrated in Fig. 2 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept.

6 is a view illustrating an example of a user interface window that can be displayed on the user interface of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating an illuminance value measured according to the position of the electronic device.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating a method of controlling an electronic device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept.

9 is a flow chart illustrating a method of controlling an electronic device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept in the case where a physical button operated by a predetermined manipulation action is a power button.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Reference will now be made in detail be made The embodiments are described below in order to explain the general inventive concept of the invention.

The content, such as the detailed construction and the components, which are defined in the description, are intended to provide a comprehensive understanding of the exemplary embodiments of the invention. Therefore, it is apparent that the exemplary embodiments can be carried out without the specific definitions of them. Also, functions or components that are known in the related art are not described in detail because they confuse the exemplary embodiments with unnecessary details.

1 is a view for explaining an electronic system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept.

Referring to FIG. 1, an electronic system 1000 includes an electronic device 100 and a connection device 200.

The electronic device 100 receives a drive command from a user and performs work in accordance with the received drive command. The electronic device 100 can be physically and/or electrically connected to the connection device 200. The electronic device 100 can be a personal computer (PC), a mobile phone, a smart phone, a portable multimedia player (PMP) or an MP3.

The electronic device 100 has a plurality of modes of operation. According to the operating state of the electronic device 100, the operating mode includes: a normal mode in which power is supplied to all departments And the electronic device 100 operates normally; and the power saving mode, wherein the electronic device 100 is in a standby state. According to the connection state of the electronic device 100, the operation mode includes: a desktop mode in which the electronic device 100 operates with the connection device 200 connected thereto; and a tablet mode in which the electronic device 100 operates without being connected to the connection device 200 .

The electronic device 100 includes a physical button 125 that is operated by a predetermined manipulation action. When the operation mode of the electronic device 100 is the power saving mode and the physical button 125 is manipulated, the electronic device 100 measures the ambient illuminance by the sensor 140 (described in FIG. 2), and the measured ambient illuminance is greater than or The operation corresponding to the predetermined manipulation of the physical button 125 is performed with the predetermined illuminance value being equal to. The detailed operation and configuration of the electronic device 100 will be explained below with reference to FIG.

The engagement device 200 extends the functionality of the electronic device 100. The engagement device 200 can be operated by itself or only when the electronic device 100 is mounted thereon. In particular, the interface device 200 can extend the user interface function of the electronic device 100. For example, the connection device 200 can extend the input function using a keyboard or a touchpad (not shown) provided therein, and can extend the display function via an external display device (not shown) connected to the connection device 200.

The connection device 200 can include a graphics processing device (not shown) that can extend the graphics processing function of the electronic device 100. Also, the engagement device 200 can supply power to the electronic device 100. The connection device 200 can extend the storage space of the electronic device 100. In the exemplary embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1, it is assumed that the articulating device 200 is not operated by itself. However, the articulation device 200 can be implemented by using a device that is actually operated by itself.

As described above, when the physical button 125 is manipulated, according to the present hair The electronic system 1000 of the exemplary embodiment of the general inventive concept verifies whether the manipulation of the physical button 125 is a user manipulation using the ambient illuminance value, and thus the erroneous operation of the physical button 125 can be prevented.

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a detailed configuration of the electronic device 100 of FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 2, an electronic device 100 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept includes a communication interface 110, a user interface 120, a physical button 125, a storage component 130, a sensor 140, and a controller 150. The electronic device 100 can be, for example, a notebook PC, a tablet PC, an MP3 player, a portable media player (PMP), or a smart phone.

The electronic device 100 includes a plurality of modes of operation. According to an operational state of the electronic device 100, a plurality of operations of the electronic device 100 may be divided into: a normal mode in which the electronic device 100 operates normally; and a power saving mode in which a majority of the components of the electronic device 100 are cut off or minimized The power supply is such that the power consumed is minimized.

The power saving mode refers to a mode in which when the electronic device 100 does not perform any work for a predetermined time or the user does not input any work command, the power supply to most of the components of the electronic device 100 is cut off or minimized, so that the consumed The power is minimized. In the power saving mode, the power supply to the main memory (not shown; generally external DRAM) can be cut off or the main memory can be set to the self-renew state, so that the consumption of the standby power can be further reduced.

Although there is a power saving mode in the current exemplary embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention, the power saving mode may actually include a plurality of power saving modes. The plurality of power saving modes may include a power off mode in which power supply to all components of the electronic device 100 is cut off. Although the power off mode is included in the general inventive concept of the present invention In the current exemplary embodiment, the power off mode and the power saving mode may be separate modes.

According to whether the electronic device 100 is connected to the connection device 200, a plurality of operation modes may be divided into: a tablet mode in which the electronic device 100 is not connected to the connection device 200; and a desktop mode in which the electronic device 100 is in the connection device 200 operates with it connected to it.

The tablet mode is a mode in which the electronic device 100 is not connected to the interface device 200, that is, a mode in which the user holds the electronic device 100 or carries it. When the physical button 125 is manipulated, the electronic device 100 can measure the ambient illuminance by the sensor 140, and can verify whether the manipulation of the physical button 125 is a user manipulation.

The desktop mode is a mode in which the electronic device 100 is connected to the docking device 200, that is, a mode in which the electronic device 100 operates at a fixed position. Therefore, there is no doubt that the physical button 125 is not operated by any manipulation action other than user manipulation. Therefore, when the physical button 125 is manipulated in this desktop mode, the electronic device 100 can directly perform an operation corresponding to the predetermined manipulation of the physical button 125 without measuring the ambient illuminance.

The communication interface 110 is configured to connect the electronic device 100 to an external device (not shown), and can access the external device via a local area network (LAN) and the Internet, and can also communicate via wireless communication. Methods (eg, wireless communications such as GSM, UMTS, LTE, and WiBRO) access external devices.

Communication interface 110 can be in communication with interface device 200. Specifically, when the electronic device 100 is connected to the connection device 200, the communication interface 110 can receive a user control command from the connection device 200, and can transmit the image (or moving image) to be displayed to the connection device 200. The communication interface 110 can be connected to the outside via the connection device 200 Device (not shown) or internet.

The user interface 120 can include a plurality of function keys (not shown) and can display various information provided by the electronic device 100. The user sets or selects various functions supported by the electronic device 100 via a plurality of function keys. The user interface 120 can be implemented by using a device that performs both input and output, such as a touch screen (not shown).

The user interface 120 can receive a selection of operations for a particular function via the physical button 125. Although the physical button 125 and the user interface 120 are separated from each other in the present exemplary embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention for ease of explanation, the physical button 125 and the user interface 120 may be integrated into one component.

The user interface 120 can control various information provided by the electronic device 100 to be displayed on the interface device 200 via the communication interface 110. Specifically, when the electronic device 100 is connected to the connection device 200, the user interface 120 can control the communication interface 110 to display the user interface window to be displayed on the electronic device 100 on the connection device 200.

In the present exemplary embodiment, when the electronic device 100 is connected to the docking device 200, the user interface window is only displayed on the docking device 200. However, when the electronic device 100 is connected to the docking device 200, the electronic device 100 and the docking device 200 can operate in a dual display format.

Moreover, when the electronic device 100 is connected to the connection device 200, the user interface 120 can display information indicating that the electronic device 100 is connected to the connection device 200.

The user interface 120 can display a message 601 (described in FIG. 6) to receive confirmation regarding manipulation of the physical button 125. Specifically, when the operation mode of the electronic device 100 is the power saving mode and the physical button 125 is manipulated, if the sensor is operated by the sensor 140 (described later) that the measured ambient illumination is less than a predetermined value, a message 601 can be displayed to receive confirmation as to whether manipulation of the physical button 125 is a user manipulation. An example of a user interface window 600 displayed in this situation is illustrated in Figure 6 discussed later.

In the above exemplary embodiment, if the ambient illuminance measured by the manipulation time of the physical button 125 is less than a predetermined value, the message 601 is directly displayed. Alternatively, if the ambient illuminance measured within a predetermined time from the manipulation time of the physical button 125 continues to be less than a predetermined value, the message 601 may be displayed. This can occur, for example, when the user presses a button while the electronic device 100 is being removed from its bag. Therefore, if the average or maximum value of the ambient illuminance measured within a predetermined time is less than a predetermined value, the message 601 can be displayed.

Also, if the physical button 125 continues to be manipulated for a predetermined time, the message 601 can be displayed. That is, the message 601 can be set to be displayed if the physical button 125 continues to be manipulated for a predetermined time, such that if the physical button 125 is temporarily manipulated due to, for example, movement of the electronic device in the bag, then Message 601 is displayed.

Again, the message 601 can only be displayed if the additional conditions described above are met. That is, if the physical button 125 is manipulated for a predetermined time and the ambient illuminance measured for a predetermined time (or for a time shorter than or longer than the predetermined time) continues to be less than the predetermined illuminance value, the message 601 may be displayed.

Only the message 601 can be displayed for a predetermined time (eg, 20 seconds). Also, the message 601 can be displayed only in the tablet mode. That is, since the physical button 125 is less likely to be mishandled when the electronic device 100 is connected to the interface device 200, the message 601 may be displayed only in the tablet mode and the message 601 may not be displayed in the desktop mode.

User interface 120 receives a user confirmation command. In particular, the user interface 120 can receive a user confirmation command after displaying the message 601 to receive the user confirmation command. The user confirmation command can be entered via a touch screen (not shown), the initially manipulated physical button 125, or can be entered via a different physical button (not shown) other than the originally manipulated physical button 125.

The physical button 125 is manipulated by a predetermined manipulation action. Hereinafter, the physical button 125 is referred to as a single button for ease of explanation, but the physical button 125 may actually include a plurality of physical buttons. The physical button 125 can be a push button 126 as illustrated in FIG. 4 or can be a slide button 128 as illustrated in FIG. The physical button 125 can be, for example, a power button for receiving a power steering command, a volume control button for receiving a volume control command, a first button for receiving a screen display command, or a keyboard button for Enter text.

The storage component 130 stores a program for driving the electronic device 100. In particular, storage component 130 can store a program that is a collection of commands necessary to drive electronic device 100. The program can include an application for providing a specific service and an operating program for driving the application.

The storage element 130 can be implemented by using an internal storage medium of the electronic device 100 or an external storage medium such as a removable disk including a USB memory and a web server via a network.

The sensor 140 measures ambient illumination. Specifically, the sensor 140 includes an illuminance sensor (141 illustrated in FIG. 3) for measuring illuminance, and the operation mode of the electronic device 100 is a power saving mode (or a power off mode) and a physical button The ambient illuminance is measured using the illuminance sensor 141 when the 125 is manipulated. The ambient illuminance can be continuously measured for a predetermined time from the time when the physical button 125 is manipulated. Book The time may be the time from when the physical button 125 is manipulated to when the confirmation regarding the manipulation of the physical button 125 is the user's manipulation or the erroneous operation, or may be set to a preset value (for example, about 1 second or 2 seconds). Time period. The time period set as the preset value will be explained below with reference to FIG.

The sensor 140 may measure the illuminance only in the tablet mode (ie, measure the illuminance in response to the operation of the physical button 125). That is, since the physical button 125 is less likely to be mishandled when the electronic device 100 is connected to the docking device 200, the ambient illuminance may be measured only in response to manipulation of the physical button 125 in the tablet mode and may not be measured in the desktop mode. Measure ambient illuminance.

The controller 150 controls the components of the electronic device 100. In particular, the controller 150 can sense whether the electronic device 100 is mounted on the connecting device 200. For example, the electronic device 100 can include a connector to be physically/electrically connected to the docking device 200. When the connecting device 200 is electrically connected to the connector, the controller 150 can sense that the electronic device 100 is mounted on the connecting device 200. Moreover, when the adapter power is input via the connection device 200, the controller 150 may sense whether the electronic device 100 is mounted on the connection device 200 based on whether the adapter power is input.

The controller 150 determines an operation mode of the electronic device 100 according to whether the electronic device 100 is mounted on the engagement device 200. More specifically, when the electronic device 100 is mounted on the connecting device 200, the controller 150 determines that the operating mode of the electronic device 100 is the desktop mode, and when the electronic device 100 is not mounted on the connecting device 200, the controller 150 determines the electronic device. The mode of operation of device 100 is a tablet mode.

The controller 150 may determine whether to change the operation mode of the electronic device 100. In particular, when the electronic device 100 is mounted on the engagement device 200 in the tablet mode as described above, the controller 150 may determine the operation mode of the electronic device 100. Change to desktop mode. On the other hand, when the electronic device 100 is detached from the splicing device 200 in the desktop mode or when the detach command is input via the user in the desktop mode, the controller 150 may determine to change the operation mode of the electronic device 100 to the tablet mode. .

When the predetermined condition is satisfied, the controller 150 may change the operation mode of the electronic device 100 from the normal mode to the power saving mode. For example, the predetermined condition may refer to a condition in which a command is not input within a predetermined time. However, this is only an example and there are various conditions in the mode change event.

When the predetermined condition is satisfied, the controller 150 may change the operation mode from the power saving mode to the normal mode. For example, when the physical button 125 is manipulated as described above, the controller 150 may change the operation mode of the electronic device 100 from the power saving mode to the normal mode.

When the operation mode of the electronic device 100 is the tablet mode and the power saving mode, the controller 150 may control the sensor 140 to measure the ambient illumination in response to the manipulation of the physical button 125. The controller 150 can control the sensor 140 to continuously measure ambient illumination for a predetermined time (eg, 1.2 seconds).

The controller 150 may perform an operation corresponding to a predetermined manipulation of the physical button 125 only in the case where the ambient illuminance measured by the sensor 140 is greater than or equal to the predetermined illuminance value. For example, in a situation where the physical button 125 corresponds to the power button of the electronic device 100, when the physical button 125 is manipulated in the power saving mode and it is determined that the input of the physical button 125 is manipulated by the user, the controller 150 may The operation mode of the electronic device 100 is changed from the power saving mode or the power-off mode to the normal mode. As another example, when the physical button 125 corresponds to the volume control button of the electronic device 100, when the physical button 125 is input in the power saving mode and determined When the input of the physical button 125 is manipulated by the user, the controller 150 can control the output volume of the electronic device 100.

On the other hand, if the ambient illuminance measured by the sensor 140 is less than the predetermined illuminance value, the controller 150 may not perform an operation corresponding to the manipulation of the physical button 125. However, when the physical button 125 is manipulated for a predetermined time, the controller 150 can control the user interface 120 to display a message 601 to receive confirmation of manipulation of the physical button 125. In this case, the controller 150 can control the user interface 120 to display only the message 601 for a predetermined time. Although the user confirmation is only required when the physical button 125 is manipulated for a predetermined time, it is practically unrelated to how long the physical button 125 has been manipulated for a user to confirm.

When a user confirmation command is input via the user interface 120 or the physical button 125 in a state where the message 601 is displayed, the controller 150 may perform an operation corresponding to manipulation of the physical button 125. On the other hand, when the user confirmation command is not input within a predetermined time period during which the display message 601 continues, the controller 150 can control the user interface 120 to stop displaying the message 601.

When performing the operations described above in response to manipulation of the power button (ie, determining whether the manipulation of the physical button 125 is an erroneous operation), the controller 150 may determine whether the ambient illuminance is greater than or equal to a predetermined value to determine Whether the manipulation of the physical button 125 is an erroneous operation, and at the same time, some of the operations of changing the power saving mode to the normal mode can be performed in advance. In particular, controller 150 may perform certain operations, such as controlling power supply 160 (described in FIG. 3) to supply power to components of electronic device 100, or from a series of power-on operations or a series of operational mode change operations. Initializing (ie, the POST program before being turned on by the operating system) to quickly turn on or change the operating mode in response to manipulation of the physical button formula.

When it is determined that the manipulation of the physical button 125 is the user's manipulation while performing this power-on operation and the operation mode changing operation, the controller 150 may perform the remaining power-on operation and the operation mode change operation. On the other hand, when it is determined that the manipulation of the physical button 125 is an erroneous operation while performing the power-on operation and the operation mode changing operation, the controller 150 may stop performing the power-on operation and the operation mode changing operation and may return to the original state. The operation of the controller 150 depending on the operation of the physical button 125 will be explained in detail below with reference to FIG.

The controller 150 can control the power state of each of the components of the electronic device 100 in accordance with the determined mode of operation. Specifically, when it is determined that the operation mode is the normal mode, the controller 150 may control the power supply 160 to supply power to all necessary components, and when determining that the operation mode is the power saving mode, the controller 150 may control the power supply. The device 160 is to supply power only to some components. This operation will be explained in detail with reference to FIG.

Upon receiving the user manipulation command, the controller 150 may perform a function corresponding to the received user manipulation command. In particular, when a user manipulation command is received in the normal mode, the controller 150 can control each component of the electronic device 100 to perform a function corresponding to the received user manipulation command.

On the other hand, when receiving the user manipulation command in the power saving mode, the controller 150 may determine whether the user manipulation command is appropriate, and may determine whether it is necessary to change the operation mode to perform a function corresponding to the user manipulation. For example, when the physical button 125 corresponding to the volume control button is manipulated while the electronic device 100 is in the power saving mode (in which the power supply to the user interface window 600 is cut and the music file is reproduced), the controller 150 determines the pair Is the manipulation of the physical button 125 suitable? when. When it is determined that the user manipulation of the physical button 125 is appropriate, the controller 150 can control the volume according to the user manipulation of the physical button 125 without changing the operation mode of the electronic device 100.

According to the exemplary embodiment described above, when the physical button 125 is manipulated, the electronic device 100 verifies whether the manipulation of the physical button 125 is manipulated by the user by using the ambient illuminance, and thus the electronic device 100 can prevent the physical button 125 misoperation. Specifically, the electronic device 100 according to the current exemplary embodiment determines whether the manipulation of the physical button 125 is an erroneous operation using the ambient illuminance. That is, since the physical button 125 does not need to be manipulated for more than a predetermined time to perform a function, the power button can be used in the same manner as a general button. This situation improves user convenience, and the design of the power button is not limited and thus can be expressed in various ways.

FIG. 3 is a view schematically illustrating a circuit of an electronic device 100 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept.

Referring to FIG. 3, the electronic device 100 includes a physical button 125 corresponding to a power button, a sensor 140 including an illuminance sensor 141, a controller 150, and a power supply 160. The controller 150 includes a plurality of controllers 151 and 152 corresponding to the first controller and the second controller, respectively; and a system firmware 153.

The physical button 125 connects the power supply 160 to the electronic device 100. In the exemplary embodiment of the general inventive concept of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 3, the power supply 160 corresponds to VCC and GND that are connected to each other according to a predetermined manipulation of the physical button 125. The physical button 125 then notifies the first controller 151 that the physical button 125 is being operated.

The first controller 151 can be controlled according to an operation mode of the electronic device 100 The power state of each component of the electronic device 100. In particular, when the operation mode of the electronic device 100 is the normal mode, the first controller 151 can control the power supply 160 via the wiring F-1 to supply power to all components of the electronic device 100.

Also, when the operation mode of the electronic device 100 is the power saving mode, the first controller 151 may control the power supply 160 to supply power only to some of the components. When the physical button 150 is operated while the operation mode of the electronic device 100 is the power saving mode, the first controller 151 may control the power supply 160 to supply power to one or more components (eg, via the wiring F-2) The sensor 140 is supplied to the user interface 120 via the wiring F-3, thereby determining whether the manipulation of the physical button 125 is an erroneous operation.

The first controller 151 determines the operational state of the physical button 125. In particular, when the NMI pin (not shown) of the physical button 125 is grounded, the first controller 151 can determine that the physical button 125 is manipulated. For example, the first controller 151 can be a motherboard chipset or an embedded controller.

When the physical button 150 is manipulated while the operation mode of the electronic device 100 is the power saving mode, the first controller 151 may control the power supply 160 via the wire F-1 to supply power to the sensor 140. When power is supplied to the sensor 140, the first controller 151 initializes the illuminance sensor 141 of the sensor 140 and controls the illuminance sensor 141 to measure the ambient illuminance value. Although the first controller 151 operates in the power saving mode in the exemplary embodiment of the general inventive concept illustrated in FIG. 3, the first controller 151 may alternatively operate in the power saving mode and may respond The operation begins with manipulation of the physical button 125.

If the measured ambient illuminance value is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, the first controller 151 may control the power supply 160 and the second controller 152 to connect the electronic device 100 The operation mode changes from the power saving mode to the normal mode.

If it is necessary to have user confirmation because the measured ambient illuminance value is less than the predetermined value, the first controller 151 can control the power supply 160 to supply power to the user interface 120, and the controller user interface 120 can be A message 601 is displayed to confirm the user's confirmation of the manipulation of the physical button 125.

If the user confirmation is not received within a predetermined time after the message 601 is displayed, the first controller 151 can control the power supply 160 such that the electronic device 100 maintains the same operational state as the operational state before the physical button 125 was manipulated. under. In particular, the first controller 151 can control the power supply 160 to cut off power supply to components other than the physical button 125.

When the second controller 152 receives information indicating that it is necessary to change the operation mode of the electronic device 100 from the power saving mode or the power-off mode to the normal mode from the first controller 151 via the wiring F-4, the second controller 152 may be based on The operating mode is turned on or changed by a series of commands stored in system firmware 153 and accessed via wiring F-5. For example, the second controller 152 can be a central processing unit (CPU).

The power supply 160 supplies power to each component of the electronic device 100 under the control of the first controller 151. Specifically, when the electronic device 100 is in the normal mode, the power supply 160 supplies power to all components of the electronic device 100, and when the operation mode of the electronic device 100 is the power saving mode, the power supply 160 can be turned off. The power supply to the components other than the first controller 151 and the physical button 125, or the power supply to the components other than the physical button 125.

4 and 5 are views illustrating a detailed shape of the physical button 125 illustrated in Fig. 2 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept.

Referring to FIG. 4, the physical button 125 corresponds to the push button 126. The push button 126 is a button that is operated by depression and acts as a switch that closes or opens the circuit when it is depressed. Although the push button 126 protrudes from the outer casing region 127 of the electronic device 100 in the exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept illustrated in FIG. 4, the upper protruding region 126a of the push button 126 and the outer casing region of the electronic device 100 The 127 may be on the same plane, or the upper protruding region 126a of the push button 126 may be recessed and lower than the outer casing region 127 of the electronic device 100 so that erroneous operation of the push button 126 can be prevented.

Referring to Figure 5, the physical button 125 includes a slide button 128. The slide button 128 is a button that is operated by moving to the left or right by the user, and acts as a switch that closes or opens the circuit when the slide button 128 moves to the right or left. Although the slide button 128 illustrated in FIG. 5 implements only the selection between the first control command and the second control command, a slide button 128 that implements selection of only one control command may be implemented.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a user interface window 600 that may be displayed on the user interface 120 of FIG.

Referring to Figure 6, the user interface window 600 displays a message 601 for receiving confirmation of manipulation of the physical button 125.

This message 601 informs the user that the physical button 125 has been manipulated but has been determined to have been mishandled due to the low ambient illuminance value. The message 601 may further request the user to press a different button (not shown) other than the currently pressed physical button 125 to indicate that manipulation of the physical button 125 is not an erroneous operation. Although message 601 requests the user to press a button other than the originally manipulated physical button 125, message 601 may request, for example, a user to touch a touchscreen (not shown) to manipulate different confirmations of the same physical button 125.

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating an illuminance value measured according to the position of the electronic device 100. In FIG. 7, the measured illuminance value is divided into the following: at a regular time interval (for example, 0.5 second) while the electronic device 100 moves from a bright environment (such as outside) to a dark environment (such as a bag) The measured illuminance value, the illuminance value measured at regular time intervals while the electronic device 100 is in a dark environment, and the illuminance value measured at regular time intervals while the electronic device 100 moves from a dark environment to a bright environment, And illuminance values measured at regular time intervals while the electronic device 100 is in a bright environment.

Referring to Figure 7, it can be seen that the illuminance value converges to about 3 when the electronic device 100 is in a dark environment such as a bag. In view of this situation, if the illuminance value measured by the sensor is less than 5, it can be determined that the electronic device 100 is in a dark environment.

Also, it can be seen that when the electronic device 100 is placed in a dark environment such as a bag or taken out from a dark environment, the illuminance value changes after being maintained for about 1 second. In view of this situation, the illuminance value is measured by the sensor 140 for more than 1.2 seconds, and the illuminance value can be used to determine whether the electronic device 100 is in a dark environment.

Since the values illustrated in FIG. 7 are measured by the specific illuminance sensor 141, different values can be measured if the system uses different illuminance sensors 141. Therefore, the general inventive concept of the present invention is not limited to the numerical values mentioned above.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating a control method in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present general inventive concept.

Referring to Fig. 8, the physical button 125 is manipulated by a predetermined manipulation action (operation S810). The predetermined manipulation action may be a manipulation action that the user intends to perform, or may be an unintentional manipulation action that the user does not intend to perform and is caused by the movement of the electronic device 100. The physical button 125 can be, for example, a push button 126 or a slide button 128. And can be, for example, a power button for receiving a power manipulation command; a volume control button for receiving a volume control command; a first button for receiving a screen display command; or a keyboard button for inputting a text .

When the physical button 125 is manipulated, the ambient illuminance is measured (operation S820). Specifically, when the operation mode of the electronic device 100 is the power saving mode (or the power off mode) and the physical button 125 is manipulated, the ambient illuminance is measured using the illuminance sensor 141. The ambient illuminance can be measured within a predetermined time from when the physical button 125 is manipulated. The predetermined time may be a time from when the physical button 125 is manipulated to when the manipulation of the physical button 125 is determined to be a user manipulation or an erroneous operation, or may be a time period set to a preset value (for example, 1.2 seconds or 2 seconds).

The ambient illuminance may be measured when the operation mode of the electronic device 100 is the tablet mode, and the ambient illuminance may not be measured when the operation mode of the electronic device 100 is the desktop mode.

It is determined whether the sensed ambient illuminance is greater than or equal to a predetermined illuminance value (operation S830). This determination operation may be performed when the operation mode of the electronic device 100 is the tablet mode, and may not be performed when the operation mode of the electronic device 100 is the desktop mode.

When it is determined that the sensed ambient illuminance is greater than or equal to the predetermined illuminance value (operation S830-Y) or when the user confirmation is received (operation S860-Y), an operation corresponding to the manipulation of the physical button 125 is performed (operation S840) ). For example, when the physical button 125 corresponds to the power button, is manipulated in the power saving mode, and determines that the input of the physical button 125 is manipulated by the user, the operation mode of the electronic device 100 can be changed to the normal mode. Alternatively, when the physical button 125 corresponds to the volume control button, is manipulated in the power saving mode and determines that the input of the physical button 125 is manipulated by the user At the same time, the output volume of the electronic device 100 can be adjusted.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the sensed ambient illuminance is smaller than the predetermined illuminance value (operation S830-No), the message 601 for receiving confirmation regarding the manipulation of the physical button 125 is displayed (operation S850). Specifically, when the operation mode of the electronic device 100 is the power saving mode and the physical button 125 is manipulated but determines that the sensed ambient illuminance is less than the predetermined illuminance value, it may be displayed to receive whether the manipulation of the physical button 125 is used. The message 601 of the confirmation of the manipulation. The message 601 can be displayed when the physical button 125 is manipulated for a predetermined time and the ambient illuminance measured over a predetermined time continues to be less than the predetermined illuminance value. The message 601 can be displayed only for a predetermined time (eg, 10 seconds). Also, the message 601 can be displayed only in the tablet mode.

A confirmation regarding the manipulation of the physical button 125 is received from the user after the message 601 is displayed (operation S860). Specifically, the user confirmation command can be received from the user after displaying the message 601 for receiving the user confirmation command. The user confirmation command can be entered via a touch screen, input via the initially manipulated physical button 125, or can be input via a different button (not shown) than the originally manipulated physical button 125.

If the user does not receive the user confirmation command (operation S860-No), the message display operation is stopped, and it is determined that the manipulation of the physical button 125 is an erroneous operation and the operation corresponding to the predetermined manipulation of the physical button 125 is not performed.

Since the control method of the above-described exemplary embodiment according to the present general inventive concept verifies whether the manipulation of the physical button 125 is a user manipulation using the ambient illuminance value, the erroneous operation of the physical button 125 can be prevented. The control method of FIG. 8 may be performed in the electronic device 100 having the configuration of FIG. 2 or may be performed in the electronic device 100 having other configurations.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a control method in a case where the physical button 125 operated by a predetermined manipulation action is a power button.

For the purposes of the illustrative embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, it is assumed that the initial mode of operation of the electronic device 100 is a power off mode.

Referring to Fig. 9, the entity button 125 is manipulated (operation S905). In particular, the physical button 125 can be pressed by the user or by an external impact.

The operation of the physical button 125 is sensed (operation S910). Specifically, the first controller 151 can sense that the power button is operated via an NMI pin (not shown).

The system of the electronic device 100 is turned on (operation S915). Specifically, the first controller 151 recognizes that the operation mode of the electronic device 100 is the power-off mode, and controls each component of the electronic device 100 to turn on the system.

The POST program is executed when the system is turned on (operation S930). Specifically, the system performs a full initialization procedure and performs a power-on self-test using a firmware (not shown). The illuminance sensor 141 is also initialized by this initialization operation (operation S920).

When the illuminance sensor 141 is initialized, it measures the ambient illuminance value (operation S925). The first controller 151 reads out the measured illuminance value after all POST procedures are completed and before the system is powered on by the operating system (operation S935).

The measured illuminance value is compared with a predetermined illuminance value (operation S940). The first controller 151 compares the readout value with the reference value from the illuminance sensor 141 to determine whether the system is unintentionally turned on by the user or by an erroneous operation such as an external impact in an enclosed space. The reference value may be a value measured when the electronic device 100 is in a dark area, such as within a bag.

If the measured illuminance value is equal to or greater than the predetermined illuminance value (operation S940-No), it is determined that the system is turned on by the user and thus the normal power-on (operation is performed) S945).

It is determined whether or not the predetermined time (Time_d) has expired in order to determine whether the system is turned on by an erroneous operation (operation S950). If the predetermined time has not expired (operation S950-N), operation S940 is performed again to compare the measured illuminance value with the predetermined illuminance value.

If the measured illuminance value continues to be lower than the predetermined illuminance value until the predetermined time has expired (operation S950-Y), the user confirmation procedure is executed (operation S955). Specifically, although it is determined that the system is turned on by an external impact in the closed space due to the illuminance value remaining below the predetermined illuminance value for a predetermined time, the message 601 may be displayed to request the user to confirm whether the manipulation of the physical button 125 is Intentional manipulation by pressing a button.

The user identifies the displayed message 601. When the user normally presses the physical button 125 while the message 601 is being displayed (operation S960-Y), it is determined that the manipulation of the physical button 125 is not an erroneous operation and thus the normal power-on is performed (operation S945).

It is determined whether the time of the session is greater than the predetermined timeout value after the message 601 is displayed (operation S965). If the session time is not greater than the timeout value (operation S965-No), the operation S960 awaiting user confirmation is executed again.

If the desired response is not received before the expiration time exceeds the timeout value (operation S965-Yes), that is, if the user does not press the physical button 125 again, the controller 150 determines that the manipulation of the physical button 125 is an erroneous operation ( For example, an external impact in the enclosed space) and the system of the electronic device 100 is controlled to be turned off (operation S970).

When the physical button 125 is manipulated, the control method of the exemplary embodiment described above in accordance with the general inventive concept of the present invention uses the ambient illuminance value to verify whether manipulation of the physical button 125 is a user manipulation and thus prevents physical buttons 125 misoperation. The control method of FIG. 9 may be performed in the electronic device 100 having the configuration of FIG. 2 or may be performed in the electronic device 100 having other configurations.

The general inventive concept of the present invention can also be embodied as computer readable code on a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium can include a computer readable recording medium and a computer readable transmission medium. A computer readable recording medium is any data storage component that can store data as a program that can thereafter be read by a computer system. Examples of the computer readable recording medium include a semiconductor memory, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a USB memory, a memory card, and a Blu-ray (Blu- Ray) CDs, CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, flexible disks, and optical data storage components. The computer readable recording medium can also be distributed over a network coupled computer system to store and execute computer readable code in a distributed manner. A computer readable transmission medium can carry a carrier wave or signal (eg, wired or wireless data transmission over the Internet). Further, functional programs, code, and code segments for implementing the general inventive concept of the present invention can be easily understood by programmers skilled in the art to which the general inventive concept of the present invention pertains.

Although a few embodiments of the present general inventive concept have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made in the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the general inventive concept. The scope of the invention is defined in the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

100‧‧‧Electronic devices

110‧‧‧Communication interface

120‧‧‧User interface

125‧‧‧ physical button

130‧‧‧Storage components

140‧‧‧ sensor

150‧‧‧ Controller

Claims (15)

An electronic device having a plurality of operating modes, the electronic device comprising: a physical button to be manipulated by a predetermined manipulation action; and a sensor for operating in a power saving mode or a power off mode in the electronic device And measuring the ambient illuminance when the physical button is manipulated; and a controller for performing corresponding to the entity when determining that the ambient illuminance measured by the sensor is greater than or equal to a predetermined illuminance value The operation of the predetermined manipulation of the button. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a user interface, wherein the user interface is configured to display a request when determining that the ambient illuminance measured by the sensor is less than the predetermined illuminance value A message confirming the manipulation of the physical button. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the physical button is manipulated for a first predetermined time and determines the ambient illumination measured by the sensor during the first predetermined time The controller controls the user interface to display the message when the predetermined illuminance value is less than the predetermined illuminance value. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the user interface displays only the message for a second predetermined time. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the controller performs the operation corresponding to the predetermined manipulation of the physical button when the user confirms that the command is input after the message is displayed operating. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the user confirmation command is input via at least one of: the manipulated physical button, in addition to the manipulated physical button Button and the user interface Touch input. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the operating mode of the electronic device is the power saving mode and the physical button is manipulated and the measured ambient illuminance is greater than or equal to The controller changes the operating mode of the electronic device to a normal mode when the predetermined illuminance value is reached. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of functional components including the sensor; and a power supply that supplies power to each of the plurality of functional components And wherein when the operation mode of the electronic device is the power-off mode and the physical button is manipulated, the controller controls the power supply to supply power only to the sensor, and Wherein the controller controls the power supply to supply power to all of the functional components when it is determined that the measured ambient illuminance is greater than or equal to the predetermined illuminance value. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the plurality of functional components further comprise a user interface, and wherein when the physical button is manipulated for a first predetermined time and determined within the first predetermined time The controller controls the power supply to supply power to the user interface when the ambient illuminance measured by the sensor is less than the predetermined illuminance value. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the ambient illuminance measured by the sensor after determining that the physical button has been manipulated is less than the predetermined illuminance In the event of a value, the controller controls the operational mode of the electronic device to change to the power off mode. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the physical button is at least one of: a power button for receiving a power steering command; and a volume control button for receiving a volume control command a home button for receiving a screen display command and a keyboard button for inputting text. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is connectable to the engagement device, wherein the controller controls when the electronic device is coupled to the engagement device and the physical button is manipulated The sensor does not measure ambient illumination and directly performs the operation corresponding to the predetermined manipulation of the physical button. A method of controlling an electronic device having a plurality of operation modes, the method comprising: manipulating a physical button by a predetermined manipulation action when an operation mode of the electronic device is a power saving mode or a power off mode; at the physical button The ambient illuminance is measured when manipulated; and the operation corresponding to the predetermined manipulation of the physical button is performed when it is determined that the measured ambient illuminance is greater than or equal to a predetermined illuminance value. The method of claim 13, further comprising: displaying a message for receiving confirmation of the manipulation of the physical button when determining that the measured ambient illumination is less than the predetermined illumination value . The method of claim 14, wherein displaying the message comprises: when the physical button is manipulated for a first predetermined time and determining that the ambient illumination measured within the first predetermined time is less than The message is displayed when the predetermined illuminance value is displayed.