Methods and Systems for Correlating Movement of a Device with State Changes of the Device

Abstract

The present description discloses systems and methods for changing the state of a device. One embodiment may include a device configured to provide a device in a first state, receive a signal indicative of first angular data of the device, and compare the first angular data to a first threshold. The device may then execute instructions to initiate a timer when the first angular data is greater than the first threshold, receive a signal indicative of a second angular data of the device, and compare the second angular data to a second threshold. When the second angular data is less than the second threshold and the time passed is within a pre-determined time period, the device may execute instructions to transition the device to a second state.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving a signal indicative of a first relative angular velocity;   determining that the first relative angular velocity is greater than a first predetermined threshold value;   upon determining that the first relative angular velocity is greater than the first predetermined threshold value, initiating a timer that expires after a predetermined period of time;   prior to expiration of the timer, receiving a signal indicative of a second relative angular velocity;   determining that the second relative angular velocity is less than a second predetermined threshold value; and   responsively causing a computing device to transition from a first state to a second state.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein in the first state an interface on the computing device is locked, and wherein transitioning the computing device to the second state comprises executing instructions to unlock the interface. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first state is a locked state, wherein the locked state comprises the computing device configured to detect a first movement, wherein the first movement comprises the first relative angular velocity. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein when the first relative angular velocity is greater than the first threshold, the method further comprises transitioning the computing device to a waiting state, wherein the waiting state comprises the computing device executing instructions to detect a second movement. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the second movement comprises the second relative angular velocity. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , applying a low-pass filter to remove angular velocity values that are above a predetermined value. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining that the device is stable prior to receiving the signal indicative of the first relative angular velocity.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 causing the computing device to produce a sound when the transition to the second state occurs.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first relative angular velocity and the second relative angular velocity each comprise values indicating velocity of the device relative to a reference point. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first relative angular velocity is indicative of an angle of the computing device with respect to a last-measured position of the computing device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises a sensor configured to measure angular velocity data, and wherein the method further comprises:
 detecting a large variance in the data measured by the sensor; and   in response, turning off the sensor.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first relative angular velocity and the second relative angular velocity are each measured on an X-axis. 
     
     
         13 . An article of manufacture including a tangible computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions encoded thereon, the instructions comprising:
 receiving, by the computing device, a signal indicative of first relative angular velocity;   determining that the first relative angular velocity is greater than a first predetermined threshold value;   upon determining that the first relative angular velocity is greater than the first predetermined threshold value, executing instructions to initiate a timer that expires after a predetermined period of time;   prior to expiration of the timer, receiving a signal indicative of a second relative angular velocity;   determining that the second relative angular velocity is less than a second predetermined threshold value; and   responsively causing a computing device to transition from a first state to a second state.   
     
     
         14 . The article of manufacture of  claim 13 , wherein the article of manufacture is a head-mountable device (HMD). 
     
     
         15 . The article of manufacture of  claim 13 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to turn an interface on the computing device on when transitioning the computing device to the second state. 
     
     
         16 . The article of manufacture of  claim 13 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to determine that the computing device is stable prior to receiving the signal indicative of the first relative angular velocity. 
     
     
         17 . The article of manufacture of  claim 13 , wherein in the first state an interface of the computing device is locked, and wherein transitioning the computing device to the second state comprises executing instructions to unlock the interface. 
     
     
         18 . A system comprising:
 a processor;   at least one sensor;   data storage; and   machine language instructions stored on the data storage executable by the processor to perform functions including:   operating a computing device in a first state;   receiving a signal indicative of first relative angular velocity;   determining that the first relative angular velocity is greater than a first predetermined threshold value;   upon determining that the first relative angular velocity is greater than the first predetermined threshold value, executing instructions to initiate a timer that expires after a predetermined period of time;   prior to expiration of the timer, receiving a signal indicative of a second relative angular velocity;   determining that the second relative angular velocity is less than a second predetermined threshold value; and   responsively causing the wearable computing device to transition to a second state.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein in the first state an interface of the computing device is locked, and wherein transitioning the computing device to the second state comprises executing instructions to unlock the interface. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the first state is a locked state, wherein the locked state comprises the computing device configured to detect a sideways movement, wherein the sideways movement comprises the first relative angular velocity.