US 2,009,262,078 · Filed 2008-04-21

The Patent That Taught Phones to Sense Your Hands and Pockets

Imagine a phone that knows when you're holding it, when it's in your pocket, and even when your hand is near the screen — all without you touching anything. This patent bundles together clever sensors that lock the keypad when the phone is sideways, unlock it when you lift it to your ear, and even change the ringtone just by flipping the device upside down.

Curated and verified by the IsItPatented Editorial team

The plain-English version

What it protects

The claim covers a combination of sensing systems that automatically lock or unlock a phone's keypad and activate the display based on how the device is tilted, whether objects are above the screen, hand proximity detection using electric field sensing, and the ability to recognize the user's hand position to unlock or lock the device. It also protects the automatic answer feature when a hand approaches the back of the phone near the ear, profile switching based on device orientation, and a curved side touchpad with tactile markings for thumb control.

Why it matters

This patent represents an early attempt to solve a real problem: accidental button presses when a phone is in a pocket or bag, and the friction of having to manually silence a phone before important moments. By automating these interactions through ambient sensing, the design reduces user frustration and battery drain from unwanted screen activation. The combination of tilt sensing, proximity detection, and electric field recognition was ahead of its time in imagining context-aware phones that respond to their environment.

Real-world use

Every time a modern smartphone detects that you've raised it to your ear and automatically answers a call, or when it locks the screen because you've dropped it face-down on a table, you're benefiting from the kinds of ambient sensing this patent pioneered.

Original USPTO abstract

Specific ambient and user behaviour sensing systems and methods are presented to improve friendliness and usability of electronic handheld devices, in particular cellular phones, PDAs, multimedia players and similar. The improvements and special functions include following components: a. The keypad is locked/unlocked (disabled/enabled) and/or the display activated based on the device inclination relative to its longitudinal and/or lateral axes. b. The keypad is locked if objects are detected above the display (for example the boundary of a bag or pursue). c. The keypad is locked/unlocked (disabled/enabled) and/or the display activated based on electric field displacement or bio-field sensing systems recognizing the user hand in any position behind the handheld device. d. The electric response signal generated by an electric field through the user hand in contact with a receiver plate is used to identify the user and in negative case lock the device. e. Connection with incoming calls is automatically opened as soon as a hand is detected behind the device and the device is put close to the ear (proximity sensor). f. The profile (ring-tone mode, volume and silent mode) can be changed just putting the device in a specific verse (upside up or upside down). g. Has a lateral curved touchpad with tactile markings over more surfaces to control a mouse pointer/cursor or selection with the thumb finger.

Patent details

Publication number: US 2,009,262,078
Filing date: 2008-04-21
Grant date: Application — not yet granted
Assignee: David Pizzi
Inventor(s): PIZZI DAVID
CPC class: G06F3/044

View original record on Google Patents →

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