Preventing screen rotation during use

• US 10,176,786 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2015
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Jianbang, Li, Jian, Qian, Ming, Wang, Song
• Primary Examiner(s): Martello, Edward
• Application Number:
  US14/955,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20170154610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/38 with means for controlling the display position

Abstract

For preventing a display from automatically rotating while receiving input from a user, an apparatus, method, and computer program product are disclosed. The apparatus includes a display device for presenting the user interface, a processor, and a memory that stores code executable by the processor. The processor (by executing the code) monitors for a user input event, prevents rotation of the user interface for a predetermined amount of time responsive to detecting the user input event, and allows rotation of the user interface responsive to expiration of the predetermined amount of time. The processor may initiate a timer to measure the predetermined amount of time. The processor may further detect an additional user input event during the predetermined amount of time and reset that the predetermined amount of time, responsive to detecting the additional user input event.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a display device for presenting a user interface, the user interface having a text input field;

an orientation sensor that determines an orientation of the display device with respect to a downward direction;

a processor;

a memory that stores code executable by the processor to;

present the user interface in a first screen orientation that aligns the user interface with the downward direction;

monitor for a text input event, wherein the text input event comprises at least one of;

detecting two or more single-tap touch events within a threshold time frame and detecting the insertion of text into the text input field;

detect a change in the orientation of the display device;

allow rotation of the user interface in response to not detecting a text input event a predetermined amount of time prior to detecting the change in the orientation of the display device;

prevent rotation of the user interface in the first screen orientation for a predetermined amount of time in response to detecting the text input event;

allow rotation of the user interface to a second screen orientation that aligns the bottom of the user interface with the downward direction in response to the change in the orientation of the display device and in response to expiration of the predetermined amount of time; and

allow rotation of the user interface to the second screen orientation prior to expiration of the predetermined amount of time in response to a specific user input.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor further initiates a timer in response to detecting the text input event, the timer measuring the predetermined amount of time, wherein allowing rotation of the user interface in response to not detecting a text input event a predetermined amount of time prior to detecting the change in the orientation of the display device comprises allowing rotation of the user interface if the timer is not initiated and wherein allowing rotation of the displayed user interface in response to expiration of the predetermined amount of time comprises allowing rotation of the displayed user interface in response to expiration of the timer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein detecting a change in the orientation of the display device comprises the processor monitoring for a screen rotation event, wherein preventing rotation of a displayed user interface for a predetermined amount of time comprises preventing reporting of the screen rotation event, wherein allowing rotation of the user interface in response to expiration of the predetermined amount of time comprises passing along the screen rotation event.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor further:

detects an additional user input event during the predetermined amount of time; and

resets the predetermined amount of time in response to the additional user input.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein detecting a text input event further comprises detecting whether an on-screen software keyboard is being used.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the threshold time frame is selected using an average amount of time between successive key presses of an on-screen keyboard.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor further allows rotation of the user interface to the second screen orientation prior to expiration of the predetermined amount of time in response to detecting a user action indicative that the user has finished text input, wherein the user action comprises one of:

the user pressing a “

return”

or “

enter”

button of an on-screen keyboard, the user pressing a “

send”

button in a messaging window displayed on the user interface, the user selecting away from the text input field, the user setting down the apparatus, and the user releasing hold of the apparatus.

8. A method comprising:

determining an orientation of a display device with respect to a downward direction, the display device comprising a touchscreen display;

presenting a user interface in a first screen orientation that aligns the user interface with the downward direction, the user interface having a text input field;

detecting, by use of a processor, a text input event, wherein the text input event comprises at least one of;

detecting two or more single-taps to the touchscreen display within a threshold time frame and detecting the insertion of text into the text input field;

detecting a change in the orientation of the display device;

allowing rotation of the displayed user interface in response to not detecting a text input event a predetermined amount of time prior to detecting the change in the orientation of the display device;

maintaining the displayed user interface in the first screen orientation for a predetermined amount of time in response to detecting the text input event; and

allowing rotation of the displayed user interface to a second screen orientation that aligns the bottom of the user interface with the downward direction in response to the change in the orientation of the display device and in response to expiration of the predetermined amount of time.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising initiating a timer in response to detecting the text input event, the timer measuring the predetermined amount of time.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein allowing rotation of the displayed user interface in response to expiration of the predetermined amount of time comprises allowing rotation of the displayed user interface in response to expiration of the timer.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting a change in the orientation of the display device comprises monitoring for a screen rotation event, wherein preventing rotation of a displayed user interface for a predetermined amount of time comprises preventing reporting of the screen rotation event, wherein allowing rotation of the displayed user interface in response to expiration of the predetermined amount of time comprises passing along the screen rotation event.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting an additional text input event during the predetermined amount of time; and

resetting the predetermined amount of time in response to the additional user input.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting a text input event further comprises detecting that a user is typing.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein detecting that a user is typing comprises detecting that an on-screen software keyboard is being used.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

allowing rotation of the user interface to the second screen orientation prior to expiration of the predetermined amount of time in response to detecting a user action indicative that the user has finished text input,

wherein the user action comprises one of;

the user pressing a “

return”

or “

enter”

button of an on-screen keyboard, the user pressing a “

send”

button in a messaging window displayed on the user interface, the user selecting away from the text input field, the user setting down the apparatus, and the user releasing hold of the apparatus.

16. A program product comprising a computer readable storage medium that is not a transitory signal and that stores code executable by a processor, the executable code comprising code to perform:

determining an orientation of a display device with respect to a downward direction, the display device comprising a touchscreen display;

presenting a user interface in a first screen orientation that aligns the user interface with the downward direction, the user interface having a text input field;

monitoring for a text input event, wherein the text input event comprises at least one of;

detecting two or more single-taps to the touchscreen display within a threshold time frame and detecting the insertion of into the text input field;

detecting a change in the orientation of the display device while the text input field is actively displayed in the user interface;

allowing rotation of the displayed user interface in response to not detecting a text input event a predetermined amount of time prior to detecting the change in the orientation of the display device;

preventing rotation of the displayed user interface in the first screen orientation for a predetermined amount of time in response to detecting the text input event; and

allowing rotation of the displayed user interface to a second screen orientation that aligns the bottom of the user interface with the downward direction in response to the change in the orientation of the display device and in response to expiration of the predetermined amount of time.

17. The program product of claim 16, the code further to perform initiating a timer in response to detecting the text input event, the timer measuring the predetermined amount of time.

18. The program product of claim 16, the code further to perform:

detecting an additional text input event during the predetermined amount of time; and

resetting the predetermined amount of time in response to the additional user input.

19. The program product of claim 16, wherein detecting the text input event further comprises an action selected from the group comprising:

detecting that an on-screen software keyboard is being used and detecting a voice input from the user.

20. The program product of claim 16, wherein the code further:

allows rotation of the user interface to the second screen orientation prior to expiration of the predetermined amount of time in response to detecting a user action indicative that the user has finished text input,

wherein the user action comprises one of;

the user pressing a “

return”

or “

enter”

button of an on-screen keyboard, the user pressing a “

send”

button in a messaging window displayed on the user interface, the user selecting away from the text input field, the user setting down the apparatus, and the user releasing hold of the apparatus.