Controlled gyroscopic torque for an electronic device

• US 10,310,602 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2015
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Stryker, James A., Shrestha, Shikhar, Rivellini, Tommaso P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahmadi, Zakaria
• Application Number:
  US14/796,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20160018223A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• 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 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• 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 2203/013 Force feedback applied to a game
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors

Abstract

A mobile electronic device can include one or more gyroscopes that each produces a controlled gyroscopic torque. An event is detected by the mobile electronic device. Characteristics of gyroscopic torque to be transmitted to the mobile electronic device may be determined. The spatial orientation of the mobile electronic device is altered by generating gyroscopic torque or torques with the gyroscope.

Claims

1. A method for operating a mobile electronic device that includes a gyroscope and a display in an enclosure of the mobile electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting an event;

determining a characteristic of a gyroscopic torque to be transmitted to the mobile electronic device, wherein the characteristic of the gyroscopic torque is based on a characteristic of the event; and

altering a spatial orientation of the mobile electronic device by causing the gyroscope to generate the gyroscopic torque with the gyroscope in accordance with the determined characteristic of the gyroscopic torque, the generating the gyroscopic torque comprising;

rotationally oscillating a mass about a first axis while tilting the mass about a second axis;

while the mass is being rotated in a first direction about the first axis during the rotational oscillation, tilting the mass in a second direction about the second axis;

while the mass is being rotated in a third direction about the first axis during the rotational oscillation, tilting the mass in a fourth direction about the second axis; and

transmitting a force corresponding to the gyroscopic torque through the enclosure, wherein

the first direction is opposite to the third direction; and

the second direction is opposite to the fourth direction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the event includes receiving a characteristic of torque feedback to be provided to a user based on an event occurring in an application program presented to the user on the display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the characteristic of the torque feedback to be provided to the user comprises one of an event type and a duration of the event.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the event includes:

determining that the mobile electronic device is in free fall;

determining a spatial condition of the mobile electronic device during the free fall; and

predicting a damaging impact based on the determined spatial condition of the mobile electronic device.

5. The method of claim 4, the spatial condition is an angular velocity of the mobile electronic device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the characteristic of the gyroscopic torque is determined so as to reorient the mobile electronic device during the free fall.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the spatial condition is an orientation of the mobile electronic device; and

the characteristic of the gyroscopic torque is based on the determined spatial condition of the mobile electronic device and a target orientation.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the target orientation corresponds to a display plane of the display being substantially perpendicular to a ground plane.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the target orientation corresponds to an edge of the mobile electronic device being substantially parallel to a ground plane.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the target orientation is selected so as to reduce damage to the mobile electronic device resulting from the free fall.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the spatial condition is an orientation of the mobile electronic device; and

the characteristic of torque feedback is further selected so as to counteract an angular velocity of the device.

12. A mobile electronic device, comprising:

an enclosure;

a display positioned in the enclosure and including a glass cover;

a gyroscope in the enclosure and comprising a mass; and

a control system operably connected to the gyroscope and adapted to execute instructions that cause the mobile electronic device to;

detect an event;

determine a characteristic of a gyroscopic torque to be transmitted to the mobile electronic device, wherein the characteristic of the gyroscopic torque is based on a characteristic of the event;

alter a spatial orientation of the mobile electronic device by causing the gyroscope to generate the gyroscopic torque in accordance with the determined characteristic of the gyroscopic torque; and

cause the gyroscope to generate the gyroscopic torque by;

rotationally oscillating the mass about a first axis, comprising cycling between;

rotating a mass less than a complete revolution in a first direction; and

rotating the mass less than a complete revolution in a second direction opposite the first direction; and

while rotationally oscillating the mass, tilting the mass about a second axis different than the first axis.

13. The mobile electronic device of claim 12 further comprising a motion sensor operably coupled to the control system, wherein detecting the event includes detecting, with the motion sensor, that the mobile electronic device is in free fall.

14. The mobile electronic device of claim 12 further comprising an orientation sensor operably coupled to the control system, wherein the control system is further adapted to execute instructions that cause the mobile electronic device to:

determine, with the orientation sensor, an orientation of the mobile electronic device; and

determine the characteristic of gyroscopic torque to be transmitted to the mobile electronic device based on the determined orientation of the mobile electronic device and a target orientation.

16. The mobile electronic device of claim 12, wherein the characteristic of the gyroscopic torque is one or more of a magnitude of the gyroscopic torque, a direction of the gyroscopic torque, and/or a duration of application of the gyroscopic torque.

17. The mobile electronic device of claim 12, wherein generating the gyroscopic torque with the gyroscope comprises generating torques in two directions.

18. The mobile electronic device of claim 12, wherein generating the gyroscopic torque with the gyroscope comprises generating torques in three directions.

19. The mobile electronic device of claim 12, wherein detecting the event includes:

determining that the mobile electronic device is in free fall;

determining a spatial condition of the mobile electronic device during the free fall; and

predicting a damaging impact based on the determined spatial condition of the mobile electronic device.

20. The mobile electronic device of claim 19, wherein the spatial condition is an orientation of the mobile electronic device.

21. The mobile electronic device of claim 12, wherein:

rotating the mass less than a complete revolution in the first direction comprises rotating the mass 10 degrees or less in the first direction from a center position; and

rotating the mass less than a complete revolution in the second direction comprises rotating the mass 10 degrees or less in the second direction from the center position.

15. A gyroscope module for altering a spatial orientation of a mobile electronic device, comprising:

a gyroscope comprising;

a housing configured to be coupled to a mobile electronic device;

a mass within the housing and configured to rotationally oscillate about a first axis; and

an actuator configured to tilt the mass about a second axis;

a control system operably connected to the gyroscope, wherein the control system is adapted to execute instructions that cause the gyroscope module to;

receive, from the mobile electronic device, an indication of an event;

determine a characteristic of a gyroscopic torque to be transmitted to the mobile electronic device, wherein the characteristic of the gyroscopic torque is based on a characteristic of the event; and

alter a spatial orientation of the mobile electronic device by causing the gyroscope to generate the gyroscopic torque in accordance with the determined characteristic of the gyroscopic torque, wherein causing the gyroscope to generate the gyroscopic torque comprises;

causing the mass to be rotationally oscillated about the first axis, comprising;

causing the mass to rotate less than a complete revolution in a first direction; and

causing the mass to rotate less than a complete revolution in a second direction opposite the first direction; and

while the mass is rotationally oscillated about the first axis, causing the mass to be tilted about the second axis.