System and method for determining a display orientation of a mobile device

• US 10,410,605 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2012
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Gardenfors, Dan Zacharias, Almalki, Nazih
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, Ryan M
• Application Number:
  US13/544,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20140009499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,619 Days
• Field of Search: 345656
• 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 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/16 Digital picture frames
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers

Abstract

A method and system are provided for determining a display orientation of a mobile device. The mobile device is configured to change the display orientation when an orientation of the mobile device satisfies one or more criteria. The method includes determining the orientation of the mobile device and providing an indicator of a proximity of the orientation of the mobile device to satisfying the one or more criteria.

Claims

1. A method of determining a display orientation of a mobile device, the mobile device configured to change the display orientation when an orientation of the mobile device satisfies one or more criteria for triggering a change in the display orientation, the method comprising:

determining the orientation of the mobile device;

determining a proximity of the orientation of the mobile device relative to satisfying one or more criteria that triggers a change in display orientation of a touchscreen display of the mobile device between portrait and landscape orientations; and

providing a visual status indicator of a degree of change of proximity of the orientation of the mobile device relative to satisfying the one or more criteria that triggers a change in display orientation of a touchscreen display, the visual status indicator comprising a display orientation indicator having a border displayed on the touchscreen display based on

the degree of change of proximity of the orientation of the mobile device relative to satisfying the one or more criteria, and

the orientation of the mobile device being within a predetermined threshold of satisfying the one or more criteria; and

displaying the border of the display orientation indicator as a stronger border of the display orientation indicator while the current orientation of the mobile device is outside of a predetermined threshold of satisfying the one or more criteria that can trigger a change in display orientation; and

displaying the border of the display orientation indicator as a weaker border of the display orientation indicator while the current orientation of the mobile device is within a predetermined threshold of satisfying the one or more criteria that can trigger a change in display orientation between portrait and landscape orientations to notify a user that the orientation of the mobile device is approaching an orientation that will cause a change in display orientation and to provide an opportunity for the user to determine whether to continue a motion to trigger the change in display orientation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a user input on the visual indicator displayed on the touchscreen display; and

locking the display orientation based on detecting the user input.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to providing the visual status indicator, determining that the orientation of the mobile device is within a predetermined threshold of the one or more criteria.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual status indicator comprises any one or more of:

an animation, icon, image and text.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a proximity of the orientation of the mobile device relative to satisfying the one or more criteria for triggering a change in display orientation of the touchscreen display of the mobile device by determining a difference between an angle of a current orientation of the mobile device and a predetermined value of angle of orientation of the mobile device at which is triggered a change in display orientation of the touchscreen display of the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more criteria comprises orientating the mobile device to a specific position relative to a reference direction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more criteria comprises a change in the orientation of the mobile device towards the one or more criteria.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual status indicator further comprising a device orientation indicator displayed on the touchscreen display to indicate the orientation of the mobile device with respect to a fixed frame of reference.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the display orientation indicator is only a border displayed on the touchscreen display.

10. A computer readable storage medium for determining a display orientation of a mobile device, the mobile device configured to change the display orientation when an orientation of the mobile device satisfies one or more criteria for triggering a change in the display orientation, the computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions which, responsive to being executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining the orientation of the mobile device;

determining a proximity of the orientation of the mobile device relative to satisfying one or more criteria that triggers a change in display orientation of a touchscreen display of the mobile device between portrait and landscape orientations; and

providing a visual status indicator of a degree of change of proximity of the orientation of the mobile device relative to satisfying the one or more criteria that triggers a change in display orientation of a touchscreen display, the visual status indicator comprising a display orientation indicator having a border displayed on the touchscreen display based on

the degree of change of proximity of the orientation of the mobile device relative to satisfying the one or more criteria, and

the orientation of the mobile device being within a predetermined threshold of satisfying the one or more criteria; and

displaying the border of the display orientation indicator as a stronger border of the display orientation indicator while the current orientation of the mobile device is outside of a predetermined threshold of satisfying the one or more criteria that can trigger a change in display orientation; and

displaying the border of the display orientation indicator as a weaker border of the display orientation indicator while the current orientation of the mobile device is within a predetermined threshold of satisfying the one or more criteria that can trigger a change in display orientation between portrait and landscape orientations to notify a user that the orientation of the mobile device is approaching an orientation that will cause a change in display orientation and to provide an opportunity for the user to determine whether to continue a motion to trigger the change in display orientation.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10 further comprising computer executable instructions for causing the processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting a user input on the visual indicator displayed on the touchscreen display; and

locking the display orientation based on detecting the user input.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10 further comprising computer executable instructions for causing the processor to perform operations comprising, prior to providing the visual status indicator, determining that the orientation of the mobile device is within a predetermined threshold of the one or more criteria.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the visual status indicator comprises any one or more of:

an animation, icon, image and text.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 10, further comprising computer executable instructions for causing the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining a proximity of the orientation of the mobile device relative to satisfying one or more criteria for triggering a change in display orientation of the touchscreen display of the mobile device by determining a difference between an angle of a current orientation of the mobile device and a predetermined value of angle of orientation of the mobile device at which is triggered a change in display orientation of the touchscreen display of the mobile device.

15. A mobile device comprising a processor and memory, the mobile device configured to change a display orientation when an orientation of the mobile device satisfies one or more criteria for triggering a change in the display orientation, the memory storing computer executable instructions for causing the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining the orientation of the mobile device;

determining a proximity of the orientation of the mobile device relative to satisfying one or more criteria that triggers a change in display orientation of a touchscreen display of the mobile device between portrait and landscape orientations; and

providing a visual status indicator of a degree of change of proximity of the orientation of the mobile device relative to satisfying the one or more criteria that triggers a change in display orientation of a touchscreen display, the visual status indicator comprising a display orientation indicator having a border displayed on the touchscreen display based on

the degree of change of proximity of the orientation of the mobile device relative to satisfying the one or more criteria, and

the orientation of the mobile device being within a predetermined threshold of satisfying the one or more criteria; and

displaying the border of the display orientation indicator as a stronger border of the display orientation indicator while the current orientation of the mobile device is outside of a predetermined threshold of satisfying the one or more criteria that can trigger a change in display orientation; and

displaying the border of the display orientation indicator as a weaker border of the display orientation indicator while the current orientation of the mobile device is within a predetermined threshold of satisfying the one or more criteria that can trigger a change in display orientation between portrait and landscape orientations to notify a user that the orientation of the mobile device is approaching an orientation that will cause a change in display orientation and to provide an opportunity for the user to determine whether to continue a motion to trigger the change in display orientation.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the memory further stores computer executable instructions for causing the processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting a user input on the visual indicator displayed on the touchscreen display; and

locking the display orientation based on detecting the user input.

17. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the memory further stores computer executable instructions for causing the processor to perform operations comprising, prior to providing the visual status indicator, determining that the orientation of the mobile device is within a predetermined threshold relative to satisfying the one or more criteria.

18. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the memory further stores computer executable instructions for causing the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining a proximity of the orientation of the mobile device relative to satisfying one or more criteria for triggering a change in display orientation of the touchscreen display of the mobile device by determining a difference between an angle of a current orientation of the mobile device and a predetermined value of angle of orientation of the mobile device at which is triggered a change in display orientation of the touchscreen display of the mobile device.