Method and system for controlling display direction of content

• US 10,482,578 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced New Technologies Company Limited (Ant Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Inventors: Lu, Yaran
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Yi
• Application Number:
  US14/928,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20160132130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 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 3/0346 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/60 Rotation of whole images or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored

Abstract

One embodiment provides a system that facilitates control of the display direction of content on a device. During operation, the system receives, by a client computing device, a first command to lock a state of a display for the device. The system sets a current display state to a locked state. In response to receiving a second command to terminate the first command, the system sets the current display state to a state that is the display state prior to receiving the first command. The system detects a change in a position of the device. In response to determining that the current display state is an unlocked state, the system changes a display direction for content displayed on the device. In response to determining that the current display state is the locked state, the system refrains from changing the display direction for content displayed on the device.

Claims

1. A computer system for controlling display direction of content on a device, the computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform a method, the method comprising;

configuring, by a user of a client computing device, an expiration determining, by the client computing device, a current display state for the device;

detecting an object initiating a first contact with touch screen of the device at a single location on the touch screen, wherein the touch screen comprises an entire display area of the device;

starting a timer for the user-configured expiration time;

in response to determining that the current display state is a locked setting the current display state to an unlocked state;

allowing a display direction for content displayed on the device to change upon detecting a change in a position of the device prior to detecting an expiration of the timer; and

in response to detecting the expiration of the timer;

refraining from changing the display direction for the content displayed on the device upon detecting device position changes; and

setting the current display state to the locked state; and

in response to determining that the current display state is the unlocked state;

setting the current display state to the locked state;

refraining from changing the display direction for the content displayed on the device upon detecting device position changes prior to detecting the expiration of the timer; and

in response to detecting the expiration of the timer;

allowing the display direction to change with device position changes; and

setting the current display state to the unlocked state.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting, by the client computing device, an object initiating and maintaining a second contact with a touch screen;

in response to determining that the current display state is the locked state;

setting the current display state to the unlocked state while the object maintains the second contact;

allowing the display direction to change with device position changes while the object maintains the second contact; and

in response to the second contact being terminated;

refraining from changing the display direction for the content displayed on the device upon detecting device position changes; and

setting the current display state to the locked state; and

in response to determining that the current display state is the unlocked state;

setting the current display state to the locked state while the object maintains the second contact;

refraining from changing the display direction for the content displayed on the device upon detecting device position changes while the object maintains the second contact; and

in response to the second contact being terminated;

allowing the display direction to change with device position changes; and

setting the current display state to the unlocked state.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the object initiating the first contact or the second contact comprises one or more of:

one or more fingers of a user of the device; and

any object comprised of a material recognizable by the touch screen.

4. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the first contact or the second contact is detected with an area of the touch screen which comprises a locking indicator or an icon that indicates a locking function.

5. The computer system of claim 2, further comprising:

in response to determining that the current display state is an unlocked state, changing the display direction for content displayed on the device upon detecting a change in the position of the device.

6. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the expiration time is a default period of time set by the device or a manually configured period of time set by the user.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the device has a length not equal to a width, and wherein a vertical position of the device corresponds to a shorter side placed parallel to the ground and a horizontal position of the device corresponds to a longer side placed parallel to the ground.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein detecting a change in the position of the device further comprises:

detecting a change from the horizontal position to the vertical position or from the vertical position to the horizontal position.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the device has a length not equal to a width, wherein a vertical display direction for the content corresponds to content displayed from a top to a bottom of the device along a longer side with a shorter side placed parallel to the ground, and wherein a horizontal display direction for the content corresponds to content displayed from the top to the bottom of the device along the shorter side with the longer side placed parallel to the ground.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein changing a display direction for content displayed on the device further comprises:

changing the display direction from the horizontal display direction to the vertical display direction or from the vertical display direction to the horizontal display direction.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein a vertical position of the device corresponds to a shorter side placed parallel to the ground and a horizontal position of the device corresponds to a longer side placed parallel to the ground, and

wherein when the device is in the horizontal device position and the horizontal display direction, the display includes a portion of the screen which is visible only when the device is in the horizontal device position, and which is not visible when the device is in the vertical device position.

12. The computer system of claim 9, wherein a vertical position of the device corresponds to a shorter side placed parallel to the ground and a horizontal position of the device corresponds to a longer side placed parallel to the ground, and

wherein when the device is in the horizontal device position and the horizontal display direction, the display includes a portion of the screen which is cut off as compared to when the device is in the vertical device position and the vertical display direction.

13. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by the client computing device, a voice command;

wherein starting the timer for the user-configured expiration time is in response to receiving the voice command.

14. A computer-implemented method for controlling display direction of content on a device, the method comprising:

configuring, by a user of a client computing device, an expiration determining, by the client computing device, a current display state for the device;

detecting an object initiating a first contact with touch screen of the device at a single location on the touch screen, wherein the touch screen comprises an entire display area of the device;

starting a timer for the user-configured expiration time;

in response to determining that the current display state is a locked setting the current display state to an unlocked state;

allowing a display direction for content displayed on the device to change upon detecting a change in a position of the device prior to detecting an expiration of the timer; and

in response to detecting the expiration of the timer;

refraining from changing the display direction for the content displayed on the device upon detecting device position changes; and

setting the current display state to the locked state; and

in response to determining that the current display state is the unlocked state;

setting the current display state to the locked state;

refraining from changing the display direction for the content displayed on the device upon detecting device position changes prior to detecting the expiration of the timer; and

in response to detecting the expiration of the timer;

allowing the display direction to change with device position changes; and

setting the current display state to the unlocked state.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

detecting, by the client computing device, an object initiating and maintaining a second contact with a touch screen;

in response to determining that the current display state is the locked state;

setting the current display state to the unlocked state while the object maintains the second contact;

allowing the display direction to change with device position changes while the object maintains the second contact; and

in response to the second contact being terminated;

refraining from changing the display direction for the content displayed on the device upon detecting device position changes; and

setting the current display state to the locked state; and

in response to determining that the current display state is the unlocked state;

setting the current display state to the locked state while the object maintains the second contact;

refraining from changing the display direction for the content displayed on the device upon detecting device position changes while the object maintains the second contact; and

in response to the second contact being terminated;

allowing the display direction to change with device position changes; and

setting the current display state to the unlocked state.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the object initiating the first contact or the second contact comprises one or more of:

one or more fingers of a user of the device; and

any object comprised of a material recognizable by the touch screen.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first contact or the second contact is detected with an area of the touch screen which comprises a locking indicator or an icon that indicates a locking function.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

in response to determining that the current display state is an unlocked state, changing the display direction for content displayed on the device upon detecting a change in the position of the device.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the device has a length not equal to a width, and wherein a vertical position of the device corresponds to a shorter side placed parallel to the ground and a horizontal position of the device corresponds to a longer side placed parallel to the ground.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein detecting a change in the position of the device further comprises:

detecting a change from the horizontal position to the vertical position or from the vertical position to the horizontal position.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the device has a length not equal to a width, wherein a vertical display direction for the content corresponds to content displayed from a top to a bottom of the device along a longer side with a shorter side placed parallel to the ground, and wherein a horizontal display direction for the content corresponds to content displayed from the top to the bottom of the device along the shorter side with the longer side placed parallel to the ground.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein changing a display direction for content displayed on the device further comprises:

changing the display direction from the horizontal display direction to the vertical display direction or from the vertical display direction to the horizontal display direction.