Physical configuration of a device for interaction mode selection

• US 10,545,900 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2016
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Burns, Aaron Mackay, Giraldi, Riccardo, Klein, Christian, Sylvan, Roger Sebastian Kevin, Hesketh, John Benjamin George, Wade, Scott G
• Primary Examiner(s): Peyton, Tammara R
• Application Number:
  US15/275,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20180089131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4068 Electrical coupling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

In various embodiments, methods and systems are provide for detecting a physical configuration of a device based on sensor data from one or more configuration sensors. The physical configuration includes a position of a first display region of the device with respect to a second display region of the device, where the position is physically adjustable. A configuration profile is selected from a plurality of configuration profiles based on the detected physical configuration of the device. Each configuration profile is a representation of at least one respective physical configuration of the device. An interaction mode corresponding to the selected configuration profile is activated, where the interaction mode includes a set of mode input/output (I/O) features available while the interaction mode is active. Device interfaces of the device are managed using at least some mode I/O features in the set of mode I/O features based on the activating of the interaction mode.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting a physical configuration of a device based on sensor data from one or more configuration sensors, the physical configuration comprising a position of a first display region of the device with respect to a second display region of the device, wherein the position is physically adjustable;

selecting a configuration profile from a plurality of configuration profiles based on the detected physical configuration of the device, each configuration profile being a representation of at least one respective physical configuration of the device;

activating an interaction mode corresponding to the selected configuration profile, the interaction mode comprising a set of mode input/output (I/O) features available while the interaction mode is active; and

managing device interfaces including one or more microphones of the device using at least some mode I/O features in the set of mode I/O features based on the activating of the interaction mode, where such managing causes the one or more microphones to operate differently for a first physical configuration of the device relative to a second physical configuration of the device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first display region is of a first display of the device and the second display region is of a second display of the device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the physical configuration comprises detecting a physical orientation of the device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first display region and the second display region are coupled together by a hinge that is configured to bend to adjust the position.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first display region and the second display region are each part of a bendable display of the device that is configured to bend to adjust the position.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating of the interaction mode activates at least one mode I/O feature in the set of mode I/O features.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising after the managing of the device interfaces, in response to detecting the device is no longer in the physical configuration, disabling at least one mode I/O feature in the set of mode I/O features.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating the interaction mode activates passive listening for speech input on the device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating the interaction mode activates a personal assistant.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the interaction mode is a far field interaction mode and the activating of the interaction mode switches the device from a near field interaction mode to the far field interaction mode.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the device interfaces include two or more microphones, and

wherein the set of I/O features includes, for the first physical configuration of the device, operating the two or more microphones collaboratively, and for the second physical configuration of the device different from the first physical configuration, operating the two or more microphones independently.

11. One or more computer storage media storing computer-useable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

detecting a change of a device from a first physical configuration to a second physical configuration based on sensor data from one or more configuration sensors, the second physical configuration comprising a position of a first display region of the device with respect to a second display region of the device, wherein the position is physically adjustable;

selecting a configuration profile from a plurality of configuration profiles based on the detected second physical configuration of the device, each configuration profile being a representation of at least one respective physical configuration of the device;

switching an active interaction mode from an interaction mode corresponding to the first physical configuration to an interaction mode corresponding to the second physical configuration based on the selected configuration profile, each interaction mode comprising a set of mode input/output (I/O) features available while the interaction mode is active;

managing device interfaces including one or more microphones of the device using at least some mode I/O features in the set of mode I/O features based on the activating of the interaction mode, where such managing causes the one or more microphones to operate differently for the first physical configuration of the device relative to the second physical configuration of the device.

12. The one or more computer storage media of claim 11, wherein the detecting of the change is based on detecting an adjustment of an initial position of the device corresponding to the first physical position to the position of the second physical configuration.

13. The one or more computer storage media of claim 11, wherein the switching of the active interaction mode deactivates each mode I/O feature in the interaction mode corresponding to the first physical configuration based on the mode I/O feature not being included in the interaction mode corresponding to the second physical configuration.

14. The one or more computer storage media of claim 11, wherein the first physical configuration corresponds to a first orientation of the device and the second physical configuration corresponds to a second orientation of the device.

15. The one or more computer storage media of claim 11, wherein the switching of the active interaction mode changes one or more privacy settings of a user agent.

16. The one or more computer storage media of claim 11, wherein the sensor data comprises one or more physical measurements made by the one or more configuration sensors.

17. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer storage media storing computer-useable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

detecting a physical configuration of a device based on sensor data from one or more configuration sensors of the device, the device being bendable to adjust an angle between a first display region of the device and a second display region of the device, the physical configuration comprising the device being bent such that the angle allows the device to be supported by at least one edge of the device on a support surface, the at least one edge extending along the first display region and the second display region;

selecting a configuration profile from a plurality of configuration profiles based on the detected physical configuration of the device, each configuration profile being a representation of at least one respective physical configuration of the device;

activating an interaction mode corresponding to the selected configuration profile, the interaction mode comprising a set of input/output (I/O) mode features available while the interaction mode is active; and

managing device interfaces including one or more microphones of the device using at least some mode I/O features in the set of mode I/O features based on the activating of the interaction mode, where such managing causes the one or more microphones to operate differently for a first physical configuration of the device relative to a second physical configuration of the device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first display region is a first display on a first panel of the device and the second display region is a second display on a second panel of the device.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the device comprises a hinge coupling a first panel of the device to a second panel of the device, the hinge being adjustable to adjust the angle.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the physical configuration comprises an orientation of the device with respect to the support surface.