Portable digital device orientation

• US 20050054392A1
• Filed: 09/04/2003
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Creative Technology Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Creative Technology Ltd.
• Inventors: Lim, Chun, Too, Yew
• Granted Patent: US 7,379,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.100
• 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 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode

Abstract

A portable digital device having at least two control devices for controlling at least two operating functions of the portable digital device; a digital display for displaying information; and a processor. The processor is for rotating the information from a right-handed orientation to a left-handed orientation and vice versa, and remapping the at least two control devices to reverse their operating functions to allow for use of the portable digital device in both the first orientation and the second orientation. Upon remapping skip forward and skip back operating functions are interchanged, increase volume and decrease volume operating functions are interchanged; and menu move to the left and right operating functions are interchanged.

Claims

1. A portable digital device having at least two control devices for controlling at least two operating functions of the portable digital device;

a digital display for displaying information; and

a processor for rotating the information from a first orientation to a second orientation, and remapping the at least two control devices to reverse their operating functions to allow for use of the portable digital device in both the first orientation and the second orientation.

2. A portable digital device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least two operating functions are selected from the group consisting of:

skip forwards, skip back, increase volume, decrease volume, menu display move to the right, and menu display move to the left.

3. A portable digital device as claimed in claim 2, wherein upon remapping the increase volume and decrease volume operating functions are interchanged.

4. A portable digital device as claimed in claim 2, wherein upon remapping the menu display move to the right and menu display move to the left operating functions are interchanged.

5. A portable digital device as claimed in claim 4, wherein upon remapping the increase volume and decrease volume operating functions are interchanged.

6. A portable digital device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotation is 180°

.

7. A portable digital device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first orientation is for right-hand use of the portable digital device;

and the second orientation is for left-hand use of the portable digital device.

8. A portable digital device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the rotation is 180°

,

9. A portable digital device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first orientation is for right-hand use of the portable digital device;

and the second orientation is for left-hand use of the portable digital device.

10. A portable digital device as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is further included a memory containing a key map, a first table corresponding to the first orientation, and a second table corresponding to the second orientation.

11. A portable digital device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information is displayed as a bit map so rotation of the information does not change the information layout on the digital display.

12. A method for reorienting a portable digital device from a first orientation to is a second orientation the method including the steps:

(a) rotating information for display on a digital display of a portable digital device from a first rotation position to a second rotation position; and

(b) remapping at least two operating functions of at least two control devices of the portable digital device from a at least one operating function to at least one other operating function.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the at least two operating functions are selected from the group consisting of skip forwards, skip back, increase volume, decrease volume, menu display move to the left and menu display move to the right.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein upon remapping the increase volume and decrease volume operating functions are interchanged.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein upon remapping the menu display move to the right and menu display move to the left operating functions are interchanged.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein upon remapping the increase volume and decrease volume operating functions are interchanged.

17. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the rotation is 180°

.

18. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first orientation is for right-hand use of the portable digital device;

and the second orientation is for left-hand use of the portable digital device.

19. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the rotation is 180°

.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the first orientation is for right-hand use of the portable digital device;

and the second orientation is for left-hand use of the portable digital device.

21. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein there is further included a memory containing a key map, a first table corresponding to the first orientation, and a second table corresponding to the second orientation.

22. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the information is displayed as a bit map so rotation of the information does not change the information layout on the digital display.