Wireless device with integrated level

• US 20070044334A1
• Filed: 08/24/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leizerovich, Gustavo
• Application Number:
  US11/210,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20070044334A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 33/334
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/00 Measuring inclination, e.g. by clinometers, by levels
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/21 Combinations with auxiliary equipment, e.g. with clocks or memoranda pads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

An integrated level (10) in a wireless device (11) can include a wireless transceiver within a housing (13), a processor (19) coupled to the wireless transceiver, a presentation device such as a display (12) or speaker (17) coupled to the processor, and an accelerometer (18) coupled to the processor where the display can serve to visually simulate the function of a level. The integrated level can further include a reference plane (15) added to the housing for proper level operation. By orienting the housing and the reference plane over a measurement plane (20), a determination of a deviation from a vertical plane or a horizontal plane can become apparent on the display. The display of the integrated level can provide a graphic user interface with a simulated level having a three segmented vertical bubble representation (16) and a three segmented horizontal bubble representation (14).

Claims

1. An integrated level in a wireless device, comprising:

a wireless transceiver within a housing;

a processor coupled to the wireless transceiver;

a presentation device coupled to the processor; and

an accelerometer coupled to the processor, wherein the presentation device serves to simulate the function of a level.

2. The integrated level of claim 1, wherein a reference plane can be added to the housing for proper level operation.

3. The integrated level of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer measures static acceleration in X-Y directions.

4. The integrated level of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer is accurately placed in the housing so that X and Y axes are parallel to a reference plane.

8. The integrated level of claim 1, wherein the presentation device is selected among a display and a audible presentation device.

5. The integrated level of 2, wherein the presentation device comprises a display.

6. The integrated level of claim 5, wherein by orienting the housing and the reference plane over a measurement plane, a determination of a deviation from a vertical plane or a horizontal plane becomes apparent on the display.

7. The integrated level of claim 5, wherein the display provides a graphic user interface with a simulated level having a three segmented vertical bubble representation and a three segmented horizontal bubble representation.

9. A level, comprising:

a wireless communication device within a housing;

a display within the wireless communication device;

a means for measuring a deviation from a reference plane on the housing; and

a graphical user interface on the display for representing the deviation from the reference plane.

10. The level of claim 9, wherein the wireless communication device comprises a wireless transceiver coupled to a processor.

11. The level of claim 10, wherein the means for measuring comprises an accelerometer coupled to the processor, wherein the display serves to visually simulate the function of a level.

12. The level of claim 11, wherein the accelerometer measures static acceleration in X-Y directions.

13. The level of claim 11, wherein the accelerometer is accurately placed in the housing so that X and Y axes are parallel to a reference plane.

14. The level of claim 9, wherein by orienting the housing and the reference plane over a measurement plane, a determination of a deviation from a vertical plane or a horizontal plane becomes apparent on the display.

15. The level of claim 9, wherein the graphic user interface provides a simulated level having a three segmented vertical bubble representation and a three segmented horizontal bubble representation.

16. The level of claim 9, wherein the graphic user interface provides a simulated level having a vertical bubble representation.

17. The level of claim 9, wherein the graphic user interface provides a simulated level having a horizontal bubble representation.

18. A method of simulating a level function on a wireless communication device, comprising the steps of:

forming a reference plane on a housing for the wireless communication device;

measuring a deviation from the reference plane using an accelerometer; and

representing the deviation from the reference plane on a display within the wireless communication device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of representing comprising the step of displaying a representation of the deviation on a graphical user interface in the form of a simulated level.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the display provides a graphic user interface with a simulated level having a three segmented vertical bubble representation and a three segmented horizontal bubble representation.