Spatially articulable interface and associated method of controlling an application framework

• US 20070174416A1
• Filed: 01/20/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Williams, Clayton, Waters, Keith, Lassey, Bradford, Zakielarz, Phillip
• Application Number:
  US11/335,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20070174416A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• 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 1/1694 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 2200/1637 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A mobile device is provided for imparting spatially articulable control to an application program. The device includes a display for presenting the GUI. A spatial detection unit is configured to detect spatial movement of the mobile device and provides an output responsive to the detected spatial movement. A data processor is configured to provide a platform for executable code, and, monitors and provides the output to a communication channel. Executable code executes on the platform of the data processor. The executable code includes, an interpreter library which is operably linked to the communication channel and is configured to implement communication with the data processor to receive the output. The interpreter generates events relative to the interpreter library. A plug-in has an interface cooperatively linked to the interpreter library to receive corresponding generated events. The generated events are provided to a script interface of the plug in. A browsing program is cooperatively linked to the plug-in and configured to receive the generated events therefrom. In this way, the script interface supports a scripting environment such that the browsing program is controlled on the display in response to the spatial movement of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of imparting control to an application program of a mobile device, comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) of the application program to a display of the mobile device;

determining the occurrence of a defined spatial movement of the mobile device;

generating a corresponding control signal in response to the occurrence;

providing the control signal to a plug-in program of the application program; and

presenting the control signal of the plug-in to the application program; and

executing a script operating in a scripting environment supported by the application program, to impart control thereto in accordance with the spatial movement of the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, the control signal is provided by a plug-in executable interfacing the application program.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining is implemented with a state machine of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

thereafter, monitoring further movement of the mobile device and judging when the hand held mobile device movement is in a substantially steady state; and

thereafter, in response to the judging of a steady state, repeating the steps of determining, generating and providing with respect to a different defined movement.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining includes filtering noise and DC components from an accelerometer output within the device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating produces control signals via a plug-in application, the control signals being processed through a scripting environment of a web browsing application program.

7. A mobile device, comprising:

a display configured to present a graphical user interface (GUI);

a spatial detection unit configured to detect spatial movement of the mobile device and providing an output responsive thereto;

a data processor configured to provide a software platform and configured to monitor and provide the output to a communication channel;

executable code operative to execute on the platform, including,

an interpreter library operably linked to the communication channel and configured to implement communication with the data processor to receive the output, the interpreter generating events relative to the interpreter library,

a plug-in having an interface cooperatively linked to the interpreter library to receive corresponding generated events, the generated events being provided to a script interface,

a browsing program configured to present the GUI and cooperatively link the plug-in to receive the generated events therefrom,

wherein the script interface supports a script environment such that the browsing program is controlled in response to the spatial movement of the mobile device.

8. The mobile device of claim 7, further comprising:

a memory configured to store data points of the output.

9. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein the spatial detection unit further comprises:

a state machine configured to determine spatial movement by comparison to a previous movement determination.

10. A system of imparting control to an application program, comprising:

a hand held device having,

a spatial detection unit configured to detect spatial movement of the hand held device and providing an output responsive thereto

a data processor configured to monitor and provide the output to a communication channel;

A host device, having,

a display configured to present a graphical user interface (GUI) executable code operative to execute on a platform of the host device, including,

an interpreter library operably linked to the communication channel and configured to implement communication with the data processor to receive the output, the interpreter generating events relative to the interpreter library,

a plug-in having an interface cooperatively linked to the interpreter library to receive corresponding generated events, the generated events being provided to a script interface,

a browsing program for presenting the GUI and cooperatively linking the plug-in to receive the generated events therefrom,

wherein the script interface supports a scripting environment such that the browsing program is controlled in response to the spatial movement of the hand held device.

11. A computer readable carrier including computer program instructions that cause a computer to implement a method of controlling an application program in response to spatial movement of the computer, the method comprising:

displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) of the application program to a display of the mobile device;

determining the occurrence of a defined spatial movement of the mobile device;

generating a corresponding control signal in response to the occurrence;

providing the control signal to a plug-in program of the application program; and

presenting the control signal of the plug-in to the application program; and

executing a script of a scripting environment supported by the application program to impart control thereto in accordance with the spatial movement of the mobile device.