Electrical Device with a Selected Orientation for Operation

• US 20080228432A1
• Filed: 03/14/2007
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computime Electronics Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Computime Electronics Company Limited
• Inventors: Ha, Wai-leung, Lei, Kairy Kai
• Granted Patent: US 7,999,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/150
• 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 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• 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: G09G 3/18 using liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 29/20 operated by tilting contact-liquid container
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 35/025 the switch being discriminative in different directions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/919 Adjustably orientable video screen support
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 248/923 Tilting

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and apparatuses for configuring an electrical device to a selected orientation. Direction information that is indicative of the orientation of the electrical device is provided by a directional detection switch. A processor selects a selected orientation from a plurality of permitted orientations by processing the direction information and instructs a display unit to operate in the selected orientation. Different adjacent contacts of a directional detection switch are activated corresponding to different orientation of the electrical device. A conductive ball may be positioned by gravity and consequently conducts an electrical current between two corresponding adjacent contacts based on the orientation of the electrical device. A display unit of an electrical device may include an output component or an input component that is configured based on the orientation of the electrical device.

Claims

1. An electrical device, comprising:

a direction sensing module providing direction information that is indicative of a device orientation of the electrical device, the device orientation being one of a plurality of permitted orientations;

a display unit configurable for a selected orientation; and

a processor obtaining the direction information from the directional detection switch, selecting the selected orientation from the plurality of permitted orientations, and instructing the display unit to operate in the selected orientation.

2. The electrical device of claim 1, the direction sensing module comprising a hall sensing device.

3. The electrical device of claim 1, the direction sensing module comprising a light sensing device.

4. The electrical device of claim 1, the direction sensing module comprising an acceleration sensor.

5. The electrical device of claim 1, the direction sensing module comprising a directional detection switch.

6. The electrical device of claim 5, the directional detection switch comprising a plurality of electrical contacts, the directional information being indicative of activated contacts.

7. The electrical device of claim 6, the directional detection switch activating two adjacent contacts from the plurality of electrical contacts.

8. The electrical device of claim 7, the directional detection switch further comprising a conductive component conducting an electrical current through the two adjacent contacts based on the device orientation.

9. The electrical device of claim 8, the conductive component comprising a conductive ball.

10. The electrical device of claim 9, the conductive ball being positioned by gravity.

11. The electrical device of claim 8, the conductive component comprising a conductive liquid.

12. The electrical device of claim 5, the directional detection switch being able to discern an up direction, a down direction, a right direction, and a left direction.

13. The electrical device of claim 5, the display unit having an output component and configuring an operation for the selected orientation.

14. The electrical device of claim 5, the display unit having an input component and configuring an operation for the selected orientation.

15. The electrical device of claim 5, the display unit comprising a liquid crystal display (LCD) module and the processor configuring the LCD module in accordance with the selected orientation.

16. The electrical device of claim 14, the input component comprising a touch screen for obtaining a user input, the touch screen being configured in accordance with the selected orientation.

17. A method for configuring an electrical device, comprising:

(a) providing direction information that is indicative of a device orientation of the electrical device;

(b) selecting a selected orientation from a plurality of permitted orientations; and

(c) configuring a display unit of the electrical device to operate in the selected orientation.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

(d) activating two adjacent contacts from a plurality of electrical contacts, the direction information being indicative of an identification of the two adjacent contacts.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

(d) obtaining the direction information from a user input device.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

(e) positioning a conductive component, the conductive component conducting an electrical current through the two adjacent contacts based on the device orientation.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

(d) discerning an up direction, a down direction, a right direction, and a left direction; and

(e) generating the direction information to include the discerned direction.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

(d) configuring an output component of the display unit based on the selected orientation.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

(d) configuring an input component of the display unit based on the selected orientation.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

(d) changing the selected orientation based on modified direction information.

25. The method of claim 17, (b) comprising:

(b)(i) applying a high signal on a first scan lead and a low signal on a second scan lead;

(b)(ii) detecting a first initial state on a first scan detect lead and a second initial state on a second scan detect lead;

(b)(iii) applying the low signal on the first scan lead and the high signal on the second scan lead;

(b)(iv) detecting a first subsequent state on the first scan detect lead and a second subsequent state on the second scan detect lead; and

(b)(v) including state information in the direction information, the state information being indicative of the first initial state, the second initial state, the first subsequent state, and the second subsequent state.

26. A control device, comprising:

a directional detection switch providing direction information that is indicative of a device orientation of the control device;

a display unit being configurable for a selected orientation, receiving an input command, and outputting status information of the control device; and

a processor obtaining the direction information from the direction detection switch, selecting the selected orientation, and instructing the display unit to operate in the selected orientation, the selected orientation being selected from the group consisting of an up direction, a down direction, a right direction, and a left direction.

27. The control device of claim 26, the display unit having a plurality of display segments that are symmetrically arranged to be configurable in a plurality of orientations.