ELECTRONIC LEVEL APPLICATION FOR PORTABLE COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20090017880A1
• Filed: 07/13/2007
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Moore, Joseph Kyle, Hayes, Gerard James
• Application Number:
  US11/777,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20090017880A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/06 Electric or photoelectric indication or reading means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera

Abstract

A portable communication device is equipped with a level application to provide the device with a level sensing functionality. The level application and level sensing functionality is based on data related to the orientation and/or motion of the device. The level application and level sensing functionality allow the position of the communication device in multidimensional space to be ascertained relative to a reference plane, which allows a user to utilize the communication device as a level.

Claims

1. A portable communication device comprising:

a housing;

a display device;

an orientation sensor;

at least one first functionality that is operable in response to an output of the orientation sensor; and

a second functionality that provides the communication device with a level functionality, the level functionality being operable by a level application that comprises processing data produced by the orientation sensor into level output data representative of the spatial orientation of the electronic device relative to a reference plane, the level output data being converted to a display form and displayed on the display device.

2. The portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the orientation sensor comprises at least one motion sensor.

3. The portable communication device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one motion sensor detects acceleration, velocity, direction, directional change, rotation, or combinations of two or more thereof.

4. The portable communication device according to claim 2, wherein the orientation sensor comprises at least one accelerometer.

5. The portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the level output data is displayed as a numeric value.

6. The portable communication device according to claim 5, wherein a numeric value of zero corresponds to the electronic device being oriented in a substantially level position relative to the reference plane.

7. The portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the level output data is processed and displayed as a virtual image that represents the orientation of the electronic device relative to the reference plane.

8. The portable communication device according to claim 7, wherein the virtual image has the appearance of a bubble level.

9. The electronic communication according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises opposing sides, and at least a portion of one side of the housing utilized in conjunction with the level functionality exhibits a substantially straight edge.

10. The portable communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a camera and/or video application.

11. The portable communication device according to claim 10, wherein the display device displays both (i) an object viewed with the camera and/or video application, and (ii) the display form relating to the spatial orientation of the electronic device relative to the reference plane.

12. The portable communication device according to claim 11, further comprising a reference template displayed on the display device, wherein the reference template appears in a portion of the display area in which an image obtained from the camera and/or video function is displayed.

13. The portable communication device according to claim 12, wherein the reference template comprises a virtual image.

14. The portable communication device according to claim 12, wherein the reference template comprises a horizontal line, a vertical line, or combinations thereof.

15. The portable communication device according to claim 12, wherein the reference template is a crosshair.

16. The portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the data produced by the orientation sensor is obtained during a low duty cycle.

17. The portable communication device according to claim 1, wherein the low duty cycle is a duty cycle of about 5 Hz or less.

18. A method of providing a portable communication device with level sensing functionality, the method comprising:

providing a portable communication device with an orientation sensor and at least two functionalities operable in response to output data from the orientation sensor, at least one of the functionalities being a level sensing functionality;

obtaining data from the orientation sensor;

comparing the data from the orientation sensor to level reference data for that device;

transforming the data obtained from the orientation sensor into level output data that is related to the position of the communication device in multidimensional space relative to a reference plane; and

displaying the data in a form suitable to express the position of the communication device in multidimensional space relative to a reference plane.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the orientation sensor comprises at least one motion sensor.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein the orientation sensor comprises at least one accelerometer.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the data from the orientation sensor is obtained during a low duty cycle.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the low duty cycle is a duty cycle of about 5 Hz or less.

23. The method according to claim 18, wherein the level output data is displayed as a numeric value.

24. The method according to claim 18, wherein the level output data is displayed as a graphic image.