HANDHELD ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH MOTION-CONTROLLED DISPLAY

• US 20090066637A1
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations Incorporated (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: MC CALL, CLARK E.
• Application Number:
  US11/853,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20090066637A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• 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

Abstract

A handheld electronic device includes a display, a memory configured to store a map, and a motion sensor configured to monitor the movement of the handheld electronic device. A controller is coupled to the display, the memory, and the motion sensor. The controller is configured to generate an image on the display representative of a portion of the map, the image having a field of view (FOV). The controller is also configured to adjust the FOV of the image based upon the movement of the handheld electronic device as detected by the motion sensor.

Claims

1. A handheld electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a memory configured to store a map;

a motion sensor configured to monitor the movement of the handheld electronic device; and

a controller coupled to the display, the memory, and the motion sensor, the controller configured to;

generate an image on the display representative of a portion of the map, the image having a field of view (FOV); and

adjust the FOV of the image based upon the movement of the handheld electronic device as detected by the motion sensor.

2. A handheld electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the motion sensor comprises an accelerometer.

3. A handheld electronic device according to claim 2 wherein the accelerometer is a solid state accelerometer.

4. A handheld electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the motion sensor comprises a gyroscope.

5. A handheld electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the motion sensor is configured to monitor the movement of the handheld electronic device within a first plane.

6. A handheld electronic device according to claim 5 wherein the controller is configured to scroll the FOV based upon the movement of the handheld electronic device within the first plane.

7. A handheld electronic device according to claim 6 wherein the controller is configured to scroll the FOV in substantially the same direction as the handheld electronic device is moved.

8. A handheld electronic device according to claim 6 wherein the motion sensor is further configured to monitor the movement of the handheld electronic device along an axis substantially perpendicular to the first plane.

9. A handheld electronic device according to claim 8 wherein the controller is configured to adjust the scale of the FOV based upon the movement of the handheld electronic device along the axis.

10. A handheld electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the motion sensor is configured to detect the rotational movement of the handheld electronic device.

11. A handheld electronic device according to claim 1 further comprising a user input, the processor coupled to the user input and configured to adjust the FOV of the handheld electronic device only when the user input is activated.

12. A handheld electronic device according to claim 1 further comprising a user input, the processor coupled to the user input and configured to adjust the FOV of the handheld electronic device only when the user input is deactivated.

13. A handheld electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a memory configured to store a map;

a motion sensor configured to monitor the movement of the handheld electronic device with respect to a first axis and a second axis; and

a controller coupled to the display, the memory, and the motion sensor, the controller configured to;

generate a first portion of the map on the display;

transition to a second portion of the map on the display when the motion sensor detects movement of the handheld electronic relative to the first axis; and

transition to a third portion of the map on the display when the motion sensor detects movement of the handheld electronic relative to the second axis.

14. A handheld electronic device according to claim 13 wherein the first axis is a longitudinal axis of the handheld electronic device and the second axis is a first transverse axis of the handheld electronic device.

15. A handheld electronic device according to claim 14 wherein the motion sensor is configured to detect movement of the handheld electronic device along the longitudinal axis and the first transverse axis.

16. A handheld electronic device according to claim 15 wherein the motion sensor is further configured to detect movement of the handheld electronic device along a second transverse axis of the handheld electronic device.

17. A handheld electronic device according to claim 14 wherein the motion sensor is configured to detect rotational movement of the handheld electronic device about the longitudinal axis and the first transverse axis.

18. A keyfob, comprising:

a display;

a memory configured to store a map;

an accelerometer configured to monitor the movement of the keyfob; and

a controller coupled to the display, the memory, and the accelerometer, the controller configured to;

generate an image on the display representative a portion of the map, the image having a field of view (FOV);

scroll the FOV of the image based upon a first type of keyfob movement detected by the accelerometer.

19. A keyfob according to claim 18 wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the scale of the FOV of the image based upon a second type of keyfob movement detected by the accelerometer.

20. A keyfob according to claim 18 wherein the first type of keyfob movement comprises rotational movement about the longitudinal axis of the keyfob.