DEVICES AND METHODS FOR INITIATING FUNCTIONS BASED ON MOVEMENT CHARACTERISTICS RELATIVE TO A REFERENCE

• US 20090298533A1
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hede, William S., Forest, Francis W., Alameh, Rachid M., Lemke, Mark R., Witte, Robert S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,295,879 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

Disclosed are devices and methods of an electronic device configured to adaptably process arbitrary conditions to provide a user options for initiating or activating a non-display electronic function of the device. A user is free to determine how to position or orient the device. To determine in real-time, arbitrary conditions of the device, the disclosed devices and methods of an electronic device include determining that the electronic device is at rest and then acquiring a reference in response to determining that the electronic device is at rest. In this way, the device may assume any position or orientation to acquire a reference. Subsequently, subtle movement of the electronic device relative to the acquired reference may be detected to initiate a non-display electronic function of the electronic device. The user therefore may make choices inconspicuously and privately as to which non-display electronic function to initiate.

Claims

1. A method of an electronic device configured to execute non-display electronic functions, the method comprising:

determining that the electronic device is at rest;

acquiring a reference in response to determining that the electronic device is at rest;

detecting movement of the electronic device relative to the reference subsequent to acquiring the reference; and

initiating a non-display electronic function of the electronic device based upon the movement of the electronic device relative to the reference.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein acquiring a reference includes acquiring the reference based on a directional compass.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting movement of the electronic device includes at least one of detecting a movement of the electronic device based on an accelerometer or a rotation of the electronic device based on a directional compass.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference is associated with a north compass direction or a non-compass reference direction.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating a non-display electronic function of the electronic device comprises at least one of executing a mode of the electronic device, executing an application of the electronic device or executing a feature of the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sensing that the electronic device is not at rest; and

disabling the non-display electronic function unless overridden by a predetermined action.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the electronic device is at rest comprises:

sensing an orientation of the device; and

determining that the device has remained in the orientation for a predetermined period of time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the electronic device is at rest includes identifying that the electronic device has remained motionless for a predetermined time period.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a display, and the method further comprises:

displaying, in a circular display arrangement, a plurality of identifiers corresponding to non-display electronic functions having a particular viewing orientation; and

adjusting the circular display arrangement relative to the display in response to detecting movement of the electronic device, and maintaining a selection position relative to the display while changing from identifier to identifier.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a display, and the method further comprises:

displaying, in a circular display arrangement, a plurality of identifiers corresponding to non-display electronic functions having a particular viewing orientation; and

adjusting a selection position relative to the display while changing from identifier to identifier in response to detecting movement of the electronic device, and maintaining the circular display arrangement relative to the display.

11. A method of an electronic device configured to execute non-display electronic functions, the method comprising:

identifying that the electronic device has remained at a first orientation within a two-dimensional plane for a predetermined time period;

detecting movement of the electronic device from the first orientation to a second orientation within the two-dimensional plane; and

initiating a non-display electronic function of the electronic device in response to detecting movement of the electronic device from the first orientation to a second orientation.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting movement of the electronic device from the first orientation to the second orientation within the two-dimensional plane is based on at least one of an accelerometer or a directional compass.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

sensing that the electronic device is not at rest; and

disabling the non-display electronic function unless overridden by a predetermined action.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic device comprises a display, and the method further comprises:

displaying, in a circular display arrangement, a plurality of identifiers corresponding to non-display electronic functions having a particular viewing orientation; and

adjusting the circular display arrangement relative to the display in response to detecting movement of the electronic device relative to the reference, and maintaining a selection position relative to the display while changing from identifier to identifier.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic device comprises a display, and the method further comprises:

displaying, in a circular display arrangement, a plurality of identifiers corresponding to non-display electronic functions having a particular viewing orientation; and

adjusting a selection position relative to the display while changing from identifier to identifier in response to detecting movement of the electronic device, and maintaining the circular display arrangement relative to the display.

16. An electronic device that is capable of assuming a particular orientation and configured to execute non-display electronic functions, the electronic device comprising:

a controller configured to process sensor signals and to execute electronic functions; and

at least one motion sensor configured to provide a motion signal to the controller indicating that the electronic device is at rest, a reference signal to the controller indicating a reference when the electronic device is at rest, and a movement signal to the controller indicating movement of the electronic device subsequent to providing the reference signal,

wherein the controller initiates a non-display electronic function of the electronic device based upon the movement characteristic of the electronic device relative to the reference.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the at least one motion sensor includes a compass configured to provide a reference signal to the controller.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the at least one motion sensor includes at least one of an accelerometer or a compass configured to provide a movement signal to the controller.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the reference is associated with a north compass direction or a non-compass reference direction.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the non-display electronic function of the electronic device comprises at least one of a mode of the electronic device, an application of the electronic device or a feature of the electronic device.

21. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

a display configured to display, in a particular display arrangement, a plurality of identifiers corresponding to non-display electronic functions, the particular display arrangement being configured to adjust on the display in response to the controller receiving the movement signal, and a selection position being maintained relative the display while changing from identifier to identifier.

22. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

a display configured to display, in a particular display arrangement, a plurality of identifiers corresponding to non-display electronic functions, a selection position being configured to adjust on the display while changing from identifier to identifier in response to the controller receiving the movement signal, and the particular display arrangement being maintained relative to the display.