ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD FOR SELECTING FUNCTIONS BASED ON ORIENTATIONS

• US 20090303177A1
• Filed: 04/17/2009
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: WANG, HAN-CHE, LIN, BO-CHING, CHOU, CHENG-HAO, KUNG, TE-YUAN, TSAI, MING-FENG, LAN, CHUNG-JEN
• Application Number:
  US12/425,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20090303177A1
• 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 1/1684 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: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides an electronic device and a method for selecting functions based on orientations of the electronic device. The method includes: a) storing relationships between orientations and functions; b) fetching inductive signals based on the orientation of the electronic device; c) recognizing the current orientation according to the fetched signals; and d) if the orientation is altered, selecting a function corresponding to the altered orientation and displaying a corresponding interface.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a storage unit configured for storing relationships between orientations and functions;

a display unit configured for displaying a function interface;

an induction unit configured for generating inductive signals; and

a central processing unit configured for fetching the inductive signals from the induction unit, recognizing a current orientation according to the fetched signals, and if the current orientation is altered, selecting a function corresponding to the altered orientation from the storage unit and controlling the display unit to display the corresponding interface.

2. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the induction unit is a pressure inductor, or a directional inductor.

3. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein if the current orientation is not altered, the central processing unit controls the display unit to maintain displaying, or begin displaying if at start-up, the interface associated with the current function.

4. The electronic device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a timer for measuring time when the current orientation is altered.

5. The electronic device as recited in claim 4, wherein when the orientation is altered, the central processing unit further judges whether an elapsed time of the timer reaches a predetermined time period before the orientation is altered again.

6. The electronic device as recited in claim 5, wherein if the elapsed time reaches the predetermined time period before the orientation is altered again, the central processing unit selects the function corresponding to the altered orientation from the storage unit and controls the display unit to display the corresponding interface.

7. The electronic device as recited in claim 5, wherein if the elapsed time does not reach the predetermined time period before the orientation is altered again, the timer starts measuring time again without selecting a function.

8. A method for selecting a function of an electronic device, comprising

storing relationships between orientations and functions;

fetching inductive signals based on the orientation of the electronic device;

recognizing the current orientation according to the fetched signals; and

if the orientation is altered, selecting a function corresponding to the altered orientation and displaying a corresponding interface.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

if the orientation is not altered, maintaining displaying, or beginning displaying if at start-up, an interface associated with the current function.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

starting measuring time, when the orientation is altered.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

judging whether an elapsed time reaches a predetermined time period before the orientation is altered again.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

when the elapsed time reaches the predetermined time period before the orientation is altered again, selecting a function corresponding to the altered orientation and displaying a corresponding interface, and stopping measuring time.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

if the elapsed time does not reach the predetermined time period before the orientation is altered again, starting measuring time again without selecting a function.