MOBILE DEVICE WITH AN INCLINOMETER

• US 20100060664A1
• Filed: 09/03/2009
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: KILPATRICK, THOMAS E. II, Dahl, Sten Jorgen Ludvig, Lundqvist, Patrik N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,860,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/650
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1649 the additional display being independently orientable, e.g. for presenting information to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• 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 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 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1635 Stackable modules

Abstract

A method is disclosed that includes detecting a change in an inclination at a panel of an electronic device. The panel has a display surface. The method also includes detecting a rotation of the panel from a first orientation to a second orientation. The method also includes automatically redrawing an image displayed at the display surface responsive to the rotation when the change in the inclination of the panel does not exceed a threshold during the rotation.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a first panel having a first display surface;

a second panel having a second display surface;

a third panel having a third display surface, wherein the first panel is rotatably coupled to a first edge of the second panel and wherein the third panel is rotatably coupled to a second edge of the second panel;

an inclinometer located at the second panel and configured to detect a change in an inclination of the second panel;

an accelerometer offset from a center of the second panel to detect a rotation of the second panel from a landscape orientation to a portrait orientation; and

a processor configured to execute at least one software application having a graphical user interface, the processor responsive to the inclinometer and responsive to the accelerometer to redraw an image displayed at the first display surface, the second display surface, the third display surface, or any combination thereof, from a landscape-type display of the image to a portrait-type display of the image when the first panel, the second panel, and the third panel are in at least one predetermined folding configuration and the change in the inclination of the second panel does not exceed a threshold during the rotation of the second panel.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the image comprises an image of a keyboard.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the rotation comprises an in-plane rotation less than a quarter-turn.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to redraw the image, such that the image maintains a substantially stationary orientation from a perspective of a viewer of the display during the rotation.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to initiate an action at the electronic device responsive to the inclinometer and the accelerometer when the first panel, the second panel, and the third panel are in at least one predetermined folding configuration and the change in the inclination of the second panel does not exceed a threshold during the rotation of the second panel.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the action at the electronic device comprises triggering one or more vibration actuators of the electronic device.

7. A method comprising:

detecting a change in an inclination at a panel of an electronic device, the panel having a display surface;

detecting a rotation of the panel from a first orientation to a second orientation; and

automatically redrawing an image displayed at the display surface responsive to the rotation when the change in the inclination of the panel does not exceed a threshold during the rotation.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first orientation is a landscape orientation and the second orientation is a portrait orientation.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the panel is a second panel of the electronic device, the display surface is a second display surface of the second panel, the second panel is rotatably coupled to a first panel along a first hinged edge of the second panel, the first panel has a first display surface, a third panel is rotatably coupled to the second panel along a second hinged edge of the second panel, and the third panel has a third display surface.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein automatically redrawing the image further comprises redrawing the image displayed at the first display surface, the second display surface, the third display surface, or any combination thereof, from a landscape-type display of the image to a portrait-type display of the image when the first panel, the second panel, and the third panel are in at least one predetermined folding configuration.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein detecting the change in inclination at the panel of the electronic device further comprises detecting a change in an orientation caused by a rotation about of the display surface about an axis within a plane of the display surface.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the threshold comprises an angle in a range between 5 degrees and 30 degrees.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the angle is about 15 degrees.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the threshold comprises an angle in a range between negative 5 (−

5) degrees and negative 30 (−

30) degrees.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the angle is about negative 15 (−

15) degrees.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein the display surface maintains a substantially vertical orientation during the rotation.

17. The method of claim 7, wherein the display surface maintains a substantially horizontal orientation during the rotation.

18. An apparatus comprising:

means for detecting a change in an inclination at a panel of an electronic device, the panel having a display surface;

means for detecting a rotation of the panel from a landscape orientation to a portrait orientation; and

means for automatically redrawing an image displayed at the display surface responsive to the detected rotation when the change in the inclination of the panel does not exceed a threshold during the rotation.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising means for initiating an action at the electronic device responsive the rotation when the change in the inclination of the panel does not exceed the threshold during the rotation.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the means for initiating the specific process comprises means for triggering one or more vibration actuators of the electronic device.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein:

the panel is a second panel of the electronic device, the display surface is a second display surface, the second panel is rotatably coupled to a first panel along a first hinged edge of the second panel, the first panel has a first display surface, a third panel is rotatably coupled to the second panel along a second hinged edge of the second panel, and the third panel has a third display surface; and

the means for automatically redrawing the image further comprises means for redrawing the image displayed at the first display surface, the second display surface, the third display surface, or any combination thereof, from a landscape-type display of the image to a portrait-type display of the image when the first panel, the second panel, and the third panel are in at least one predetermined folding configuration.

22. A computer readable medium storing computer executable code comprising:

code for detecting a change in an inclination at a panel of an electronic device, the panel having a display surface;

code for detecting a rotation of the panel from a landscape orientation to a portrait orientation; and

code for automatically redrawing an image displayed at the display surface responsive to the detected rotation when the change in the inclination of the panel does not exceed a threshold during the rotation.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the code for detecting the change in inclination further comprises code for detecting a change in an orientation caused by a rotation about of the display surface about an axis within a plane of the display surface.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 22, further comprising code for initiating an action at the electronic device responsive to the rotation when the change in the inclination of the panel does not exceed the threshold during the rotation.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the code for initiating the action further comprises code for triggering one or more vibration actuators of the electronic device.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the display surface maintains a substantially horizontal orientation during the rotation.