SELECTIVE ROTATION OF A USER INTERFACE

• US 20110012926A1
• Filed: 07/17/2009
• Published: 01/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: King, Nick, Kerr, Duncan
• Granted Patent: US 8,817,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/649
• 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 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

This is directed to rotating an entire user interface of a portable electronic device. In particular, this is directed to defining a UI orientation mode in which a user can direct the device to rotate a UI. When the UI orientation mode is enabled, the electronic device can detect particular inputs, for example based on the outputs of motion sensing components such as an accelerometer and a magnetometer, to determine how to rotate the UI. Once the UI has been rotated to a desired orientation, a user can lock the UI orientation and exit the UI orientation mode.

Claims

1. A method for changing the orientation of a displayed user interface, comprising:

enabling a user interface orientation mode;

detecting an input associated with changing the orientation of a user interface when in the user interface orientation mode;

changing the orientation of the user interface in response to the detected input; and

exiting the user interface orientation mode to lock the changed orientation of the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input from an input interface, wherein the input received from the input interface is of a different type than the detected input associated with changing the orientation of the user interface; and

enabling the user interface orientation mode in response to receiving the input from the input interface.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an output of at least one of an accelerometer and a magnetometer; and

changing the orientation of the UI in response to the detected output.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

defining an angle from the detected output of the at least one of an accelerometer and a magnetometer; and

changing the orientation of the UI by the defined angle.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

defining a plurality of available UI orientations; and

changing the orientation of the UI to one of the defined plurality of available UI orientations.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the plurality of UI orientations are offset by 90 degree angles.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the electronic device includes four available UI orientations.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input locking the orientation of the user interface; and

exiting the user interface orientation mode in response to receiving the input.

9. An electronic device comprising a display, an input interface, a sensing component and control circuitry, the control circuitry operative to:

direct the display to display a UI;

direct the input interface to receive an input enabling a UI orientation mode;

receive an output from the sensing component; and

direct the display to change the orientation of the UI based on the received output.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

define a plurality of available orientations for the UI.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein:

the display comprises a plurality of straight edges; and

at least one of the plurality of available orientations of the UI is associated with one of the plurality of straight edges.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

define an angle from the sensor output.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further operative to:

determine a change in orientation of the electronic device from the time UI orientation mode is enabled via the received sensor output; and

define an angle related to the change in orientation of the electronic device.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further operative to:

determine the change in orientation of the electronic device relative to at least one of a magnetic north pole and a magnetic south pole.

15. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further operative to:

determine the change in orientation of the electronic device relative to a gravity vector.

16. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further operative to:

direct the input interface to receive an input locking the orientation of the UI; and

disable the UI orientation mode in response to receiving the input locking the orientation of the UI.

17. A method for changing the orientation of a UI, comprising:

enabling a UI orientation mode;

displaying an overlay depicting available UI orientations;

receiving an input directing the device to change the orientation of the UI;

changing the orientation of the UI to one of the depicted available orientations;

locking the UI in the changed orientation; and

exiting the UI orientation mode.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein displaying an overlay further comprises:

displaying a plurality of distinct segments each identifying a particular UI orientation, wherein the segment associated with the current orientation of the UI is different from the other segments.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein displaying an overly further comprises:

displaying a plurality of segments in a circular pattern.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving an input further comprises at least one of:

receiving a touch input;

detecting a button press; and

receiving an output from a sensor.

21. Computer readable media for changing the orientation of a displayed user interface, comprising computer readable code recorded thereon for:

enabling a user interface orientation mode;

detecting an input associated with changing the orientation of a user interface when in the user interface orientation mode;

changing the orientation of the user interface in response to the detected input; and

exiting the user interface orientation mode to lock the changed orientation of the user interface.

22. The computer-readable media of claim 21, comprising further computer readable code recorded thereon for:

detecting an output of at least one of an accelerometer and a magnetometer; and

changing the orientation of the UI in response to the detected output.