ENVIRONMENT SENSITIVE DISPLAY TAGS

• US 20110109538A1
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: King, Nicholas, Kerr, Duncan, Victor, B. Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,847,878 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/046 Dealing with screen burn-in prevention or compensation of the effects thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/00 Specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/36 characterised by the display of a graphic pattern, e.g. using an all-points-addressable [APA] memory

Abstract

This is directed to dynamic tags or screen savers for display on an electronic device. The tags can include several dynamic elements that move across the display. The particular characteristics of the elements can be controlled in part by the output of one or more sensors detecting the environment of the device. For example, the color scheme used for a tag can be selected based on the colors of an image captured by a camera, and the orientation of the movement can be selected from the output of a motion sensing component. The tag can adjust automatically based on the sensor outputs to provide an aesthetically pleasing display that a user can use as an fashion accessory.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a dynamic tag, comprising:

displaying a tag in full screen on a device display, wherein the tag comprises at least two layers moving relative to one another on the display;

retrieving a sensor output characterizing an environment of the device;

identifying a relation between the retrieved sensor output and characteristics of the movement of each of the at least two layers; and

adjusting the movement of each of the at least two layers in response to identifying.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying at least one characteristic of the movement of each of the at least two layers; and

determining the manner in which the at least one characteristic varies with the sensor output.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

retrieving an association of sensor outputs with corresponding characteristic values.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a:

camera;

microphone;

thermometer;

hygrometer;

accelerometer;

gyroscope;

positioning circuitry;

physiological sensing component;

proximity sensor;

IR sensor; and

magnetometer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the movement comprise at least one of:

the number of elements in each layer that are moving;

the direction of the movement;

the speed of the movement; and

variations in speed of the movement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each of the at least two layers comprises at least one element moving as part of the layer; and

the method further comprises;

identifying a relation between the retrieved sensor output and number of elements in one of the at least two layers; and

;

changing the number of elements in the one of the at least two layers in response to identifying the relation.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein changing the number of elements further comprises:

adding additional elements in response to receiving a sensor output that exceeds a threshold.

8. An electronic device for displaying a tag as a fashion accessory, comprising control circuitry, a display, and a camera, the control circuitry operative to:

direct the camera to capture an image of the environment;

identify at least one color in the environment;

define a color palette related to the identified at least one color; and

direct the display to display a tag having elements in the colors of the defined color palette.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

identify at least one article of clothing in the environment; and

identify at least one color of the identified article of clothing.

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

direct the camera to capture an image of the clothing worn by the user of the device; and

identify at least one color of the clothing worn by the user.

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

direct the display to display a prompt for the user to turn the camera towards the user'"'"'s clothing.

12. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

determine that the identified at least one color is no longer in the environment;

direct the camera to capture a current image of the environment; and

identify at least one color from the current image.

13. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

define a palette of colors including the identified at least one color.

14. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

define a palette of colors that is complementary to the identified at least one color.

15. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the control circuitry is further operative to:

define a tag having several layers, wherein each layer comprises elements in a single color of the color palette.

16. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising:

a clip for securing the electronic device on the user such that the display is exposed.

17. A method for adjusting the characteristics of a dynamic screen saver, comprising:

defining a screen saver comprising several layers of elements, the elements of each layer moving in accordance with movement characteristics;

retrieving a sensor output;

determining the movement characteristics associated with the retrieved sensor output; and

changing the manner in which the elements move in accordance with the determined movement characteristics.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

retrieving a sensor output comprises retrieving an output from an accelerometer.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining the orientation of the device relative to a gravity vector based on the accelerometer output; and

adjusting the direction in which the elements move based on the determined orientation.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein adjusting further comprises:

changing the direction in which the elements move to match the gravity vector.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein changing further comprises:

changing the speed at which the elements move in accordance with the characteristics determined from the accelerometer output.

22. Computer readable media for displaying a dynamic tag, comprising computer readable code recorded thereon for:

displaying a tag in full screen on a device display, wherein the tag comprises at least two layers moving relative to one another on the display;

retrieving a sensor output characterizing an environment of the device;

identifying a relation between the retrieved sensor output and characteristics of the movement of each of the at least two layers; and

adjusting the movement of each of the at least two layers in response to identifying.

23. The computer-readable media of claim 22, wherein the characteristics of the movement comprise at least one of:

the number of elements in each layer that are moving;

the direction of the movement;

the speed of the movement; and

variations in speed of the movement.