ACCELEROMETER-BASED TAPPING USER INTERFACE

• US 20110109540A1
• Filed: 02/12/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: MILNE, JAMES R., Connors, Kirstin, Yasuhara, Trisha Ann Sachie
• Granted Patent: US 8,542,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools

Abstract

A CE device for, e.g., displaying the time can incorporate an accelerometer to provide various features and enhancements. For example, tapping of the housing as sensed by the accelerometer may be used for controlling various application modes of the device.

Claims

1. Consumer electronics (CE) device comprising:

housing bearing a processor, audio display, and visual display, the processor controlling the displays to present an audio and/or video application on the displays;

accelerometer in the housing and outputting signals to the processor representing acceleration of the housing induced by a person tapping the housing;

the processor determining a surface of the housing being tapped and a number of taps on the surface within a predetermined period of each other, the processor correlating the surface being tapped and number of taps on the surface to a user command to alter presentation of the application on the display.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the command is a “

next”

command to cause the processor to present a next item in a list.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the command is a “

previous”

command to cause the processor to present a previous item in a list.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one tap on a first surface of the housing is correlated to a first command and at least one tap on a second surface of the housing is correlated to a second command different from the first command, the surfaces being orthogonal to each other.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the application is a clock application and the processor causes an alarm to be presented on the audio display, the processor silencing the alarm in response to a signal from the accelerometer indicating a tap on the housing.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the application is a music and/or video application, and the first command is a “

play next”

command and the second command is a “

play previous”

command.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the application is a music and/or video application, and a single tap on a first surface of the housing is correlated to a “

pause”

command to cause presentation of an audio and/or video file to be paused, at least two taps being correlated to a “

play”

command to cause a paused audio and/or video file to be played on the CE device.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the application is a reader application or a grocery list application or a recipe application.

9. Consumer electronics (CE) device comprising:

housing bearing a processor, an audio display, and a visual display, the processor controlling the displays;

accelerometer in the housing and outputting signals to the processor representing acceleration of the housing;

the processor presenting a time of day on the visual display, the accelerometer sensing when a person taps various surfaces of the CE device to signal intended input meanings, a double tap on a first surface of the CE device being interpreted by the processor as a command to present on the visual display a first menu, from which the user may select, using selector elements presented on the visual display, various alarm parameters, two taps on a second surface of the CE device being interpreted by the processor as a command to present a second menu on the visual display.

10. The CE device of claim 9, wherein a single tap on a third surface of the CE device is interpreted by the processor to command the processor to silence an audible alarm being presented on the audio display.

11. The CE device of claim 10, wherein a single tap on a fourth surface of the CE device is interpreted by the processor as a command to cause the processor to toggle between a twelve hour time presentation and a twenty four hour presentation on the visual display.

12. A method comprising:

determining at least one tap has been made against a surface of a housing of a CE device based on signals from an accelerometer in the housing;

determining which surface of the housing has been tapped based on the signals from the accelerometer; and

in response to the determining acts;

causing a next item of an application running on the CE device to be presented on at least one of the displays responsive to the processor determining that a first command has been input by taps; and

causing a previous item of an application running on the CE device to be presented on at least one of the displays responsive to the processor determining that a second command has been input by taps.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the application is a music and/or video application, and the first command is a “

play next”

command and the second command is a “

play previous”

command.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the application is a music and/or video application, and a single tap on a first surface of the housing is correlated to a “

pause”

command to cause presentation of an audio and/or video file to be paused, at least two taps being correlated to a “

play”

command to cause a paused audio and/or video file to be played on the CE device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the application is a reader application.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the application is a grocery list application.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the application is a recipe application.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the application is a notes application.