SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACTIVATING COMPONENTS ON AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE USING ORIENTATION DATA

• US 20110216093A1
• Filed: 03/04/2010
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: GRIFFIN, Jason Tyler
• Granted Patent: US 8,502,837 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/659
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0279 Improving the user comfort or ergonomics
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6008 in the transmitter circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/01 Input selection or mixing for amplifiers or loudspeakers for hearing aids H04R25/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/03 Connection circuits to selectively connect loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a system and method for analyzing an orientation of a handheld electronic device. The method comprises: monitoring data from a first sensor for the device; determining an orientation of the device by analyzing at least the data from the first sensor; and activating a first component on the device in view of the orientation of the device. The method may further comprise deactivating a second component on the device in view of the orientation of the device.

Claims

1. A method for activating components of a handheld electronic device, comprising:

monitoring data from a first sensor for said device;

determining an orientation of said device by analyzing at least said data from said first sensor; and

activating a first component on said device in view of said orientation of said device.

2. The method for activating components of a handheld electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

deactivating a second component on said device in view of said orientation of said device.

3. The method for activating components of a handheld electronic device of claim 2, further comprising:

generating an output on a display of said device oriented to match said orientation of said device.

4. The method for activating components of a handheld electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

said first component is a speaker located on an upper portion of said device;

said second component is a microphone located on said upper portion of said device; and

when said orientation indicates that said device is upright,

said speaker is activated;

said microphone is deactivated; and

said output on said display is generated in an upright orientation.

5. The method for activating components of a handheld electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing data from a second sensor with said data from said first sensor to determine said orientation of said device.

6. The method for activating components of a handheld electronic device of claim 5, wherein:

said data from said second sensor is compared against said data from said first sensor to determine said orientation of said device.

7. The method for activating components of a handheld electronic device of claim 4, wherein:

when said orientation indicates that said device is upside down,

said speaker is deactivated;

said microphone is activated; and

said output on said display is generated in an upside down orientation.

8. The method for activating components of a handheld electronic device of claim 4, wherein:

when said orientation indicates that said device is face down,

said speaker is activated;

said microphone is deactivated; and

said output on said display of is deactivated.

9. The method for activating components of a handheld electronic device of claim 4, wherein:

when said orientation indicates that said device is face up,

said speaker is activated;

said microphone is deactivated; and

said output on said display is activated.

10. The method for activating components of a handheld electronic device of claim 4, wherein:

said first sensor is an accelerometer.

11. The method for activating components of a handheld electronic device of claim 4, further comprising:

monitoring data from a second sensor for said device;

determining an orientation of said device by analyzing said data from said first sensor and said data from said second sensor; and

activating a first component on said device in view of said orientation of said device.

12. The method for activating components of a handheld electronic device of claim 11, wherein:

said first sensor is a light detector; and

said second sensor is a microphone.

13. The method for activating components of a handheld electronic device of claim 4, wherein:

when said orientation indicates that said device is upright,

a microphone located on a lower portion of said device is also activated.

14. An activation circuit for activating components of a handheld electronic device, comprising:

an orientation module to determine an orientation of said device by analyzing at least data from a first sensor; and

an activation module to

activate a first component on said device in view of said orientation of said device;

deactivate a second component on said device in view of said orientation of said device; and

generate an output on a display of said device oriented with said orientation of said device.

15. The activation circuit for activating components of a handheld electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein:

said first component is a speaker located on an upper portion of said device; and

said second component is a microphone located on said upper portion of said device.

16. The activation circuit for activating components of a handheld electronic device as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

said orientation module analyzes said data from said first sensor with data from a second sensor to determine said orientation of said device.

17. The activation circuit for activating components of a handheld electronic device as claimed in claim 15, wherein when said orientation indicates that said device is upside down, said activation module:

deactivates said speaker;

activates said microphone; and

generates output on said display in an upside down orientation.

18. The activation circuit for activating components of a handheld electronic device as claimed in claim 15, wherein when said orientation indicates that said device is face down, said activation module:

activates said speaker;

deactivates said microphone; and

deactivates said output on said display.

19. The activation circuit for activating components of a handheld electronic device as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

said first sensor is an accelerometer.

20. The activation circuit for activating components of a handheld electronic device as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

said first sensor is a light detector; and

said second sensor is a microphone.