TILT DIRECTION DETECTOR FOR ORIENTING DISPLAY INFORMATION

• US 20120146905A1
• Filed: 12/14/2011
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: KANEDA, Hideo, Ishiwata, Takehiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,363,147 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• 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 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/00 General purpose image data processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters

Abstract

An electronic apparatus having a display function is able to alter the orientation of an image displayed on a display means for displaying images between a first orientation and a second orientation different from the first orientation. A plurality of operating means are provided at positions symmetrical between disposal positions which take the first orientation as a standard orientation and disposal positions which take the second orientation as a standard orientation.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a touch screen;

a tilt sensor configured to detect a tilt direction of the electronic apparatus;

a memory configured to store a plurality of software applications; and

a processor configured to

display, on the touch screen, a plurality of images corresponding to the plurality of software applications,

display, on the touch screen, an image generated by one of the plurality of software applications in response to a user selection of a corresponding one of the plurality of images to run the one of the plurality of software applications, and

alter the orientation of a display on the touch screen based on whether a tilt direction is detected by the tilt sensor and whether the one of the plurality of software applications is running.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of images are a plurality of icons.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to enlarge the image generated by the one of the plurality of software applications based on a user input on the touch screen.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to change a display position on the touch screen of the image generated by the one of the plurality of software applications based on a user input on the touch screen.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to alter the orientation of the display on the touch screen only after a software application is run.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to run one of a schedule application and an address list application in response to the user selection of the one of the plurality of images.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to display the plurality of images in a grid pattern.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to alter the orientation of the display of the touch screen in real time.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is not configured to alter the orientation of the display of the plurality of images based on the tilt direction detected by the tilt sensor.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of an electronic apparatus, the method comprising:

displaying, on a touch screen of the electronic apparatus, a plurality of images corresponding to a plurality of software applications;

displaying, on the touch screen, an image generated by one of the plurality of software applications in response to a user selection of a corresponding one of the plurality of images to run the one of the plurality of software applications; and

altering an orientation of a display on the touch screen based on whether a tilt direction is detected by a tilt sensor and whether the one of the plurality of software applications is running.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the plurality of images are a plurality of icons.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

enlarging the image generated by the one of the plurality of software applications based on a user input on the touch screen.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

changing a display position on the touch screen of the image generated by the one of the plurality of software applications based on a user input on the touch screen.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the step of altering comprises:

altering the orientation of the display on the touch screen only after a software application is run.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

running one of a schedule application and an address list application in response to the user selection of the one of the plurality of images.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the step of displaying the plurality of images comprises:

displaying the plurality of images in a grid pattern.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the step of altering comprises:

altering the orientation of the display of the touch screen in real time.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the step of altering does not alter the orientation of the display of the plurality of images based on the tilt direction detected by the tilt sensor.