DISABLING AN AUTOMATIC ROTATION FUNCTION OF MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICES

• US 20120147047A1
• Filed: 12/13/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vibrant Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Kim, Seungil
• Granted Patent: US 8,427,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/649
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/34 for rolling or scrolling

Abstract

Technology is generally described for disabling an automatic rotation function of mobile computing devices. The technology can detect a tilt angle of a display of the computing device in relation to a surface; and if the tilt angle is less than a specified threshold tilt angle, disable a rotation function.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computing device having a processor and memory, comprising:

detecting a tilt angle of a display of the computing device in relation to a surface; and

if the tilt angle is less than a specified threshold tilt angle, disabling a rotation function.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling the rotation function if the tilt angle is equal to or more than the specified threshold tilt angle.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting includes receiving a signal from a sensor indicating the tilt angle.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting includes receiving a signal from an accelerometer indicating the tilt angle.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting includes receiving a signal from a sensor that measures motion in at least three axes.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling the rotation function if a rotation switch is activated wherein the activated rotation switch overrides disabling the rotation function.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the threshold tilt angle is approximately equal to ninety degrees.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining whether the display of the computing device is being viewed by a user while the user is situated in a supine position on the surface.

9. A computer-readable storage device storing computer-executable instructions, the instructions comprising:

detecting a tilt angle of a display of a computing device in relation to a plane; and

if the tilt angle is less than a specified threshold tilt angle, disabling a rotation function.

10. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9 further comprising instructions for determining whether the display of the computing device is being viewed by a user while the user is situated in a supine position on the surface.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9 wherein the detecting includes querying a sensor for the tilt angle.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9 wherein the detecting includes querying a six-axis sensor and receiving information indicating the tilt angle.

13. A system for detecting whether to disable a rotation function of a computing device having a processor, memory, and a display, comprising:

a sensor configured to detect a tilt angle of a display surface in relation to a plane; and

a component configured to disable a rotation function of the computing device if a difference between the tilt angle and a specified threshold tilt angle exceeds a specified value.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the plane is perpendicular to a force of gravity.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the sensor is an accelerometer.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the sensor is a six-axis accelerometer.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the plane is a surface on which a user views the display while the user is in a supine position.

18. The system of claim 13 further comprising a rotation switch that, if actuated, overrides the component configured to disable rotation.

19. The system of claim 13 further comprising means for computing the difference between the tilt angle and the specified threshold tilt angle.

20. The system of claim 13 further comprising means for disabling the rotation function.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein the sensor is a gyroscopic sensor.