Adjusting Orientation of Content Regions in a Page Layout

• US 20130021377A1
• Filed: 07/21/2011
• Published: 01/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flipboard Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Flipboard Incorporated
• Inventors: Doll, Evan R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,872,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/649
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

When the device is rotated from a portrait orientation to landscape orientation, or vice versa, the display device rotates the content items within distinct respective content regions of a page template (“slots”) that each appear to stay in their same position with respect to a frame of reference of the display device. While the content regions stay in their same positions, the content within each content region counter-rotates in place to offset the rotation of the display device. Thus, the content within the content regions maintains an orientation with respect to a constant (non-rotating) frame of reference, regardless of the orientation or rotation of the display device. In one embodiment, a slot'"'"'s position, height, and width in a template in a second orientation are determined from the slot'"'"'s position, height, and width in the template in a first orientation.

Claims

1. A method of automatically determining a slot position, height and width in a page template in a second orientation from the slot'"'"'s position, height, and width in the template in a first orientation, the method comprising:

determining a reference point of the slot in the template;

determining the slot'"'"'s height and width;

translating the reference point of the slot from being computed with respect to a frame of reference of the template in a first orientation to being computed with respect to a frame of reference of the template in a second orientation; and

setting slot height in the second orientation to be the width of the slot in the first orientation; and

setting slot width in the second orientation to be the height of the slot in the first orientation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first orientation is a portrait orientation and the second orientation is a landscape orientation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference point of the slot is determined with respect to a frame of reference of a display device while the template is in the first orientation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein translating the reference point of the slot comprises exchanging x and y coordinates of the reference point and performing a mirroring operation across a vertical axis of the page template.

5. A method of adjusting the orientation of content regions in a page layout, the method comprising:

displaying content in a plurality of content regions of a page template in a first orientation on a display of a client device;

responsive to a rotation of the display of the client device from the first orientation to a second orientation, counter-rotating the content within the plurality of content regions to offset the rotation of the display and maintain a constant orientation of the content within each content region with respect to a constant non-rotating frame of reference; and

displaying content in the plurality of content regions of the page template in the second orientation, wherein the plurality of content regions appear in the same locations in the second orientation as they were in the first orientation with respect to the frame of reference of the display.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the rotation of the display of the client device in a first direction causes the counter-rotation of the content in a second, opposite direction.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the rotation of the display of the client device is a 90 degree counter-clockwise rotation, and the rotation of the content is a 90 degree clockwise rotation.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

responsive to another 90 degree counter-clockwise rotation of the display of the client device from the second orientation, counter-rotating the content within the plurality of content regions to offset the rotation of the display and maintain a constant orientation of the content within each content region with respect to a constant non-rotating frame of reference; and

displaying content in the plurality of content regions of the page template in the first orientation.

9. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing computer program code for automatically determining a slot position, height and width in a page template in a second orientation from the slot'"'"'s position, height, and width in the template in a first orientation, the code for:

determining a reference point of the slot in the template;

determining the slot'"'"'s height and width;

translating the reference point of the slot from being computed with respect to a frame of reference of the template in a first orientation to being computed with respect to a frame of reference of the template in a second orientation; and

setting slot height in the second orientation to be the width of the slot in the first orientation; and

setting slot width in the second orientation to be the height of the slot in the first orientation.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the first orientation is a portrait orientation and the second orientation is a landscape orientation.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the reference point of the slot is determined with respect to a frame of reference of a display device while the template is in the first orientation.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein translating the reference point of the slot comprises exchanging x and y coordinates of the reference point and performing a mirroring operation across a vertical axis of the page template.

13. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing computer program code for adjusting the orientation of content regions in a page layout, the code for:

displaying content in a plurality of content regions of a page template in a first orientation on a display of a client device;

responsive to a rotation of the display of the client device from the first orientation to a second orientation, counter-rotating the content within the plurality of content regions to offset the rotation of the display and maintain a constant orientation of the content within each content region with respect to a constant non-rotating frame of reference; and

displaying content in the plurality of content regions of the page template in the second orientation, wherein the plurality of content regions appear in the same locations in the second orientation as they were in the first orientation with respect to the frame of reference of the display.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the rotation of the display of the client device in a first direction causes the counter-rotation of the content in a second, opposite direction.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the rotation of the display of the client device is a 90 degree counter-clockwise rotation, and the rotation of the content is a 90 degree clockwise rotation.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further containing code for:

responsive to another 90 degree counter-clockwise rotation of the display of the client device from the second orientation, counter-rotating the content within the plurality of content regions to offset the rotation of the display and maintain a constant orientation of the content within each content region with respect to a constant non-rotating frame of reference; and

displaying content in the plurality of content regions of the page template in the first orientation.