METHODS AND DEVICES TO PROVIDE COMMON USER INTERFACE MODE BASED ON IMAGES

• US 20130111369A1
• Filed: 10/03/2011
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Pasquero, Jerome, Walker, David Ryan, Griffin, Jason Tyler, Mckenzie, Donald Somerset
• Application Number:
  US13/583,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20130111369A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/761
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/18 between terminal devices

Abstract

A method and electronic devices to provide a common user interface mode on a first electronic device and a second electronic device are described. The first electronic device and the second electronic device each comprise a camera. In one aspect, the method comprises: capturing a first image on the first electronic device; receiving a second image which was captured on the second electronic device at approximately the same time that the first image was captured; determining a relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the first image and the second image; and entering a common user interface mode in which a display associated with the first electronic device and a display associated with the second electronic device operate cooperatively and in which the orientation of a common user interface displayed on the displays is determined in accordance with the determined relative orientation.

Claims

1. A method of providing a common user interface mode on a first electronic device and a second electronic device, the first electronic device and the second electronic device each comprising a camera, the method comprising:

capturing a first image on the first electronic device;

receiving a second image which was captured on the second electronic device at approximately the same time that the first image was captured;

determining a relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the first image and the second image; and

entering a common user interface mode in which a display associated with the first electronic device and a display associated with the second electronic device operate cooperatively.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the first image and the second image comprises:

identifying at least one common feature in the first image and the second image and determining the relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the common features.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, prior to capturing a first image on the first electronic device and receiving the second image:

emitting electromagnetic radiation from at least one of the first electronic device or the second electronic device from a side of the first electronic device or the second electronic device associated with the camera of that device,

and wherein identifying common features in the first image and the second image comprises identifying the electromagnetic radiation in the first image and the second image.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is infrared.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cameras are configured to capture at least some electromagnetic radiation which is not in the visible spectrum.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the first electronic device and the second electronic device are oriented along a common plane and if the first electronic device and the second electronic device are oriented along a common plane, triggering the capture of the first image on the first electronic device and the second image on the second electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein entering a common user interface mode comprises:

selecting a side of each of the first electronic device and the second electronic device as a shared side based on the first image and the second image,

and wherein a user interface displayed on the displays is oriented based on the shared side.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the shared side is the nearest edges of the display of the first electronic device and the display of the second electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the cameras on the first electronic device and the second electronic device are front facing cameras.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in accordance with the relative orientations of the first electronic device and the second electronic device, selecting one of the first electronic device or the second electronic device to act as a master device and the other to act as a slave device.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the first image and the second image comprises:

calculating transformation information specifying the relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the capturing of the first image on the first electronic device and the second image on the second electronic device are triggered in response to the occurrence of at least one predetermined trigger condition.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device comprises two cameras to obtain three dimensional information and wherein the relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device is determine based on the three dimensional information.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the common user interface mode the orientation of a common user interface displayed on the displays is determined in accordance with the determined relative orientation

15. A first electronic device comprising:

a camera;

a communication subsystem to establish wireless communications with a second electronic device;

a display; and

a processor, the processor being configured to;

capture a first image on the first electronic device;

receive a second image which was captured on a second electronic device at approximately the same time that the first image was captured;

determine a relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the first image and the second image; and

enter a common user interface mode in which a display associated with the first electronic device and a display associated with the second electronic device operate cooperatively.

17. The electronic device of claim 15 wherein the processor is further configured to:

prior to capturing a first image on the first electronic device and receiving the second image, emitting electromagnetic radiation from at least one of the first electronic device or the second electronic device from a side of the first electronic device or the second electronic device associated with the camera of that device,

and wherein determining a relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the first image and the second image comprises identifying the electromagnetic radiation in the first image and the second image and determining relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device based on the electromagnetic radiation.

18. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine whether the first electronic device and the second electronic device are oriented along a common plane and if the first electronic device and the second electronic device are oriented along a common plane, triggering the capture of the first image on the first electronic device and the second image on the second electronic device.

19. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the camera is configured to capture at least some electromagnetic radiation which is not in the visible spectrum.

20. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the camera on the first electronic device is a front facing camera.

16. A method to determine a relative orientation of a first electronic device and a second electronic device, the first electronic device and the second electronic device each comprising a camera, the method comprising:

determining that the first electronic device and the second electronic device are oriented on a common plane and, in response, triggering an image capture on the first electronic device and the second electronic device at a common time; and

based on the images, determining a relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device.