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

• US 20130201097A1
• Filed: 10/03/2011
• Published: 08/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Pasquero, Jerome, Walker, David Ryan, Griffin, Jason Tyler
• Application Number:
  US13/583,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20130201097A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1637 Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1649 the additional display being independently orientable, e.g. for presenting information to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1683 for the transmission of signal or power between the different housings, e.g. details of wired or wireless communication, passage of cabling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1636 Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2356/00 Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/06 Consumer Electronics Control, i.e. control of another device by a display or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information

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. In one aspect, the method comprises: participating in audio based communications between the first electronic device and the second electronic device; determining an orientation of the first electronic device relative to the second electronic device based on the audio based communications; 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 to provide a common user interface mode on a first electronic device and a second electronic device, the method comprising:

participating in audio based communications between the first electronic device and the second electronic device;

determining an orientation of the first electronic device relative to the second electronic device based on the audio based communications; 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 the first electronic device comprises at least two speakers disposed in spaced relation to one another and wherein the second electronic device comprises a microphone and wherein participating in audio based communications between the first electronic device and the second electronic device comprises:

receiving, at the microphone of the second electronic device, a sound emitted by a first speaker of the first electronic device; and

receiving, at the microphone of the second electronic device, a sound emitted by a second speaker of the first electronic device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining an amplitude of the sounds received at the microphone of the second electronic device,

and wherein the relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device is determined based on the amplitude of the sounds received at the microphone of the second electronic device.

4. The method of any one of claim 2 or 3, further comprising:

determining an elapsed time between the time at which the sound was emitted by the first speaker of the first electronic device and the time at which that sound was received at the microphone of the second electronic device and determining an elapsed time between the time at which the sound was emitted by the second speaker of the first electronic device and the time at which that sound was received at the microphone of the second electronic device,

and wherein the relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device is determined based on the elapsed times.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining an elapsed time between when the sound was emitted by the first speaker of the first electronic device and when that sound was received at the microphone of the second electronic device comprises:

obtaining first timing information specifying a time at which the sound was emitted from the first speaker;

determining the time at which the sound emitted from the first speaker was received at the microphone of the second electronic device; and

determining the elapsed time between when the sound was emitted by the first speaker of the first electronic device and when that sound was received at the microphone of the second electronic device based on the first timing information and the time at which the sound emitted from the first speaker was received at the microphone of the second electronic device,

and wherein determining an elapsed time between when the sound was emitted by the second speaker of the first electronic device and when that sound was received at the microphone of the second electronic device comprises;

obtaining second timing information specifying a time at which the sound was emitted from the second speaker;

determining the time at which the sound emitted from the second speaker was received at the microphone of the second electronic device; and

determining the elapsed time between when the sound was emitted by the second speaker of the first electronic device and when that sound was received at the microphone of the second electronic device based on the second timing information and the time at which the sound emitted from the second speaker was received at the microphone of the second electronic device.

6. The method of any one of claims 4 to 5, further comprising:

sharing clock synchronization information between the first electronic device and the second electronic device, and wherein the clock synchronization information is used when determining the elapsed times.

7. The method of any one of claims 2 to 6, further comprising:

determining which one of two electronic devices has a larger speaker separation and selecting that electronic device to act as the first electronic device and selecting the other of the two electronic devices as the second electronic device.

8. The method of any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the sounds emitted by the first speaker and the second speaker have predetermined sound signatures, the method further comprising:

authenticating the sound signatures of the sounds emitted by the first speaker and the second speaker.

9. The method of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first electronic device comprises a speaker and wherein the second electronic device comprises a first microphone and a second microphone, and wherein participating in audio based communications between the first electronic device and the second electronic device comprises:

receiving, at the first microphone of the second electronic device, a sound emitted by the speaker of the first electronic device; and

receiving, at the second microphone of the second electronic device, the sound emitted by the speaker of the first electronic device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second electronic device comprises a third microphone and wherein participating in audio based communications between the first electronic device and the second electronic device further comprises:

receiving, at the third microphone of the second electronic device, the sound emitted by the speaker of the first electronic device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first electronic device comprises a second speaker and wherein participating in audio based communication between the first electronic device and the second electronic device further comprises:

receiving, at the first microphone of the second electronic device, a sound emitted by the second speaker of the first electronic device;

receiving, at the second microphone of the second electronic device, the sound emitted by the second speaker of the first electronic device; and

receiving, at the third microphone of the second electronic device, the sound emitted by the second speaker of the first electronic device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first electronic device comprises a second speaker and wherein participating in audio based communications between the first electronic device and the second electronic device further comprises:

receiving, at the first microphone of the second electronic device, a sound emitted by the second speaker of the first electronic device; and

receiving, at the second microphone of the second electronic device, the sound emitted by the second speaker of the first electronic device.

13. The method of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the second electronic device comprises a first speaker and wherein participating in audio based communications between the first electronic device and the second electronic device comprises:

emitting a sound from the first speaker of the second electronic device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second electronic device further comprises a second speaker and wherein participating in audio based communications between the first electronic device and the second electronic device further comprises:

emitting a sound from the second speaker of the second electronic device.

15. The method of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein at least one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device is a smartphone.

16. The method of any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein at least one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device is a tablet computer.

17. The method of any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein, in the common user interface mode, one of the first electronic device or the second electronic device acts as a primary device to control the display of the other of the first electronic device or the second electronic device.

18. The method of any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the common user interface mode comprises an extended desktop mode in which a user interface generated by one of one of the first electronic device or the second electronic device is spanned to include the display of both the first electronic device and the second electronic device.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein determining an orientation of the first electronic device relative to the second electronic device comprises:

identifying a side of the display of the first electronic device and a side of the display of the second electronic device which are closer together than any other sides of the display of the first electronic device are to any other sides of the display of the second electronic device and wherein, in the extended desktop mode, a user interface spans across the identified sides.

20. The method of any one of claims 1 to 19, 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

21. An electronic device comprising:

a microphone;

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

a display; and

a processor, the processor being configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 20.

22. A method to determine a relative orientation of a first electronic device and a second electronic device, the first electronic device comprising at least two speakers, the second electronic device comprising at least one microphone, the method comprising:

receiving, at the microphone of the second electronic device, sounds emitted by two or more speakers associated with the first electronic device; and

based on the sounds emitted by two or more speakers, determining a relative orientation of the first electronic device and the second electronic device.