Methods and Apparatuses for Operating a Display in an Electronic Device

• US 20130222271A1
• Filed: 02/28/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Alberth, William P., Alameh, Rachid M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,988,349 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• 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 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• 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 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2001/3861 carried in a hand or on fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0267 by controlling user interface components
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0274 : by switching on or off the equipment or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An electronic device can include detectors for altering the presentation of data on one or more displays. In a wearable electronic device, a flexible housing can be configured to enfold about an appendage of a user, such as a user'"'"'s wrist. A display can disposed along a major face of the flexible housing. A control circuit can be operable with the display. A gaze detector can be included to detect a gaze direction, and optionally a gaze cone. An orientation detector can be configured to detect an orientation of the electronic device relative to the user. The control circuit can alter a presentation of data on the display in response to a detected gaze direction, in response to detected orientation of the wearable electronic device relative to the user, in response to touch or gesture input, or combinations thereof. Secondary displays can be hingedly coupled to the electronic device.

Claims

1. A wearable electronic device, comprising:

a flexible housing configured to enfold about an appendage of a user;

a display disposed along a major face of the flexible housing;

an orientation detector; and

a control circuit, operable with the display and the orientation detector, and configured to prioritize one or more portions of the display in response to a detected orientation of the wearable electronic device relative to the user.

2. The wearable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is operable to configure a more prioritized portion of the display with a first appearance and a less prioritized portion of the display with a second appearance.

3. The wearable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the first appearance and the second appearance are different.

4. The wearable electronic device of claim 3, wherein the first appearance comprises the more prioritized portion of the display being ON.

5. The wearable electronic device of claim 3, wherein the second appearance comprises the less prioritized portion of the display being in a low power, sleep, or OFF mode.

6. The wearable electronic device of claim 3, wherein the first appearance corresponds to a first operational mode of the wearable electronic device, while the second appearance corresponds to a second operational mode of the wearable electronic device.

7. The wearable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the orientation detector comprises a gaze detector operable to determine a detected gaze direction of the user.

8. The wearable electronic device of claim 7, wherein the control circuit is operable to determine a gaze cone corresponding to the detected gaze direction and to prioritize portions of the display disposed within the gaze cone as a more prioritized portions of the display and to prioritize other portions of the display disposed outside the gaze cone as less prioritized portions of the display.

9. The wearable electronic device of claim 8, wherein the control circuit is operable to present data only in the more prioritized portions of the display.

10. The wearable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a segmented display comprising a plurality of individual display devices.

11. The wearable electronic device of claim 10, wherein a more prioritized portion of the display comprises a first display device of the segmented display, and a less prioritized portion of the display comprises at least a second display device.

12. The wearable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a touch sensitive display, wherein the control circuit, upon receiving touch input, is operable to present data within a predefined region of the display about the touch input.

13. The wearable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the orientation detector comprises one of an accelerometer, an audio sensor, an infrared sensor, a thermal sensor, a gyroscope, an imager, or combinations thereof.

14. The wearable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the appendage comprises a wrist, wherein radially disposed portions of the display are prioritized above ulnarly disposed portions of the display.

15. A wearable electronic device, comprising:

a wearable housing;

a display disposed along a major face of the wearable housing;

an orientation detector; and

a control circuit, operable with the display and the orientation detector, and configured to;

activate one or more portions of the display in response to a detected orientation; and

deactivate other portions of the display in response to the detected orientation.

16. The wearable electronic device of claim 15, wherein the one or more portions of the display comprise a first display device and the other portions of the display comprise a second display device that is separate and distinct from the first display device.

17. The wearable electronic device of claim 15, wherein the control circuit is operable to alter a presentation of data on the one or more portions of the display in response to the detected orientation.

18. The wearable electronic device of claim 15, wherein the display comprises a touch sensitive display, wherein the control circuit is further configured to actuate the other portions of the display when the other portions of the display receive touch input.

19. A method for controlling a display in a wearable electronic device, comprising:

detect to which side of the wearable electronic device a user is disposed; and

actuate portions of the display facing the user.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising deactuating portions of the display facing away from the user.