DISABLING AN AUTOMATIC ROTATION FUNCTION OF MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICES

• US 20130229343A1
• Filed: 04/15/2013
• Published: 09/05/2013
• 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 8,823,748 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 first axis that is parallel to the display; and

in response to determining that the tilt angle is less than a specified threshold tilt angle, disabling a rotation function configured to rotate information displayed on the display around a second axis that intersects the display at a single point.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling the rotation function in response to determining that 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 in response to determining that 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 in relation to the plane.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising computing the difference between the tilt angle and the specified threshold tilt angle.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the tilt angle of the display of the computing device in relation to the plane includes computing an angle between an axis of the computing device and a source of gravity.

9. A computer-readable storage device storing contents adapted to cause a computing system to perform a method, the method comprising:

detecting a tilt angle of a display of a computing device in relation to a first axis that is parallel to the display; and

in response to determining that the tilt angle is less than a specified threshold tilt angle, disabling a rotation function configured to rotate information displayed on the display around a second axis that intersects the display at a single point.

10. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, the method 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 in relation to the plane.

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.

13-21. -21. (canceled)

24. 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 first axis that is parallel to the display; and

in response to determining that the tilt angle is more than a specified threshold tilt angle, disabling a rotation function configured to rotate information displayed on the display around a second axis that intersects the display at a single point.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising enabling the rotation function in response to determining that the tilt angle is equal to or less than the specified threshold tilt angle.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the detecting includes receiving a signal from a sensor indicating the tilt angle.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the detecting includes receiving a signal from an accelerometer indicating the tilt angle.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein the detecting includes receiving a signal from a sensor that measures motion in at least three axes.

29. The method of claim 24 further comprising enabling the rotation function in response to determining that a rotation switch is activated wherein the activated rotation switch overrides disabling the rotation function.

30. The method of claim 24 wherein the threshold tilt angle is approximately equal to ninety degrees.

31. The method of claim 24 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 in relation to the plane.

32. The method of claim 24, further comprising computing the difference between the tilt angle and the specified threshold tilt angle.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein detecting the tilt angle of the display of the computing device in relation to the plane includes computing an angle between an axis of the computing device and a source of gravity.

34. A computer-readable storage device storing contents adapted to cause a computing system to perform a method, the method comprising:

detecting a tilt angle of a display of the computing device in relation to a first axis that is parallel to the display; and

in response to determining that the tilt angle is more than a specified threshold tilt angle, disabling a rotation function configured to rotate information displayed on the display around a second axis that intersects the display at a single point.

35. The computer-readable storage device of claim 34, the method 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 in relation to the plane.

36. The computer-readable storage device of claim 34 wherein the detecting includes querying a sensor for the tilt angle.

37. The computer-readable storage device of claim 34 wherein the detecting includes querying a six-axis sensor and receiving information indicating the tilt angle.