ORIENTATION DEPENDENT FUNCTIONALITY OF AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20160231776A1
• Filed: 04/19/2016
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Wong, Yoon Kean, Hanson, William Robert, Gettemy, Shawn
• Application Number:
  US15/133,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20160231776A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• 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: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72409 by interfacing with external accessories hands-free H04M1/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts
• 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: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An electronic device is provided that includes a housing, a plurality of modules, a sensor and a selection mechanism. The housing has multiple segments, with each segment housing one of the plurality of modules. The sensor detects an orientation of the electronic device. The selection mechanism automatically selects at least one, but not all, of the plurality of modules to be active, based on the detected orientation of the electronic device.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

at least one sensor;

a display screen;

one or more processors; and

one or more memory resources storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the portable electronic device to;

detect, via the at least one sensor, a change in orientation of the portable electronic device; and

in response to detecting the change in orientation, deactivate the display screen and a first set of one or more buttons of the portable electronic device.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein execution of the instructions cause the portable electronic device to deactivate at least one, but not all, of the first set of one or more buttons in response to detecting the change in orientation.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes a light detection sensor.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one of an accelerometer or a gyroscope.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a microphone; and

at least one speaker.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 5, wherein execution of the instructions further causes the portable electronic device to activate a second set of one or more buttons of the portable electronic device in response to detecting the change in orientation.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 6, wherein the second set of one or more buttons, the microphone, and the at least one speaker comprise a phone module of the portable electronic device.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein execution of the instructions to detect the change in orientation causes the portable electronic device to detect a user gripping the portable electronic device to use the phone module.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the display screen and the first set of one or more buttons comprise a personal digital assistance module of the portable electronic device.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 9, wherein execution of the instructions to deactivate the display screen and the first set of one or more buttons causes the portable electronic device to initiate a sleep mode on the personal digital assistance module.

11. A method of operating a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting, via at least one sensor of the portable electronic device, a change in orientation of the portable electronic device; and

in response to detecting the change in orientation, deactivating a display screen and a first set of one or more buttons of the portable electronic device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the deactivating comprises:

deactivating at least one, but not all, of the first set of one or more buttons in response to detecting the change in orientation.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one sensor includes a light detection sensor.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one of an accelerometer or a gyroscope.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the portable electronic device includes a microphone and at least one speaker.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the portable electronic device further comprises a second set of one or more buttons, the method further comprising:

activating the second set of one or more buttons in response to detecting the change in orientation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second set of one or more buttons, the microphone, and the at least one speaker comprise a phone module of the portable electronic device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein detecting the change in orientation comprises:

detecting a user gripping the portable electronic device to use the phone module.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the display screen and the first set of one or more buttons comprise a personal digital assistance module of the portable electronic device.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein deactivating the display screen and the first set of one or more buttons comprises:

initiating a sleep mode on the personal digital assistance module.