Portable data processing apparatus provided with a screen and a gravitation-controlled sensor for screen orientation

• US 5,910,797 A
• Filed: 02/13/1996
• Issued: 06/08/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Beuk, Leonardus G. M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, KENT WU
• Application Number:
  US08/601,140
• Time in Patent Office: 1,211 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/112, 345/8, 345/145, 345/156, 345/157, 345/161, 345/163, 463/3, 463/7, 463/38, 364/708.1
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/577 using determination of contact between game characters or objects, e.g. to avoid collision between virtual racing cars
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1006 having additional degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/643 by determining the impact between objects, e.g. collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/041 Two-dimensional labyrinths
• 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 1/1694 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 3/0346 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

A portable data processing apparatus has an integrated screen that displays one or more graphical or other objects presented thereto. The screen has a gravitation-controlled sensor for measuring a spatial orientation thereof. The apparatus has a programmed data processor for under control of a predetermined range of spatial orientations imparting a non-stationary motion pattern to a predetermined selection among the objects. The motion can be used in the way of a joystick. Eventually it may result in off-screen dumping, loading, or transfer of an associated object.

Claims

1. A manipulatable apparatus having data processing means and screen means for displaying one or more graphical or other objects presented by said data processing means, a gravitation-controlled sensor integrated with said screen means and feeding said data processing means for measuring an acceleration of said screen means induced by user manipulation of the screen means, wherein said data processing means have programmed calculating means for under control of a screen motion sensed by said sensing means imparting an acceleration based motion pattern to a predetermined selection among said objects.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said predetermined range of spatial orientations is limited to having a gravitation vector component perpendicular to said screen means.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claims 1, wherein said gravitation-controlled sensor means control said motion in the manner of a joystick.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said motion is linewise and parallel to an inclination vector of said screen means with respect to a vertical direction.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said motion pattern is different among at least two simultaneous selections among said objects.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said motion is nonuniform in time under control of a static said orientation of the screen means.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said motion pattern is constrained by one or more further on-screen objects.

8. An apparatus as claim 1, wherein said motion represents a a motion of the object as if the force applied to the screen were applied to the object.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said motion represents a scrolling effect on an associated text object.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a predetermined amount of said motion effects a removal of an associated predetermined object from said screen means and transmission to a remote data processing device.

11. A manipulatable apparatus having data processing means and a display screen for displaying one or more graphical or other objects presented by said data processing means, a gravitation-controlled sensor integrated with said display screen and feeding said data processing means for measuring dynamical changes of the spatial orientation of said display screen induced by user manipulation of the display screen, wherein said data processing means have programmed calculating means for under control of a screen motion sensed by said sensor, due to dynamical changes of the spatial orientation of the screen, imparting an acceleration based motion pattern to a predetermined selection among said objects which motion corresponds to the dynamical change of the spatial orientation of the screen.