Electronic apparatus and a control method thereof

• US 6,300,933 B1
• Filed: 09/05/1996
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tatsumi, Eisaku, Nagasaki, Katsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Application Number:
  US08/708,413
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/179, 345/123, 345/112, 349/12, 178/18, 178/19
• US Class Current: 345/685
• 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 1/1686 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 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1632 Pen holder integrated in the 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

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes an acceleration sensor, an inclination detector, a pushbutton switch, a use condition detector, a screen control determiner, a screen, and a screen controller. The apparatus is controlled in a method that enables the execution of control in which the contents of operation intended by the user are exactly reflected. The acceleration sensor and the inclination detector detect an inclination of the apparatus. The use condition detector detects the use of the apparatus, based on whether the pushbutton switch is turned on or not. The screen control determiner determines whether or not to execute screen control, based on both the inclination detected by the inclination detector and the use of the apparatus detected by the use condition detector. The screen controller controls the screen, based on the result determined by the screen control determiner.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus including:

first detection means for detecting an inclination of said apparatus;

second detection means for detecting a state of an instruction member arranged on said apparatus, wherein the instruction member indicates whether the inclination of said apparatus should be used to control a display screen; and

control means for controlling the display screen when the inclination detected by said first detection means continues for a predetermined period, said control means controlling the display screen based on both the inclination detected by said first detection means and the state of the instruction member detected by said second detection means,

wherein said control means controls one of a scrolling operation and a page turning operation of the display screen such that a page is turned immediately when the inclination of said apparatus is greater than a predetermined angle.

2. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said instruction member comprises a pushbutton switch device.

3. An electronic apparatus according to claim 2, further including an input stylus, wherein

the pushbutton switch is disposed on said apparatus in a stylus holder where the input stylus is held, and

the pushbutton switch is turned on by setting the input stylus in the stylus holder of said apparatus.

4. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further including view detection means for detecting the direction of the view of the user,

wherein said second detection means detects the use of said apparatus, based on the direction of the view of the user detected by said view detection means.

5. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means controls the display screen based on at least one of a duration of inclination of said apparatus, a direction of inclination of said apparatus, and an angle of inclination of said apparatus.

6. An electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means scrolls the display screen when an inclination of said apparatus is below or equal to a predetermined angle, or turns a page when an inclination of said apparatus is over the predetermined angle.

7. A control method of an electronic apparatus including an instruction member, the method including:

a first detection step for detecting an inclination of said apparatus;

a second detection step for detecting a state of the instruction member, wherein the instruction member indicates whether the inclination of said apparatus should be used to control a display screen; and

a control step for controlling the display screen when the inclination detected by said first detection step continues for a predetermined period, said control means controlling the display screen based on both the inclination of said apparatus detected in said first detection step and the state of the instruction member detected in said second detection step,

wherein said control step controls one of a scrolling operation and a page turning operation of the display screen such that a page is turned immediately when the inclination of said apparatus is greater than a predetermined angle.

8. A control method of an electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the instruction member comprises a pushbutton switch device.

9. A control method of an electronic apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the pushbutton switch is disposed on said apparatus in a stylus holder where an input stylus is held, and

the pushbutton switch is turned on by setting the input stylus in the stylus holder of said apparatus.

10. A control method of an electronic apparatus according to claim 7, further including a view detection step for detecting the direction of the view of the user,

wherein said second detection step detects the use of said apparatus, based on the direction of the view of the user detected by said view detection means.

11. A control method of an electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said control step controls the display screen based on at least one of a duration of inclination of said apparatus, a direction of inclination of said apparatus, and an angle of inclination of said apparatus.

12. A control method of an electronic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said control step scrolls the display screen when an inclination of said apparatus is below or equal to a predetermined angle, or turns a page when an inclination of said apparatus is over the predetermined angle.

13. An electronic apparatus including an instruction member, in which a computer unit is controlled by inputting a predetermined program from a memory medium, wherein said memory medium includes:

a procedure code used in a first detection step for detecting an inclination of said apparatus;

a procedure code used in a second detection step for detecting a state of the instruction member arranged on said apparatus, wherein the instruction member indicates whether the inclination of said apparatus should be used to control a display screen; and

a procedure code in a control step for controlling the display screen when the inclination detected in said first detection step continues for a predetermined period, said control step controlling the display screen based on both the inclination of said apparatus detected in said first detection step and the state of the instruction member detected in said second detection step,

wherein said control step controls one of a scrolling operation and a page turning operation of the display screen such that a page is turned immediately when the inclination of said apparatus is greater than a predetermined angle.

14. An electronic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said control step controls the display screen based on at least one of a duration of inclination of said apparatus, a direction of inclination of said apparatus, and an angle of inclination of said apparatus.

15. An electronic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said control step scrolls the display screen when an inclination of said apparatus is below or equal to a predetermined angle, or turns a page when an inclination of said apparatus is over the predetermined angle.