Directional input device and display orientation control

• US 7,671,845 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Keely, Leroy B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala; Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holton; Steven E
• Application Number:
  US10/999,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20060123362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,918 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184
• US Class Current: 345/169
• 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 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0338 with detection of limited linear or angular displacement of an operating part of the device from a neutral position, e.g. isotonic or isometric joysticks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A computer system includes a processor creating a renderable image in a first orientation, a display showing the image in the first orientation, and a directional input device having an orientation indicator that is movable between a first position associated with the first image orientation and a second position associated with a second image orientation. The orientation indicator may provide a visual indication of the orientation of the image being shown on the display. The orientation indicator may be movable between a first position associated with the first image orientation and a second position associated with a second image orientation. The processor may create the renderable image in the second orientation and the display may show the image in the second orientation in response to the orientation indicator moving from the first position to the second position.

Claims

1. A system for displaying an image in a plurality of orientations comprising:

a processor creating a renderable image in a first orientation;

a display showing the image in the first orientation; and

a directional input device being movable between a first position associated with a first display orientation and a second position associated with a second display orientation, the movement of the directional input device between the first position and the second position controls the rendering of the image between the first display orientation and the second display orientation, and, if the display changes to render the image in a second orientation, directional functionality of the directional input device changes from a first directional functionality associated with the first image orientation to a second directional functionality associated with the second image orientation.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein, if the directional input device moves from the first position to the second position, the processor creates the renderable image in the second orientation and the display shows the image in the second orientation.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second orientation is one-hundred eighty (180) degrees from the first orientation, and the second directional functionality is one-hundred eighty (180) degrees from the first directional functionality.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the directional input device includes a turntable permitting the directional input device to rotate from the first position to the second position.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the directional input device includes a scroll wheel that rotates between the first position and the second position.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the directional input device includes a biasing member encouraging the turntable to remain in the first position, and if the turntable rotates away from the first position toward the second position, encouraging the turntable to continue rotating into the second position.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the biasing member includes a compression spring and a damper.

8. The system according to claim 4, wherein the directional input device includes a tilt scroll wheel that rotates around a primary axis and permits side-to-side movement in the primary plane in which the wheel resides and rotates.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the directional input device includes a relocatable scroll wheel assembly.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the directional input device includes a slidable optical scanner movable as desired to change between the first display orientation and the second display orientation.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the directional input device includes a static input sensor and a movable orientation indicator that moves between the first position and the second position.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the static input sensor includes one of;

touch pad or a sweep sensor.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the orientation indicator includes a pointer identifying a primary control direction for the directional input device.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the orientation indicator includes a light source.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the light source illuminates a pointer identifying a primary control direction for the directional input device.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the orientation indicator includes a light-transmitting contact surface and the light source illuminates the contact surface.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein the light source illuminates in accordance with a state of the system.

18. The system according to claim 1, wherein the directional input device includes one of:

a fingerprint reader, a touch pad, a sweep sensor, or a scroll wheel.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein the directional input device includes a contact surface and a contact sensor.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the contact sensor includes one of;

a proximity sensor or a touch sensor.

21. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first image orientation is from zero (0) degrees to one-hundred eighty (180) degrees from the second image orientation.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein the first image orientation is from zero (0) degrees to ninety (90) degrees from the second image orientation.

23. The system according to claim 21, wherein the first image orientation is ninety (90) degrees from the second image orientation.

24. A directional input device for scrolling an image relative to a display screen and for indicating the orientation of a display image, the movable control comprising:

a directional input sensor that detects user instructions for scanning an image in a first direction relative to the display screen; and

a directional indicator that provides a visual indication of the orientation of the image and the scan direction for scanning the image, the directional indicator being movable between a first position and a second position, the first position being associated with a first orientation of the display image and the second position being associated with a second orientation of the display image, the directional indicator movement occurs independent to the detection of user instructions for scanning an image by directional input sensor, wherein the independent movement of the directional indicator to the directional input sensor enables the directional input sensor to detect user instructions for scanning—

an image in the first direction relative to the display screen when the directional indicator is in the second position.

25. The directional input device according to claim 24, further comprising a turntable permitting the directional indicator to rotate from the first position to the second position.

26. The directional input device according to claim 25, further comprising a biasing mechanism biasing the directional indicator toward one of:

the first position or the second position.

27. The directional input device according to claim 26, wherein the directional input sensor includes a scroll wheel device having a scroll wheel, and the directional indicator includes a visible portion of the scroll wheel.

28. The directional input device according to claim 27, further comprising a dish substantially disposed about the scroll wheel, wherein the scroll wheel extends through a bottom portion of the dish such that an upper portion of the scroll wheel is disposed above the dish bottom portion and a bottom portion of the scroll wheel is disposed below the dish bottom portion.

29. The directional input device according to 24, wherein the directional indicator includes a pointer identifying a primary control direction for the directional input device.

30. A method for switching the orientation of an image on a display screen from a first orientation to a second orientation, the method comprising:

displaying an image at a first orientation on a display screen;

receiving first scan instructions from a directional input device, the first scan instructions including instructions to scan content shown in the image from a top position to a bottom position, wherein the directional input device includes a directional indicator that provides a visual indication of an orientation of the image and a scan direction for scanning the image;

scanning the content in a first direction relative to the content and relative to the display in response to receiving the scan instructions;

sensing, by way of a directional input sensor, movement of the directional input device from a first position to a second position, wherein the independent movement of the directional indicator to the directional input sensor enables the directional input sensor to detect user instructions for scanning the image in the first direction relative to the display when the directional indicator is in the second position;

displaying the image at a second orientation on the display screen in response to sensing the movement of the directional input device from the first orientation;

receiving second scan instructions from the directional input device, the second scan instructions including instructions to scan the content from the top position to the bottom position; and

scanning the content in a second direction in response to receiving the scan instructions, the second direction being the same as the first direction relative to the content.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein, for displaying the image at a second orientation, the second orientation is rotated ninety (90) degrees from the first orientation.

32. The method according to claim 30, wherein, for displaying the image at a second orientation, the second orientation is rotated one-hundred eighty (180) degrees from the first orientation.

33. The method according to claim 30, further comprising illuminating the directional input device.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein illuminating includes sensing a system state and selecting a first illumination condition based on the system state.

35. A computer-readable medium having a computer-executable program stored thereon, the program for switching the orientation of an image on a display screen from a first orientation to a second orientation and comprising the acts:

displaying an image at a first orientation on a display screen;

receiving first scan instructions from a directional input device, the first scan instructions including instructions to linearly scan content shown in the image, wherein the directional input device includes a directional indicator that provides a visual indication of an orientation of the image and a scan direction for scanning the image;

scanning the content in a first direction relative to the content and relative to the display in response to receiving the scan instructions;

sensing, by way of a directional input sensor, rotational movement of the directional input device from a first position to one or more second position oriented step-wise in five (5) degree increments from five (5) degrees to one-hundred eighty (180) degrees from the first position, wherein independent movement of the directional indicator to the directional input sensor enables the directional input sensor to detect user instructions for scanning the image in the first direction relative to the display when the directional indicator is in the second position;

displaying the image at a second orientation on the display screen in response to sensing the movement of the directional input device, the second orientation correspondingly step-wise oriented to the step-wise movement of the directional input device;

receiving second scan instructions from a directional input device, the second scan instructions including instructions to linearly scan content shown in the image; and

scanning the content in a second direction relative to the second orientation on the display in response to receiving the scan instructions.

36. The computer-readable medium according to claim 35, further comprising the acts:

receiving second scan instructions from the directional input device, the second scan instructions including instructions to linearly scan the content; and

scanning the content in a second direction in response to receiving the scan instructions, the second direction being the same as the first direction relative to the content.

37. The computer-readable medium according to claim 35, wherein, for displaying the image at a second orientation, the second orientation is rotated ninety (90) degrees from the first orientation.

38. The computer-readable medium according to claim 35, wherein, for displaying the image at a second orientation, the second orientation is rotated one-hundred eighty (180) degrees from the first orientation.

39. The computer-readable medium according to claim 35, further comprising the act:

illuminating the directional input device.

40. The computer-readable medium according to claim 39, wherein illuminating includes sensing a system state and selecting a first illumination condition from a plurality of illumination conditions based on the system state.

41. A system for displaying an image in a plurality of orientations comprising:

a processor creating a renderable image in a first orientation;

a display showing the image in the first orientation; and

a directional input device being movable between a first position associated with a first display orientation and a second position associated with a second display orientation, the first display orientation being disposed ninety (90) degrees from the second display orientation, the directional input device is a scroll wheel assembly including;

a turntable permitting the scroll wheel assembly to rotate from the first position to the second position; and

a scroll wheel sensing user instructions for scanning the image in a first direction relative to the display; and

a directional indicator providing a visual indication of the orientation of the image and the scan direction for scanning the image, the directional indicator includes a visible portion of the scroll wheel, the turntable permitting the directional indicator to rotate between a first position and a second position, the first position being associated with a first orientation of the display image and the second position being associated with a second orientation of the display image;

wherein, if the directional input device moves from the first position to the second position, the processor creates the renderable image in the second orientation and the display shows the image in the second orientation and the sensing of the user instructions for scanning in the image in the second orientation is in the first direction.