Automatic orientation-based user interface for an ambiguous handheld device

• US 7,701,442 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Gettemy, Shawn R., Wong, Yoon Kean, Hanson, William Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Nitin
• Application Number:
  US11/773,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20070296693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-173, 178 1801- 1803
• US Class Current: 345/158
• 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 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• 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 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 2200/1637 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 device is provided that includes a user-interface feature, a detection mechanism and one or more internal components. The user-interface feature is configurable to have a selected orientation about one or more axes. The detection mechanism can detect orientation information about the electronic device. The one or more components may select the orientation of the user-interface feature based on the detected orientation information.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a set of user-interface features;

a detection mechanism to detect orientation information about the electronic device, the detection mechanism including one or more sensors contained within a housing of the electronic device; and

one or more components, including at least one processor, that is configured to (i) identify, from at least the orientation information, whether the electronic device is being operated in a first orientation or in a second orientation, and (ii) assign one or more functions to each of the set of user-interface features based on whether the electronic device is being operated in the first orientation or in the second orientation;

wherein the processor is configured to assign the one or more functions to each of the set of user-interface features by assigning for at least a first user-interface feature in the set, (i) a first function for when the first user-interface feature is actuated while the electronic device is operated in the first orientation, and (ii) a second function for when the first user-interface feature is actuated while the electronic device is operated in the second orientation; and

wherein each of the first function and second function excludes any function assigned to any other user-interface feature in the set of user-interface features in both of the first orientation and the second orientation.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the set of user-interface features are symmetrically disposed about a first axis, and wherein the identified first or second orientation defines a reference indication on the first axis.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the one or more components identify the first or second orientation by selecting a top-down direction on the first axis for displaying content on a display.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the set of user-interface features are symmetrically disposed about a first axis and a second axis, and wherein the identified first or second-orientation defines a first reference indication on the first axis, and a second reference indication on a second axis.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the set of user-interface features includes a set of buttons disposed symmetrically about a first axis, wherein the at least one processor identifies the orientation of the set of buttons by specifying a reference indication that defines a position of each button relative to the first axis, and wherein the processor assigns a function from a set of functions to each of the plurality of buttons based on the position of each button.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein one or more components include a display driver.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the detection mechanism includes a plurality of sensor that detect user-contact on a surface of the electronic device.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein at least the first user-interface feature in the set corresponds to a graphical input mechanism that appears on a display of the electronic device.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the graphical input mechanism is associated with a display content that changes based on the electronic device being operated in the first or second orientation.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the display is provided on a face of the housing.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the set of user-interface features includes one or more buttons.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the set of user-interface features includes one or more sensor pads.

13. A method for configuring an electronic device, the method comprising:

interpreting an orientation of the electronic device being operated by the user, based on sensor information;

configuring at least the first user-interface feature in the set of user-interface features according to the interpreted orientation, by assigning, for at least the first user-interface feature, (i) a first function for when the first user-interface feature is actuated while the electronic device is interpreted as being operated in the first orientation, and (ii) a second function for while the first user-interface feature is actuated when the electronic device is interpreted as being operated in the second orientation; and

wherein each of the first function and second function excludes any function assigned to any other user-interface feature of the set of user-interface features in both of the first orientation and the second orientation.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein interpreting an orientation includes determining a reference indication of the user-interface feature about one or more axes from the one or more contacts.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining reference indication about one or more axes that the user-interface feature is symmetrically disposed about.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the reference indication includes determining a direction for content appearing on a display.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein configuring the at least first user-interface feature includes assigning a function to each button in a button set using the reference indication.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein configuring the at least first user-interface feature includes assigning a function to a graphic input mechanism appearing on a display of the electronic mechanism.