Accelerometer-based touchscreen user interface

• US 9,176,542 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2010
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Milne, James R., Connors, Kirstin, Yasuhara, Trisha Ann Sachie
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahi, Towfiq
• Application Number:
  US12/698,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20110109546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,100 Days
• Field of Search: 345/158
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools

Abstract

A CE device for, e.g., displaying the time can incorporate an accelerometer to provide various features and enhancements. For example, tilting of the housing as sensed by the accelerometer may be used for controlling a volume output by an audio display, and/or for controlling a position of a screen cursor relative to underlying presentation on a visual display, and/or for controlling motion of a virtual object presented on the visual display; and/or for rotating a presentation on the visual display to always be oriented up and/or for determining that a person has tapped the housing based on signals from the accelerometer and in response thereto presenting an image of a rotatable object on the display.

Claims

1. Consumer electronics (CE) device comprising:

housing bearing a processor, a visual display, and an audio display, the processor controlling the displays;

accelerometer in the housing and outputting first, second, and third signals to the processor representing acceleration of the housing in first, second, and third spatial dimensions, respectively;

the processor determining a tilt of housing based on signals from the accelerometer and in response thereto controlling a volume output by the audio display, and/or controlling a position of a screen cursor relative to underlying presentation on the visual display, and/or controlling motion of a virtual object presented on the visual display, the processor responsive to a determination that the third signal is smaller than the first and second signals selecting the first and signals and not selecting the third signal, the processor combining the first and second signals to determine the direction and magnitude of tilt,

wherein the processor determines a tilt of the housing used on signals from the accelerometer and in response thereto controls a position of a screen cursor relative to underlying presentation on the visual display.

2. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the processor determines a tilt of the housing based on signals from the accelerometer and in response thereto controls a volume output by the audio display.

3. The CE device of claim 2, wherein the volume is changed proportionate to a degree of tilt determined by the processor.

4. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the cursor is moved on the visual display in a direction indicated by the tilt.

5. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the cursor remains fixe l in a location of the visual display and the underlying presentation is moved on the visual display in response to the tilt.

6. The CE device of claim 1, wherein speed of motion of the cursor relative to the underlying presentation on the visual display is proportional to a degree of tilt determined by the processor.

7. Consumer electronics (CE) device comprising:

housing bearing a processor, a visual display, and an audio display the processor controlling the displays;

accelerometer in the housing and outputting first, second, and third signals to the processor representing acceleration of the housing, in first, second, and third spatial dimensions, respectively;

the processor determining a tilt of the housing based on signals from the accelerometer and in response thereto controlling a volume output by the audio display, and/or controlling a position of a screen cursor relative to underlying presentation on the visual display, and/or controlling motion of a virtual object presented on the visual display, the processor responsive to a determination that the third signal is smaller than the first and second signals selecting the first and second signals and not selecting the third signal, the processor combining the first and second signals to determine the direction and magnitude of tilt,

wherein the processor determines a tilt of the housing based on signals from the accelerometer and in response thereto controls motion of a virtual object presented on the visual display.

8. The CE device of claim 7, wherein speed of motion of the Object on the visual display is proportional to a degree of tilt determined by the processor.