Multi-stage device orientation detection

• US 9,244,499 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2012
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Tu, Xiaoyuan
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, CHANTE E
• Application Number:
  US13/492,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20130328935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 345/659, 345/158, 345/207, 345/651, 333/56, 702/141
• 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: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• 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: G06T 3/60 Rotation of whole images or parts thereof

Abstract

In general, in one aspect, a method includes receiving data from one or more motion sensors of a mobile device and calculating, after the period of time, a statistical measurement of the motion sensor data. The method also includes comparing the calculated statistical measurement to one or more threshold values, and, based on the comparing, determining a dynamic state of the mobile device. The method also includes, based on the determined dynamic state, determining an orientation of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data from two or more motion sensors of a mobile device;

calculating, after a period of time, statistical measurements of the motion sensor data, the statistical measurements including a standard deviation of the motion sensor data and an arithmetic mean of the motion sensor data, a first calculated statistical measurement of the statistical measurements based on data received from a first one of the two or more motion sensors, and a second calculated statistical measurement of the statistical measurements based on data received from a second one of the two or more motion sensors;

comparing the first calculated statistical measurement to a first set of one or more threshold values;

comparing the second calculated statistical measurement to a second set of one or more threshold values;

based on the comparing, determining a dynamic state of the mobile device;

based on the determined dynamic state, determining an orientation of the mobile device; and

displaying information on the mobile device based on the determined orientation of the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the dynamic state of the mobile device includes:

determining that the mobile device is in a first dynamic state when the calculated statistical measurement is less than a first threshold;

determining that the mobile device is in a second dynamic state when the calculated statistical measurement is greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than a second threshold; and

determining that the mobile device is in a third dynamic state when the calculated statistical measurement is greater than or equal to a third threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the orientation of the mobile device includes:

analyzing the motion sensor data to determine the orientation of the mobile device according to a first process when the dynamic state is determined to be the first dynamic state; and

analyzing the motion sensor data to determine the orientation of the mobile device according to a second process when the dynamic state is determined to be the second dynamic state.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining the orientation of the mobile device further includes maintaining a previous orientation of the displayed information when the dynamic state is determined to be the third dynamic state.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving data from one or more light sensors of the mobile device, wherein the orientation of the mobile device is determined based in part on the data received from the one or more light sensors.

6. A method comprising:

receiving data from an accelerometer and data from a gyroscope of a mobile device;

after a period of time, calculating a first statistical measurement of the received accelerometer data and calculating a second statistical measurement of the received gyroscope data;

comparing the calculated first statistical measurement to a first set of one or more threshold values and comparing the calculated second statistical measurement to a second set of one or more threshold values;

based on the comparing, determining a dynamic state of the mobile device;

based on the determined dynamic state, determining an orientation of the mobile device; and

displaying information on the mobile device based on the determined orientation of the mobile device.

7. A system comprising:

a mobile device comprising a processor and memory, the mobile device configured to;

receive data from two or more motion sensors of a mobile device;

calculate, after a period of time, statistical measurements of the motion sensor data, the statistical measurements including a standard deviation of the motion sensor data and an arithmetic mean of the motion sensor data, a first calculated statistical measurement of the statistical measurements based on data received from a first one of the two or more motion sensors, and a second calculated statistical measurement of the statistical measurements based on data received from a second one of the two or more motion sensors;

compare the first calculated statistical measurement to a first set of one or more threshold values;

compare the second calculated statistical measurement to a second set of one or more threshold values;

based on the comparing, determine a dynamic state of the mobile device;

based on the determined dynamic state, determine an orientation of the mobile device and;

displaying information on the mobile device based on the determined orientation of the mobile device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the mobile device is configured to determine the dynamic state of the mobile device by:

determining that the mobile device is in a first dynamic state when the calculated statistical measurement is less than a first threshold;

determining that the mobile device is in a second dynamic state when the calculated statistical measurement is greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than a second threshold; and

determining that the mobile device is in a third dynamic state when the calculated statistical measurement is greater than or equal to a third threshold.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the mobile device is configured to determine the orientation of the mobile device by:

analyzing the motion sensor data to determine the orientation of the mobile device according to a first process when the dynamic state is determined to be the first dynamic state; and

analyzing the motion sensor data to determine the orientation of the mobile device according to a second process when the dynamic state is determined to be the second dynamic state.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the mobile device is configured to determine the orientation of the mobile device by maintaining a previous orientation of the displayed information when the dynamic state is determined to be the third dynamic state.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the mobile device is configured to receive data from one or more light sensors of the mobile device, wherein the orientation of the mobile device is determined based in part on the data received from the one or more light sensors.

12. A system comprising:

a mobile device comprising a processor and memory, the mobile device configured to;

receive data from an accelerometer and data from a gyroscope;

calculate a first statistical measurement of the received accelerometer data and a second statistical measurement of the received gyroscope data;

compare the calculated first statistical measurement to a first set of one or more threshold values and the calculated second statistical measurement to a second set of one or more threshold values;

based on the comparing, determine a dynamic state of the mobile device;

based on the determined dynamic state, determine an orientation of the mobile device and;

displaying information on the mobile device based on the determined orientation of the mobile device.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage device storing a computer program product configured to cause a mobile device to perform operations comprising:

receiving data from two or more motion sensors of a mobile device;

calculating, after a period of time, statistical measurements of the motion sensor data, the statistical measurements including a standard deviation of the motion sensor data and an arithmetic mean of the motion sensor data, a first calculated statistical measurement of the statistical measurements based on data received from a first one of the two or more motion sensors, and a second calculated statistical measurement of the statistical measurements based on data received from a second one of the two or more motion sensors;

comparing the first calculated statistical measurement to a first set of one or more threshold values;

comparing the second calculated statistical measurement to a second set of one or more threshold values;

based on the comparing, determining a dynamic state of the mobile device;

based on the determined dynamic state, determining an orientation of the mobile device and;

displaying information on the mobile device based on the determined orientation of the mobile device.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein determining the dynamic state of the mobile device includes:

determining that the mobile device is in a first dynamic state when the calculated statistical measurement is less than a first threshold;

determining that the mobile device is in a second dynamic state when the calculated statistical measurement is greater than or equal to the first threshold and less than a second threshold; and

determining that the mobile device is in a third dynamic state when the calculated statistical measurement is greater than or equal to a third threshold.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 14, wherein determining the orientation of the mobile device includes:

analyzing the motion sensor data to determine the orientation of the mobile device according to a first process when the dynamic state is determined to be the first dynamic state; and

analyzing the motion sensor data to determine the orientation of the mobile device according to a second process when the dynamic state is determined to be the second dynamic state.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 14, wherein the determining the orientation of the mobile device further includes maintaining a previous orientation of the displayed information when the dynamic state is determined to be the third dynamic state.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, the operations comprising receiving data from one or more light sensors of the mobile device, wherein the orientation of the mobile device is determined based in part on the data received from the one or more light sensors.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage device storing a computer program product configured to cause a mobile device to perform operations comprising:

receiving data from an accelerometer and data from a gyroscope of a mobile device;

after a period of time, calculating a first statistical measurement of the received accelerometer data and calculating a second statistical measurement of the received gyroscope data;

comparing the calculated first statistical measurement to a first set of one or more threshold values and comparing the calculated second statistical measurement to a second set of one or more threshold values;

based on the comparing, determining a dynamic state of the mobile device;

based on the determined dynamic state, determining an orientation of the mobile device and;

displaying information on the mobile device based on the determined orientation of the mobile device.