Display orientation change for wireless devices

• US 9,305,232 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2009
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Tang, Yu
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, CHANTE E
• Application Number:
  US12/507,427
• Publication Number:
  US 20110018904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,449 Days
• Field of Search: 345/418, 345/650, 345/651, 345/658, 345/659, 345/656, 345/649
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/242 by image rotation, e.g. by 90 degrees
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/165 using facial parts and geometric relationships
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters

Abstract

A method for controlling an orientation of a display of a wireless device using a combination of accelerometer-determined orientation and camera-determined orientation, the camera being a frontal camera used to confirm or reverse the orientation found by the accelerometer.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling an orientation of a display on a wireless device comprising:

using at least one acceleration measurement to determine a first orientation of the wireless device;

using at least one image to determine a second orientation of the wireless device;

detecting if there is a face in the at least one image and if no face is detected, selecting the first orientation as a display orientation;

if the face is detected and the first and second orientations do not match, selecting the second orientation as the display orientation;

if the face is detected and the first and second orientations match, selecting either one as the display orientation; and

providing the display as a whole on the wireless device in accordance with the display orientation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating a frontal camera when the at least one acceleration measurement is received.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the using at least one image comprises using multiple images from an input video stream.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the display orientation is one of portrait and landscape.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one acceleration measurement is an acceleration pattern.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the using at least one acceleration measurement from an accelerometer in the wireless device is performed during a predetermined period.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the at least one acceleration measurement from at least one accelerometer in the wireless device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising acquiring the at least one image from a frontal camera of the wireless device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a default orientation corresponds to a predetermined one of the first orientation and the second orientation, and the default orientation is used when the first orientation and the second orientation match.

10. A wireless device comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory, a display screen, at least one accelerometer, and a frontal camera and adapted for;

using at least one acceleration measurement to determine a first orientation of the wireless device;

using at least one image to determine a second orientation of the wireless device;

detecting if there is a face in the at least one image and if no face is detected, selecting the first orientation as a display orientation;

if the face is detected and the first and second orientations do not match, selecting the second orientation as the display orientation;

if the face is detected and the first and second orientations match, selecting either one as the display orientation; and

providing the display as a whole on the wireless device in accordance with the display orientation.

11. The wireless device of claim 10, further comprising activating the frontal camera when the at least one acceleration measurement is received.

12. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein the using at least one image comprises using multiple images from an input video stream.

13. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein the display orientation is one of portrait and landscape.

14. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein the at least one acceleration measurement is an acceleration pattern.

15. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein the using at least one acceleration measurement from the accelerometer in the wireless device is performed during a predetermined period.

16. The wireless device of claim 10, further comprising receiving the at least one acceleration measurement from at least one accelerometer in the wireless device.

17. The wireless device of claim 10, further comprising acquiring the at least one image from the frontal camera of the wireless device.

18. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein a default orientation corresponds to a predetermined one of the first orientation and the second orientation, and the default orientation is used when the first orientation and the second orientation match.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium including program instructions recorded thereon for controlling an orientation of a display of a wireless device, the program instructions when executed configuring a processor of the wireless device for:

using at least one acceleration measurement to determine a first orientation of the wireless device;

using at least one image to determine a second orientation of the wireless device;

detecting if there is a face in the at least one image and if no face is detected, selecting the first orientation as a display orientation;

if the face is detected and the first and second orientations do not match, selecting the second orientation as the display orientation;

if the face is detected and the first and second orientations match, selecting either one as the display orientation; and

providing the display as a whole on the wireless device in accordance with the display orientation.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising receiving the least one acceleration measurement from at least one accelerometer in the wireless device.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising acquiring the at least one image from a frontal camera of the wireless device.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein a default orientation corresponds to a predetermined one of the first orientation and the second orientation, and the default orientation is used when the first orientation and the second orientation match.