Stacked device position identification

• US 9,373,302 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2012
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Walker, David Ryan, Pasquero, Jerome, McKenzie, Donald Somerset McCulloch, Fyke, Steven Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Yodichkas, Aneeta
• Assistant Examiner(s): HONG, RICHARD J
• Application Number:
  US13/634,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20140043209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2356/00 Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/16 Use of wireless transmission of display information
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera

Abstract

Methods and electronic devices for identifying a location of a top electronic device stacked on top of a bottom electronic device are described. In one example embodiment, the top electronic device and the bottom electronic device are configured to communicate. In one example embodiment, the method includes: receiving camera data associated with a camera of the top electronic device; obtaining display data identifying a pixel arrangement on at least a portion of a display of the bottom electronic device; and identifying the position of the top electronic device relative to the bottom electronic device based on the camera data and the display data.

Claims

1. A processor implemented method of identifying a location of a top electronic device stacked on top of a bottom electronic device, the top electronic device and the bottom electronic device being configured to communicate, the method comprising:

receiving, at the processor, camera data associated with a camera of the top electronic device, the camera being mounted on a bottom of the top electronic device and facing a display on a top surface of the bottom electronic device when the top electronic device is stacked on top of the bottom electronic device;

obtaining, by the processor, display data identifying a pixel arrangement on at least a portion of the display of the bottom electronic device, the display data comprising information about a locating pattern which occupies the entirety of the display of the bottom electronic device;

identifying, by the processor, the position of the top electronic device relative to the bottom electronic device based on the camera data and the display data, wherein identifying the position of the top electronic device relative to the bottom electronic device based on the camera data and the display data comprises identifying the portion of the locating pattern corresponding to the camera data; and

after the position of the top electronic device has been identified relative to the bottom electronic device, displaying a further locating pattern on a portion of the display of the bottom electronic device that is obscured by the top electronic device, and wherein the further locating pattern does not occupy the entirety of the display of the bottom electronic device and wherein the further locating pattern is only displayed at a portion of the display of the bottom electronic device that is obscured by the top electronic device,

wherein, in response to a movement of the top electronic device with respect to the bottom electronic device, the further locating pattern moves along the display of the bottom electronic device to remain aligned with the camera of the top electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the position of the top electronic device relative to the bottom electronic device comprises:

identifying a portion of the display of the bottom electronic device that is represented by the camera data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the locating pattern is displayed to be invisible to a human eye.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying a further locating pattern on a portion of the display of the bottom electronic device that is obscured by the top electronic device comprises:

displaying the further locating pattern on a portion of the display that is aligned, at least in part, with the camera associated with the top electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying a further locating pattern on a portion of the display of the bottom electronic device that is obscured by the top electronic device comprises:

displaying the further locating pattern on a portion of the display that is aligned with the camera associated with the top electronic device and that is aligned with a portion of the top electronic device surrounding the camera.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving camera data associated with a camera of the top electronic device comprises:

receiving the camera data from the top electronic device via a communication subsystem associated with the bottom electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining display data identifying a pixel arrangement on at least a portion of the display of the bottom electronic device comprises:

receiving the display data from the bottom electronic device via a communication subsystem associated with the top electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the position of the top electronic device relative to the bottom electronic device comprises determining the relative orientation of the top electronic device and the bottom electronic device, the method further comprising:

determining whether the relative orientation satisfies first predetermined criteria and, if so, performing a first function on one or both of the top electronic device and the bottom electronic device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether the relative orientation satisfies second predetermined criteria and, if so, performing a second function on one or both of the top electronic device and the bottom electronic device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein performing a first function comprises implementing a preference profile.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein performing the first function comprises setting an alarm to a quiet mode and wherein performing the second function comprises setting an alarm to an audible mode.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on the identified position, providing a complementary user interface mode in which a display screen is displayed on the top electronic device that is related to a display screen displayed on the bottom electronic device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein providing a complementary user interface mode comprises:

displaying, on a display on a top surface of the top electronic device, a display screen having one or more features aligned with features on a display screen displayed on the display of the bottom electronic device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying the position of the top electronic device relative to the bottom electronic device comprises identifying a portion of the display of the bottom electronic device that is aligned with a display of the top electronic device and wherein providing a complementary user interface mode comprises displaying, on the display of the top electronic device, content extracted from a display screen intended for display on the identified portion of the display of the bottom electronic device.

15. A top electronic device comprising:

a camera mounted on a bottom of the top electronic device;

a communication subsystem for communicating with a bottom electronic device; and

a processor configured to;

receive camera data associated with the camera of the top electronic device, the camera facing a display on a top surface of the bottom electronic device when the top electronic device is stacked on top of the bottom electronic device;

obtain display data identifying a pixel arrangement on at least a portion of the display of the bottom electronic device, the display data comprising information about a locating pattern which occupies the entirety of the display of the bottom electronic device;

identify the position of the top electronic device relative to the bottom electronic device based on the camera data and the display data, wherein identifying the position of the top electronic device relative to the bottom electronic device based on the camera data and the display data comprises identifying the portion of the locating pattern corresponding to the camera data;

after the position of the top electronic device has been identified relative to the bottom electronic device, displaying a further locating pattern on a portion of the display of the bottom electronic device that is obscured by the top electronic device, and wherein the further locating pattern does not occupy the entirety of the display of the bottom electronic device and wherein the further locating pattern is only displayed at a portion of the display of the bottom electronic device that is obscured by the top electronic device,

wherein, in response to a movement of the top electronic device with respect to the bottom electronic device, the further locating pattern moves along the display of the bottom electronic device to remain aligned with the camera of the top electronic device.