Method and system for tilt-based actuation

• US 9,383,818 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Slonneger, Andrew M, Dalvi, Sajid I
• Primary Examiner(s): MISHLER, ROBIN J
• Application Number:
  US14/141,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20150185836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• 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: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

An electronic device, system associated therewith, and method of operating an electronic device are disclosed. In one example embodiment, the method includes storing 310 a first base tilt position of the electronic device based upon at least one position signal received by a processing device at least indirectly from a position or movement sensing component. The method additionally includes defining 312 a plurality of tilt zones in relation to the base tilt position, including a base tilt zone containing the base tilt position, determining 324 whether a tilt position of the device has changed to a second tilt zone of the plurality of tilt zones, and causing 328 a display component of the device to perform displaying of information in a scrolling manner determined at least in part based upon the second tilt zone.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a processor of an electronic device, from a position or movement sensor of the electronic device, at least one position signal;

determining, by the processor of the electronic device, based on the at least one position signal, a first tilt position of the electronic device;

responsive to determining that the first tilt position has remained steady at a viewable angle for at least a predetermined amount of time;

storing, by the processor of the electronic device, to a memory of the electronic device, the first tilt position of the electronic device;

defining, by the processor of the electronic device, a plurality of tilt zones that are in relation to the first tilt position, the plurality of tilt zones including a first tilt zone that includes the first tilt position;

determining, by the processor of the electronic device, based on the at least one position signal, a second tilt position of the electronic device; and

responsive to determining that the second tilt position of the electronic device is included in a second tilt zone of the plurality of tilt zones, outputting, for display by a display of the electronic device, scrolling information, wherein the scrolling information is determined based at least in part on the second tilt zone; and

responsive to determining that the first tilt position has not remained steady at the viewable angle for at least the predetermined amount of time;

determining, by the processor of the electronic device, based on the at least one position signal, a third tilt position of the electronic device; and

responsive to determining that the third tilt position has remained steady at any viewable angle for at least the predetermined amount of time, defining, by the processor of the electronic device, the plurality of tilt zones in relation to the third tilt position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the scrolling information includes increasing or decreasing a scrolling velocity associated with the scrolling information to a target velocity corresponding to the second tilt zone.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

after the scrolling velocity attains the target velocity, displaying, at the display of the electronic device, the scrolling information at the target velocity.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

responsive to determining that a fourth tilt position of the electronic device is included in the third tilt zone, increasing or decreasing the scrolling velocity to a second target velocity corresponding to a third tilt zone.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the scrolling information includes at least one of text, a series of messages, contacts information, web browsing information, or imagery, and the position or movement sensor is at least one of a gravity sensor, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that, while displayed, at least a portion of the scrolling information includes an uppermost or lowermost portion of the information, ceasing displaying, at the display of the electronic device, the scrolling information.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while displaying the scrolling information, detecting, by the processor of the electronic device, a user touch input; and

responsive to detecting the user touch input, ceasing displaying, at the display of the electronic device, the scrolling information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the viewable angle is a first viewable angle, the plurality of tilt zones are a first plurality of tilt zones, and the scrolling information is first scrolling information, the method further comprising:

after ceasing displaying the scrolling information i, determining, by the processor of the electronic device, that the second tilt position corresponds to a second viewable angle;

responsive to determining that the second tilt position corresponds to a second viewable angle and that the second tilt position has remained steady for the predetermined amount of time, storing, by the processor of the electronic device, at the memory device of the electronic device, the second tilt position of the electronic device;

defining, by the processor of the electronic device, a second plurality of tilt zones that are in relation to the second tilt position, the second plurality of tilt zones including the second tilt zone containing the second tilt position;

determining, by the processor of the electronic device, based on the at least one position signal, a fourth tilt position of the electronic device; and

responsive to determining that the fourth tilt position of the electronic device is included in a third tilt zone of the second plurality of tilt zones, displaying, at the display of the electronic device, second scrolling information, wherein the second scrolling information is determined based at least in part on the third tilt zone.

19. The method of claim 1,

wherein the predetermined amount of time is 160 milliseconds.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the first tilt position has stayed within plus or minus six degrees of separation from the viewable angle for at least the predetermined amount of time, determining, by the processor of the electronic device, that the first tilt position has remained steady at the viewable angle for at least the predetermined amount of time.

7. An electronic device comprising:

a display component that includes a display surface having a variable tilt position;

a position sensing component configured to provide at least one position signal indicative of the variable tilt position of the display surface; and

a processor configured to;

receive the at least one position signal;

determine, based on the at least one position signal, a first tilt position of the display surface;

responsive to determining that the first tilt position has remained steady at a viewable angle for a predetermined amount of time;

define a plurality of tilt zones that are in relation to the first tilt position, the plurality of tilt zones including a first tilt zone containing the first tilt position;

determine, based on the at least one position signal, a second tilt position of the display surface; and

responsive to determining that the second tilt position is included in a second tilt zone of the plurality of tilt zones, cause the display component to display scrolling information, wherein the scrolling information is determined based at least in part on the second tilt zone; and

responsive to determining that the first tilt position has not remained steady at the viewable angle for at least the predetermined amount of time;

determine, based on the at least one position signal, a third tilt position of the electronic device; and

responsive to determining that the third tilt position has remained steady at any viewable angle for at least the predetermined amount of time, define the plurality of tilt zones in relation to the third tilt position.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the electronic device is a wristwatch device, a smart phone, or a tablet computer.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the position sensing component includes one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a gravity sensor.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising a memory component configured to store the first tilt zone from which the plurality of tilt zones are defined.

13. A memory device comprising executable code that, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, causes the processor to:

receive, from a position or movement sensor the electronic device, at least one position signal;

determine, based on the at least one position signal, a first tilt position of the electronic device;

responsive to determining that the first tilt position has remained steady at a viewable angle for at least a predetermined amount of time;

store, at the memory device, the first tilt position of the electronic device;

define a plurality of tilt zones that are in relation to the first tilt position, the plurality of tilt zones including a first tilt zone containing the first tilt position;

determine, based on the at least one position signal, a second tilt position of the electronic device; and

responsive to determining that the second tilt position of the electronic device is included in a second tilt zone of the plurality of tilt zones, display, at a display of the electronic device, scrolling information, wherein the scrolling information is determined based at least in part on the second tilt zone; and

responsive to determining that the first tilt position has not remained steady at the viewable angle for at least the predetermined amount of time;

determine, based on the at least one position signal, a third tilt position of the electronic device; and

responsive to determining that the third tilt position has remained steady at any viewable angle for at least the predetermined amount of time, define the plurality of tilt zones in relation to the third tilt position.

14. The memory device of claim 13, comprising additional executable code that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to display at the display of the electronic device, the scrolling information by at least increasing or decreasing a scrolling velocity associated with the scrolling information to a target velocity corresponding to the second tilt zone.

15. The memory device of claim 14, comprising additional executable code that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to display the scrolling information at the target velocity after the scrolling velocity attains the target velocity.

16. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the target velocity is a first target velocity, the memory device comprising additional executable code that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:

responsive to determining that a third tilt position of the electronic device is included in the third tilt zone, increase or decrease the scrolling velocity to a second target velocity corresponding to a third tilt zone.

17. The memory device of claim 13, wherein the scrolling information includes one or both of text and imagery, and the position or movement sensor is at least one of a gravity sensor, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope.

18. The memory device of claim 17, wherein the scrolling information includes one or more of a series of messages, contacts information, and web browsing information.