Method, an apparatus and a computer program for controlling an output from a display of an apparatus

• US 9,632,575 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2010
• Issued: 04/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ketola, Pekka, Johansson, Panu, Tolonen, Ari
• Primary Examiner(s): Pervan, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US13/697,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20130127707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,531 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 710 1- 74
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/44 responsive to changes in electrical conductivity
• 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 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• 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 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A method including: displaying information corresponding to a first output state, temporarily displaying information corresponding to a second output state while a user actuation is occurring; and displaying information corresponding to the first output state when the user actuation is no longer occurring.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying information corresponding to a first output state;

in response to recognition that a temporary bending of a body of an apparatus is occurring, wherein the bending does not exceed a predetermined threshold, temporarily displaying information corresponding to a second output state;

returning to the display of information corresponding to the first output state response to recognition that the temporary bending of the body of the apparatus is no longer occurring; and

in response to detection that the temporary bending of the body of the apparatus is occurring, wherein the temporary bending exceeds the predetermined threshold, displaying information corresponding to the second output state, with the information corresponding to the second output state continuing to be displayed upon cessation of temporary bending of the body of the apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

temporarily displaying information corresponding to the second output state while a temporary bending of the body of the apparatus is occurring until the temporary bending of the body of the apparatus is interrupted and then displaying information corresponding to the first output state.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the temporary bending of the body of the apparatus comprises a temporary physical deformation of an internal supporting structure of the apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the apparatus has a front face comprising a display for display information and a back face, wherein bending the body of the apparatus compresses one of the faces and extends the other of the faces.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the temporary bending of the body of the apparatus is detected by a compression sensor is a compression sensor positioned in association with the back face.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the temporary bending of the body of the apparatus exceeds a threshold when a temporary physical deformation of an actuator exceeds a deformation threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the temporary bending of the body of the apparatus exceeds a threshold when the temporary bending of the apparatus exceeds a deflection threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a pairing of the first output state and the second output state is selected from the group comprising:

information corresponding to the first output state is inactive state information and information corresponding to the second output state comprises additional or different information;

information corresponding to the first output state is a content of a page of a document and information corresponding to the second output state is a content of later pages of the document;

information corresponding to the first output state is a screen for a currently active one of multiple running applications each having a respective screen and information corresponding to the second state is at least part of a screen for one of the multiple running applications that is not active;

information corresponding to the first state is a screen for a currently active one of multiple running applications each having a respective screen and

information corresponding to the second state is a whole of a screen for one of the multiple running applications that is not active.

19. An apparatus comprising means for performing the method of claim 1.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a sensor configured to respond to a temporary bending of the body of the apparatus by generating a sensor signal;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory comprising computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform;

controlling a display to display information corresponding to a first output state, in response to detecting the sensor signal from the sensor, wherein the sensor signal is generated in response, to a temporary bending of the body of the apparatus that does not exceed a predetermined deformation threshold, temporarily controlling the display to display information corresponding to a second output state;

in response cessation of detection of the sensor signal from the sensor, automatically controlling the display to return to display of information corresponding to the first output state; and

in response to detection of the sensor signal, wherein detection of the sensor signal indicates the temporary bending of the body of the apparatus exceeding the predetermined deformation threshold, display information corresponding to the second output state, with the information corresponding to the second output state continuing to be displayed upon cessation of temporary bending of the body of the apparatus.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sensor is configured to generate a sensor signal in response to physical deformation of the sensor.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sensor is positioned at a surface of the apparatus and is configured to generate the sensor signal in response to physical deformation of the surface of the apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sensor is positioned at an interior of the apparatus and is configured to generate the sensor signal in response to physical deformation of a supporting structure of the apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sensor is configured to generate the sensor signal in response to bending of the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus has a front face comprising a display for displaying information and a back face, wherein bending the apparatus compresses one of the faces and extends the other of the faces.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus has a front face comprising a display for displaying information and a back face, wherein bending the apparatus compresses the back face and extends the other of the faces and wherein the sensor is a compression sensor positioned in association with the back face.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sensor is configured to generate the sensor signal in excess of the threshold in response to physical deformation of the apparatus beyond a deformation threshold.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sensor is configured to generate a sensor signal in excess of the threshold in response to bending of the apparatus beyond a deflection threshold.

18. An apparatus comprising:

sensor means for responding to a temporary bending of a body of the apparatus by generating a sensor signal that increases as the degree of bending increases;

means for controlling a display to display information corresponding to a first output state;

means for temporarily controlling the display to display information corresponding to a second output state while the sensor signal is being generated, wherein the sensor signal is generated in response to a temporary bending of the body of the apparatus;

means for, in response to cessation of detection of the sensor signal from the sensor, controlling the display to return to display of information corresponding to the first output state; and

means for, in response to detection of the sensor signal;

wherein detection of the sensor signal indicates the temporary bending of the body of the apparatus exceeding the predetermined deformation threshold, exceeds the predetermined threshold, displaying information corresponding to the second output state, with the information corresponding to the second output state continuing to be displayed upon cessation of temporary bending of the body of the apparatus.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program of instructions, execution of which by a processor configures an apparatus to at least:

enable displaying information corresponding to a first output state;

in response to recognition that a temporary bending of a body of an apparatus is occurring, wherein the bending does not exceed a predetermined threshold, enable temporarily displaying information corresponding to a second output state;

enable returning to displaying information corresponding to the first output state in response to recognition that the temporary bending of the body of the apparatus is no longer occurring; and

in response to detection of temporary bending of the body of the apparatus exceeding the predetermined threshold,

display information corresponding to the second output state, with the information corresponding to the second output state continuing to be displayed upon cessation of temporary bending of the body of the apparatus.