Handheld device with notification message viewing

• US 10,375,220 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2018
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Gardenfors, Dan Zacharias, Ademar, Leif Fredrik, Griffin, Jason Tyler, Hamilton, Alistair Robert, Johansson, Karl-Anders Reinhold, Lazaridis, Mihal
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US15/864,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20180131801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• 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 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• 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 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03 Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
• 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: G09G 2320/0261 in the context of movement of objects on the screen or movement of the observer relative to the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/028 by changing the viewing angle properties, e.g. widening the viewing angle, adapting the viewing angle to the view direction
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/068 for control of viewing angle adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Displaying information related to a message on a display screen of a handheld electronic device. In response to a movement of the handheld electronic device from an initial position to a first orientation, displaying on the display screen a first notice related to the message.

Claims

1. A handheld electronic device, comprising:

a controller;

a display screen coupled to the controller;

a memory coupled to the controller; and

a sensor coupled to the controller for generating a signal in dependence on a tilt angle of the device;

wherein the controller is configured by instructions stored on the memory to cause the display screen to display information related to receipt of an electronic message by;

in response to detecting a notification message trigger followed by a first movement of the device from an untilted position to a first tilt angle, displaying on the display screen a first notice including sender identification for the electronic message, without displaying subject information corresponding to a subject field for the electronic message and without displaying any content corresponding to a message body field of the electronic message; and

in response to a second movement of the device from the first tilt angle to a second tilt angle, displaying a second notice on the display screen, the second notice including the sending identification and the subject information, without displaying any content.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured by the instructions to:

in response to a third movement of the device from the second tilt angle to a third tilt angle, displaying on the display screen a third notice related to the event, the third notice including the sending identification, the subject information and at least some of the content.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein tilting of the device comprises tilting the device about a tilt axis that is substantially parallel to the display screen.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein tilting of the device comprises tilting the device about an axis that is substantially parallel to an edge of the device.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured by the instructions to:

detect a reverse movement of the device from the second tilt angle back towards the first tilt angle; and

progressively reduce the amount of displayed information related to the electronic message.

6. The device of claim 2 wherein the controller is further configured by the instructions to:

detect a reverse movement of the device from the third tilt angle back towards the second tilt angle, or from the second tilt angle back towards the first tilt angle; and

progressively reduce the amount of displayed information related to the electronic message.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the untilted position of the device is selected from the group comprising:

the display screen facing downwards;

the display screen facing upwards;

the device supported on a substantially horizontal surface;

or the device supported in the hand of a user.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein when the untilted position of the device is facing downwards, displaying the first notice comprises displaying characters on the display screen so that a reflected image of the displayed characters can be viewed directly in a correct orientation.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein displaying characters comprises displaying an inverted mirror image of the characters.

10. The device of claim 8 wherein the controller is further configured by the instructions to:

estimate a location of the device relative to a surface in dependence on information from the sensor;

measure light reflected from the surface;

estimate a reflectance of the surface in dependence on the estimated location and measured light; and

determine whether the reflectance of the surface is sufficient to activate a reflective display mode in which characters are displayed on the display screen so that the reflected image of the displayed characters can be viewed directly in a correct orientation.

11. A method for displaying information related to receipt of an electronic message on a display screen of a handheld electronic device, the method comprising:

in response to detecting a notification message trigger followed by a first movement of the device from an untilted position to a first tilt angle, displaying on the display screen a first notice including sender identification for the electronic message, without displaying subject information corresponding to a subject field for the electronic message and without displaying any content corresponding to a message body field of the electronic message; and

in response to a second movement of the device from the first tilt angle to a second tilt angle, displaying a second notice on the display screen, the second notice including the sending identification and the subject information, without displaying any content.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

in response to a third movement of the device from the second tilt angle to a third tilt angle, displaying on the display screen a third notice related to the event, the third notice including the sending identification, the subject information and at least some of the content.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein tilting of the device comprises tilting the device about a tilt axis that is substantially parallel to the display screen.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein tilting of the device comprises tilting the device about an axis that is substantially parallel to an edge of the device.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

detecting a reverse movement of the device from the second tilt angle back towards the first tilt angle; and

progressively reduce the amount of displayed information related to the electronic message.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

detecting a reverse movement of the device from the third tilt angle back towards the second tilt angle, or from the second tilt angle back towards the first tilt angle; and

progressively reducing the amount of displayed information related to the electronic message.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the untilted position of the device is selected from the group comprising:

the display screen facing downwards;

the display screen facing upwards;

the device supported on a substantially horizontal surface;

or the device supported in the hand of a user.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein when the untilted position of the device is facing downwards, displaying the first notice comprises displaying characters on the display screen so that a reflected image of the displayed characters can be viewed directly in a correct orientation.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

estimating a location of the device relative to a surface;

measuring light reflected from the surface;

estimating a reflectance of the surface in dependence on the estimated location and measured light; and

determining whether the reflectance of the surface is sufficient to activate a reflective display mode in which characters are displayed on the display screen so that the reflected image of the displayed characters can be viewed directly in a correct orientation.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed on one or more processors of a handheld electronic device, cause the device to display, on a display screen of the device, information related to receipt of an electronic message by:

in response to detecting a notification message trigger followed by a first movement of the device from an untilted position to a first tilt angle, displaying on the display screen a first notice including sender identification for the electronic message, without displaying subject information corresponding to a subject field for the electronic message and without displaying any content corresponding to a message body field of the electronic message; and

in response to a second movement of the device from the first tilt angle to a second tilt angle, displaying a second notice on the display screen, the second notice including the sending identification and the subject information, without displaying any content.