Altering a display on a viewing device based upon a user controlled orientation of the viewing device

• US 20030234797A1
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Blake, Andrew, Williams, Lyndsay
• Granted Patent: US 7,184,025 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/649
• 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 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture altering a displayed image presented to a user on a viewing device using a user-controlled orientation of the viewing device to determine how the displayed image is to be presented. The viewing device includes a plurality of tilt sensors that are used to determine the orientation of the viewing device. As the user moves the orientation of the viewing device, the tilt sensors detect the change in the device orientation. These changes in orientation are used to alter the image being displayed upon the viewing device.

Claims

1. A system for altering a computer generated image of an object displayed upon a display device, the system comprising:

a display device orientation measurement module for obtaining a measure of a spatial orientation of the display device;

a hand-held processing module for generating the computer generated image of an object;

wherein the computer generated image of the object is generated using the measurements of the spatial orientation of the display device to determine a displayed orientation of the object.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein display device orientation measurement module comprises a tilt sensor for measuring the orientation of the display device in at least two dimensions.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein display device orientation measurement module further comprises a microcontroller processing module to pre-process the orientation measurements before transmission to the hand-held processing module.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the tilt sensor comprises an accelerometer to measure the orientation of the display device to a normal gravitational field.

5. The system according to claim 3, wherein the display device orientation measurement module transmits the orientation measurements to the hand-held processing module over a serial communications link.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the hand-held processing module comprises a Holosim processing module for generating the computer generated image of an object using the orientation measurements;

the Holosim processing module generates the computer generated image of an object by projecting the image of an object onto the display device based upon the orientation of the display device as contained in the orientation measurements.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the Holosim processing module applies an oblique projection matrix to all visible points on the object to generate the the computer generated image of an object.

8. A method for altering a computer generated image of an object displayed upon a display device, the display device having a display device orientation measurement module for obtaining a measure of a spatial orientation of the display device, the method comprising:

obtaining a set of orientation measurements for the display device from the display device orientation measurement module;

generating a transformation matrix using the set of orientation measurements for use in generating the computer generated image of an object; and

applying the transformation matrix to all visible points within the computer generated image of an object.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the display device orientation measurement module comprises a tilt sensor for measuring the orientation of the display device in at least two dimensions.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein display device orientation measurement module further comprises a microcontroller processing module to pre-process the orientation measurements before transmission to a hand-held processing module;

and

the hand-held processing module generates and applies the transformation matrix to generate the image of an object.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the display device orientation measurement module transmits the orientation measurements to the hand-held processing module over a serial communications link.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the Holosim processing module applies an oblique projection matrix to all visible points on the object to generate the the computer generated image of an object.

13. A method for altering a computer generated image of an object displayed upon a display device, the display device having a display device orientation measurement module for obtaining a measure of a spatial orientation of the display device, the method comprising:

obtaining a set of orientation measurements for the display device from the display device orientation measurement module;

generating a transformation matrix using the set of orientation measurements for use in generating the computer generated image of an object; and

applying the transformation matrix to all visible points within the computer generated image of an object.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the display device orientation measurement module comprises a tilt sensor for measuring the orientation of the display device in at least two dimensions.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein display device orientation measurement module further comprises a microcontroller processing module to pre-process the orientation measurements before transmission to a hand-held processing module;

and

the hand-held processing module generates and applies the transformation matrix to generate the image of an object.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the display device orientation measurement module transmits the orientation measurements to the hand-held processing module over a serial communications link.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the Holosim processing module applies an oblique projection matrix to all visible points on the object to generate the the computer generated image of an object.

18. The computer program data product according to claim 13, wherein the computer program data product comprises a computer readable storage medium.

19. The computer program data product according to claim 13, wherein the computer program data product comprises a computer readable data stream encoded and superimposed upon a carrier wave for transmission between computing systems.