ORIENTATION BASED MULTIPLE MODE MECHANICALLY VIBRATED TOUCH SCREEN DISPLAY

• US 20080059888A1
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Dunko, Gregory A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,791,594 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/014 Force feedback applied to GUI
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• 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

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for reconfiguring the graphical user interface (GUI) of a mechanically vibrated touchscreen display associated with a portable mobile communications device that is operable in a variety of modes. The reconfiguration of the GUI is based on the orientation of the portable mobile communications device. An orientation sensing mechanism senses whether the portable mobile communications device is currently in a portrait or landscape orientation. An orientation sensing application accesses an orientation profile that associates each mode of operation with either a portrait or landscape orientation and determines which mode of operation is the default mode for the sensed orientation of the portable mobile communications device. The GUI of the mechanically vibrated touchscreen display is then reconfigured for the default mode of operation.

Claims

1. A method of reconfiguring the graphical user interface (GUI) of a mechanically vibrated touchscreen display associated with a portable mobile communications device that is operable in a variety of modes, the reconfiguration of the GUI based on the orientation of the portable mobile communications device, the method comprising:

(a) sensing whether the portable mobile communications device is currently in a portrait or landscape orientation;

(b) accessing an orientation profile that associates each mode of operation with either a portrait or landscape orientation;

(c) determining which mode of operation is the default mode for the sensed orientation of the portable mobile communications device; and

(d) reconfiguring the GUI of the mechanically vibrated touchscreen display for the default mode of operation.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(e) prompting the user if the current mode is the desired mode of operation;

(f) receiving input indicative of a response to prompting the user if the current mode is the desired mode of operation;

(g) reconfiguring the GUI of the mechanically vibrated touchscreen display for another mode of operation associated with the current orientation of the portable mobile communications device if the received input indicative of a response to prompting the user is negative; and

(h) repeating steps (e) through (g) until the GUI on the mechanically vibrated touchscreen display for the desired mode of operation is presented.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the modes of operation include phone mode, camera mode, game mode, music player mode, and web-browser mode.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for prompting the user if the current mode is the desired mode of operation;

means for receiving input indicative of a response to prompting the user if the current mode is the desired mode of operation;

means for reconfiguring the GUI of the mechanically vibrated touchscreen display for another mode of operation associated with the current orientation of the portable mobile communications device if the received input indicative of a response to prompting the user is negative; and

means for repeating the process until the GUI on the mechanically vibrated touchscreen display for the desired mode of operation is presented.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the modes of operation include phone mode, camera mode, game mode, music player mode, and web-browser mode.

4. A method of reconfiguring the graphical user interface (GUI) of a mechanically vibrated touchscreen display associated with a portable mobile communications device that is operable in a variety of modes, the method comprising:

sensing the current orientation of the portable mobile communications device;

accessing an orientation profile that associates each mode of operation with an orientation;

presenting a list of modes of operation associated with the sensed orientation of the portable mobile communications device; and

prompting the user to select a mode of operation from the list;

receiving input indicative of a selected mode of operation; and

reconfiguring the GUI of the mechanically vibrated touchscreen display for the selected mode of operation associated.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the modes of operation include phone mode, camera mode, game mode, music player mode, and web-browser mode.

6. A system that can reconfigure the graphical user interface (GUI) of a mechanically vibrated touchscreen display associated with a portable mobile communications device that is operable in a variety of modes, the reconfiguration of the GUI based on the orientation of the portable mobile communications device, the system comprising:

orientation sensing means for sensing whether the portable mobile communications device is currently in a portrait or landscape orientation;

an orientation profile for associating each mode of operation with either a portrait or landscape orientation;

means for determining which mode of operation is the default mode for the sensed orientation of the portable mobile communications device based on the orientation profile; and

means for reconfiguring the GUI of the mechanically vibrated touchscreen display for the default mode of operation.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the orientation sensing means is an accelerometer.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the orientation sensing means is a gyroscopic device.

11. A method of reconfiguring the graphical user interface (GUI) of a mechanically vibrated touchscreen display associated with a portable mobile communications device that is operable in a variety of modes, the reconfiguration of the GUI based on the orientation of the portable mobile communications device, the method comprising:

(a) sensing the current orientation of the portable mobile communications device;

(b) accessing an orientation profile that associates each mode of operation with an orientation;

(c) determining which mode of operation is the default mode for the sensed orientation of the portable mobile communications device; and

(d) reconfiguring the GUI of the mechanically vibrated touchscreen display for the default mode of operation.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

(e) prompting the user if the current mode is the desired mode of operation;

(f) receiving input indicative of a response to prompting the user if the current mode is the desired mode of operation;

(g) reconfiguring the GUI of the mechanically vibrated touchscreen display for another mode of operation associated with the current orientation of the portable mobile communications device if the received input indicative of a response to prompting the user is negative; and

(h) repeating steps (e) through (g) until the GUI on the mechanically vibrated touchscreen display for the desired mode of operation is presented.

13. A system that can reconfigure the graphical user interface (GUI) of a mechanically vibrated touchscreen display associated with a portable mobile communications device that is operable in a variety of modes, the reconfiguration of the GUI based on the orientation of the portable mobile communications device, the system comprising:

orientation sensing means for sensing the orientation of a portable mobile communications device;

an orientation profile for associating each mode of operation with an orientation;

means for determining which mode of operation is the default mode for the sensed orientation of the portable mobile communications device based on the orientation profile; and

means for reconfiguring the GUI of the mechanically vibrated touchscreen display for the default mode of operation.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

means for prompting the user if the current mode is the desired mode of operation;

means for receiving input indicative of a response to prompting the user if the current mode is the desired mode of operation;

means for reconfiguring the GUI of the mechanically vibrated touchscreen display for another mode of operation associated with the current orientation of the portable mobile communications device if the received input indicative of a response to prompting the user is negative; and

means for repeating the process until the GUI on the mechanically vibrated touchscreen display for the desired mode of operation is presented.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the modes of operation include phone mode, camera mode, game mode, music player mode, and web-browser mode.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the orientation sensing means is an accelerometer.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the orientation sensing means is a gyroscopic device.