ACCELEROMETER-BASED TOUCHSCREEN USER INTERFACE

• US 20110109546A1
• Filed: 02/02/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Milne, James R., Connors, Kirstin, Yasuhara, Trisha Ann Sachie
• Granted Patent: US 9,176,542 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• 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: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools

Abstract

A CE device for, e.g., displaying the time can incorporate an accelerometer to provide various features and enhancements. For example, tilting of the housing as sensed by the accelerometer may be used for controlling a volume output by an audio display, and/or for controlling a position of a screen cursor relative to underlying presentation on a visual display, and/or for controlling motion of a virtual object presented on the visual display; and/or for rotating a presentation on the visual display to always be oriented up and/or for determining that a person has tapped the housing based on signals from the accelerometer and in response thereto presenting an image of a rotatable object on the display.

Claims

1. Consumer electronics (CE) device comprising:

housing bearing a processor, a visual display, and an audio display, the processor controlling the displays;

accelerometer in the housing and outputting signals to the processor representing acceleration of the housing;

the processor determining a tilt of the housing based on signals from the accelerometer and in response thereto controlling a volume output by the audio display, and/or controlling a position of a screen cursor relative to underlying presentation on the visual display, and/or controlling motion of a virtual object presented on the visual display.

2. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the processor determines a tilt of the housing based on signals from the accelerometer and in response thereto controls a volume output by the audio display.

3. The CE device of claim 2, wherein the volume is changed proportionate to a degree of tilt determined by the processor.

4. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the processor determines a tilt of the housing based on signals from the accelerometer and in response thereto controls a position of a screen cursor relative to underlying presentation on the visual display.

5. The CE device of claim 4, wherein the cursor is moved on the visual display in a direction indicated by the tilt.

6. The CE device of claim 4, wherein the cursor remains fixed in a location of the visual display and the underlying presentation is moved on the visual display in response to the tilt.

7. The CE device of claim 4, wherein speed of motion of the cursor relative to the underlying presentation on the visual display is proportional to a degree of tilt determined by the processor.

8. The CE device of claim 1, wherein the processor determines a tilt of the housing based on signals from the accelerometer and in response thereto controls motion of a virtual object presented on the visual display.

9. The CE device of claim 8, wherein speed of motion of the object on the visual display is proportional to a degree of tilt determined by the processor.

10. Consumer electronics (CE) device comprising:

housing bearing a processor and a visual touchscreen display, the processor controlling the display;

accelerometer in the housing and outputting signals to the processor representing acceleration of the housing;

the processor determining that a person has tapped the housing based on signals from the accelerometer and in response thereto presenting an image of a rotatable object on the display, the processor detecting arcuate motion of a person'"'"'s finger over the rotatable object and in response thereto outputting a parameter-varying signal.

11. The CE device of claim 10, wherein the housing bears an audio display, the parameter-varying signal causing a sound level output by the audio display to change.

12. The CE device of claim 10, wherein the processor presents the image of the rotatable object only if two taps on the housing are determined by the processor to have occurred within a predetermined time interval.

13. The CE device of claim 10, wherein the arcuate motion is sensed by capacitive elements in the touchscreen.

14. The CE device of claim 10, wherein the processor causes a presentation of time of day to be presented on the touchscreen display.

15. Method comprising:

determining a tilt of a housing of a CE device based on signals from an accelerometer in the housing; and

in response thereto;

controlling a volume output by an audio display, and/or controlling a position of a screen cursor relative to underlying presentation on a visual display, and/or

controlling motion of a virtual object presented on the visual display; and

/or

rotating a presentation on the visual display to always be oriented up; and

/or

determining that a person has tapped the housing based on signals from the accelerometer and in response thereto presenting an image of a rotatable object on the display and detecting arcuate motion of a person'"'"'s finger over the rotatable object and in response thereto outputting a parameter-varying signal.

16. Method of claim 15, comprising:

controlling a volume output by the audio display.

17. Method of claim 15, comprising:

controlling a position of a screen cursor relative to underlying presentation on the visual display.

18. Method of claim 15, comprising:

controlling motion of a virtual object presented on the visual display.

19. Method of claim 15, comprising:

rotating a presentation on the visual display to always be oriented up.

20. Method of claim 15, comprising:

determining that a person has tapped the housing based on signals from the accelerometer and in response thereto presenting an image of a rotatable object on the display and detecting arcuate motion of a person'"'"'s finger over the rotatable object and in response thereto outputting a parameter-varying signal.