USER INTERFACES FOR HAND-HELD ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20150221287A1
• Filed: 10/26/2012
• Published: 08/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Badawiyeh, Basil
• Granted Patent: US 10,192,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/38 with means for controlling the display position
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• 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

User interfaces for hand-held electronic devices, such as mobile telephone devices, touch tablets, personal computers (PC), remote control devices, and/or other devices, assist users with, among other things, knowing which user input elements of a device to use when the device'"'"'s physical orientation changes. According to an exemplary embodiment, a hand-held device is operative to be held in normal, upside down, left tilt, and right tilt orientations, and includes: a processor; a display; a first physical button located on a first side of the display when the hand-held device is held in the normal orientation; a second physical button located on a second side of the display opposite to the first side, the second physical button positioned diagonally symmetrical to the first physical button when the hand-held device is held in the normal orientation; and wherein: activation of the first and second physical buttons respectively causes the processor to perform first and second functions when the hand-held device is held in the normal orientation, and respectively causes the processor to perform the second and first functions when the hand-held device is held in the upside down orientation; when the hand-held device is held in one of the left tilt and right tilt orientations, the processor causes display of first and second virtual buttons via the display, and activation of the first and second virtual buttons respectively causes the processor to perform the first and second functions; and the first and second virtual buttons are respectively displayed in respective positions in the display in the one of the left tilt and right tilt orientations respectively corresponding to positions of the first and second physical buttons.

Claims

1. A hand-held device operative to be held in normal, upside down, left tilt, and right tilt orientations, said hand-held device comprising:

a processor;

a display;

a first physical button located on a first side of said display when said hand-held device is held in said normal orientation;

a second physical button located on a second side of said display opposite to said first side, said second physical button positioned diagonally symmetrical to said first physical button when said hand-held device is held in said normal orientation; and

wherein;

activation of said first and second physical buttons respectively causes said processor to perform first and second functions when said hand-held device is held in said normal orientation, and respectively causes said processor to perform said second and first functions when said hand-held device is held in said upside down orientation;

when said hand-held device is held in one of said left tilt and right tilt orientations, said processor causes display of first and second virtual buttons via said display, and activation of said first and second virtual buttons respectively causes said processor to perform said first and second functions; and

said first and second virtual buttons are respectively displayed in respective positions in said display in said one of said left tilt and right tilt orientations respectively corresponding to positions of said first and second physical buttons when said hand-held device is held in said normal orientation.

2. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein:

said normal and upside down orientations each corresponds to a portrait orientation; and

said left tilt and right tilt orientations each corresponds to a landscape orientation.

3. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein:

said first function corresponds to a volume control function; and

said second function corresponds to a channel control function.

4. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein said processor is further operative to reduce a size of a visual image provided via said display when said first and second virtual buttons are displayed.

5. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein said processor causes said first and second virtual buttons to be displayed in response to said hand-held device being switched from one of said normal and upside down orientations to one of said left tilt and right tilt orientations.

6. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein said processor causes said first and second virtual buttons to be displayed in response to at least one of:

(i) said hand-held device being shaken, and (ii) expiration of a predetermined time period after said hand-held device is turned on.

7. The hand-held device of claim 1, wherein said first and second virtual buttons each includes a label corresponding to one of said first and second functions.

8. A hand-held device operative to be held in normal, upside down, left tilt, and right tilt orientations, said hand-held device comprising:

processing means for processing user inputs to said hand-held device and enabling visual displays;

display means for providing said visual displays;

a first physical button located on a first side of said display means when said hand-held device is held in said normal orientation;

a second physical button located on a second side of said display means opposite to said first side, said second physical button positioned diagonally symmetrical to said first physical button when said hand-held device is held in said normal orientation; and

wherein;

activation of said first and second physical buttons respectively causes said processing means to perform first and second functions when said hand-held device is held in said normal orientation, and respectively causes said processing means to perform said second and first functions when said hand-held device is held in said upside down orientation;

when said hand-held device is held in one of said left tilt and right tilt orientations, said processing means causes display of first and second virtual buttons via said display means, and activation of said first and second virtual buttons respectively causes said processing means to perform said first and second functions; and

said first and second virtual buttons are respectively displayed in respective positions in said display means in said one of said left tilt and right tilt orientations respectively corresponding to positions of said first and second physical buttons when said hand-held device is held in said normal orientation.

9. The hand-held device of claim 8, wherein:

said normal and upside down orientations each corresponds to a portrait orientation; and

said left tilt and right tilt orientations each corresponds to a landscape orientation.

10. The hand-held device of claim 8, wherein:

said first function corresponds to a volume control function; and

said second function corresponds to a channel control function.

11. The hand-held device of claim 8, wherein said processing means is further operative to reduce a size of a visual image provided via said display means when said first and second virtual buttons are displayed.

12. The hand-held device of claim 8, wherein said processing means causes said first and second virtual buttons to be displayed in response to said hand-held device being switched from one of said normal and upside down orientations to one of said left tilt and right tilt orientations.

13. The hand-held device of claim 8, wherein said processing means causes said first and second virtual buttons to be displayed in response to at least one of:

(i) said hand-held device being shaken, and (ii) expiration of a predetermined time period after said hand-held device is turned on.

14. The hand-held device of claim 8, wherein said first and second virtual buttons each includes a label corresponding to one of said first and second functions.

15. A method for operating a device operative to be held in normal, upside down, left tilt, and right tilt orientations, said method comprising:

performing first and second functions in response to activation of first and second physical buttons, respectively, when said device is held in said normal orientation, wherein said first physical button is located on a first side of a display of said device when said device is held in said normal orientation, and said second physical button is located on a second side of said display opposite to said first side, said second physical button being positioned diagonally symmetrical to said first physical button when said device is held in said normal orientation;

performing said second and first functions in response to activation of said first and second physical buttons, respectively, when said device is held in said upside down orientation;

enabling display of first and second virtual buttons via said display when said device is held in one of said left tilt and right tilt orientations;

performing said first and second functions in response to activation of said first and second virtual buttons, respectively, when said device is held in one of said left tilt and right tilt orientations; and

wherein;

said first and second virtual buttons are respectively displayed in respective positions in said display in said one of said left tilt and right tilt orientations respectively corresponding to positions of said first and second physical buttons when said device is held in said normal orientation.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

said normal and upside down orientations each corresponds to a portrait orientation; and

said left tilt and right tilt orientations each corresponds to a landscape orientation.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein:

said first function corresponds to a volume control function; and

said second function corresponds to a channel control function.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprised of reducing a size of a visual image provided via said display when said first and second virtual buttons are displayed.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said first and second virtual buttons are displayed in response to said device being switched from one of said normal and upside down orientations to one of said left tilt and right tilt orientations.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein said first and second virtual buttons are displayed in response to at least one of:

(i) said hand-held device being shaken, and (ii) expiration of a predetermined time period after said device is turned on.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein said first and second virtual buttons each includes a label corresponding to one of said first and second functions.