Efficient use of display real estate in a wrist watch display

• US 6,525,997 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2000
• Issued: 02/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Raghunath, Mandayam T., Narayanaswami, Chanrasekhar
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska, Vit
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOODWIN, JEANNE M
• Application Number:
  US09/607,595
• Time in Patent Office: 970 Days
• Field of Search: 368/220, 368/223, 368/228, 368/238, 368/231, 368/240, 368/80, 368/82, 368/239
• US Class Current: 368/223
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 11/00 Producing optical signals at preselected times
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/04 using radio waves radio-controlled time-pieces G04R
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/0082 by building-up characters using a combination of indicating elements and by selecting desired characters out of a number of characters or by selecting indicating elements the positions of which represents the time, i.e. combinations of G04G9/02 and G04G9/08

Abstract

A wearable mobile computing device/appliance (e.g., a wrist watch) with a high resolution display that is capable of wirelessly accessing information from the network and a variety of other devices. The mobile computing device/appliance includes a user interface that includes software mechanisms for enabling watchface orientation in either of: circular and elliptical modes, and further to enable the further display of textual content in remaining portions of the display when in either circular and elliptical mode.

Claims

1. A method for efficiently utilizing display space provided for a wearable appliance providing time keeping functions, said method comprising:

a) generating a watch face display having minute and hour indicators for presenting said time keeping functions, said watch face display being pixel addressable for presenting said time keeping functions in one of;

a circular orientation or elliptical orientation;

b) enabling display of textual content in remaining portions of said watch face display when said time keeping functions are presented in either of said circular and elliptical orientation; and

,

c) changing orientation of said watch face display time keeping functions from a circular orientation to an elliptical orientation so as to accommodate placement of additional text content in said remaining portions of said watch face display.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein for said circular watch face orientation, the step of displaying said text as one or more lines in side portions on either side of said watch face display.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said one or more lines are rotated in a clockwise fashion, for facilitating readability of said text for left-hand wearers of said appliance.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said readability is improved for user'"'"'s glancing at said watch face display when in said circular orientation.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said one or more lines are rotated in a anti-clockwise fashion, for facilitating readability of said text for right-hand wearers of said appliance.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said readability is improved for user'"'"'s glancing at said watch face display when in said circular orientation.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein for said circular watch face orientation, the step of displaying said text as one or more lines in top and bottom portions of said display, wherein said lines are oriented normally.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein for said elliptical watch face orientation, the step of displaying said text as one or more lines in top and bottom portions of said display.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said one or more lines are normally oriented for facilitating readability for both right-and left-handed wearers.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein for said elliptical watch face, varying the length of one or both minute and hour indicators in accordance with the angular position of said minute and hour indicators.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said varying includes shortening the length of either said minute and hour indicator when said minute and hour indicator are positioned along a minor axis of said elliptical watch face.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said varying includes extending the length of either said minute and hour indicator when said minute and hour indicator are positioned along a major axis of said elliptical watch face.

13. A system for efficiently utilizing display space provided for a wearable appliance having mechanism for providing time keeping functions, said system comprising:

a) mechanism for providing graphic display of a watch face having minute and hour indicators for said time keeping functions, said watch face display being pixel addressable for presenting said time keeping functions in one of;

a circular orientation or elliptical orientation;

b) mechanism for displaying textual content in the remaining portions of the watch face display when said time keeping functions are presented in either said circular and elliptical orientation; and

,

c) mechanism for changing orientation of said watch face display time keeping functions from a circular orientation to an elliptical orientation so as to accommodate placement of additional text content in said remaining portions of said watch face display.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said mechanism for displaying textual content enables display of said text as one or more lines in side portions of said display having said circular watch face orientation.

15. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said mechanism for displaying textual content display rotates said one or more lines in a clockwise fashion, for facilitating readability of said text for left-hand wearers of said appliance and for user'"'"'s glancing at said watch face display.

16. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said mechanism for displaying textual content display rotates said one or more lines in an anti-clockwise fashion, for facilitating readability of said text for right-hand wearers of said appliance and for user'"'"'s glancing at said watch face display.

17. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said mechanism for displaying textual content enables display of said text as one or more lines in top and bottom portions of said display having said elliptical watch face orientation.

18. The system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said mechanism for displaying textual content display enables display of said one or more lines in a normally oriented fashion for facilitating readability for both right- and left-handed wearers.

19. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein said mechanism providing display of said elliptical watch face includes mechanism for varying the length of one or both minute and hour indicators in accordance with the angular position of said indicators.

20. The system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said mechanism for varying the length shortens the length of either said minute and hour indicator when said minute and hour indicator are positioned along a minor axis of said watch face.

21. The system as claimed in claim 19, wherein said mechanism for varying the length includes extending the length of either said minute and hour indicator when said minute and hour indicator are positioned along a major axis of said watch face.

22. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for efficiently utilizing display space provided for a wearable appliance providing time keeping functions, said method steps including the steps of:

a) providing graphic display of a watch face having minute and hour indicators for said time keeping functions, said watch face display being pixel addressable for presenting said time keeping functions in one of;

a circular orientation or elliptical orientation;

b) enabling display of textual content in remaining portions of watch face display when said time keeping functions are presented in either said circular and elliptical orientation; and

,

c) changing orientation of said watch face display from a circular orientation to an elliptical orientation so as to accommodate placement of additional text content in said remaining portions of said watch face display.

23. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 22, wherein said text is displayed as one or more lines in side portions of said display.

24. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 22, wherein said one or more lines are rotated in a clockwise fashion, for facilitating readability of said text for left-hand wearers of said appliance.

25. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 24, wherein said readability is improved for user'"'"'s glancing at said watch face display when in said circular orientation.

26. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 22, wherein said one or more lines are rotated in a anti-clockwise fashion, for facilitating readability of said text for right-hand wearers of said appliance.

27. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 26, wherein said readability is improved for user'"'"'s glancing at said watch face display when in said circular orientation.

28. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 22, wherein for said circular watch face orientation, the step of displaying said text as one or more lines in top and bottom portions of said display, wherein said lines are oriented normally.

29. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 22, wherein for said elliptical watch face orientation, displaying said text as one or more lines in top and bottom portions of said display.

30. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 29, wherein said one or more lines are normally oriented for facilitating readability for both right- and left-handed wearers.

31. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 22, wherein for said elliptical watch face orientation, varying the length of one or both minute and hour indicators in accordance with the angular position of said hands.

32. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 31, wherein said varying includes shortening the length of either said minute and hour indicator when said minute and hour indicator are positioned along a minor axis of said elliptical watch face.

33. The program storage device readable by a machine as claimed in claim 31, wherein said varying includes extending the length of either said minute and hour indicator when said minute and hour indicators are positioned along a major axis of said elliptical watch face.