Method and apparatus using multiple sensors in a device with a display

• US 7,289,102 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2001
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sinclair, Michael J., Horvitz, Eric J., Hinckley, Kenneth P., Pierce, Jeffrey Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe; Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shapiro; Leonid
• Application Number:
  US09/875,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20020021278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,337 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-172
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

In a device having a display, at least one sensor signal is generated from a sensor in the device. One or more context values are then generated from the sensor signal. The context values indicate how the device is situated relative to one or more objects. At least one of the context values is then used to control the operation of one or more aspects of the device.

Claims

1. A method in a device having a display, the method comprising:

generating at least one sensor signal using at least one sensor in the device;

generating a first display orientation context value for longer than a set period of time that indicates how the device is oriented based on the at least one sensor signal;

generating a second display orientation context value for shorter than the set period of time after generating the first display orientation context value based on the at least one sensor signal, the second display orientation context value differing from the first display orientation context value;

generating a third display orientation context value that indicates that the device is laying flat based on the at least one sensor signal after generating the second display orientation context value; and

selecting an orientation for an image on the display while the device is laying flat by using the first display orientation context value instead of the second display orientation context value.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a tilt context value that indicates how the device is tilted.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising setting the mapping of directional inputs relative to the display based on the first display orientation context value.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising changing a contrast level on a display based on the tilt context value.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising scrolling an image on the display based on the tilt context value while generating the first display orientation context value, the rate of scrolling being based on the difference between a current tilt context value and an initial tilt context value that was determined when scrolling was initiated.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein scrolling an image comprises removing at least one tool bar from the display while scrolling the image.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a holding context value that indicates that the user is holding the device while generating the first display orientation context value and placing the device in a full power mode based on the holding context value and the first display orientation context value.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a holding context value that indicates that the user is holding the device and preventing the device from entering an idle mode based on the holding context value.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a sequence of proximity context values that indicate the proximity between the device and an object and preventing the device from entering an idle mode based on the sequence of proximity context values.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating a holding context value that indicates that the user is holding the device while generating the first display orientation context value and activating an application based on the holding context value and the first display orientation context value.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein activating an application comprises activating a sound capturing application so that it captures sound.

12. A method in a device having a display, the method comprising:

generating at least one sensor signal using at least one sensor in the device that indicates the distance to an object without requiring the object to touch the device;

generating a sequence of proximity context values based on the sensor signal that indicate the movement of an object relative to the device; and

preventing the device from entering an idle mode because the sequence of proximity context values indicates that an object is moving relative to the device while allowing the device to enter an idle mode when the sequence of proximity context values indicate that an object is present but not moving relative to the device.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising generating at least one tilt sensor signal that indicates how the device is tilted and generating a tilt context value based on the at least one tilt sensor signal.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising generating a display orientation context value based on the at least one tilt sensor signal that indicates how a display on the device is oriented.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising setting the mapping of directional inputs relative to the display based on the display orientation context value.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

generating a first display orientation context value for longer than a set period of time that indicates how the device is oriented based on the at least one sensor signal;

generating a second display orientation context value for shorter than the set period of time after generating the first display orientation context value based on the at least one sensor signal, the second display orientation context value differing from the first display orientation context value;

generating a third display orientation context value that indicates that the device is laying flat based on the at least one sensor signal after generating the second display orientation context value; and

selecting an orientation for an image on the display while the device is laying flat by using the first display orientation context value instead of the second display orientation context value.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising generating a holding context value that indicates that the user is holding the device and placing the device in a full power mode based on the holding context value and the display orientation context value.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising generating a holding context value that indicates that the user is holding the device and preventing the device from entering an idle mode based on the holding context value.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising generating a holding context value that indicates that the user is holding the device and activating an application based on the holding context value and the display orientation context value.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein activating an application comprises activating a sound capturing application so that it captures sound.

21. The method of claim 13 further comprising changing the contrast level on a display based on the tilt context value.

22. The method of claim 13 further comprising scrolling an image on the display based on the tilt context value, the rate of scrolling being based on the difference between a current tilt context value and an initial tilt context value that was determined when scrolling was initiated.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein scrolling an image comprises removing at least one tool bar from the display while scrolling the image.

24. A method in a device having a display, the method comprising:

generating at least one sensor signal using at least one sensor in the device;

generating a holding context value that indicates that the user is holding the device and at least one orientation context value that indicates that the device is in an orientation consistent with the user wanting to use the device based on the at least one sensor signal; and

activating a sound capturing application based on the holding context value and the orientation context value.

25. A device with a display, the device comprising:

a sensor that generates a sensor signal;

a context information server that;

generates a first display orientation context value for longer than a set period of time that indicates how the device is oriented based on the sensor signal;

generates a second display orientation context value for shorter than the set period of time after generating the first display orientation context value based on the sensor signal, the second display orientation context value differing from the first display orientation context value; and

generates a third display orientation context value that indicates that the device is laying flat based on the sensor signal after generating the second display orientation context value; and

an application that draws an image on the display while the device is laying flat by using the first display orientation context value instead of the second display orientation context value.