Changing a function of a device based on tilt of the device for longer than a time period

• US 7,382,353 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hakenewerth, Paul Andrew, Schultz, Kevin Laverne, Grady, Philip E., Oney, Kursad Urungu
• Primary Examiner(s): DHARIA, PRABODH M
• Application Number:
  US10/992,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20060103733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-173, 345/7, 345/204, 345/89, 345/417, 345/418, 345/427, 345/428, 345/473, 345/649, 455/575.7, 455/456.1, 455/423, 348/700, 349/117, 369/44.32, 342/196, 342/163, 340/540, 200/61.49
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 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 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 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

In various embodiments, changing the function involves disabling an input device, disabling an output device, changing a display mode of the output device from portrait to landscape, or increasing volume of the output device. In an embodiment, the change of the function is delayed by a time period, and the delay for changing the output device is longer than the delay for changing the input device. If the electronic device is upright, the input device and the output device are enabled. The tilt is sensed by a sensing device, signals from the sensing device are filtered, and a delay is introduced. In this way, premature disabling or enabling of the electronic device is avoided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining whether an electronic device has tilted greater than a threshold for longer than a first time period;

deciding whether the electronic device has tilted greater than the threshold for longer than a second time period, wherein the second time period is longer than the first time period;

changing a function of an output device if the deciding is true; and

changing a function of an input device if the determining is true.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the changing the function of the input device further comprises:

disabling the input device if the determining is true.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the changing the function of the output device further comprises:

disabling the output device if the deciding is true.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the changing the function of the output device further comprises:

changing the output device from portrait to landscape mode if the deciding is true.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

enabling the input device if the electronic device has tilted less than the threshold for longer than the second time period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the changing the function of the output device further comprises:

changing brightness of a display device if the deciding is true.