Handheld electronic device, system and method for inverting display orientation for left-handed or right-handed operation responsive to a wireless message

• US 7,551,186 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2005
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: McManus, Michael L., Piraneque, Javier E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung; Kee M
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRAWFORD, JACINTA M
• Application Number:
  US11/063,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20060187203A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,582 Days
• Field of Search: 345/659, 345/649, 370/254, 719/315, 719/318
• US Class Current: 345/659
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• 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 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/00 Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes

Abstract

A handheld electronic device, such as a fob, includes a wireless communication port and a display alternatively displaying a first or right-handed display orientation and a second or left-handed display orientation. The first display orientation is inverted with respect to the second display orientation. A processor component cooperates with the wireless communication port and the display. The processor component is adapted to receive a wireless radio frequency message including one of a first state and a different second state from the wireless communication port. The processor component then responsively configures the display in the first display orientation responsive to the first state or alternatively configures the display in the second display orientation responsive to the second state.

Claims

1. A system for a structure, said system for a structure comprising:

a server comprising a first wireless communication port and a second port;

a handheld electronic device comprising a display and a third wireless communication port adapted to communicate with the first wireless communication port of said server, said display alternatively displaying a first display orientation and a second display orientation, said first display orientation being inverted with respect to said second display orientation; and

at least one node different than said handheld electronic device,

wherein said handheld electronic device is adapted to mate with the second port of said server in one of a first mating orientation and a different second mating orientation,

wherein said server is adapted to send a wireless message from the first wireless communication port of said server to the third wireless communication port of said handheld electronic device, said wireless message including one of a first state corresponding to said first mating orientation and a different second state corresponding to said different second mating orientation, and

wherein said handheld electronic device is further adapted to configure said display in the first display orientation responsive to said first state and to alternatively configure said display in the second display orientation responsive to said second state.

2. The system for a structure of claim 1 wherein said at least one node is one of an input sensor node and an output device node, said at least one node comprising a fourth wireless communication port adapted to send information to or receive information from the first wireless communication port of said server and a fifth port;

and wherein said handheld electronic device further comprises a sixth port adapted to mate with the fifth port of said at least one node in one of a third mating orientation and a different fourth mating orientation, said handheld electronic device being adapted to reconfigure said display in the first display orientation responsive to said third mating orientation and to alternatively reconfigure said display in the second display orientation responsive to said fourth mating orientation.

3. The system for a structure of claim 1 wherein the second port of said server comprises a channel including a first end having a first proximity sensor and a first target and a second end having a second proximity sensor and a second target;

wherein said handheld electronic device further comprises a first side including a first proximity sensor and a first target and an opposite second side including a second proximity sensor and a second target; and

wherein the first side of said handheld electronic device mates with the channel of said server in the first mating orientation with the first proximity sensor of said handheld electronic device being proximate the first target of said server and with the first target of said handheld electronic device being proximate the first proximity sensor of said server, and the second side of said handheld electronic device alternatively mates with the channel of said server in the second mating orientation with the second proximity sensor of said handheld electronic device being proximate the second target of said server and with the second target of said handheld electronic device being proximate the second proximity sensor of said server.

4. The system for a structure of claim 3 wherein said handheld electronic device further comprises a processor adapted to determine the first and second mating orientations from the first and second proximity sensors of said handheld electronic device;

wherein said server further comprises a processor adapted to determine the first and second mating orientations from the first and second proximity sensors of said server and to send said wireless message including one of said first state and said different second state; and

wherein the processor of said handheld electronic device is further adapted to compare the first state or the second state of said wireless message with the first mating orientation or the second mating orientation from the first and second proximity sensors of said handheld electronic device before configuring said first display orientation responsive to said first state and said first mating orientation from the first proximity sensor of said handheld electronic device and before alternatively configuring said second display orientation responsive to said second state and said second mating orientation from the second proximity sensor of said handheld electronic device.

5. The system for a structure of claim 1 wherein said handheld electronic device further comprises a first side including a first proximity sensor and a first target and an opposite second side including a second proximity sensor and a second target;

and wherein the display of said handheld electronic device is disposed between the first side and the opposite second side of said handheld electronic device.

6. The system for a structure of claim 5 wherein said handheld electronic device further comprises a user input device disposed proximate the display of said handheld electronic device, said user input device being between the first side and the opposite second side of said handheld electronic device.

7. A method of configuring a display orientation, said method comprising:

employing a server comprising a first wireless communication port and a second port;

employing a handheld electronic device comprising a display and a third wireless communication port adapted to communicate with the first wireless communication port of said server;

alternatively displaying a first display orientation and a second display orientation of said display, said first display orientation being inverted with respect to said second display orientation;

mating said handheld electronic device with the second port of said server in one of a first mating orientation and a different second mating orientation;

sending a wireless message including a first state responsive to the first mating orientation and a different second state responsive to the second mating orientation from the first wireless communication port of said server to the third wireless communication port of said handheld electronic device; and

configuring said display in the first display orientation responsive to said first state and alternatively configuring said display in the second display orientation responsive to said second state.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising

disposing the display of said handheld electronic device between a first side and an opposite second side of said handheld electronic device;

disposing a user input device proximate said display and being between the first side and the opposite second side of said handheld electronic device; and

employing said first display orientation for a right-handed user and alternatively employing said second display orientation for a left-handed user.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising

employing a channel in said server including a first end having a first proximity sensor and a first target and a second end having a second proximity sensor and a second target;

employing a first side including a first proximity sensor and a first target and an opposite second side including a second proximity sensor and a second target of said handheld electronic device;

mating the first side of said handheld electronic device with the channel of said server in the first mating orientation with the first proximity sensor of said handheld electronic device being proximate the first target of said server and with the first target of said handheld electronic device being proximate the first proximity sensor of said server, and responsively sending the wireless message including the first state; and

alternatively mating the second side of said handheld electronic device with the channel of said server in the second mating orientation with the second proximity sensor of said handheld electronic device being proximate the second target of said server and with the second target of said handheld electronic device being proximate the second proximity sensor of said server, and responsively sending the wireless message including the second state.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising

determining the first and second mating orientations from the first and second proximity sensors of said handheld electronic device;

determining the first and second mating orientations from the first and second proximity sensors of said server and responsively sending said wireless message including one of the first state corresponding to said first mating orientation and the second state corresponding to said second mating orientation; and

comparing the first state or the second state of said wireless message with the first mating orientation or the second mating orientation from the first and second proximity sensors of said handheld electronic device before configuring said first display orientation responsive to said first state and said first mating orientation from the first proximity sensor of said handheld electronic device and before alternatively configuring said second display orientation responsive to said second state and said second mating orientation from the second proximity sensor of said handheld electronic device.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising

re-powering and resetting said handheld electronic device;

storing the first state or the second state at said server; and

sending another wireless message from said server to said handheld electronic device to reconfigure said display in the first display orientation responsive to said first state and alternatively reconfiguring said display in the second display orientation responsive to said second state.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising

including first and second proximity sensors with said handheld electronic device;

mating said handheld electronic device with a node different than said handheld electronic device;

determining the first and second mating orientations from the first and second proximity sensors of said handheld electronic device; and

reconfiguring said first display orientation responsive to said determined first mating orientation from the first proximity sensor of said handheld electronic device or said second display orientation responsive to said determined second mating orientation from the second proximity sensor of said handheld electronic device.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising

employing an input sensor as said node;

employing a native orientation of said input sensor; and

reconfiguring said first display orientation corresponding to said native orientation responsive to said determined first mating orientation from the first proximity sensor of said handheld electronic device or reconfiguring said second display orientation, which does not correspond to said native orientation, responsive to said determined second mating orientation from the second proximity sensor of said handheld electronic device.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising

removing said handheld electronic device from mating with said node different than said handheld electronic device;

and

responsively restoring said first display orientation responsive to said first state and alternatively restoring said second display orientation responsive to said second state.

15. The method of claim 7 further comprising

removing said handheld electronic device from mating with the second port of said server;

re-mating said handheld electronic device with the second port of said server in one of the first mating orientation and the different second mating orientation;

sending another wireless message including a first state responsive to the first mating orientation and a different second state responsive to the second mating orientation from the first wireless communication port of said server to the third wireless communication port of said handheld electronic device; and

re-configuring said display in the first display orientation responsive to said first mating orientation and alternatively re-configuring said display in the second display orientation responsive to said second mating orientation.

16. The method of claim 7 further comprising

physically engaging said handheld electronic device with the second port of said server in one of the first mating orientation and the different second mating orientation, the first mating orientation being a first physical engagement orientation and the different second mating orientation being a second different physical engagement orientation.

17. A sub-system for monitoring, configuring or controlling a system for a structure, said sub-system comprising:

a node comprising a mating portion and a target; and

a handheld electronic device comprising;

a portable housing including a first side and an opposite second side, said first side being adapted to mate with the mating portion of said node in a first mating orientation, said second side being adapted to mate with the mating portion of said node in a different second mating orientation,

a first proximity sensor disposed toward the first side of said portable housing,

a second proximity sensor disposed toward the second side of said portable housing,

a display disposed between the first and second sides of said portable housing, and

a processor cooperating with said first and second proximity sensors and being adapted to configure said display in a first display orientation responsive to said first proximity sensor detecting the target of said node and to alternatively configure said display in a second display orientation responsive to said second proximity sensor detecting the target of said node, said first display orientation being inverted with respect to said second display orientation.

18. The sub-system of claim 17 wherein said first proximity sensor is structured to detect the target responsive to physical engagement of the first side of said portable housing with the mating portion of said node in a first physical engagement orientation;

and wherein said second proximity sensor is structured to detect the target responsive to physical engagement of the second side of said portable housing with the mating portion of said node in a different second physical engagement orientation.