Computation device incorporating motion detection and method thereof

• US 8,345,025 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2008
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Seibert, Philip M., Ramirez, Ernesto
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lubit, Ryan A
• Application Number:
  US12/133,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20090303205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,671 Days
• Field of Search: 345/204, 345/156
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• 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 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• 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: G09G 2320/068 for control of viewing angle adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored

Abstract

Information from an accelerometer integrated at a computation device is received. An orientation of a display of the computation device, or other attribute, can be determined based upon the received information based upon an assumed reference, such as a desktop surface that is perpendicular to a gravitational vector, or based upon information from another accelerometer, such as an accelerometer within a base portion of a laptop computer. An operation is performed based upon the information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving first information from a first acceleration detector incorporated at a first portion of a computational device, the first portion comprising a base of the computation device;

determining a first orientation of the first portion in response to receiving the first information;

receiving second information from a second acceleration detector incorporated at a second portion of a computation device, the second portion comprising a display to provide video/graphic images, and being coupled to the first portion of the computation device;

determining a second orientation of the second portion relative to the first orientation of the first portion in response to receiving the second information, wherein the relative orientations are determined based on a comparison of the first information and the second information; and

performing a first operation at the computational device in response to determining the second orientation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion is coupled to the second portion by a flexible attachment mechanism that allows the orientation of the first portion to the second portion to be varied.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the flexible attachment mechanism allows detaching of the first portion from the second portion, and wherein the first portion can communicate with the second portion via an electronic wireless interface.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first portion can communicate with the second portion via a system management bus.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and the second acceleration detectors is a three-axis accelerometer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving third information from the first acceleration detector;

determining an attribute of the computation device based upon the third information, the attribute being other than a third orientation; and

performing a second operation at the computational device in response to determining the attribute.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second operation includes protecting a hard drive.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the first operation includes adjusting a display image characteristic.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting the display image characteristic includes adjusting a brightness of the display.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting the display image characteristic includes adjusting an image orientation of the display.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving third information from the second acceleration detector;

determining a third orientation of the second portion relative to the orientation of the first portion in response to receiving the third information; and

performing a second operation at the computational device in response to determining the third orientation.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the third orientation is such that the first portion and the second portions are closed; and

performing the second operation includes placing the display in a low power mode.

13. A computation device comprising:

a first portion including a base;

a first acceleration detector incorporated at the first portion to provide a first information for determining an orientation of the first portion;

a second portion including a display to provide video/graphic images, wherein the second portion is flexibly attached to the first portion;

a second acceleration detector incorporated at the second portion to provide a second information for determining an orientation of the second portion; and

a processor operable to;

receive the first information;

determine a first orientation of the first portion based on the first information;

receive the second information;

determine a second orientation of the second portion relative to the orientation of the first portion based on a comparison of the first information and the second information; and

perform a first operation at the computational device in response to determining the second orientation;

wherein at least one of the first and second acceleration detectors is a three-axis accelerometer.

14. The computation device of claim 13, wherein the first operation includes adjusting a display image characteristic.

15. The computational device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further operable to:

receive third information from the first acceleration detector;

determine an attribute of the computation device based upon the third information, the attribute being other than a third orientation; and

perform a second operation at the computational device in response to determining the attribute.

16. The computational device of claim 15, wherein the second operation includes protecting a hard drive.

17. The computational device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further operable to:

receive third information from the second acceleration detector;

determine a third orientation of the second portion relative to the orientation of the first portion in response to receiving the third; and

perform a second operation at the computational device in response to determining the third orientation.

18. The computational device of claim 17, wherein the second operation includes placing the computational device in a low power mode.

19. The computational device of claim 13, further comprising:

a flexible attachment mechanism that couples the first portion to the second portion, wherein the flexible attachment mechanism allows detaching of the first portion from the second portion, and wherein the first portion can communicate with the second portion via an electronic wireless interface.

20. A method comprising:

receiving first information from a first acceleration detector incorporated at a base of a computation device;

receiving second information from a second acceleration detector incorporated at a display of the computation device;

determining an orientation of the display of the computation device based upon the first information and the second information; and

performing a first operation at the computational device based upon the orientation;

wherein at least one of the first and second acceleration detectors is a three-axis accelerometer.