Electronic device with orientation detection and methods therefor

• US 9,086,855 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2013
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, John C, Willis, Lawrence A, Renaldi, John A
• Primary Examiner(s): FARAGALLA, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US14/070,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20150123889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 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 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A portable electronic device (100) for detecting type and orientation of a hand of a user is provided. The device can include a housing (101), a display (106), a control circuit (108), a first sensor (115), and a second sensor (116). The first sensor can determine a type of hand of the user supporting the portable electronic device. The second sensor can determine an orientation of the portable electronic device relative to the user. The control circuit of the portable electronic device can perform a function based on the type of hand as determined by the first sensor and the orientation of the portable electronic device as determined by the second sensor.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing of the portable electronic device having a front surface, a back surface, and a first side surface and a second side surface at either side of the front surface and the back surface;

a display positioned at the front surface of the housing;

a first sensor positioned at the first side surface and the second side surface, wherein the first sensor determines a type of hand of a user supporting the portable electronic device, and wherein the type of hand includes a first type associated with a left hand of the user and a second type associated with a right hand of the user; and

a second sensor positioned at a particular surface of the group consisting of the front surface and the back surface, wherein the second sensor determines an orientation of the portable electronic device relative to the user, wherein the orientation includes a first orientation in which the particular surface is directed toward a palm of a hand and a second orientation in which the particular surface is directed in a direction other than toward the palm of the hand,

wherein the portable electronic device performs a function based on the type of hand as determined by the first sensor and the orientation of the portable electronic device as determined by the second sensor.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the first sensor includes a first portion positioned at the first side surface and a second portion positioned at the second side surface; and

the type of hand of the user is based on parts of a user'"'"'s hand detected by the first portion and the second portion.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the back surface is positioned opposite the front surface relative to the housing;

the first side surface is positioned opposite the second side surface relative to the housing; and

the first sensor detects parts of a user'"'"'s hand at substantially opposite sides of the housing.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the second sensor is an optical sensor; and

the portable electronic device determines whether the orientation of the portable electronic device is the first orientation or the second orientation based on an image captured by the optical sensor.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the display provides an image at a position of the display based on the type of hand as determined by the first sensor and the orientation of the portable electronic device as determined by the second sensor.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a control circuit of the portable electronic device performing the function based on the type of hand as determined by the first sensor and the orientation of the portable electronic device as determined by the second sensor.

7. A portable electronic device for detecting type and orientation of a hand of a user, the portable electronic device comprising:

a housing of the portable electronic device having a front surface, a back surface, and first and second side surfaces at either side of the front surface and the back surface;

a display positioned at the front surface of the housing;

a first sensor positioned at a first side surface and a second side surface, wherein the first sensor determines a type of hand of the user supporting the portable electronic device, and wherein the type of hand includes a first type associated with a left hand of the user and a second type associated with a right hand of the user; and

a second sensor positioned at a particular surface of the group consisting of the front surface and the back surface, wherein the second sensor determines the orientation of the portable electronic device relative to the user, wherein the orientation includes a first orientation in which the particular surface is directed toward a user'"'"'s head and a second orientation in which the particular surface is directed in a direction other than toward the user'"'"'s head,

wherein the portable electronic device performs a function based on the type of hand as determined by the first sensor and the orientation of the portable electronic device as determined by the second sensor.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein:

the first sensor includes a first portion positioned at the first side surface and a second portion positioned at the second side surface; and

the orientation of the portable electronic device is based on parts of a user'"'"'s hand detected by the first portion and the second portion.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein:

the back surface is positioned opposite the front surface relative to the housing;

the first side surface is positioned opposite the second side surface relative to the housing; and

the first sensor detects parts of a user'"'"'s hand at substantially opposite sides of the housing.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein:

the second sensor is an optical sensor; and

the portable electronic device determines whether the orientation of the portable electronic device is the first orientation or the second orientation based on an image captured by the optical sensor.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein the display provides an image at a position of the display based on the type of hand as determined by the first sensor and the orientation of the portable electronic device as determined by the second sensor.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 7, further comprising a control circuit of the portable electronic device performing the function based on the type of hand as determined by the first sensor and the orientation of the portable electronic device as determined by the second sensor.

13. A method of a portable electronic device, the portable electronic device including a housing having a front surface, a back surface, first and second side surfaces disposed at either side of the front surface and the back surface, and a display positioned at the front surface, the method comprising:

determining, by a first sensor positioned at the first and second side surfaces, a type of hand of a user supporting the portable electronic device, wherein the type of hand includes a first type associated with a left hand of the user and a second type associated with a right hand of the user;

determining, by a second sensor positioned at a particular surface of the group consisting of the front surface and the back surface, an orientation of the portable electronic device relative to the user, wherein the orientation includes a first orientation in which the particular surface is directed toward a palm of a hand and a second orientation in which the particular surface is directed in a direction other than toward the palm of the hand,

performing, by the portable electronic device, a function based on the type of hand as determined by the first sensor and the orientation of the portable electronic device as determined by the second sensor.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

positioning a first portion of the first sensor at a first side surface; and

positioning a second portion of the first sensor at a second side surface,

wherein determining the orientation of the portable electronic device includes determining the orientation of the portable electronic device is based on parts of a user'"'"'s hand detected by the first portion and the second portion.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

positioning the back surface opposite the front surface relative to the housing; and

positioning a first side surface opposite a second side surface relative to the housing,

wherein determining the type of hand of the user supporting the portable electronic device includes detecting, by the first sensor, parts of a user'"'"'s hand at substantially opposite sides of the housing.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the second sensor is an optical sensor, the method further comprising;

capturing an image by the optical sensor; and

determining whether the orientation of the portable electronic device is the first orientation or the second orientation based on the image captured by the optical sensor.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein performing the function includes displaying an image at a position of the display based on the type of hand as determined by the first sensor and the orientation of the portable electronic device as determined by the second sensor.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein performing the function includes performing, by a control circuit of the portable electronic device, the function based on the type of hand as determined by the first sensor and the orientation of the portable electronic device as determined by the second sensor.