Display device, corresponding systems, and methods for orienting output on a display

• US 9,098,069 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2011
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Dickinson, Timothy, Alameh, Rachid M., Zurek, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, M Good
• Application Number:
  US13/297,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20130120459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,357 Days
• Field of Search: 345/650
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/002 Position, e.g. inclination dependent switches
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A display system includes a display and a control circuit operable with the display. The display is configured to provide visual output having a presentation orientation. When user input is received, the control circuit can alter the presentation orientation from an initial orientation in response to user input. When non-user events or device events are detected, the control circuit can revert the presentation orientation to the initial orientation in response to the non-user event or device event. Where the presentation orientation has a user input configuration associated therewith, the user input configuration can either be altered with the presentation orientation or retained in an initial disposition.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a display having a physical orientation, the display being configured to present visual output having an initial orientation relative to the physical orientation of the display;

a user interface component associated with the visual output, wherein the user interface component is arranged in an initial disposition relative to the physical orientation of the display, and comprises a plurality of portions, each portion from the plurality of portions being configured to receive inputs from a user;

a plurality of input devices;

a plurality of output devices; and

a control circuit configured to;

while the physical orientation of the display remains unchanged, and responsive to the user interface component receiving an indication of a single user input;

alter the visual output from having the initial orientation to having an updated orientation relative to the physical orientation of the display;

retain at least a first portion of the user interface component fixed in the initial disposition; and

alter at least a second portion of the user interface component from being in the initial disposition to being in an updated disposition relative to the physical orientation of the display.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the initial disposition comprises an orientation fixed relative to the display.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the initial disposition comprises a bearing fixed in three dimensional space.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to revert the visual output from the updated orientation back to the initial orientation in response to receiving an indication of a non-user input event.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the non-user input event is user definable.

6. The system of claim 4, further comprising user wellness sensors, wherein the control circuit is further configured to detect a user wellness condition sensed by the user wellness sensors.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the control circuit is further configured to present a prompt at the display after reverting the visual output from the updated orientation back to the initial orientation.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein altering the visual input further comprises altering at least one of a color, a resolution, a scaling, or a magnification of the visual output.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the single user input comprises at least one of an audio input, a touch input, an actuation of an input control device operable with the control circuit, a sensed gesture, a light-sensed user action, or an infrared-sensed user action.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an input control device coupled to the control circuit, wherein the control circuit is further configured to alter the visual output by a predetermined rotation amount in response to the input control device being actuated.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

the control circuit is configured to retain the at least a first portion of the user interface component fixed in the initial disposition by retaining only a single portion of the user interface component fixed in the initial disposition;

or

the control circuit is configured to alter the at least a second portion of the user interface component being from having the initial disposition to having the updated disposition by altering only the single portion of the user interface component from having the initial disposition to having the updated disposition.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

while the physical orientation of the display remains unchanged, and responsive to the user interface component receiving an indication of a single user input;

switch between first and second input devices from the plurality of input devices to redirect an input from being received by the first input device to being received by the second input device; and

switch between first and second output devices from the plurality of output devices to redirect an output from being provided by the first output device to being provided by the second output device.

13. The system of claim 12, the first input device and the second input device each comprising respective audio input devices.

14. The system of claim 12, the first output device and the second output device each comprising respective speakers.

15. An electronic device, comprising:

a motion sensor configured to detect movement associated with the electronic device;

a display having a physical orientation, the display being configured to present visual output having an initial orientation relative to the physical orientation of the display;

a user interface component associated with the visual output, wherein the user interface component is arranged in an initial disposition relative to the physical orientation of the display, and comprises a plurality of portions, each portion from the plurality of portions being configured to receive input from a user; and

a control circuit configured to;

responsive to receiving an indication that the movement detected by the motion sensor corresponds to a predefined user motion;

alter the visual output from having the initial orientation to having an updated orientation relative to the physical orientation of the display,

retain at least a first portion of the user interface component fixed in the initial disposition; and

alter at least a second portion of the user interface component from being in the initial disposition to being in a subsequent disposition relative to the physical orientation of the display.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the electronic device comprises a housing that comprises the display, the user interface component, the control circuit, and the motion sensor.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the electronic device comprises a wearable device.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the updated orientation differs from the initial orientation by an amount of alteration that is determined based on at least one of an amount of the movement detected by the motion sensor or a direction of the movement detected by the motion sensor.

19. A method comprising:

outputting, by an electronic device and for display at a display of the electronic device, a visual output having an initial orientation relative to a physical orientation of the display, wherein a user interface component of the device is associated with the visual output, wherein the user interface component is arranged in an initial disposition relative to the physical orientation of the display, and comprises a plurality of portions, each portion from the plurality of portions being configured to receive input from a user;

detecting, by a motion sensor of the electronic device, movement of the display;

responsive to determining that the movement detected by the motion sensor corresponds to a predefined user motion;

altering, by a control circuit of the device, the visual output from having the initial orientation to having an updated orientation relative to the physical orientation of the display;

altering, by the control circuit, at least a first portion of the user interface component from being in the initial disposition to being in a subsequent disposition relative to the physical orientation of the display, and

retaining, by the control circuit, at least a second portion of the user interface component fixed in the initial disposition.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

switching, by the control circuit, between first and second input devices from a plurality of input devices of the electronic device to redirect an input from being received by the first input device to being received by the second input device; and

switching, by the control circuit, between first and second output devices from a plurality of output devices of the electronic device to redirect an output from being provided by the first output device to being provided by the second output device.