Multi-orientation mobile device, computer-readable storage unit therefor, and methods for using the same

• US 9,483,087 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2013
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zubas, Michael, Heil, Kenneth D., Lewis, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuyetlien T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Duckworth, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US14/093,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20150153909A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 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 2200/1637 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 3/0481 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

A multi-orientation mobile communication device having a first button positioned at the first side of a device at a first relative positioning with respect to a second button on the first side and a third button positioned at a second side of the body at the first relative positioning with respect to a fourth button positioned on the second side. The device also includes instructions causing a processor to perform operations comprising determining that an orientation of the device has changed and reassigning, responsively, button characteristics based on relative positioning of the first through fourth buttons following the re-orientation.

Claims

1. A multi-orientation mobile communication device comprising:

a body comprising a first side, a second side opposite the first side, a third side extending between the first side and the second side, and a fourth side opposite the third side and also extending between the first side and the second side;

a first structural button positioned at the first side of the body at a first relative positioning with respect to a second structural button positioned also on the first side of the body, wherein the first structural button is associated with a first size;

the second structural button positioned at a second relative positioning with respect to the first structural button, wherein the second structural button is associated with a second size that is smaller than the first size of the first structural button;

a third structural button positioned at the second side of the body at the first relative positioning with respect to a fourth structural button positioned also on the second side of the body, wherein the third structural button is associated with the first size;

the fourth structural button positioned at the second relative positioning with respect to the third structural button, wherein when the multi-orientation mobile communication device is in an initial orientation, the first side, including the first structural button and the second structural button, is in a first user-perspective button area and the second side, including the third structural button and the fourth structural button, is in a second user-perspective button area;

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

associating a first function to the first structural button based on the first structural button being associated with the first size and being positioned, when the multi-orientation mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, in the first user-perspective button area,

associating a second function to the second structural button based on the second structural button being associated with the second size and being positioned, when the multi-orientation mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, in the first user-perspective button area,

associating a third function to the third structural button based on the third structural button being associated with the first size and being positioned, when the multi-orientation mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, in the second user-perspective button area,

associating a fourth function to the fourth structural button based on the fourth structural button being associated with the second size and being positioned, when the multi-orientation mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, in the second user-perspective button area,

determining that an orientation of the multi-orientation mobile communication device has changed from the initial orientation to a new orientation, wherein in the new orientation, the first side, including the first structural button and the second structural button, is in the second user-perspective button area, the second structural button is positioned at the first side in the second user-perspective button area at the first relative positioning with respect to the first structural button, and the first structural button is positioned at the first side in the second user-perspective button area at the second relative positioning with respect to the second structural button, wherein in the new orientation, the second side, including the third structural button and the fourth structural button, is in the first user-perspective button area, the fourth structural button is positioned at the second side in the first user-perspective button area at the first relative positioning with respect to the third structural button, and the third structural button is positioned at the second side in the first user-perspective button area at the second relative positioning with respect to the fourth structural button, and wherein determining that the orientation of the multi-orientation mobile communication device has changed from the initial orientation to the new orientation comprises using input received from an accelerometer or using input received from a camera component, and

reassigning, in response to determining that the orientation has changed to the new orientation, button functions, wherein reassigning the button functions comprises

associating the first function, previously associated with the first structural button, to the third structural button based on the third structural button being associated with the first size, like the first structural button, and being positioned, upon the multi-orientation mobile communication device arriving at the new orientation, in the first user-perspective button area,

associating the second function, previously associated with the second structural button, to the fourth structural button based on the fourth structural button being associated with the second size, like the second structural button, and being positioned, upon the multi-orientation mobile communication device arriving at the new orientation, in the first user-perspective button area,

associating the third function, previously associated with the third structural button, to the first structural button based on the first structural button begin associated with the first size, like the third structural button, and being positioned, upon the multi-orientation mobile communication device arriving at the new orientation, in the second user-perspective button area, and

associating the fourth function to the second structural button based on the second structural button being associated with the second size, like the fourth structural button, and being positioned, upon the multi-orientation mobile communication device arriving at the new orientation, in the second user-perspective button area.

2. The multi-orientation mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein:

the first relative positioning comprises being positioned closer to the third side of the multi-orientation mobile communication device than the fourth side; and

the second relative positioning comprises being positioned closer to the fourth side of the multi-orientation mobile communication device than the third side.

3. The multi-orientation mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the input received from the camera component indicates that a user face is in front of the camera component.

4. The multi-orientation mobile communication device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first device face extending between the first side and the second side and between the third side and the fourth side; and

a second device face opposite the first device face, the second device face also extending between the first side and the second side and between the third side and the fourth side, wherein the first device face is open to a device-user direction when the multi-orientation mobile communication device is at the initial orientation and the second device face is open to the device-user direction when the multi-orientation mobile communication device is at the new orientation.

5. The multi-orientation mobile communication device of claim 1, further comprising:

a fifth structural button positioned at the third side of the body at a third relative positioning with respect to a sixth structural button positioned also on the third side of the body, wherein the fifth structural button is associated with the second size;

the sixth structural button positioned at a fourth relative positioning with respect to the fifth structural button, wherein the sixth structural button is associated with the first size;

a seventh structural button positioned at the fourth side of the body at the third relative positioning with respect to an eighth structural button positioned also on the fourth side of the body, wherein the seventh structural button is associated with the second size; and

the eighth structural button positioned at the fourth relative positioning with respect to the seventh structural button, wherein the eighth structural button is associated with the first size, wherein when the multi-orientation mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, the third side, including the fifth structural button and the sixth structural button, is in a third user-perspective button area and the fourth side, including the seventh structural button and the eighth structural button, is in a fourth user-perspective button area, and wherein the operations further comprise

associating a fifth function to the fifth structural button based on the fifth structural button being associated with the second size and being positioned, when the multi-orientation mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, in the third user-perspective button area,

associating a sixth function to the sixth structural button based on the sixth structural button being associated with the first size and being positioned, when the multi-orientation mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, in the third user-perspective button area,

associating a seventh function to the seventh structural button based on the seventh structural button being associated with the second size and being positioned, when the multi-orientation mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, in the fourth user-perspective button area, and

associating an eighth function to the eighth structural button based on the eighth structural button being associated with the first size and being positioned, when the multi-orientation mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, in the fourth user-perspective button area, and

in response to determining that the orientation of the multi-orientation mobile communication device has changed from the initial orientation to the new orientation, determining that in the new orientation, the third side, including the fifth structural button and the sixth structural button, is in the fourth user-perspective button area, the sixth structural button is positioned at the third side in the fourth user-perspective button area at the third relative positioning with respect to the fifth structural button, and the fifth structural button is positioned at the third side in the fourth user-perspective button area at the fourth relative positioning with respect to the sixth structural button, and further determining that in the new orientation, the fourth side, including the seventh structural button and the eighth structural button, is in the third user-perspective button area, the eighth structural button is positioned at the fourth side in the third user-perspective button area at the third relative positioning with respect to the seventh structural button, and the seventh structural button is positioned at the fourth side in the third user-perspective button area at the fourth relative positioning with respect to the eighth structural button,

wherein reassigning the button functions further comprises

associating the fifth function, previously associated with the fifth structural button, to the seventh structural button based on the seventh structural button being associated with the second size and being positioned, upon the multi-orientation mobile communication device arriving at the new orientation, in the third user-perspective button area,

associating the sixth function, previously associated with the sixth structural button, to the eighth structural button based on the eighth structural button being associated with the first size and being positioned, upon the multi-orientation mobile communication device arriving at the new orientation, in the third user-perspective button area,

associating the seventh function, previously associated with the seventh structural button, to the fifth structural button based on the fifth structural button being associated with the second size and being positioned, upon the multi-orientation mobile communication device arriving at the new orientation, in the fourth user-perspective button area, and

associating the eighth function to the sixth structural button based on the sixth structural button being associated with the first size and being positioned, upon the multi-orientation mobile communication device arriving at the new orientation, in the fourth user-perspective button area.

6. The multi-orientation mobile communication device of claim 5, wherein:

the third relative positioning comprises being positioned closer to the first side of the multi-orientation mobile communication device than the second side; and

the fourth relative positioning comprises being positioned closer to the second side of the multi-orientation mobile communication device than the first side.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a mobile communication device, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

associating a first function to a first structural button of the mobile communication device based on the first structural button being associated with a first size and being positioned, when the mobile communication device is in an initial orientation, in a first user-perspective button area, wherein the mobile communication device comprises

a body comprising a first side, a second side opposite the first side, a third side extending between the first side and the second side, and a fourth side opposite the third side and also extending between the first side and the second side,

the first structural button positioned at the first side of the body at a first relative positioning with respect to a second structural button positioned also on the first side of the body, wherein the first structural button is associated with the first size,

the second structural button positioned at a second relative positioning with respect to the first structural button, wherein the second structural button is associated with a second size that is smaller than the first size of the first structural button,

a third structural button positioned at the second side of the body at the first relative positioning with respect to a fourth structural button positioned also on the second side of the body, wherein the third structural button is associated with the first size, and

the fourth structural button positioned at the second relative positioning with respect to the third structural button, wherein when the mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, the first side, including the first structural button and the second structural button, is in the first user-perspective button area and the second side, including the third structural button and the fourth structural button, is in a second user-perspective button area;

associating a second function to the second structural button based on the second structural button being associated with the second size and being positioned, when the mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, in the first user-perspective button area;

associating a third function to the third structural button based on the third structural button being associated with the first size and being positioned, when the mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, in the second user-perspective button area;

associating a fourth function to the fourth structural button based on the fourth structural button being associated with the second size and being positioned, when the mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, in the second user-perspective button area;

determining that an orientation of the mobile communication device has changed from the initial orientation to a new orientation, wherein in the new orientation, the first side, including the first structural button and the second structural button, is in the second user-perspective button area, the second structural button is positioned at the first side in the second user-perspective button area at the first relative positioning with respect to the first structural button, and the first structural button is positioned at the first side in the second user-perspective button area at the second relative positioning with respect to the second structural button, wherein in the new orientation, the second side, including the third structural button and the fourth structural button, is in the first user-perspective button area, the fourth structural button is positioned at the second side in the first user-perspective button area at the first relative positioning with respect to the third structural button, and the third structural button is positioned at the second side in the first user-perspective button area at the second relative positioning with respect to the fourth structural button, and wherein determining that the orientation of the mobile communication device has changed from the initial orientation to the new orientation comprises using input received from an accelerometer or using input received from a camera component; and

reassigning, in response to determining that the orientation has changed to the new orientation, button functions, wherein reassigning the button functions comprises

associating the first function, previously associated with the first structural button, to the third structural button based on the third structural button being associated with the first size, like the first structural button, and being positioned, upon the mobile communication device arriving at the new orientation, in the first user-perspective button area,

associating the second function, previously associated with the second structural button, to the fourth structural button based on the fourth structural button being associated with the second size, like the second structural button, and being positioned, upon the mobile communication device arriving at the new orientation, in the first user-perspective button area,

associating the third function, previously associated with the third structural button, to the first structural button based on the first structural button begin associated with the first size, like the third structural button, and being positioned, upon the mobile communication device arriving at the new orientation, in the second user-perspective button area, and

associating the fourth function to the second structural button based on the second structural button being associated with the second size, like the fourth structural button, and being positioned, upon the mobile communication device arriving at the new orientation, in the second user-perspective button area.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the first relative positioning comprises being positioned closer to the third side of the mobile communication device than the fourth side and the second relative positioning comprises being positioned closer to the fourth side of the mobile communication device than the third side.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the input received from the camera component indicates that a user face is in front of the camera component.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the mobile communication device further comprises:

a first device face extending between the first side and the second side and between the third side and the fourth side; and

a second device face opposite the first device face, the second device face also extending between the first side and the second side and between the third side and the fourth side, wherein the first device face is open to a device-user direction when the device is at the initial orientation and the second device face is open to the device-user direction when the device is at the new orientation.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the mobile communication device further comprises:

a fifth structural button positioned at the third side of the body at a third relative positioning with respect to a sixth structural button positioned also on the third side of the body, wherein the fifth structural button is associated with the second size;

the sixth structural button positioned at a fourth relative positioning with respect to the fifth structural button, wherein the sixth structural button is associated with the first size;

a seventh structural button positioned at the fourth side of the body at the third relative positioning with respect to an eighth structural button positioned also on the fourth side of the body, wherein the seventh structural button is associated with the second size; and

the eighth structural button positioned at the fourth relative positioning with respect to the seventh structural button, wherein the eighth structural button is associated with the first size, wherein when the mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, the third side, including the fifth structural button and the sixth structural button, is in a third user-perspective button area and the fourth side, including the seventh structural button and the eighth structural button, is in a fourth user-perspective button area, and

wherein the operations further comprise;

associating a fifth function to the fifth structural button based on the fifth structural button being associated with the second size and being positioned, when the mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, in the third user-perspective button area,

associating a sixth function to the sixth structural button based on the sixth structural button being associated with the first size and being positioned, when the mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, in the third user-perspective button area,

associating a seventh function to the seventh structural button based on the seventh structural button being associated with the second size and being positioned, when the mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, in the fourth user-perspective button area, and

associating an eighth function to the eighth structural button based on the eighth structural button being associated with the first size and being positioned, when the mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, in the fourth user-perspective button area, and

in response to determining that the orientation of the multi-orientation mobile communication device has changed from the initial orientation to the new orientation, determining that in the new orientation, the third side, including the fifth structural button and the sixth structural button, is in the fourth user-perspective button area, the sixth structural button is positioned at the third side in the fourth user-perspective button area at the third relative positioning with respect to the fifth structural button, and the fifth structural button is positioned at the third side in the fourth user-perspective button area at the fourth relative positioning with respect to the sixth structural button, and further determining that in the new orientation, the fourth side, including the seventh structural button and the eighth structural button, is in the third user-perspective button area, the eighth structural button is positioned at the fourth side in the third user-perspective button area at the third relative positioning with respect to the seventh structural button, and the seventh structural button is positioned at the fourth side in the third user-perspective button area at the fourth relative positioning with respect to the eighth structural button, wherein reassigning the button functions further comprises

associating the fifth function, previously associated with the fifth structural button, to the seventh structural button based on the seventh structural button being associated with the second size and being positioned, upon the mobile communication device arriving at the new orientation, in the third user-perspective button area,

associating the sixth function, previously associated with the sixth structural button, to the eighth structural button based on the eighth structural button being associated with the first size and being positioned, upon the mobile communication device arriving at the new orientation, in the third user-perspective button area,

associating the seventh function, previously associated with the seventh structural button, to the fifth structural button based on the fifth structural button being associated with the second size and being positioned, upon the mobile communication device arriving at the new orientation, in the fourth user-perspective button area, and

associating the eighth function to the sixth structural button based on the sixth structural button being associated with the first size and being positioned, upon the mobile communication device arriving at the new orientation, in the fourth user-perspective button area.

12. A method comprising:

associating, by a mobile communication device comprising a processor, a first function to a first structural button of the mobile communication device based on the first structural button being associated with a first size and being positioned, when the mobile communication device is in an initial orientation, in a first user-perspective button area, wherein the mobile communication device comprises

a body comprising a first side, a second side opposite the first side, a third side extending between the first side and the second side, and a fourth side opposite the third side and also extending between the first side and the second side,

the first structural button positioned at the first side of the body at a first relative positioning with respect to a second structural button positioned also on the first side of the body, wherein the first structural button is associated with the first size,

the second structural button positioned at a second relative positioning with respect to the first structural button, wherein the second structural button is associated with a second size that is smaller than the first size of the first structural button,

a third structural button positioned at the second side of the body at the first relative positioning with respect to a fourth structural button positioned also on the second side of the body, wherein the third structural button is associated with the first size, and

the fourth structural button positioned at the second relative positioning with respect to the third structural button, wherein when the mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, the first side, including the first structural button and the second structural button, is in the first user-perspective button area and the second side, including the third structural button and the fourth structural button, is in a second user-perspective button area;

associating, by the mobile communication device, a second function to the second structural button based on the second structural button being associated with the second size and being positioned, when the mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, in the first user-perspective button area;

associating, by the mobile communication device, a third function to the third structural button based on the third structural button being associated with the first size and being positioned, when the mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, in the second user-perspective button area;

associating, by the mobile communication device, a fourth function to the fourth structural button based on the fourth structural button being associated with the second size and being positioned, when the mobile communication device is in the initial orientation, in the second user-perspective button area;

determining, by the mobile communication device, that an orientation of the mobile communication device has changed from the initial orientation to a new orientation, wherein in the new orientation, the first side, including the first structural button and the second structural button, is in the second user-perspective button area, the second structural button is positioned at the first side in the second user-perspective button area at the first relative positioning with respect to the first structural button, and the first structural button is positioned at the first side in the second user-perspective button area at the second relative positioning with respect to the second structural button, wherein in the new orientation, the second side, including the third structural button and the fourth structural button, is in the first user-perspective button area, the fourth structural button is positioned at the second side in the first user-perspective button area at the first relative positioning with respect to the third structural button, and the third structural button is positioned at the second side in the first user-perspective button area at the second relative positioning with respect to the fourth structural button, and wherein determining that the orientation of the mobile communication device has changed from the initial orientation to the new orientation comprises using input received from an accelerometer or using input received from a camera component; and

reassigning, by the mobile communication device, in response to determining that the orientation has changed to the new orientation, button functions, wherein reassigning the button functions comprises

associating, by the mobile communication device, the first function, previously associated with the first structural button, to the third structural button based on the third structural button being associated with the first size, like the first structural button, and being positioned, upon the mobile communication device arriving at the new orientation, in the first user-perspective button area,

associating, by the mobile communication device, the second function, previously associated with the second structural button, to the fourth structural button based on the fourth structural button being associated with the second size, like the second structural button, and being positioned, upon the mobile communication device arriving at the new orientation, in the first user-perspective button area,

associating, by the mobile communication device, the third function, previously associated with the third structural button, to the first structural button based on the first structural button begin associated with the first size, like the third structural button, and being positioned, upon the mobile communication device arriving at the new orientation, in the second user-perspective button area, and

associating, by the mobile communication device, the fourth function to the second structural button based on the second structural button being associated with the second size, like the fourth structural button, and being positioned, upon the mobile communication device arriving at the new orientation, in the second user-perspective button area.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first relative positioning comprises being positioned closer to the third side of the mobile communication device than the fourth side and the second relative positioning comprises being positioned closer to the fourth side of the mobile communication device than the third side.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the input received from the camera component indicates that a user face is in front of the camera component.