Handheld device with notification message viewing

• US 9,866,667 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2015
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Grdenfors, Dan Zacharias, Ademar, Leif Fredrik, Griffin, Jason Tyler, Hamilton, Alistair Robert, Johansson, Karl-Anders Reinhold, Lazaridis, Mihal
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US14/742,557
• Publication Number:
  US 20150319280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• 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 1/1684 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 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 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03 Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
• 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: G09G 2320/0261 in the context of movement of objects on the screen or movement of the observer relative to the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/028 by changing the viewing angle properties, e.g. widening the viewing angle, adapting the viewing angle to the view direction
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Displaying information related to a message on a display screen of a handheld electronic device. In response to a movement of the handheld electronic device from an initial position to a first orientation, displaying on the display screen a first notice related to the message.

Claims

1. A method of displaying information on a display screen of a handheld electronic device, the method comprising:

in response to detecting receipt of a new incoming message followed by a movement of the handheld electronic device from an initial position to a first orientation;

determining that the initial position of the handheld electronic device is the display screen facing a surface;

determining whether, when the handheld electronic device is in the first orientation, a reflectance of the surface is sufficient to activate a reflective display mode;

when it is determined that the reflectance of the surface is sufficient to activate the reflective display mode, displaying on the display screen a first notice including displayed information related to the new incoming message using the reflective display mode;

maintaining a new message marker for the new incoming message after displaying the first notice; and

in response to a further movement of the handheld electronic device from the first orientation to a second orientation, displaying on the display a body of the new incoming message, and removing the new message marker after displaying the body of the new incoming message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the reflectance of the surface is sufficient to activate the reflective display mode comprises:

estimating a location of the handheld electronic device relative to the surface in dependence on information from an orientation sensor;

measuring light reflected from the surface with a light sensor; and

estimating the reflectance of the surface in dependence on the estimated location and measured light.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting one or more characteristics of the surface; and

adjusting at least one of;

a display characteristic of at least one of the first notice and the second notice; and

a threshold angle defining at least one of the first orientation and the second orientation, in dependence on the one or more sensed surface characteristics.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to movement of the handheld electronic device from the first orientation to a third orientation intermediate between the first and second orientations, displaying on the display screen a third notice related to the new incoming message.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein displaying the third notice includes displaying more information related to the new incoming message than the first notice, without displaying any content corresponding to the body of the new incoming message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein there are multiple new incoming messages, and wherein:

after displaying a first notice relating to a first new incoming message, in response to movement of the handheld electronic device back to the initial position and again to the first orientation, displaying a different first notice relating to a second new incoming message.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the handheld electronic device is locked;

when it is determined that the handheld electronic device is locked, restricting the amount of information displayed in at least one of the first notice and the second notice.

8. A handheld electronic device, comprising:

a controller is configured to execute instructions to cause the handheld electronic device to;

in response to detecting receipt of a new incoming message followed by a movement of the handheld electronic device from an initial position into a first orientation;

determine that the initial position of the hand held electronic device is a display screen of the handheld electronic device facing a surface;

determine whether, when the handheld electronic device is in the first orientation, a reflectance of the surface is sufficient to activate a reflective display mode;

when it is determined that the reflectance of the surface is sufficient to activate the reflective display mode, display on the display screen a first notice including displayed information related to the new incoming message using the reflective display mode;

maintain a new message marker for the new incoming message after displaying the first notice; and

in response to a further movement of the handheld electronic device from the first orientation to a second orientation, displaying on the display a body of the new incoming message, and removing the new message marker after displaying the body of the new incoming message.

9. The handheld electronic device of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to execute instructions to determining whether the reflectance of the surface is sufficient to activate the reflective display mode by:

estimating a location of the handheld electronic device relative to the surface in dependence on information from an orientation sensor of the handheld electronic device;

measuring light reflected from the surface with a light sensor of the handheld electronic device; and

estimating the reflectance of the surface in dependence on the estimated location and measured light.

10. The handheld electronic device of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to execute instructions to cause the handheld electronic device to:

detect one or more characteristics of the surface; and

adjust at least one of;

a display characteristic of at least one of the first notice and the second notice; and

a threshold angle defining at least one of the first orientation and the second orientation, in dependence on the one or more sensed surface characteristics.

11. The handheld electronic device of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to execute instructions to cause the handheld electronic device to:

in response to movement of the handheld electronic device from the first orientation to a third orientation intermediate between the first and second orientations, display on the display screen a third notice related to the new incoming message.

12. The handheld electronic device of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to execute instructions to display the third notice by:

displaying more information related to the new incoming message than the first notice, without displaying any content corresponding to the body of the new incoming message.

13. The handheld electronic device of claim 8, wherein there are multiple new incoming messages, and wherein the controller is further configured to execute instructions to cause the handheld electronic device to:

after displaying a first notice relating to a first new incoming message, in response to movement of the handheld electronic device back to the initial position and again to the first orientation, display a different first notice relating to a second new incoming message.

14. The handheld electronic device of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to execute instructions to cause the handheld electronic device to:

determine whether the handheld electronic device is locked;

when it is determined that the handheld electronic device is locked, restrict the amount of information displayed in at least one of the first notice and the second notice.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which when executed on one or more processors of a handheld electronic device cause the handheld electronic device to, in response to detecting receipt of a new incoming message followed by a movement of the handheld electronic device from an initial position to a first orientation:

determine that the initial position of the handheld electronic device is the display screen facing a surface;

determine whether, when the handheld electronic device is in the first orientation, a reflectance of the surface is sufficient to activate a reflective display mode;

when it is determined that the reflectance of the surface is sufficient to activate the reflective display mode, perform the act of displaying on a display screen a first notice including displayed information related to the new incoming message using the reflective display mode;

maintaining a new message marker for the new incoming message after displaying the first notice; and

in response to a further movement of the handheld electronic device from the first orientation to a second orientation, displaying on the display a body of the new incoming message, and removing the new message marker after displaying the body of the new incoming message.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the handheld electronic device to determine whether the reflectance of the surface is sufficient to activate the reflective display mode by:

estimating a location of the handheld electronic device relative to the surface in dependence on information from an orientation sensor of the handheld electronic device;

measuring light reflected from the surface with a light sensor of the handheld electronic device; and

estimating the reflectance of the surface in dependence on the estimated location and measured light.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the handheld electronic device to:

detect one or more characteristics of the surface; and

adjust at least one of;

a display characteristic of at least one of the first notice and the second notice; and

a threshold angle defining at least one of the first orientation and the second orientation, in dependence on the one or more sensed surface characteristics.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the handheld electronic device to:

in response to movement of the handheld electronic device from the first orientation to a third orientation intermediate between the first and second orientations, display on the display screen a third notice related to the new incoming message.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the handheld electronic device to display the third notice by:

displaying more information related to the new incoming message than the first notice, without displaying any content corresponding to the body of the new incoming message.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein there are multiple new incoming messages, and wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the handheld electronic device to:

after displaying a first notice relating to a first new incoming message, in response to movement of the handheld electronic device back to the initial position and again to the first orientation, display a different first notice relating to a second new incoming message.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the handheld electronic device to:

determine whether the handheld electronic device is locked;

when it is determined that the handheld electronic device is locked, restrict the amount of information displayed in at least one of the first notice and the second notice.