Sensor based interface adjustment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017103732-A1
Application number	US-201514881297-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 13, 2015
Priority date	Oct 13, 2015
Publication date	Apr 13, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method includes sensing a hand position on a mobile device via sensors on the mobile device, providing information identifying the sensed hand position to a processor of the mobile device, identifying a position of a user interface on a touch screen display of the mobile device responsive to the information identifying the sensed hand position using the processor of the mobile device, and adjusting a user interface display position on the mobile device to the identified position using the processor of the mobile device.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
sensing a hand position on a mobile device via sensors on the mobile device; providing information identifying the sensed hand position to a processor of the mobile device; identifying a position of a user interface on a touch screen display of the mobile device responsive to the information identifying the sensed hand position using the processor of the mobile device; and adjusting a user interface display position on the mobile device to the identified position using the processor of the mobile device.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein sensing a hand position comprises sensing the mobile device is being held on one side of the mobile device by one hand, and wherein adjusting the user interface display position comprises moving user interface page up and page down buttons to the one side of the mobile device.

3 . The method of claim 2 wherein the user interface page up and page down buttons are moved proximate the hand holding the side of the mobile device such that the buttons are easily selectable by the hand holding the side of the mobile device.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein sensing a hand position comprises sensing the mobile device is being held on both sides of the mobile device by two hands, and wherein adjusting the user interface display position comprises moving user interface page up and page down buttons to both sides of the touch screen proximate where the hands are holding the mobile device.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein sensing a hand position comprises sensing the mobile device is being held on one side of the mobile device by only one hand and wherein adjusting the user interface display position comprises moving a user interface proximate the position of the hand on the one side of the mobile device to facilitate use of the user interface without moving the hand.

6 . The method of claim 1 and further comprising:
sensing a position of a finger above the touchscreen display;
providing information identifying the sensed finger position to the processor of the mobile device; and
wherein identifying a position of a user interface is further responsive to the information identifying the sensed finger position.

7 . The method of claim 6 wherein sensing a position of a finger above the touchscreen is performed by magnetic field disruption detection.

8 . The method of claim 6 wherein sensing a position of a finger above the touchscreen is performed by processing images provided by a camera of the mobile device.

9 . The method of claim 1 and further comprising reducing an active touch zone of the user interface responsive to adjusting a user interface display position.

10 . The method of claim 1 and further comprising:
tracking historic holding patterns for a user of the mobile device; and
wherein adjusting the user interface display position on the mobile device responsive to the sensed hand position includes adjusting the user interface display position based on the tracked historic holding patterns prior to a user holding the device.

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein historic holding patterns are tracked for each application and wherein the user interface display position is adjusted for an application based on the historic holding patterns for the application using a table correlating the holding patterns to applications and user interface display positions.

12 . The method of claim 10 wherein tracking historic holding patterns comprises:
periodically storing information identifying the sensed hand position;
generating a heat map identifying frequency of occurrence of each sensed hand position, wherein a separate heat map is generated for each application executing on the mobile device.

13 . The method of claim 12 wherein the identified position is identified responsive to the heat maps.

14 . A method comprising:
periodically sensing user hand positions on a mobile device having a touch screen display while the user is holding the mobile device; generating a heat map indicative of frequency of hand positions for each application executing on the mobile device; identifying a user interface element for an application currently executing on the mobile device; and adjusting a position of the user interface element of the currently executing application on the touch screen responsive to the heat map for the currently executing application.

15 . The method of claim 14 wherein the heat map for the currently executing application includes a heat map for each hand of the user.

16 . The method of claim 15 wherein adjusting a position of a user interface element comprises adjusting the positions of two user interface elements to respective positions responsive to the heat map for each hand of the user.

17 . The method of claim 14 wherein adjusting a position of the user interface element of the currently executing application is performed responsive to a selection of the application for execution by the user of the mobile device.

18 . A mobile computing device comprising:
a processor; a sensor array supported by the mobile computing device, the sensor array positioned to sense hand positions on the mobile computing device by a user using the device; and a memory device coupled to the processor and having instructions stored thereon executable by the processor to:
receive information identifying the sensed hand positions from the sensor array;
identify an adjusted position of a user interface on a touch screen display of the mobile device responsive to the information identifying the sensed hand positions; and
move a user interface display position on the mobile device to the identified adjusted position.

19 . The mobile computing device of claim 18 wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:
receive information identifying a sensed finger position to the processor of the mobile device; and
wherein identifying an adjusted position of a user interface is further responsive to the information identifying the sensed finger position.

20 . The mobile computing device of claim 18 wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:
track historic holding patterns for a user of the mobile device; and
wherein identifying an adjusted position of the user interface responsive to the sensed hand position includes identifying the adjusted position responsive to the tracked historic holding patterns prior to a user holding the device.

Assignees

• Lenovo Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Schantz Daniel Jordan
• Conzola Vincent Charles
• Luttrell Wesley Abram
• Osborne Christopher Miles

Classifications

• H04W88/02 Primary

  Terminal devices · CPC title

• G09G2340/0464

  Positioning · CPC title

• G06F1/1684

  Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675 · CPC title

• G09G5/00

  Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators (image data processing or generation, in general G06T) · CPC title

• G09G2354/00

  Aspects of interface with display user · CPC title