Selective rotation of a user interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9766788-B2
Application number	US-201414467573-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2014
Priority date	Jul 17, 2009
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

This is directed to rotating an entire user interface of a portable electronic device. In particular, this is directed to defining a UI orientation mode in which a user can direct the device to rotate a UI. When the UI orientation mode is enabled, the electronic device can detect particular inputs, for example based on the outputs of motion sensing components such as an accelerometer and a magnetometer, to determine how to rotate the UI. Once the UI has been rotated to a desired orientation, a user can lock the UI orientation and exit the UI orientation mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for changing the orientation of a displayed user interface on an electronic device, comprising:
detecting a condition of the electronic device;
enabling a user interface orientation mode of the electronic device in response to the detected condition;
while the user interface orientation mode is enabled, detecting an input;
changing the orientation of the displayed user interface on the electronic device in response to the detected input; and
exiting the user interface orientation mode to lock the changed orientation of the displayed user interface on the electronic device, wherein the detecting the condition of the electronic device comprises one of the following:
detecting movement of a clip of a housing of the electronic device, wherein the housing provides the user interface; and
detecting movement of the electronic device relative to gravity, wherein the detected movement of the electronic device is different than the detected input.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting the condition of the electronic device comprises detecting movement of the electronic device relative to gravity.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting the condition of the electronic device comprises detecting movement of a clip of the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the movement of the clip comprises an opening and closing of the clip in a particular pattern.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the movement of the clip is operative to trip a switch of the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the clip is configured to attach the electronic device to an article of a user.

7. The method of claim 3 , further comprising, after the detecting the input but before the exiting, detecting additional movement of the clip of the electronic device, wherein the exiting comprises exiting the user interface orientation mode in response to the detected additional movement.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting the input comprises detecting an output of at least one of an accelerometer and a magnetometer; and
the changing comprises changing the orientation of the displayed user interface in response to the detected output.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
defining an angle from the detected output; and
changing the orientation of the displayed user interface by the defined angle.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input is independent from the condition.

11. An electronic device comprising:
a housing;
a display at least partially within the housing;
a first component;
a second component; and
control circuitry that:
directs the display to display a user interface in a first orientation;
detects an event of the first component while the user interface is displayed in the first orientation;
enables a user interface orientation mode of the electronic device in response to the detected event;
receives data from the second component while the user interface orientation mode is enabled; and
directs the display to display the user interface in a second orientation in response to the received data, wherein the event comprises one of the following:
movement of a clip of the housing of the electronic device, wherein the first component comprises the clip; and
movement of the electronic device relative to gravity, wherein the event of the first component is independent of the data from the second component.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the event comprises movement of the electronic device relative to gravity.

13. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein:
the first component comprises a clip; and
the event comprises movement of a clip of the electronic device.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the movement of the clip comprises an opening and closing of the clip in a particular pattern.

15. The electronic device of claim 13 , further comprising a switch, wherein the movement of the clip is operative to trip the switch.

16. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the clip is operative to attach the electronic device to an article of a user.

17. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the event of the first component is independent of the data from the second component.

18. Non-transitory computer-readable media for changing the orientation of a displayed user interface of an electronic device, comprising computer readable code recorded thereon for:
detecting a condition of the electronic device;
enabling a user interface orientation mode of the electronic device in response to the detected condition;
while the user interface orientation mode is enabled, detecting an input of the electronic device;
changing the orientation of the displayed user interface on the electronic device in response to the detected input; and
exiting the user interface orientation mode to lock the changed orientation of the displayed user interface on the electronic device, wherein the detecting the condition of the electronic device comprises one of the following:
detecting movement of a clip of a housing of the electronic device, wherein the housing at least partially protects the user interface; and
detecting movement of the electronic device relative to gravity, wherein the detected movement of the electronic device is different than the detected input.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Kerr Duncan Robert
• King Nicholas V

Classifications

• G06F3/04842 Primary

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F2200/1614

  Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode · CPC title

• G06F1/1626 Primary

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title