HK1186026A - A mobile cellular telephone with a display that is controlled partly by an incline sensor - Google Patents

Description

Mobile cellular telephone with display screen controlled in part by tilt sensor

This application is a divisional application of a patent application entitled "mobile cellular telephone with display screen partially controlled by tilt sensor" filed on 9/17/2003 with application number 03827076.5.

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to cellular mobile phones.

Background

Mobile cellular telephones were originally dedicated to cellular mobile communications. However, as the mobile phone market has developed, it is desirable to add functionality to the mobile phone to provide more uses to the user. Current mobile phones have an address book function, an alarm clock function, a game function, a digital camera function, and the like.

Users desire to further improve the utility of mobile phones.

Users particularly expect mobile phones to be usable as a practical tool.

Disclosure of Invention

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a mobile cellular phone including: a display screen; a processor for controlling the operation of the mobile cellular telephone including the display screen; a tilt sensor arranged to detect a tilt of the mobile phone in a first plane, wherein the mobile cellular phone has an inclinometer mode in which the processor receives from the tilt sensor an indication of the tilt detected in the first plane and controls the display screen to display a marker element (item) at a position determined from the received indication.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a mobile cellular phone including: a display screen; a processor for controlling the operation of the mobile cellular telephone including the display screen; first tilt sensor means for detecting a tilt when the mobile phone is in a first orientation; and a second tilt sensor means for detecting the tilt when the mobile telephone is in a second orientation, wherein the mobile cellular telephone has an inclinometer mode in which the processor determines the general orientation of the mobile telephone by input from the first and second tilt sensor means and then automatically controls the display to display an indicator element at a location indicative of the tilt in the determined orientation.

Drawings

For a better understanding of the invention, examples will be given only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a mobile cellular telephone;

FIGS. 2A and 2B are a plan view and a cross-sectional side view, respectively, of a tilt sensor;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are a plan view and a cross-sectional side view, respectively, of another tilt sensor;

4A, 4B, and 4C illustrate how the mobile phone displays a measure of the inclination of the plane supporting itself for different orientations of the mobile phone; and

figure 5 shows an alternative way of displaying the amount and inclination of the plane tilt on the display screen.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a mobile cellular telephone 10 comprising: a processor 12; a display screen 14 controlled by the processor 12; a tilt sensor (or group of sensors) 16 for providing input to the processor 12; a memory 18; a user input device 20 and a wireless cellular transceiver 22.

The processor is connected to the display 14, the tilt sensor(s) 16, the memory 18, the user input device 20 and the wireless cellular transceiver 22. The processor 12 controls the operation of the mobile cellular telephone 10 in accordance with program instructions stored in memory 18. In particular, the processor enables wireless communication via the wireless cellular transceiver 22, enables the user to control the cellular telephone via the user input device 20, and controls the content of the display 14.

Fig. 2A and 2B show a plan view and a cross-sectional side view, respectively, of one of the tilt sensors 16. The tilt sensor 16 uses a forced feedback accelerometer. A mass 50 is suspended between two pairs of electromagnets 52, where each pair is aligned along a different orthogonal axis x or y. These x, y axes are orthogonal to the principal axis z of the tilt sensor, the tilt sensor 16 detecting the inclination of the principal plane perpendicular to the principal axis, i.e. it detects the degree of rotation about the x and y axes. The degree of rotation about the x-axis can also be described as the inclination in the yz plane, while the inclination about the y-axis can also be described as the inclination in the xz plane. Due to the tilt of the tilt sensor 16, the mass moves and the electromagnet 52 gains energy to re-center the mass. For each electromagnet pair, the current required to reposition the mass is converted into a measure of the inclination of the main plane.

Fig. 3A and 3B show a plan view and a cross-sectional side view, respectively, of another tilt sensor 16. The tilt sensor 16 uses a sealed container 40 partially filled with a dielectric solution 42. The interior of the vessel wall forms a common electrode 44. A first pair of electrodes 46a and 46c are aligned along a first plane and are partially immersed in the solution near opposite sides of the container 40. Each electrode 46a, 46c forms a variable capacitor via the common electrode 44. As the container is tilted in a first plane, the capacitance value changes with it, while the dielectric level at the opposite electrode changes asymmetrically. The differential capacitance value of the electrode pair thus represents the inclination and amount of inclination in the first plane. A second pair of electrodes 46b and 46d are aligned along a second plane and are partially immersed in the solution near opposite sides of the container 40. Each electrode 46b, 46d forms a variable capacitor via the common electrode 44. The differential capacitance value of the second electrode pair indicates the degree and amount of tilt in the second plane as the capacitance value changes as the container tilts in the second plane. A measuring device may be included to measure the differential capacitance values of the first pair of electrodes and then provide a first signal to the mobile phone processor 12 indicative of the amount of tilt and inclination in a first plane, while also measuring the differential capacitance values of the second pair of electrodes and then providing a second signal to the mobile phone processor 12 indicative of the amount of tilt and inclination in a second plane. The tilt sensor 16 has a main axis z which lies in both the first and second planes and is perpendicular to the main plane of the sensor. The inclination sensor 16 detects the inclination of the main plane. Other types of tilt sensors 16 may also be used.

Typically mobile cellular telephones have a menu structure displayed on the display 14 which a user can navigate through using a user input device. One option in the menu structure is "inclinometer". If the option is selected, the mobile phone enters an inclinometer mode. In this mode, the processor will operate as described below.

In a first embodiment, processor 12 simulates two virtual levels on display screen 14. As shown in fig. 4A, 4B and 4C, when the processor is in the inclinometer mode, the display 14 is controlled to display a first horizontal bar 30 and a separate second vertical bar 32. The terms "horizontal" and "vertical" refer to their relative orientation within the display screen rather than their absolute orientation.

In this case, the position of the marking member 34 in the first horizontal bar indicated by the bubble indicates the degree of rotation and the amount of rotation about the first axis. The flag member 34 is normally located at a central position 35 within the horizontal bar 30 when the degree of rotation about the first axis is zero, and the flag member 34 moves out of or towards the central position 35 in real time in the opposite direction of the direction of rotation of the mobile phone 10 when the mobile phone is rotated about the first axis.

In this case, the position of the marking member 36 within the vertical bar 32 indicated by the bubble indicates the degree of rotation and the amount of rotation about the second axis. The flag member 36 is normally located at a central position 37 within the vertical bar 32 when the degree of rotation about the second axis is zero, and the flag member 36 moves out of or towards the central position 37 in real time in the opposite direction of the direction of rotation of the mobile telephone 10 when the mobile telephone is rotated about the second axis.

Processor 12 calculates offset values i and j by receiving input from tilt sensor 16. The value i has a positive or negative value indicating the amount of displacement of the flag member 34 to the right of the center mark 35 in the horizontal bar 30. A positive value on the display 12 indicates a positive displacement of the flag member 34 to the right of the center mark 35, and a negative value indicates a displacement to the left. The value j has a positive or negative value indicating that the flag member 36 is offset higher in the vertical bar 32 than the center mark 37. A positive value on the display 12 indicates a positive amount of displacement of the flag member 36 above the central mark 37, while a negative value indicates a negative amount of displacement below the central mark 37.

The direction and amount of displacement of the flag member from the central position therefore indicates the direction and degree of rotation the mobile phone should be rotated to return to zero rotation.

Fig. 4A, 4B and 4C show how the inclination of the plane 60 supporting the mobile phone is measured or corrected using the mobile phone display 12 for different orientations of the mobile phone 10, respectively. The direction of gravity is denoted by g and the main axis of the operating tilt sensor by z.

In fig. 4A, the mobile telephone 10 is upright and its bottom rests on a surface 60. For this orientation, the major axis z of the active tilt sensor is parallel to the vertical bar 32 of the display, so that at this level the major axis z is parallel to g. A horizontal bar 30 is shown to indicate rotation about the x-axis, and a vertical bar 32 is shown to indicate rotation about the y-axis, wherez＝xxy. z is a vector resulting from the vector product of x, which is perpendicular to the plane of the display screen 14, and y, which is perpendicular to the x-axis and the major axis z. The operational tilt sensor 16 detects the tilt of the surface 60. The surface 60 is level by continuously varying the inclination of the surface 60 until both of the flag members 34, 36 are located at their respective central markings 35, 37.

In fig. 4B, the mobile telephone 10 is lying on its side and its side rests on a surface 60. For this orientation, the major axis z of the active tilt sensor 16 is parallel to the displayed horizontal bar 30, such that at this horizontal position the major axis z is parallel to g. The horizontal bar 30 is shown to indicate rotation about the y-axis and the vertical bar 32 is shown to indicate rotation about the x-axis, wherez＝xxy. The y-axis is parallel to the vertical bar 32 and the x-axis is perpendicular to the y-axis and the major axis z. The operational tilt sensor 16 detects the tilt of the surface 60. The surface 60 is level by varying the inclination of the surface 60 until both flag members 34, 36 are located at their respective central markings 35, 37.

In fig. 4C, the mobile telephone 10 is laid flat and its back rests on a surface 60. For this orientation, the major axis z of the active tilt sensor 16 is orthogonal to the displayed horizontal bar 30 and the displayed vertical bar 32, such that the major axis z is parallel to g at this horizontal position. The displayed horizontal bar 30 represents a degree of rotation about an x-axis parallel to the vertical bar 32, and the displayed vertical bar 32 represents a degree of rotation about a y-axis parallel to the horizontal bar 30, wherez＝xxy. The operational tilt sensor detects the tilt of the surface 60. The surface 60 is level by varying the inclination of the surface 60 until both flag members 34, 36 are located at their respective central markings 35, 37.

Fig. 4A, 4B and 4C show three applications of the present invention. Each application uses the mobile phone 10 to measure the inclination of a plane in a different direction and each requires a clearly aligned inclination sensor 16 to do so. Different mobile telephones 10 may include different desired tilt sensors 16. A mobile phone 10 may include only a single tilt sensor 16 and thus only one of the 'upright', 'sideways', and 'flat' directions shown in fig. 4A, 4B, and 4C, respectively, may be used, as determined by the direction of the major axis z of the tilt sensor in the mobile phone 10.

Another mobile phone 10 has three tilt sensors that can be 'laid on the vertical', 'laid on the side', or 'laid flat' to measure the tilt plane. After selecting the 'inclinometer' option from the menu, the user can be asked to select the direction in which the handset to be tilted is placed on a surface. Thus the user's options are ' upright ', ' side ', and ' flat '. When the inclination is zero, selection of the option causes the inclination sensor 16 having a main axis perpendicular to the plane to be measured. Alternatively, the processor 12 may automatically select one of the three sensors to operate. Processor 12 selects a tilt sensor 16 that provides an output within a predetermined range of operation.

Fig. 5 shows an alternative way of displaying the inclination and amount of inclination of a plane on the display screen 14. In the foregoing example, the processor calculates a value i, which may have a positive or negative value, and determines the offset value of the flag member 34 to the right of the center mark 35 in the horizontal bar 30. The processor also calculates a value j having a positive or negative value and determines the offset value of the flag member 36 above the center mark 37 in the vertical bar 32. In this example, the processor still calculates values i and j, but locates the individual flag member 60 at location (i, j) on the display screen. The processor also displays a central 'target' 62 at (0, 0). The vector offset of the flag member 60 from the target 62 represents the inclination and amount of inclination of the plane 60 supporting the mobile telephone 10. As the plane 60 becomes progressively horizontal, the marker component will move towards the target in real time. When it reaches the target, the plane will be horizontal in two dimensions.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in the preceding paragraphs with reference to various examples, it should be appreciated that modifications to the examples given can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed. For example, while both the vertical bar 32 and the horizontal bar 30 are described above, in other implementations there may be only a vertical bar or a horizontal bar. Also in other implementations, the horizontal and vertical bars may overlap, for example forming a "+" shape.

Whilst endeavoring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims (27)

1. A mobile cellular telephone, comprising:

a processor configured to control a display screen of the mobile cellular telephone and operation of the mobile cellular telephone; and

an inclination sensor configured to detect an inclination of the mobile phone in a first plane, wherein the mobile cellular phone has an inclinometer mode in which the processor is configured to receive from the inclination sensor an indication of the inclination detected in the first plane and to control the display to a user of the mobile cellular phone a bar and a flag member at a position within the bar determined from the received indication, the position of the flag member within the bar representing the inclination and the amount of inclination of the mobile cellular phone in the first plane, and wherein the display has a first area and the bar has a second area, the second area being smaller than the first area;

wherein the mobile cellular telephone is configured to be usable as a utility.

2. A mobile cellular telephone as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor receives a real time indication of the detected inclination in the first plane from the inclination sensor and controls the display to move the flag member in real time through the position determined from the received indication.

3. The mobile cellular telephone of claim 1 wherein the display screen has a first axis and the processor controls the display screen to display a logo component at a location along the first axis determined from the received indication.

4. A mobile cellular telephone as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tilt sensor is configured to additionally detect the inclination of the mobile telephone in a second plane orthogonal to the first plane, wherein, in an inclinometer mode, the processor receives an indication of the detected inclination in the second plane from the tilt sensor and controls the display screen to display a further flag element at a position determined from the received indication.

5. A mobile cellular telephone as claimed in claim 4, wherein the processor receives real time indications of detected inclinations in the first and second planes from the inclination sensor and controls the display to move the flag member and the further flag member in real time through positions determined from the received indications.

6. A mobile cellular telephone as claimed in claim 4, wherein the display screen has a first axis and a second axis orthogonal to the first axis, the processor controlling the display screen to display the flag member at a position along the first axis determined from the received indication of detected inclination in the first plane and to display the further flag member at a position along the second axis determined from the received indication of detected inclination in the second plane.

7. A mobile cellular telephone as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tilt sensor is additionally configured to detect a tilt of the mobile telephone in a second plane orthogonal to the first plane, and the processor in inclinometer mode receives a first indication of the tilt detected in the first plane and a second indication of the tilt detected in the second plane from the tilt sensor and controls the display screen to display the indicator element in a position determined from the received first and second indications.

8. The mobile cellular telephone of claim 7, wherein the display screen has a first axis and a second axis orthogonal to the first axis, the processor controlling the display screen to display the flag member at a coordinate position (i, j), wherein the first coordinate is determined by the received indication of the detected inclination in the first plane and the second coordinate is determined by the received indication of the detected inclination in the second plane.

9. The mobile cellular telephone of claim 7, wherein the processor receives real-time indications of detected inclinations in the first plane and the second plane from the inclination sensor, and controls the display to move the flag member in real-time through a position determined from the received indications.

10. The mobile cellular telephone of claim 1 wherein the tilt sensor comprises a first pair of electrodes aligned along the first plane and partially immersed in a liquid to provide a first signal indicative of a tilt in the first plane; and a second pair of electrodes aligned along a second plane orthogonal to the first plane and partially immersed in the liquid for providing a second signal indicative of the inclination in the second plane.

11. A mobile cellular telephone, comprising:

a processor configured to control a display screen of the mobile cellular telephone and operation of the mobile cellular telephone;

a first tilt sensor configured to detect a tilt of the mobile phone when in a first orientation; and

a second tilt sensor configured to detect a tilt of the mobile phone when in a second orientation, wherein the mobile cellular phone has an inclinometer mode in which the processor is configured to determine an approximate orientation of the mobile phone through inputs from the first and second tilt sensors and automatically control the display screen to display to a user of the mobile cellular phone a first column, a first marker member, a second column, and a second marker member, wherein a position of the first marker member within the first column represents a tilt in the first orientation and a position of the second marker member within the second column represents a tilt in the second orientation, and wherein the display screen has a first area and the first column has a second area, the second area being smaller than the first area;

wherein the mobile cellular telephone is configured to be usable as a utility.

12. The mobile phone of claim 1 is used to measure inclination.

13. Use of a mobile phone according to claim 1 for correcting the inclination.

14. A method, comprising:

detecting the inclination of the mobile phone in a first plane; and

controlling a display to display a bar to a user of the mobile telephone and a flag member at a position within the bar determined from the detected inclination, the position of the flag member within the bar representing the inclination and the amount of inclination of the mobile telephone in a first plane, wherein the display has a first area and the bar has a second area, the second area being smaller than the first area;

wherein the mobile cellular telephone is configured to be usable as a utility.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising: receiving a real-time indication of the detected inclination in the first plane, and controlling the display screen to move the flag member in real-time through a position determined in dependence on the detected inclination.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the display screen has a first axis, and the method comprises: controlling the display screen to display a marker element at a position along the first axis determined in dependence on the detected inclination.

17. The method of claim 14, comprising detecting the inclination of the mobile phone in a second plane orthogonal to the first plane, wherein in an inclinometer mode, the method comprises: receiving an indication of the detected inclination in the second plane, and controlling the display screen to display a further marker member at a position determined in dependence on the received indication.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising: receiving real-time indications of the detected inclination in the first and second planes, and controlling the display screen to move the marker member and the further marker member in real-time through the positions determined from the received indications.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the display screen has a first axis and a second axis orthogonal to the first axis, the method comprising: controlling the display screen to display the indicator element at a position along the first axis determined from the received indication of the detected inclination in the first plane and to display the further indicator element at a position along the second axis determined from the received indication of the detected inclination in the second plane.

20. The method of claim 14, comprising: detecting an inclination of the mobile phone in a second plane orthogonal to the first plane, and when in an inclinometer mode, the method comprises: receiving a first indication of a detected inclination in the first plane and a second indication of a detected inclination in the second plane, and controlling the display screen to display the indicator member at a position determined in dependence on the received first and second indications.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the display screen has a first axis and a second axis orthogonal to the first axis, and the method comprises: controlling the display screen to display the flag member at a coordinate position (i, j), wherein the first coordinate is determined by the received indication of the detected inclination in the first plane and the second coordinate is determined by the received indication of the detected inclination in the second plane.

22. The method of claim 20, comprising: receiving real-time indications of detected inclinations in the first and second planes, and controlling the display screen to move the flag member in real-time through a position determined from the received indications.

23. The mobile cellular telephone of claim 1, wherein the mobile cellular telephone simulates a level when the mobile cellular telephone is in an inclinometer mode.

24. A mobile cellular telephone, comprising:

a processor configured to control a display screen of the mobile cellular telephone and operation of the mobile cellular telephone; and

an inclination sensor configured to detect an inclination of the mobile phone in a first plane, wherein the mobile cellular phone has an inclinometer mode in which the processor is configured to receive from the inclination sensor an indication of the inclination detected in the first plane and to control the display to display a bar to a user of the mobile phone and a flag member at a position within the bar determined from the received indication, wherein the position of the flag member within the bar provides the user with an indication of the inclination of the mobile cellular phone in the first plane, and wherein the processor is configured to place the flag member at a central position within the bar when the inclination of the mobile cellular phone in the first plane is substantially zero, and wherein, the display screen has a first area and the bar has a second area, the second area being smaller than the first area, wherein the mobile cellular telephone is configured to be usable as a utility.

25. A memory encoded with computer-executable instructions for performing operations for detecting and displaying a grade comprising:

detecting a tilt of the mobile phone; and

controlling a display to display a bar to a user of the mobile phone and a flag member at a position within the bar determined from the detected inclination, the position of the flag member within the bar representing the inclination and the amount of inclination of the mobile phone, wherein the display has a first area and the bar has a second area, the second area being smaller than the first area, wherein the mobile cellular phone is configured to be usable as a utility.

26. The mobile cellular telephone of claim 1, wherein movement of the flag member within the column indicates a degree of rotation of the mobile cellular telephone about an x-axis, the x-axis being perpendicular to a plane of the display.

27. The mobile cellular telephone of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to control the display to display a menu structure including an inclinometer option selectable by a user to cause the mobile cellular telephone to enter the inclinometer mode.