System and method for altering a display mode based on a gravity-responsive sensor

Abstract

A sensor, such as, for example, a gravity-responsive sensor, provides an output used to select an orientation of a display of a display device. For example, the output may indicate that the orientation of the display should comprise a portrait or landscape orientation, an orientation rotated, such as, for example, ninety degrees (90°), one hundred and eighty degrees (180°), two hundred and seventy degrees (270°), or the like. In addition, one or more manual switches, buttons, or display icons may be actuated or otherwise selected to manually set the orientation of the display.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A device configured to show display content in more than one orientation, the device comprising: 
 a gravity-responsive sensor providing an output, wherein the output comprises a first state when the gravity-responsive sensor is oriented in a first position with respect to gravity and the output comprises a second state when the gravity-responsive sensor is oriented in a second position with respect to gravity; and    a display configured to show display content in a first display mode and a second display mode, wherein the display is responsive to the output of the gravityresponsive sensor to operate in the first display mode when the output corresponds to the first state and to operate in the second display mode when the output corresponds to the second state, and wherein the second display mode orients the display content differently with respect to the display than the first display mode.    
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first display mode comprises a portrait mode.  
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the first display mode comprises a landscape mode.  
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the second display mode orients the display content ninety (90) degrees from the first display mode.  
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the second display mode orients the display content one hundred eighty (180) degrees from the first display mode.  
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the second display mode orients the display content two hundred seventy (270) degrees from the first display mode.  
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the gravity-responsive sensor comprises a non-mercury sensor.  
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the gravity-responsive sensor comprises a mercury sensor.  
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the gravity-responsive sensor comprises a tilt switch.  
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising a manual selection mechanism configured to allow a user to manually set the display in the first display mode or the second display mode.  
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the manual selection mechanism comprises a soft key.  
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the manual selection mechanism overrides the gravity-response sensor.  
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the display content is automatically adjusted when the display changes from showing the display content according to the first display mode to showing the content in the second display mode.  
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the display content comprises an image.  
     
     
         15 . A method of orienting content displayed on a display based on the output of a sensor responsive to gravity, the method comprising: 
 sensing an orientation of a display device with respect to gravity; and    displaying content in one of a plurality of display modes on the display device based on the orientation of the display.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the display device comprises a display surface having a longer side and a shorter side, and wherein the display mode comprises a portrait mode when the longer side of the display surface is substantially horizontal.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the display device comprises a display surface having a longer side and a shorter side, and wherein the display mode comprises a landscape mode when the shorter side of the display surface is substantially horizontal.  
     
     
         18 . A method of reorienting content displayed on a display device when the display device is rotated with respect to gravity, the method comprising: 
 displaying content on a display, wherein the content includes a substantially horizontal side, and wherein the display includes a side oriented in a substantially horizontal position;    rotating the side of the display to a substantially vertical position;    sensing the rotation of the display with a switch responsive to a change in orientation with gravity; and    reorienting the display of the content with respect to the display such that the substantially horizontal side of the content remains in the substantially horizontal position.    
     
     
         19 . A method of orienting display content to be displayed, the method comprising: 
 determining a value representative of a spatial orientation of a tilt switch, wherein the tilt switch is configured to operate automatically upon a change in spatial orientation; and    displaying display content in a presentation mode dependent upon the value.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the presentation mode comprises a portrait presentation.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the presentation mode comprises an upside-down portrait presentation.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the presentation mode comprises a landscape presentation.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the presentation mode comprises an upside-down landscape presentation.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising altering the presentation mode upon actuation of a key switch.