Dynamic watch user interface

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed to facilitate a watch user interface (UI) that adjusts based upon watch orientation. The watch may include user input devices that allow a user to interact with the watch via the UI. The user input devices may be coupled to the watch at various locations, and the UI may rotate and/or otherwise compensate for changes determined in the watch orientation. As the watch is reoriented (e.g., rotated by 180 degrees), the user input devices are moved to new positions with respect to the user interface. The techniques described herein adjust the functionality provided by the user input devices to provide a consistent UI experience regardless of the watch orientation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A watch having a watch housing, the watch comprising:
 a watch face display configured to present a user interface;   a first button and a second button on a side wall of the watch housing;   a processing unit coupled with the watch face display, the first button and the second button, the processing unit configured to:
 determine a current orientation of the watch housing, the current orientation being one of a first orientation or a second orientation, 
 when the watch is determined to be in the first orientation, configure the first button to have a first user interface function and the second button to have a second user interface function, and 
 when the watch is determined to be in the second orientation, configure the first button to have the second user interface function and the second button to have the first user interface function. 
   
     
     
         2 . The watch of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface functions associated the first button and the second button are configured to maintain the same user interface functionality with respect to the orientation of the user interface regardless of the current orientation of the watch. 
     
     
         3 . The watch of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface orientation corresponds to the determined orientation of the watch housing. 
     
     
         4 . The watch of  claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to cause the watch face display to adjust the user interface to compensate for changes in the orientation of the watch housing. 
     
     
         5 . The watch of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second buttons are positioned on the left side wall of the watch housing in the first orientation and on the right side wall of the watch housing in the second orientation. 
     
     
         6 . The watch of  claim 1 , wherein the first button is located at a position in the upper half of the watch housing when the watch is positioned in the first orientation, and in the lower half of the watch housing when the watch is positioned in the second orientation; and
 wherein the second button is located at a position in the lower half of the watch housing when the watch is positioned in the first orientation, and in the upper half of the watch housing when the watch is positioned in the second orientation.   
     
     
         7 . The watch of  claim 1 , wherein the first orientation and the second orientation differ from one another by 180 degrees. 
     
     
         8 . The watch of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface presents menu options, and wherein the first and second user interface functions facilitate scrolling through the menu options. 
     
     
         9 . The watch of  claim 8 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to receive selection of an orientation selection menu option to determine the orientation of the watch as one of the first orientation and the second orientation. 
     
     
         10 . The watch of  claim 9 , wherein the orientation selection menu option is based on positioning of the first and second buttons on one of the left side wall and the right side wall. 
     
     
         11 . The watch of  claim 8 , wherein the user interface further presents a scroll bar indicating a current selection of a menu option amongst the presented menu options. 
     
     
         12 . The watch of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second buttons are positioned on the left side wall of the watch housing in the first orientation and on the right side wall of the watch housing in the second orientation. 
     
     
         13 . The watch of  claim 12 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
 present the scroll bar on a left side of the user interface in the first orientation, and   present the scroll bar on a right side of the user interface in the second orientation.   
     
     
         14 . The watch of  claim 1 , further comprising a sensor configured to determine the current orientation of the watch. 
     
     
         15 . A watch having a watch housing, the watch comprising:
 a watch face display configured to present a user interface, the user interface presenting menu options;   a first button and a second button on a side wall of the watch housing;   a processing unit coupled with the watch face display, the first button and the second button, the processing unit configured to:
 receive selection of an orientation selection menu option to determine the orientation of the watch as one of the first orientation and the second orientation, 
 determine a current orientation of the watch housing based on the received selection of the orientation selection menu option, 
 when the watch is determined to be in the first orientation, configure the first button to have a first user interface function and the second button to have a second user interface function, and 
 when the watch is determined to be in the second orientation, configure the first button to have the second user interface function and the second button to have the first user interface function; 
   wherein the first and second user interface functions facilitate scrolling through the menu options.   
     
     
         16 . The watch of  claim 15 , wherein the orientation selection menu option is based on positioning of the first and second buttons on one of the left side wall and the right side wall. 
     
     
         17 . The watch of  claim 15 , wherein the user interface further presents a scroll bar indicating a current selection of a menu option amongst the presented menu options. 
     
     
         18 . The watch of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second buttons are positioned on the left side wall of the watch housing in the first orientation and on the right side wall of the watch housing in the second orientation. 
     
     
         19 . The watch of  claim 18 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
 present the scroll bar on a left side of the user interface in the first orientation, and   present the scroll bar on a right side of the user interface in the second orientation.   
     
     
         20 . A watch having a watch housing, the watch comprising:
 a watch face display configured to present a user interface, the user interface presenting menu options and a scroll bar indicating a current selection of a menu option amongst the presented menu options;   a first button and a second button on a side wall of the watch housing;   a processing unit coupled with the watch face display, the first button and the second button, the processing unit configured to:
 receive selection of an orientation selection menu option to determine the orientation of the watch as one of the first orientation and the second orientation, 
 determine a current orientation of the watch housing based on the received selection of the orientation selection menu option, 
 when the watch is determined to be in the first orientation, configure the first button to have a first user interface function and the second button to have a second user interface function, and 
 when the watch is determined to be in the second orientation, configure the first button to have the second user interface function and the second button to have the first user interface function; 
   wherein the first and second user interface functions facilitate scrolling through the menu options.