Orientation of Visual Content Presented on the Display of a Mobile Device

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the orientation of visual content presented on a display of a mobile device. Specifically, the present disclosure includes a method that includes: determining that the orientation of the mobile device is a planar orientation, determining the context of the mobile device, determining the movement of the mobile device, and determining the orientation of visual content presented on the display of the mobile device based on the device's orientation, context, and movement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to presenting visual content on a display of a mobile device. Background Art

[0002] Mobile devices are prone to various movements that may cause the mobile device to rotate, such that the visual content presented on the display is no longer suitable for the user's field of view. Various sensors can be used to determine, for example, the orientation of the device, and based on the information obtained from the sensors, the orientation of the presented visual content can be updated. However, the updated orientation of the presented visual content may not always result in an optimal user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The scope of protection sought by the various embodiments is defined by the independent claims. Exemplary embodiments and features (if any) described in this specification that do not fall within the scope of the independent claims are to be construed as examples useful for understanding the various embodiments of the invention.

[0004] According to one aspect, there is provided an apparatus including components for: determining that the orientation of a mobile device is a planar orientation, determining the context of the mobile device, determining the movement of the mobile device, and determining the orientation of visual content presented on a display of the mobile device based on the orientation, context, and movement of the mobile device.

[0005] According to another aspect, there is provided an apparatus including: at least one processor and at least one memory, the at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: determine that the orientation of a mobile device is a planar orientation, determine the context of the mobile device, determine the movement of the mobile device, and determine the orientation of visual content presented on a display of the mobile device based on the orientation, context, and movement of the device.

[0006] According to another aspect, there is provided a method including: determining that the orientation of a mobile device is a planar orientation, determining the context of the mobile device, determining the movement of the mobile device, and determining the orientation of visual content presented on a display of the mobile device based on the orientation, context, and movement of the device.

[0007] According to another aspect, there is provided a computer program including instructions for causing an apparatus to at least perform the following: determine that the orientation of a mobile device is a planar orientation, determine the context of the mobile device, determine the movement of the mobile device, and determine the orientation of visual content presented on a display of the mobile device based on the orientation, context, and movement of the device.

[0008] According to another aspect, there is provided a computer program product including instructions for causing a device to at least perform the following: determining that an orientation of a mobile device is a planar orientation, determining a context of the mobile device, determining a movement of the mobile device, and determining an orientation of visual content presented on a display of the mobile device based on the orientation, context, and movement of the device.

[0009] According to another aspect, there is provided a computer program including instructions stored thereon for at least performing the following: determining that an orientation of a mobile device is a planar orientation, determining a context of the mobile device, determining a movement of the mobile device, and determining an orientation of visual content presented on a display of the mobile device based on the orientation, context, and movement of the device.

[0010] According to another aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable medium including program instructions for causing a device to at least perform the following: determining that an orientation of a mobile device is a planar orientation, determining a context of the mobile device, determining a movement of the mobile device, and determining an orientation of visual content presented on a display of the mobile device based on the orientation, context, and movement of the device.

[0011] According to another aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable medium including program instructions stored thereon for at least performing: determining that an orientation of a mobile device is a planar orientation, determining a context of the mobile device, determining a movement of the mobile device, and determining an orientation of visual content presented on a display of the mobile device based on the orientation, context, and movement of the device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1A and 1B illustrate exemplary embodiments of determining an orientation of visual content to be presented.

[0013] Figure 2A and 2B illustrate another exemplary embodiment of determining an orientation of visual content to be presented.

[0014] Figure 3A and 3B illustrate another exemplary embodiment of determining an orientation of visual content to be presented.

[0015] Figure 4A and 4B illustrate another exemplary embodiment of determining an orientation of visual content to be presented.

[0016] Figure 5A and 5B illustrate another exemplary embodiment of determining an orientation of visual content to be presented.

[0017] Figure 6 An exemplary embodiment of the apparatus is shown. Detailed implementation

[0018] The following embodiments are exemplary. Although the specification may refer to "an", "one", or "some" embodiments at several places in the text, this does not necessarily mean that each reference refers to the same (multiple) embodiments, nor does it necessarily mean that one or more specific features apply only to a single embodiment. Individual features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments.

[0019] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" refers to all of the following: (a) only hardware circuit implementations, such as those implemented only in analog and / or digital circuitry, and (b) combinations of circuits and software (and / or firmware), such as, as applicable: (i) combinations of (multiple) processors or (ii) portions of (multiple) processors / software, including (multiple) digital signal processors, software, and (multiple) memories that work together to enable a device to perform various functions, and (c) circuits that require software or firmware to operate, such as (multiple) microprocessors or portions of (multiple) microprocessors, even if the software or firmware is not actually present. This definition of "circuitry" applies to all uses of the term in this application. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuitry" will also cover implementations that are only a processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, if applicable to a particular element, the term "circuitry" will also cover a baseband integrated circuit or an application processor integrated circuit for a mobile phone, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, a cellular network device, or other network devices. The above embodiments of circuitry may also be considered as embodiments of components that provide for performing the methods or processes described in this document.

[0020] As used herein, the term "determine" (and its grammatical variants) may include, but is not limited to: operating, calculating, processing, deriving, measuring, investigating, looking up (e.g., looking up in a table, a database, or other data structure), ascertaining, etc. Additionally, "determine" may include receiving (e.g., receiving information), accessing (e.g., accessing data in a memory), obtaining, etc. Additionally, "determine" may include resolving, selecting, picking, establishing, etc.

[0021] Mobile devices, such as mobile phones, wearable devices, cameras, or tablet computers, are typically carried by users during various activities, during which the orientation of the device may often change. For example, if a user is running, on a train, or cycling, the user may interact with the mobile device simultaneously, and the mobile device thus moves with the user's movement. To ensure a good user experience, the mobile device can utilize input from one or more sensors, such as gyroscopes and / or accelerometers that the mobile device includes and / or is connected to, to determine the optimal orientation of the visual content presented on the device's display. If the visual content is, for example, considered upside down by the user, the user experience will be affected, which is undesirable. The orientation of the visual content presented on the mobile device's display can be determined based on, for example, the direction of gravity, such that the lower part of the visual content is aligned towards the direction of gravity. For example, the direction of gravity can be obtained based on the input received from the accelerometer. However, if the mobile device is in a planar orientation, the direction of gravity may no longer be useful for determining the orientation of the visual content to be presented.

[0022] If the mobile device has a planar orientation, which can be understood as the mobile device's display facing up or down, such that the device is at least substantially orthogonal to gravity, then the camera can be used to detect the user's face. Based on the user's face, the orientation of the visual content to be presented on the mobile device's display can be determined such that the user experience is optimal. However, if the user lies down or multiple faces are recognized, the mobile device may not be able to recognize the user's face such that it can determine the optimal orientation of the visual content to be presented. Additionally, the user's face may not be visible in a dark environment, and if the user wears a mask, etc., the mobile device may not be able to recognize the user's face.

[0023] If the mobile device is thus oriented in a planar orientation, it may be necessary to determine the optimal orientation of the visual content to be presented on the display of the mobile device based on other inputs. In some exemplary embodiments, if it is determined, for example, based on the input from one or more sensors that the mobile device is oriented in a planar orientation, the movement of the mobile device can also be determined, and the orientation of the visual content to be presented on the display of the mobile device can be determined at least in part based on the determined movement of the mobile device. The movement of the mobile device can be understood to cover the movement and trajectory of the mobile device and / or an indication of whether the mobile device is stationary. For example, the movement and trajectory can be determined by using methods such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), High-Accuracy Indoor Positioning (HAIP), Ultra-Wideband (UWB)-based positioning, a positioning system based on one or more cameras, an accelerometer, or any combination thereof. For example, if it is determined that the orientation of the mobile device is a planar orientation, the movement of the mobile device can be determined, and the visual content that can be presented on the display of the mobile device can be oriented at least in part based on the determined movement of the mobile device. For example, the upper part of the visual content can be aligned with the direction of movement of the mobile device. In addition, the context of the mobile device can also be determined, and the orientation of the visual content presented on the display of the terminal device can be further based on the determined context of the mobile device. The context of the mobile device can be understood as the activities of the mobile device and / or the activities in which the mobile device participates. For example, the activities of the mobile device can be understood as an application being in an active state and / or the mobile device having one or more active connections to adjacent devices. In addition, the activities involved by the mobile device can, for example, be understood as the user performing activities such as passing the device to another person, running, or cycling, and the activities of the user are detected by the terminal device.

[0024] Figure 1A and 1B Exemplary embodiments are shown for aligning the orientation of the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device. In Figure 1AIn [the context], user 110 is running and also using his mobile device 120 at the same time. Thus, in this exemplary embodiment, the context of the mobile device 120 is the user's activity, i.e., the user's movement. The direction of movement of the mobile device, which corresponds to the direction of movement of user 110 in this exemplary embodiment, is shown by arrow 130. In this exemplary embodiment, the user's activity, i.e., the context of the mobile device 120, is determined by the mobile device at least in part based on the input received from one or more accelerometers included in the mobile device. Additionally or alternatively, the input from other sensors can also be used to determine the user's activity. Further additionally or alternatively, the user activity settings in an application (such as an activity tracking application) can be used to determine the user's activity. The determined activity can be further determined as user 110 being expected to keep the focus in the forward direction of the user, which is also the direction of movement of the mobile device 120. Since the orientation of the mobile device is further determined to be a planar orientation, the orientation of the content presented 135 on the display of the mobile device is aligned with the direction of movement of the mobile device 120. In this exemplary embodiment, the aligned orientation of the content presented 135 on the display of the mobile device is such that the upper part of the presented visual content is in the direction of movement of the mobile device 130. Then, this aligned orientation is fixed during the duration of the activity. In other words, as long as the context is determined to be valid, the orientation of the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device remains fixed. In other words, as long as the user's activity continues. Once it is determined that the user's activity is different, it can be determined that the context of the mobile device is no longer valid. Alternatively or additionally, if the orientation of the device is determined not to be a planar orientation, the context can be determined to be invalid.

[0025] Figure 1B shows a flowchart according to Figure 1A an exemplary embodiment of [the invention]. First, in S1, the orientation of the mobile device is determined to be a planar orientation. Then, in S2, the mobile device determines its context. In this exemplary embodiment, the context is determined based on detecting the user's activity. In this exemplary embodiment, the user's activity includes the user's movement. Next, in S3, it is determined whether the user's activity corresponds to keeping the orientation aligned with the movement of the device. If so, then in S4, the orientation of the content presented on the display is kept aligned with the movement of the mobile device.

[0026] Figure 2A and 2BAnother exemplary embodiment of determining the orientation of visual content presented on the display of the mobile device 220 is shown. In this exemplary embodiment, the user 210 is using the mobile device 220 and activates an application that requires the user to point the mobile device 220 at an object. For example, the object is a flower in this exemplary embodiment, but in other exemplary embodiments the object may be a person or a barcode. For example, the user 210 sees the flower and decides to take a picture of the flower. In this exemplary embodiment, the flower is knee-high, so the user 210 holds the mobile device 220 such that its orientation is a planar orientation. The mobile device 220 determines that its orientation is a planar orientation. When the user 210 decides to take a picture of the flower, the user activates the camera application of the mobile device 220. In other words, the context of the mobile device 220 can be determined to be the mobile device participating in the user activity at least in part based on the activated application. When the user 210 activates the camera application, the user 210 then points the mobile device 220 at the flower and towards the end point of the pointing movement, i.e., the user 210 decides whether the picture is a portrait picture or a landscape picture. For the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device 220 when the user decides whether the picture is a landscape picture or a portrait picture, the orientation should remain fixed so that after such a pointing movement is completed, the orientation does not align with the movement of the mobile device 220. In other words, as long as the orientation of the mobile device 220 is a planar orientation.

[0027] Therefore, once it is determined that the context of the mobile device 220 involves the user's activity and once it is determined that the orientation of the mobile device 220 is a planar orientation, the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device 220 is oriented such that it remains fixed despite the movement of the mobile device 220. In this exemplary embodiment, the directions of movement of the mobile device 220 are shown by arrows 222, 224, and 226. However, the orientation of the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device 220 is optimally presented when it is fixed despite the movement of the mobile device.

[0028] Although a camera is mentioned in this exemplary embodiment, it should be noted that once the mobile device 220 is in a planar orientation, the orientation of the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device 220 is determined to be fixed. Even if the mobile device 220 moves, this method can also be used with other applications, such as a conference recorder, a journalist interview recorder, or a barcode reader. In other words, the orientation of the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device 220 is determined based on the context of the mobile device and the planar orientation of the mobile device 220. The movement of the mobile device 220 can also be considered a factor in a sense, that is, the orientation will align along the end point of the movement of the mobile device 220, which occurs before the planar orientation of the mobile device 220 is detected. After that, the orientation of the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device 220 remains fixed until the orientation of the display device is no longer planar and / or the context of the mobile device 220 is no longer valid. That is to say, until the application is no longer active.

[0029] Figure 2B shows a flowchart of an exemplary embodiment according to Figure 2A In this exemplary embodiment, in S1, it is determined that the orientation of the mobile device is a planar orientation. Next, in S2, the context of the mobile device is determined, which includes determining that the application is activated and that the application causes the mobile device to be determined to be involved in a user activity. Next, in S3, the movement of the device is determined. In this exemplary embodiment, the movement of the device is the movement of the device just after the application is activated, which may be the first detected movement after the application is activated, and the visual content presented on the display of the device is aligned with the movement of the mobile device. Alternatively, if no obvious movement is detected after the application has been activated, it can be determined that the movement of the mobile device is the last part of the movement before the application is activated. That is the last part of the last movement before the application is activated. Then, the direction of the visual content presented on the display is aligned with the direction of the determined movement of the terminal device. Aligning the visual content can be understood as the upper part of the visual content being in the direction of the movement of the mobile device. Finally, in S4, the aligned orientation of the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device remains fixed until the orientation of the mobile device is no longer planar and / or the application is no longer active.

[0030] Generally, applications such as cameras, barcode readers, QR code readers, matrix barcode readers, conference recorders, and / or interview recorders may require the user to point the mobile device at an object. In these applications, the user can activate the application and then he moves towards the object / person. The movement just after the application is activated can be detected based on, for example, an accelerometer. Since the first movement can cause the mobile device to move from the user's line of sight direction towards the direction of the object, this movement can be interpreted as revealing the optimal display rotation when the user uses the application.

[0031] Figure 3A and 3B shows yet another exemplary embodiment for determining an optimal orientation of visual content presented on a display of a mobile device. In Figure 3A the exemplary embodiment, user 310 moves such that his movement is different from the movement of mobile device 320. In this exemplary embodiment, the movement of mobile device 320 is detected using at least one accelerometer. The movement of user 310 is determined based on input from one or more of the following: earbuds with an accelerometer or other sensors, smart glasses, virtual reality (VR) glasses, augmented reality (AR) glasses, and / or health tracking wearable devices, etc. In this exemplary embodiment, since the movement of user 310 is different from the movement of mobile device 320, the context of the mobile device can be one of the following: user 310 moves mobile device 320 away from him, user 310 rotates mobile device 320, or user 310 rotates his head. However, among these options, the context of mobile device 320 is that mobile device 320 is involved in user 310's activity. In this exemplary embodiment, it is also determined that the orientation of mobile device 320 is a planar orientation.

[0032] The difference determined between the movement of user 310 and the movement of mobile device 320 can cause various orientations of the visual content presented on the display of mobile device 320 to be considered optimal rotations. For example, if the movement 332 of mobile device 320 is towards the right side of the trajectory of user movement 330, the orientation of the visual content presented on the display of mobile device 320 rotates clockwise. Alternatively, if the movement of mobile device 320 is towards the left side of the trajectory of user movement 330, the orientation of the visual content presented on the display of mobile device 320 rotates counterclockwise.

[0033] On the other hand, if the movement 334 of mobile device 320 is significantly different from the movement of user 310, such as mobile device 320 rotating 90° clockwise while user 310 does not rotate, the visual content presented on the display of mobile device 320 rotates counterclockwise by, for example, 90°. Additionally, if user 310 rotates mobile device 320 but user 310 does not rotate, the visual content presented on the display of mobile device 320 may rotate in the opposite direction of the rotation of mobile device 320. On the other hand, if user 310 rotates his head instead of mobile device 320, the visual content presented on the display of mobile device 320 does not rotate.

[0034] Figure 3B shows according to Figure 3AFlowchart of an exemplary embodiment. In S1, it is determined that the orientation of the mobile device is a flat orientation. Next, in S2, the context of the mobile device is determined. In this exemplary embodiment, the context is that when the movement of the mobile device and the movement of the user are determined, the mobile device participates in the user's activity. Based on the difference between the movement of the user and the movement of the terminal device, then in S3, the orientation of the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device is determined. In S4, the orientation of the visual content to be presented on the display of the mobile device is continuously determined based on the difference between the movement of the user and the movement of the mobile device until it is determined that the orientation of the mobile device is no longer a flat orientation.

[0035] Figure 4A and 4B shows another exemplary embodiment of determining the orientation of the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device 420. In Figure 4A the exemplary embodiment, the context of the mobile device 420 is that the mobile device 420 participates in the activity of the user 410. In this exemplary embodiment, the orientation of the mobile device 420 is determined to be a flat orientation. Then it is determined that the context of the mobile device 420 is that the user 410 moves the mobile device 420. This can be the case, for example, when the user 410 hands the mobile device 420 to another user 430. As the mobile device 420 determines the context, in this exemplary embodiment, the context is that the user 410 hands the mobile device 420 to another user 430, the orientation of the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device 420 is determined to be fixed, in other words, not rotated, or alternatively the orientation is rotated 180°. In this way, other users 430 can obtain the same user experience as the user 410. If the orientation of the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device 420 is not rotated, in other words, remains fixed, then the other user 430 is provided with the same user experience as the user 410. The user experience can depend on, for example, the position of the speaker on the mobile device 420 relative to the display of the mobile device 420. In addition, in this way, the user 410 can ensure that the other user 430 is provided with the same user experience as the user 410 by simply checking whether the other user 430 holds the device in the same way as the user 410. On the other hand, if the orientation is rotated such that the rotation is limited to 180°, then the benefits of portrait or landscape rotation can be achieved without disturbing the user experience.

[0036] The context of the mobile device 420 can be determined in various ways. For example, the mobile device 420 can detect that the user 410 is handing the mobile device 420 to another user 430 by identifying a sequence of events in which the face of the user 410 is first detected using a camera included in the mobile device 420, and wherein the camera is on the same side as the display of the mobile device 420, and then the movement of the mobile device 420 is determined based on the input received from one or more accelerometers, and then the face of the user 430 is detected using the camera. Once the movement of the mobile device 420 is complete, or during the movement of the mobile device 420, the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device 420 can be rotated back to the same rotation it had when viewed by the user 410, or alternatively, if the face of the user 410 is not recognized in the image obtained from the camera, the rotation can be disabled.

[0037] Alternatively or additionally, the context of the mobile device 420 can be determined based on its distance to other devices (such as wearable devices worn by users 410 and 430). For example, if the user 410 wears a smartwatch and the user 430 has headphones paired with the mobile device 420, the mobile device 420 can detect its movement based on the changing distance to the wearable devices. For example, the mobile device 420 can detect that it is moving away from the smartwatch and closer to the headphones. If it is further determined that the orientation of the mobile device 420 is a planar orientation, then based on the context of the mobile device 420 and the movement of the mobile device 420, the orientation of the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device 420 can be determined.

[0038] Figure 4B shows a flowchart of an exemplary embodiment according to Figure 4A First, in S1, it is determined that the orientation of the mobile device is a planar orientation. Then in S2, the context of the mobile device is determined. In this exemplary embodiment, the context is the activity of the user involving the mobile device. In this exemplary embodiment, the user passes the mobile device to another user. The mobile device also determines its movement. Then, in S3, based on the context of the mobile device and the movement of the mobile device, the orientation of the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device is determined, and the visual content is presented accordingly.

[0039] Figure 5A and 5B shows another exemplary embodiment of determining the orientation of the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device. In Figure 5AIn an exemplary embodiment, user 510 passes mobile device 520 to user 530. User 510 is wearing headphones paired with mobile device 520, and user 530 is also wearing headphones paired with mobile device 520. Mobile device 520 determines that its orientation is flat. Mobile device 520 then determines that its context is that it has at least one active connection with another device (i.e., headphones). Mobile device 520 also determines that its movement is towards the device with which it has an active connection. At the end of the movement, mobile device 520 determines the direction in which the nearest device with which it has an active connection is located. Based on this direction, the orientation of the visual content to be presented on the display of mobile device 520 is determined and presented accordingly. Additionally, the mobile device can limit the rotation of the orientation to a 180° angle to keep the user experience the same instead of switching between landscape and portrait.

[0040] Determining the nearest device to which mobile device 520 has an active connection can be implemented in various ways. For example, when using a Bluetooth LE antenna array, ultra-wideband (UWB) or Bluetooth LE can be utilized to determine the nearest device based on signal strength and its direction. It should be noted that mobile device 520 can have multiple active connections to other devices simultaneously. These multiple connections can be, for example, between mobile device 520 and different wearable devices (such as earbuds, heart rate monitors, and / or electrocardiogram (EKG) monitors).

[0041] Figure 5B Shows a flowchart according to Figure 5A an exemplary embodiment. First, in S1, it is determined that the orientation of the mobile device is a flat orientation. Then in S2, the context of the mobile device is determined. In this exemplary embodiment, the context is an active connection to at least one other device. The user in this exemplary embodiment passes the mobile device to another user. The mobile device also determines its movement. Then, in S3, based on the context of the mobile device and the movement of the mobile device, the orientation of the visual content to be presented on the display of the mobile device is determined and the visual content is presented accordingly.

[0042] Figure 6 Shows a device 600 that can be a computing device according to an example embodiment. Device 600 can be a mobile device or can be included in a mobile device, such as those described in the above exemplary embodiments. Device 600 includes a processor 610. Processor 610 interprets computer program instructions and processes data. Processor 610 can include one or more programmable processors. Processor 610 can include programmable hardware with embedded firmware and can alternatively or additionally include one or more application-specific integrated circuits ASICs.

[0043] The processor 610 is coupled to the memory 620. The processor is configured to read data from and write data to the memory 620. The memory 620 may include one or more memory cells. The memory cells may be volatile or non-volatile. It should be noted that in some example embodiments, there may be one or more non-volatile memory cells and one or more volatile memory cells, or alternatively, one or more non-volatile memory cells, or alternatively, one or more non-volatile memory cells. Volatile memory may be, for example, RAM, DRAM, or SDRAM. Non-volatile memory may be, for example, ROM, PROM, EEPROM, flash memory, optical storage, or magnetic storage. Generally, the memory may be referred to as a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The memory 620 stores computer-readable instructions to be executed by the processor 610. For example, the non-volatile memory stores the computer-readable instructions and the processor 610 executes the instructions using the volatile memory for temporarily storing data and / or instructions.

[0044] The computer-readable instructions may have been pre-stored in the memory 620, or alternatively or additionally, they may be received by the device via an electromagnetic carrier signal and / or may be copied from a physical entity such as a computer program product. Execution of the computer-readable instructions causes the device 600 to perform the above functions.

[0045] In the context of this document, "memory" or "computer-readable medium" may be any non-transitory medium or device that can contain, store, transmit, propagate, or transport instructions for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device such as a computer.

[0046] The device 600 also includes or is connected to an input unit 630. The input unit 630 includes one or more interfaces for receiving user input. The one or more interfaces may include, for example, one or more motion and / or orientation sensors, one or more cameras, one or more accelerometers, one or more microphones, one or more buttons, and one or more touch detection units. Additionally, the input unit 630 may include an interface to which external devices can be connected.

[0047] The apparatus 600 also includes an output unit 640. The output unit includes or is connected to one or more displays capable of presenting visual content, such as a light-emitting diode (LED) display, a liquid crystal display (LCD), and / or a liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) display. The output unit 640 may include two displays to present stereoscopic visual content. One display presents content to the left eye, and the other display presents content to the right eye. The output unit 640 may also include a transmission unit, such as one or more waveguides or one or more lenses, to transmit the presented visual content to the user's field of view. The output unit 640 may also include one or more audio outputs. The one or more audio outputs may be, for example, speakers or a set of headphones.

[0048] The apparatus 600 may also include a connectivity unit 650. The connectivity unit 650 enables a wired and / or wireless connection to an external network. The connectivity unit 650 may include one or more antennas and one or more receivers, which may be integrated into the apparatus 600 or may be connected to the apparatus 600. The connectivity unit 650 may include an integrated circuit or a set of integrated circuits that provide wireless communication capabilities for the apparatus 600. Alternatively, the wireless connectivity may be a hardwired application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0049] Note that the apparatus 600 may also include Figure 6 various components not shown in

[0050] The example embodiments described herein may be implemented using software, hardware, application logic, or a combination thereof. Additionally, if desired, the different functions discussed herein may be performed in a different order, some functions may be performed concurrently, and if desired, some of the above functions may be combined. Although the various aspects of the invention are set forth in the independent claims, other aspects of the invention include other combinations of features from the described embodiments and / or the dependent claims with the features of the independent claims, and not merely the combinations explicitly set forth in the claims.

[0051] It should be understood that the above example embodiments are purely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the invention. After reading this specification, other variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0052] Furthermore, the disclosure of the present application should be understood to include any novel feature or any novel combination of features or any generalization thereof that is explicitly or implicitly disclosed herein, and during the implementation of the present application or any application derived therefrom, new claims may be formulated to cover any such feature and / or such combination of features.

Claims

1. An apparatus (600) for presenting visual content, comprising components for: determining that the orientation of a mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) is a planar orientation in which the display of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) faces upward or downward and is at least substantially orthogonal to gravity; determining the context of the mobile device, wherein determining the context includes determining that an application of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) is activated and determining that the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) is participating in an activity of a user (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) based on the activated application; determining movement of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) (332, 334); and determining the orientation of the visual content to be presented on the display of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) based on the orientation, the context, and the movement (332, 334) of the device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520).

2. The apparatus (600) according to claim 1, wherein determining the context of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) comprises: determining the activity of the user.

3. The apparatus (600) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein determining the context of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) comprises: determining movement of the user (110, 210, 310, 410, 510).

4. The apparatus (600) according to claim 3, wherein determining the context of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) comprises: determining a difference between the movement (332, 334) of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) and the movement of the user (110, 210, 310, 410, 510).

5. The apparatus (600) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein determining the context of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) comprises: determining that the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) has an active connection to one or more adjacent devices.

6. The apparatus (600) according to claim 5, wherein determining the context of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) further comprises: determining the distance between the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) and the one or more adjacent devices.

7. The apparatus (600) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein determining the orientation of the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) comprises: Orient the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) such that the visual content is aligned with the direction of movement (332, 334) of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520).

8. The apparatus (600) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein determining the orientation of the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) comprises: Determining that the orientation of the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) is to be rotated 90 degrees or 180 degrees.

9. The apparatus (600) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the apparatus (600) further comprises means for: maintaining the determined orientation of the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) fixed until the context is no longer valid and / or the orientation of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) is no longer the planar orientation.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the apparatus is the mobile device or is included in the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520).

11. A method of presenting visual content, comprises: Determining that the orientation of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) is a planar orientation in which the display of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) faces upward or downward and is at least substantially orthogonal to gravity; Determining the context of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520), wherein determining the context includes determining that an application of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) is activated and determining, based on the activated application, that the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) is participating in an activity of a user (110, 210, 310, 410, 510); Determining the movement (332, 334) of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520); and Based on the orientation, the context, and the movement (332, 334) of the device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520), determining the orientation of the visual content to be presented on the display of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520).

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein determining the orientation of the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) comprises: Orient the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) such that the visual content is aligned with the direction of movement (332, 334) of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520).

13. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon for at least performing the following: Determine that the orientation of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) is a planar orientation in which the display of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) faces upward or downward and is at least substantially orthogonal to gravity; Determine the context of the mobile device, wherein determining the context includes determining that an application of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) is activated and determining that the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) is participating in an activity of a user (110, 210, 310, 410, 510) based on the activated application; Determine the movement (332, 334) of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520); And based on the orientation, the context, and the movement (332, 334) of the device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520), determine the orientation of the visual content to be presented on the display of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520).

14. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein determining the orientation of the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) comprises: Orient the visual content presented on the display of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520) such that the visual content is aligned with the direction of movement (332, 334) of the mobile device (120, 220, 320, 420, 520).

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