Mobile cellular telephone with a display that is controlled partly by an incline sensor

Abstract

A mobile cellular telephone including an incline sensor arranged to detect inclination of the mobile telephone in a first plane. The mobile cellular telephone has an inclinometer mode, in which a processor receives an indication of the detected incline in the first plane from the incline sensor and controls a display to display an item at a position dependent upon the received indication. A mobile cellular telephone including first incline sensor means for detecting inclination of the mobile telephone when in a first orientation and second incline sensor means for detecting inclination of the mobile telephone when in a second orientation. The mobile cellular telephone has an inclinometer mode, in which a processor determines an approximate orientation of the mobile telephone from inputs from the first and second incline sensor means and automatically controls the display to display an item at a position representative of the incline for the determined orientation.

1 . A mobile device comprising:
 a display;   an incline sensor configured to detect a first inclination of the mobile device in a first plane and to detect a second inclination of the mobile device in a second plane; and   a processor configured to:
 control operation of the mobile device and a display of the mobile device, 
 receive from the incline sensor an indication of the detected first inclination in the first plane and the detected second inclination in the second plane, 
 and cause the display to display the detected first and second inclinations. 
   
     
     
         2 . The mobile device of  claim 1  wherein said first plane is orthogonal to said second plane. 
     
     
         3 . The mobile device of  claim 1  wherein the displayed indication of the detected first inclination of the mobile device in said first plane comprises a first direction and a first amount of inclination. 
     
     
         4 . The mobile device of  claim 3  wherein the displayed indication of the detected second inclination of the mobile device in said second plane comprises a second direction of inclination. 
     
     
         5 . The mobile device of  claim 3  wherein the displayed first sense and first amount of inclination are updated on the display as the mobile device is rotated about an axis perpendicular to said first plane. 
     
     
         6 . A method comprising:
 setting a mobile device into an inclinometer mode;   detecting inclination of the mobile device in a first plane and in a second plane, and   displaying to a user of the mobile device an indication of inclination of the mobile device in said first plane and in said second plane.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein said first plane is orthogonal to said second plane. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  comprising displaying a sense and amount of inclination as indication of inclination of the device in said first plane. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising displaying a sense of inclination as indication of inclination of the device in said second plane. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  further comprising updating the sense and amount of inclination on the display as the mobile device is rotated about an axis perpendicular to said first plane.