A patent filed in 2004 and issued to Sony Ericsson on 1st August 2006 appears to discuss, in some detail, how a mobile phone could alter the screen from portrait to landscape depending on the handset orientation.
The screen on the iPhone was one of the most exciting features. To see it automatically rotate as you changed the handsets angle was magical, now it seems Sony Ericsson had the idea years ago.
The patent appears to be discussing the method by which an images could be dynamically resized and rotated rather than the technology behind the orientation sensors. The key statement is in the diagram below, indicated by the red arrow we added.
The abstract:
Mobile terminal with ergonomic imaging functions. The present invention, by way of example embodiments, provides for a mobile terminal with ergonomic imaging or camera functions. A single display can be used, for example in portrait mode while terminal functions are being used and in landscape mode while imaging functions are being used. The change between the two orientations can be accomplished automatically. In some embodiments, the capability is also provided to process an image for assignment to a terminal function, where the image has at least one display attribute that makes it at least partly unsuitable for use with the terminal function. The processing may include resizing, cropping, and/or rotating the image. This processing can be accomplished for example, so that a landscape image can be viewed conveniently in a portrait orientation.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Chris 02.08.07 at 9:03 am
The evidence you present is irrelevant. Patents do not cover ideas, but rather the methods for doing something. You have to read the independent claims section of the patent to get a start. So, Sony/Ericsson and Apple may have the same result, but different ways of getting there and neither would be infringing.
Texrat 02.09.07 at 8:16 am
Chris, the article does specifically address the method.
Jfur 02.11.07 at 6:34 pm
What Chris means is that patents have a long section of written claims (usually several pages long) regarding the invention that tell you what exactly is claimed. If this is a utility patent, then the flowchart is doubly irrelevant because it shows the method. Furthermore, there are innumerable ways to “Change orientation in accordance with user input or device position as determined by sensor.” Just because something looks similar or does somewhat of the same thing doesn’t mean the same patent applies… more importantly, there’s no indication that Ericsson claims infringment, didn’t license the technology to Apple, or that Apple is claiming this is a new invention per se.