Determining location or position of a portable electronic device

1. A method of determining a location or a position of a portable electronic device that includes a gyroscope and a display, the method comprising:

determining absolute values of individual gyroscope measurements;

summing the absolute values of the individual gyroscope measurements to provide a measurement value;

determining an absolute value of a difference between the measurement value and a previous measurement value that was determined prior to the measurement value;

storing the absolute value of the difference within memory of the portable electronic device;

determining an average of absolute values of multiple differences stored within the memory;

based on the average being equal to or exceeding a first threshold, determining that the portable electronic device is located in a user's hand; and

based on the average being below a second threshold, determining that the portable electronic device is located on a stable surface;

based on a first determination that the portable electronic device is located in the user's hand, triggering a first mode of operation of the portable electronic device, wherein the first mode of operation comprises one or more of an active mode of operation, enabling an auto-scrolling feature, enabling a low-resolution mode feature of the display, disabling a high-resolution mode feature of the display, or disabling a full view mode feature of the display; and

based on a second determination that the portable electronic device is located on the stable surface, triggering a second mode of operation, wherein the second mode of operation comprises one or more of a low power mode of operation, disabling the auto-scrolling feature, disabling the low-resolution mode feature of the display, enabling the high-resolution mode feature of the display, or enabling the full view mode feature of the display.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

based on the first determination that the portable electronic device is located in the user's hand, enabling a feature of the portable electronic device; and

based on the second determination that the portable electronic device is located on the stable surface, disabling the feature of the portable electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

based on the first determination that the portable electronic device is located in the user's hand, disabling a feature of the portable electronic device; and

based on the second determination that the portable electronic device is located on the stable surface, enabling the feature of the portable electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein triggering the first mode of operation of the portable electronic device comprises at least one of enabling one or more features of the portable electronic device or disabling one or more of features of the portable electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein triggering the second mode of operation of the portable electronic device comprises at least one of enabling one or more features of the portable electronic device or disabling one or more features of the portable electronic device.

6. A method comprising:

determining, via a portable electronic device that includes a display, positional measurement values related to the portable electronic device;

determining an absolute value of a difference between a first positional measurement value and a second positional measurement value of the positional measurement values;

determining an average of absolute values of multiple differences of multiple positional measurement values;

based on a first determination that the average is equal to or exceeds a threshold, triggering a first mode of operation of the portable electronic device, wherein the first mode of operation comprises one or more of an active mode of operation, enabling an auto-scrolling feature, enabling a low-resolution mode feature of the display, disabling a high-resolution mode feature of the display, or disabling a full view mode feature of the display; and

based on a second determination that the average is below the threshold, triggering a second mode of operation of the portable electronic device, wherein the second mode of operation comprises one or more of a low power mode of operation, disabling the auto-scrolling feature, disabling the low-resolution mode feature of the display, enabling the high-resolution mode feature of the display, or enabling the full view mode feature of the display.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein triggering the first mode of operation of the portable electronic device comprises at least one of enabling one or more features of the portable electronic device or disabling one or more features of the portable electronic device.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein triggering the second mode of operation of the portable electronic device comprises at least one of enabling one or more features of the portable electronic device or disabling one or more features of the portable electronic device.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein determining the absolute value of the difference between the first positional measurement value and the second positional measurement value comprises determining the absolute value of the difference between the first-positional measurement value and the second positional measurement value, wherein the second positional measurement value was determined prior to determining the first positional measurement value.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises:

comparing the average with the threshold comprises comparing the average with two thresholds;

based on the average equaling or exceeding a first threshold of the two thresholds, triggering the first mode of operation; and

based on the average being below a second threshold of the two thresholds, triggering the second mode of operation.

11. A portable electronic device comprising:

a gyroscope;

a display;

a processor; and

memory including logic stored therein that when executed by the processor causes the processor to:

determine positional measurement values related to the portable electronic device, wherein the positional measurement values are based upon measurements obtained by the gyroscope;

determine an absolute value of a difference between a first positional measurement value and a second positional measurement value of the positional measurement values;

determine an average of absolute values of multiple differences of multiple positional measurement values;

based on the average being equal to or exceeding a first threshold, determine that the portable electronic device is located in a user's hand; and

based on the average being below a second threshold, determine that the portable electronic device is located on a stable surface;

based on a first determination that the portable electronic device is located in the user's hand, trigger a first mode of operation of the portable electronic, wherein the first mode of operation comprises one or more of an active mode of operation, enabling an auto-scrolling feature, enabling a low-resolution mode feature of the display, disabling a high-resolution mode feature of the display, or disabling a full view mode feature of the display; and

based on a second determination that the portable electronic device is located on the stable surface, trigger a second mode of operation, wherein the second mode of operation comprises one or more of a low power mode of operation, disabling the auto-scrolling feature, disabling the low-resolution mode feature of the display, enabling the high-resolution mode feature of the display, or enabling the full view mode feature of the display.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the logic further causes the processor to:

based on the first determination that the portable electronic device is located in the user's hand, display content on the display of the portable electronic device in at least one of (i) the low resolution mode feature of the display or (ii) a small view mode feature of the display; and

based on the second determination that the portable electronic device is located on the stable surface, display content on the display of the portable electronic device in at least one of (i) the high resolution mode feature of the display or (ii) the full view mode feature of the display.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the logic further causes the processor to:

based on the first determination that the portable electronic device is located in the user's hand, enable the auto-scrolling feature on the portable electronic device; and

based on the second determination that the portable electronic device is located on stable surface, disable the auto-scrolling feature on the portable electronic device.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the positional measurement values are based upon measurements obtained by the gyroscope, and wherein the logic causes the processor to determine each positional measurement value related to the portable electronic device by:

determining absolute values of individual gyroscope measurements; and

summing the absolute values of the individual gyroscope measurements to provide each positional measurement value.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the logic causes the processor to determine the absolute value of a difference between the first positional measurement value and the second positional measurement value, wherein the second positional measurement value was determined prior to determining the first positional measurement value.

16. A non-transitory computer storage media having computer readable instructions stored thereon, the computer readable instructions being executable by a processor to cause the processor to:

determine positional measurement values related to a portable electronic device that includes a display;

determine an absolute value of a difference between a first positional measurement value and a second positional measurement value of the positional measurement values;

determine an average of absolute values of multiple differences of multiple positional measurement values;

based on the average equaling or exceeding a first threshold, determine that the portable electronic device is located in a user's hand; and

based on the average being below a second threshold, determine that the portable electronic device is located on a stable surface;

based on a first determination that the portable electronic device is located in the user's hand, trigger a first mode of operation of the portable electronic, wherein the first mode of operation comprises one or more of an active mode of operation, enabling an auto-scrolling feature, enabling a low-resolution mode feature of the display, disabling a high-resolution mode feature of the display, or disabling a full view mode feature of the display; and

based on a second determination that the portable electronic device is located on the stable surface, trigger a second mode of operation, wherein the second mode of operation comprises one or more of a low power mode of operation, disabling the auto-scrolling feature, disabling the low-resolution mode feature of the display, enabling the high-resolution mode feature of the display, or enabling the full view mode feature of the display.

17. The non-transitory computer storage media of claim 16 , wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the processor to:

based on the first determination that the portable electronic device is located in the user's hand, enable one or more features of the portable electronic device; and

based on the second determination that the portable electronic device is located on the stable surface, disable the one or more features of the portable electronic device.

18. The non-transitory computer storage media of claim 16 , wherein the computer readable instructions further cause the processor to:

based on the first determination that the portable electronic device is located in the user's hand, disable one or more features of the portable electronic device; and

based on the second determination that the portable electronic device is located on the stable surface, enable the one or more features of the portable electronic device.

19. The non-transitory computer storage media of claim 16 , wherein the positional measurement values are based upon measurements obtained by a gyroscope, and wherein the computer readable instructions cause the processor to determine each positional measurement value related to the portable electronic device by:

determining absolute values of individual gyroscope measurements; and

summing the absolute values of the individual gyroscope measurements to provide each positional measurement value.

20. The non-transitory computer storage media of claim 16 , wherein the second positional measurement value was determined prior to determining the first positional measurement value.