Method and apparatus for switching tasks using a displayed task stack

• US 10,108,451 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2017
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Youngjoo, Park, Sehwan, Kang, Minjeong, Choi, Jinhee
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Van
• Application Number:
  US15/823,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20180081713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4418 Suspend and resume; Hibernate and awake
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and an electronic device are provided in which, in response to a first user input, a stack of partially overlaid visual elements is displayed in response to the first user input. Each visual element corresponds to an application that is running in the electronic device and includes an index item representing the corresponding application. A second user input for selecting a visual element from the stack of partially overlaid visual elements is received through the touchscreen. An execution screen of an application corresponding to the selected visual element is displayed.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, cause the processor to at least:

receive a first touch interaction while a first task execution screen for a first task is displayed on a touchscreen of the electronic device;

based on receiving the first touch interaction, display a stack of visual elements on the touchscreen, wherein the visual elements in the stack respectively correspond to a plurality of tasks, including the first task, and a visual element corresponding to the first task is positioned on top of the stack;

receive a second touch interaction for removing a visual element corresponding to a task from the stack;

based on receiving the second touch interaction, remove the visual element corresponding to the task from the stack, and adjust an interval between two consecutive visual elements of the visual elements remaining in the stack after removing the visual element corresponding to the task;

receive a third touch interaction for selecting a visual element from the stack of visual elements; and

based on receiving the third touch interaction, display, on the touchscreen, a second task execution screen for a second task corresponding to the selected visual element.

2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the first task execution screen includes a portion that is predetermined to receive a touch interaction for displaying the stack of visual elements partially overlaid in stepwise manner in place of the first task execution screen.

3. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the visual elements in the stack comprise captured screen images for the corresponding tasks.

4. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein each of the visual elements in the stack includes identifying information for identifying the visual element, wherein the identifying information of at least one visual element is obstructed by another visual element while the stack of visual elements is displayed.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the stack of visual elements on the touchscreen comprises displaying the visual elements in the stack at intervals.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein each of the visual elements in the stack includes identifying information for identifying the visual element.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the processor further to, based on receiving a fourth touch interaction while the second task execution screen for the second task is displayed on the touchscreen, display a stack of visual elements with the visual element corresponding to the second task positioned on top.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein each of the first touch interaction and the second touch interaction comprises one of flicking, dragging, tapping or swiping interaction.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the each respective visual element in the stack includes a task termination item for receiving a touch interaction for removing the visual element from the stack.

10. A method for an electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving a first touch interaction while a first task execution screen for a first task is displayed on a touchscreen of the electronic device;

based on receiving the first touch interaction, displaying a stack of visual elements on the touchscreen, wherein the visual elements in the stack respectively correspond to a plurality of tasks, including the first task, and a visual element corresponding to the first task is positioned on top of the stack;

receiving a second touch interaction for removing a visual element corresponding to a task from the stack;

based on receiving the second touch interaction, removing the visual element corresponding to the task from the stack, and adjusting an interval between two consecutive visual elements of the visual elements remaining in the stack after removing the visual element corresponding to the task;

receiving a third touch interaction for selecting a visual element from the stack of visual elements; and

based on receiving the third touch interaction, displaying, on the touchscreen, a second task execution screen for a second task corresponding to the selected visual element.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first task execution screen includes a portion that is predetermined to receive a touch interaction for displaying the stack of visual elements partially overlaid in stepwise manner in place of the first task execution screen.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the visual elements in the stack comprise captured screen images for the corresponding tasks.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the visual elements in the stack includes identifying information for identifying the visual element, and wherein the identifying information of at least one visual element is obstructed by another visual element while the stack of visual elements is displayed.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the displaying of the stack of visual elements on the touchscreen comprises displaying the visual elements in the stack at intervals.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the visual elements in the stack includes identifying information for identifying the visual element.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising, based on receiving a fourth touch interaction while the second task execution screen for the second task is displayed on the touchscreen, displaying a stack of visual elements with the visual element corresponding to the second task positioned on top.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the first touch interaction and the second touch interaction comprises one of flicking, dragging, tapping, or swiping interaction.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the each respective visual element in the stack includes a task termination item for receiving a touch interaction for removing the visual element from the stack.

19. An electronic device, comprising:

a touchscreen; and

processing circuitry configured to at least;

control receiving a first touch interaction while a first task execution screen for a first task is displayed on the touchscreen;

based on receiving the first touch interaction, control displaying a stack of visual elements on the touchscreen, wherein the visual elements in the stack respectively correspond to a plurality of tasks, including the first task, and a visual element corresponding to the first task is positioned on top of the stack;

control receiving a second touch interaction for removing a visual element corresponding to a task from the stack;

based on receiving the second touch interaction, control removing the visual element corresponding to the task from the stack, and adjusting an interval between two consecutive visual elements of the visual elements remaining in the stack after removing the visual element corresponding to the task;

control receiving a third touch interaction for selecting a visual element from the stack of visual elements; and

based on receiving the third touch interaction, control displaying, on the touchscreen, a second task execution screen for a second task corresponding to the selected visual element.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the first task execution screen includes a portion that is predetermined to receive a touch interaction for displaying the stack of visual elements partially overlaid in stepwise manner in place of the first task execution screen.

21. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the visual elements in the stack comprise captured screen images for the corresponding tasks.

22. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein each of the visual elements in the stack includes identifying information for identifying the visual element, and wherein the identifying information of at least one visual element is obstructed by another visual element while the stack of visual elements is displayed.

23. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the displaying of the stack of visual elements on the touchscreen comprises displaying the visual elements in the stack at intervals.

24. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein each of the visual elements in the stack includes identifying information for identifying the visual element.

25. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to, based on receiving a fourth touch interaction while the second task execution screen for the second task is displayed on the touchscreen, control displaying a stack of visual elements with the visual element corresponding to the second task positioned on top.

26. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein each of the first touch interaction and the second touch interaction comprises one of flicking, dragging, tapping, or swiping interaction.

27. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the each respective visual element in the stack includes a task termination item for receiving a touch interaction for removing the visual element from the stack.