Indicating states of native applications in application launcher

• US 10,209,872 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2015
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Glover, Eric, Harrison, Brent
• Primary Examiner(s): Bautista, Xiomara L
• Application Number:
  US14/956,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20170153800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system

Abstract

A mobile computing device that is configured to: display an icon for a native application via an application launcher, the icon comprises a first image, the application launcher being configured to launch the native application into a first state upon receiving a user selection of the first image; receive a data object that includes information regarding a second state of the native application, the information comprises: an access mechanism that provides access to the second state; and a second image that corresponds with the second state; display the second image in association with the icon, the second image being displayed in conjunction with the first image; launch the native application into the first state in response to the user selection corresponding with the first image; and launch the native application into the second state in response to the user selection corresponding with the second image.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a transceiver;

a touch_screen;

sensors;

a memory that stores at least one application; and

at least one processor that executes computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

display a first icon corresponding to the at least one application on the touch screen, wherein the first icon comprises a first object related to a first default state of the at least one application;

receive, via the transceiver, a data object that includes at least one information regarding a second default state of the at least one application which is different from the first default state,

in response to the receiving of the data object, display a second icon instead of the first icon, wherein the second icon comprises the first object and a second object related to the second default state,

after the displaying of the second icon, receive a user input for selecting the second icon,

identify whether the user input corresponds to the first object or the second object,

when the user input is identified to correspond to the first object, display the first default state, and

when the user input is identified to correspond to the second object, display the second default state.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the data object comprises receiving the data object in response to:

retrieving, from the memory, an application identifier (ID) that identifies the at least one application,

transmitting the application ID, via the transceiver, to a server, and

receiving the data object from the server.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the data object comprises receiving the data object in response to:

capturing contextual data that indicates a context of the electronic device, and

transmitting the contextual data via the transceiver.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the capturing of the contextual data comprises retrieving sensor measurement values recorded by the sensors.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the second icon comprises:

reducing a size of the first object, and

displaying the second object in an area of the second icon that was previously occupied by the first object.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the reduced size of the first object and a size of the second object are about equal.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the second icon comprises overlaying the second object onto a portion of the first object.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the second object is overlaid towards a corner of the first object.

9. An electronic device comprising:

a transceiver;

a touch_screen;

sensors;

a memory that stores at least one application;

and

at least one processor that executes computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

display a first icon corresponding to the at least one application on the touch screen, wherein the first icon comprises a first object regarding a first default state of the at least one application,

retrieve an application identifier (ID) corresponding to the at least one application,

transmit the application ID via the transceiver,

receive, in response to the transmitting of the application ID, a data container that includes at least one information regarding a second default state of the at least one application which is different from the first default state,

in response to the receiving of the data container, display a second icon instead of the first icon, wherein the second icon comprises the first object and second object related to the second default state of the at least one application, and wherein the second default state can be accessed by pressing and holding the second icon,

display a preview of the second default state upon detecting a press-and-hold of the second icon, and

launch the at least one application into the second default state upon detecting a press of the preview.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the displaying of the second icon comprises:

retrieving a symbol from the memory, and

overlaying the symbol onto the first icon.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the displaying of the indication second icon comprises:

retrieving a formatting style from the memory, and

applying the formatting style to the second icon.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the displaying of the preview comprises displaying the preview adjacent to the second icon.

13. The electronic device of claim 9,

wherein the second icon comprises the first object and a first caption, and

wherein the displaying of the preview comprises displaying the second object and/or a second caption associated with the second default state of the at least one application.

14. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the displaying of the preview comprises displaying a portion of the at least one information displayed by the second default state of the at least one application.

15. An electronic device comprising:

a transceiver;

sensors;

a memory that stores a native application installed on the electronic device;

a touch_screen; and

at least one processor that executes computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

display a first icon corresponding to the at least one application via on touch screen, wherein the first icon comprises a first object related to a first default state of the at least one application,

receive, via the transceiver, a data object that includes at least one information regarding a second default state of the at least one application which is different with the first default state,

in response to the receiving the data object, display a second icon instead of the first icon, wherein the second icon comprises the first icon and a second object related to the second default state,

receive a user input for launching the at least one application into the second default state, and

launch the at least one application into the second default state upon receiving the user input to launch the at least one application into the second default state.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor executes computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

retrieve, from the memory, an application identifier (ID) that identifies the at least one application, and

transmit the application ID via the transceiver.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

capture contextual data that indicates a context of the electronic device,

send the contextual data via the transceiver, and

receive, in response to the transmitting of the contextual data, a data container that includes information regarding the second default state of the at least one application.

18. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

capture contextual data that indicates a context of the electronic device,

compare the contextual data with rules associated with states of the at least one application, and

select the second default state of the at least one application based on the comparison.

19. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

monitor current application usage,

compare current application usage with historical application usage, and

select the second default state of the at least one application based on the comparison.

20. The electronic device of claim 15,

wherein the first icon comprises a first caption and the first object, and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine a second caption and/or the second object corresponding to the second default state of the at least one application,

replace the first caption with the second caption and/or replace the first object with the second object, and

link the second icon to the second default state by upon detecting a user selection of the second icon.

21. The electronic device of claim 15,

wherein the first icon comprises a first caption and the first object, and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine a second caption and/or the second object related to the second default state of the at least one application,

display the second icon by overlaying the second default object or the second caption onto the first object, and

link a portion of the icon to the second default state by detecting a user selection of the second object or the second caption.

22. The electronic device of claim 15,

wherein the first icon comprises the first object, and

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine the second object related to the second default state of the at least one application,

reduce a size of the first object,

display the second object in an area of the second icon that was previously occupied by the first object, and

link the second object to the second default state upon detecting a user selection of the second object.

23. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

retrieve a symbol from the memory,

overlay the symbol onto the first icon, and

configure an application launcher to display a preview of the second default state upon detecting a press-and-hold of the second icon.

24. The electronic device of claim 23, wherein the receiving of the user input for launching the at least one application into the second default state comprises receiving a user selection of the preview.

25. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

replace the first icon with a folder icon that corresponds with a folder,

place the first icon for the first default state and the second icon in the folder, and

link the second icon to the second default state by configuring an application launcher to launch the at least one application into the second default state upon detecting a press of the second icon.

26. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the receiving of the user input for launching the at least one application into the second default state comprises detecting a press of the second icon when the second icon is linked to the second default state.

27. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the receiving of the user input for launching the at least one application into the second default state comprises detecting a press of a portion of the second icon that is linked to the second default state.

28. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the receiving of the user input for launching the at least one application into the second default state comprises:

detecting a press-and-hold of the second icons, and

detecting a press of a preview of the second default state.

29. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the receiving of the user input for launching the at least one application into the second default state comprises:

detecting a press of a folder icon corresponding with a folder that includes the first icon for the first default state and the second icon for the second default state, and

detecting a press of the second icon.

30. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the launching of the at least one application into the second default state comprises invoking an access mechanism that provides access to the second default state.

31. An electronic device comprising:

a touch screen;

sensors;

a memory that stores at least one application installed on the electronic device; and

a computing processor that executes computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the computing processor, cause the computing processor to;

display an icon corresponding to a first application of the at least one application, wherein the icon comprises a first object regarding a first state of the first application and a second object regarding a second state of the first application,

when the first object is selected according to a touch on the icon, execute the first application and display a first screen associated with the first state, and

when the second object is selected according to the touch on the icon, execute the first application and display a second screen associated with the second state.

32. The electronic device of the claim 31, wherein the executing of the computer-readable instructions cause the computing processor to:

identify a change of context information of the electronic device, and

in response to the identifying of the change of the context information of the electronic device, display another icon corresponding to the first application, wherein the another icon comprises the first object and a third object regarding a third state of the first application different from the second state, and the third state of the first application is associated with the changed context information.