Auto-scrolling input in a dual-display computing device

• US 10,228,839 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2016
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products BV (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Files, Jace W., Srinivasan, Preeth K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dragoescu, Claudia
• Application Number:
  US15/348,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20180129391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/171 by use of digital ink
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/189 Automatic justification
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/023 Display panel composed of stacked panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/34 for rolling or scrolling

Abstract

In some implementations, a computing device may include a first display device and a second display device that are both touch sensitive devices. An auto-scroll module executing on the computing device may create an input area on at least one of the first display device or the second display device based on an orientation of the computing device. The auto-scroll module may automatically scroll the input area as input is received in the input area. The automatic scrolling may include removing a portion of the input being displayed in the input area, recognizing text in the portion of the input, and displaying the text in a text area of a window associated with an application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device comprising a first display device and a second display device, an orientation of the computing device, wherein the first display device and the second display device each comprise a touchscreen display device;

receiving, by the computing device, user input specifying a front edge of an input area;

creating, by the computing device and based at least in part on the user input, the input area, wherein a first portion of the input area is displayed on the first display device and a second portion of the input area is displayed on the second display device, and wherein a rightmost edge of the input area is located approximately at a location of the front edge;

receiving, by the computing device, stylus input in the second portion of the input area;

determining, by the computing device, an average size of each character of the stylus input;

determining, by the computing device, an average speed of the stylus input based at least in part on the average size of each character of the stylus input;

moving, based at least in part on the average speed of the stylus input, at least a portion of the stylus input received in the second portion of the input area to the first portion of the input area, wherein the portion of the stylus input is moved;

left, when the second portion is located to the left of the first portion;

right, when the second portion is located to the right of the first portion;

above, when the second portion is located above the first portion;

or

below, when the second portion is located below the first portion;

recognizing text in the portion of the stylus input that was removed;

displaying the text in a text area of a window of an application being displayed on at least one of the first display device or the second display device; and

automatically inserting a carriage return into the text area based at least in part on determining that the stylus input includes a predefined symbol associated with a carriage return.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the orientation of the computing device comprises a vertical dual-display orientation; and

the input area spans both the first display device and the second display device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the text is within a predetermined distance from an edge of the text area; and

automatically word-wrapping the text in the text area.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the stylus input comprises printed input;

determining that the portion of the stylus input comprises at least one character; and

automatically moving the portion of the stylus input received in the second portion of the input area to the first portion of the input area based at least in part on the at least one character.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the stylus input comprises cursive input;

determining that the portion of the stylus input comprises one or more words; and

automatically moving the portion of the stylus input received in the second portion of the input area to the first portion of the input area based at least in part on the one or more words.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the orientation of the computing device comprises one of:

a vertical dual-display orientation;

a book orientation;

a vertical tablet orientation;

a tent orientation;

a presentation orientation;

a horizontal tablet orientation;

or

a clamshell orientation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the portion of the stylus input is at an angle relative to a horizontal edge of at least one of the first display device or the second display device; and

rotating the portion of the stylus input to be approximately parallel to the horizontal edge of at least one of the first display device or the second display device.

8. A computing device comprising:

a first touchscreen display device;

a second touchscreen display device;

one or more processors;

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

determining an orientation of the computing device;

displaying an input area on at least one of the first touchscreen display device or the second touchscreen display device;

receiving user input specifying a front edge of an input area;

creating, based at least in part on the user input, the input area, wherein;

a first portion of the input area is displayed on the first touchscreen display device;

a second portion of the input area is displayed on the second touchscreen display device; and

a rightmost edge of the input area is located approximately at a location of the front edge;

receiving stylus input in the second portion of the input area;

determining an average size of each character of the stylus input;

determining an average speed of the stylus input based at least in part on the average size of each character of the stylus input;

moving, based at least in part on the average speed of the stylus input, at least a portion of the stylus input received in the second portion of the input area to the first portion of the input area, wherein the portion of the stylus input is moved;

left, when the second portion is located to the left of the first portion;

right, when the second portion is located to the right of the first portion;

above, when the second portion is located above the first portion;

or

below, when the second portion is located below the first portion;

recognizing text in the portion of the stylus input that was removed;

displaying the text in a text area of a window of an application being displayed on at least one of the first touchscreen display device or the second touchscreen display device; and

automatically inserting a carriage return into a text area based at least in part on determining that the stylus input includes a predefined symbol associated with a carriage return.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein:

the orientation of the computing device comprises a vertical dual-display orientation; and

the input area spans both the first touchscreen display device and the second touchscreen display device.

10. The computing device of claim 8, further comprising:

determining that a cursor displayed in the text area is within a predetermined distance from a rightmost edge of the text area; and

automatically word-wrapping the text in the text area.

11. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the orientation of the computing device comprises one of a vertical dual-display orientation, a book orientation, a vertical tablet orientation, a tent orientation, a presentation orientation, a horizontal tablet orientation, or a clamshell orientation.

12. The computing device of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

determining that the stylus input comprises printed input;

determining an average size of each character of the stylus input; and

determining an average speed of the stylus input based at least in part on the average size of each character of the stylus input.

13. The computing device of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

determining an average speed of the stylus input, the average speed comprising at least one of an average number of characters entered in the input area per second or an average number of words entered in the input area per second; and

automatically scrolling the input area based at least in part on the average speed of the stylus input.

14. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that are executable by one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining an orientation of a computing device comprising a first touchscreen display device and a second touchscreen display device;

receiving user input specifying a front edge of an input area;

creating, based at least in part on the user input, the input area, wherein a first portion of the input area is displayed on the first touchscreen display device and a second portion of the input area is displayed on the second touchscreen display device, and wherein a rightmost edge of the input area is located approximately at a location of the front edge;

receiving, by the computing device, stylus input in the second portion of the input area;

determining an average size of each character of the stylus input;

determining an average speed of the stylus input based at least in part on the average size of each character of the stylus input;

moving, based at least in part on the average speed of the stylus input, at least a portion of the stylus input received in the second portion of the input area to the first portion of the input area, wherein the portion of the stylus input is moved;

left, when the second portion is located to the left of the first portion;

right, when the second portion is located to the right of the first portion;

above, when the second portion is located above the first portion;

or

below, when the second portion is located below the first portion;

recognizing text in the portion of the stylus input that was removed;

displaying the text in a text area of a window of an application being displayed on at least one of the first touchscreen display device or the second touchscreen display device; and

automatically inserting a carriage return into the text area based at least in part on determining that the stylus input includes a predefined symbol associated with a carriage return.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 wherein:

the orientation of the computing device comprises a vertical dual-display orientation;

the input area spans both the first touchscreen display device and the second touchscreen display device; and

input received in the portion of the input area displayed on the second touchscreen display device is automatically moved to a remaining portion of the input area displayed on the first touchscreen display device.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, further comprising:

determining that additional input in the input area does not include text; and

stopping automatically scrolling the input area.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, further comprising:

determining that a cursor displayed in the text area is within a predetermined distance from a rightmost edge of the text area; and

automatically word-wrapping the text in the text area.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein a single organic light emitting diode panel (OLED) is folded to create the first touchscreen display device and the second touchscreen display device.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 18, wherein automatically scrolling the input area based at least in part on the stylus input comprises at least one of:

scrolling in a first direction that is approximately parallel to a horizontal edge of at least one of the first touchscreen display device or the second touchscreen display device;

or

scrolling in a second direction that is approximately perpendicular to the horizontal edge.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein:

a hinge attaches the first touchscreen display device to the second touchscreen display device, the hinge enabling the first touchscreen display device to rotate between approximately zero degrees and approximately three hundred and sixty degrees relative to the second touchscreen display device.