Electronic device for controlling plurality of displays and control method

• US 10,353,659 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2016
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Han, Jong-Hyun, Kim, Bo-Keun, Park, Mi-Jung, Lee, Sung-Sik, Choi, Kyu-Ok
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherman, Stephen G
• Application Number:
  US15/545,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20180011676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1618 the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1649 the additional display being independently orientable, e.g. for presenting information to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1677 for detecting open or closed state or particular intermediate positions assumed by movable parts of the enclosure, e.g. detection of display lid position with respect to main body in a laptop, detection of opening of the cover of battery compartment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3218 of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/04 Changes in size, position or resolution of an image
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 : Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 : Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 : in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

According to various examples of the present invention, an electronic device for controlling a plurality of displays can comprise: a first display for displaying a first screen; a second display for displaying a second screen; and a control unit for determining attributes of the first screen and the second screen, for determining whether to display, on a display that does not enter into an idle mode, a screen displayed on a display that enters into the idle mode in correspondence to the entry into the idle mode of either the first display or the second display, and for controlling the first display or the second display such that the first screen or the second screen is displayed thereon. In addition, various other examples are possible.

Claims

1. An electronic device for controlling a plurality of displays, the electronic device comprising:

a first display configured to display a first screen;

a second display configured to display a second screen; and

at least one processor configured to;

identify attributes of the first screen and the second screen according to whether the first screen and the second screen have a correlation therebetween,

identify whether to display, on one of the first display and the second display that does not enter an idle mode, a screen displayed on the other display that enters the idle mode in correspondence to entry of the other of the first display and the second display to the idle mode based on the identified attributes of the first screen and the second screen, and

control the first screen or the second screen to be displayed on the first display or the second display,

wherein identifying of the attributes of the first screen and the second screen comprises;

identifying that the first screen and the second screen have the correlation when the first screen is an execution screen corresponding to a first application and the second screen is a screen generated according to an input to the first application, and

identifying that the first screen and the second screen do not have the correlation when the second screen is a screen generated according to information received from an external source.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to identify which one of the first screen and the second screen is a main screen currently used by a user according to the correlation between the first screen and the second screen.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to identify, as the main screen, one of the first screen and the second screen on which the first application calling the second application displayed on the other screen is displayed.

4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to identify, as the main screen, one of the first screen and the second screen which is a selected screen selected last by the user or a gaze screen to which a gaze of the user is directed.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

when the first screen and the second screen do not have the correlation, identify whether to display a screen displayed on a display that enters the idle mode on a display that does not enter the idle mode according to which one of the first screen and the second screen is the main screen in correspondence to the entry to the idle mode, and

control the first screen or the second screen to be displayed on the first display or the second display.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to identify, when the first screen and the second screen have a correlation therebetween, detailed attributes of the correlation between the first screen and the second screen according to whether a second application of the second screen generated corresponding to an input to the first application of the first screen is data-linked to the first application.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

identify whether to display a screen displayed on a display that enters the idle mode on a display that does not enter the idle mode according to detailed attributes of the correlation between the first screen and the second screen in correspondence to entry into the idle mode, when the first screen and the second screen have the correlation, and

control the first screen or the second screen to be displayed on the first display or the second display.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a main body portion comprising the first display;

a cover portion comprising the second display; and

a connection portion configured to connect the main body portion with the cover portion such that the main body portion and the cover portion are folded or unfolded with respect to each other in a range of 360 degrees,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to;

identify a relative angle between the first display of the main body portion and the second display of the cover portion, and

identify which one of the first display and the second display is to enter the idle mode.

9. A method of an electronic device to control a plurality of displays, the method comprising:

displaying a first screen on a first display;

displaying a second screen on a second display;

identifying attributes of the first screen and the second screen according to whether the first screen and the second screen have a correlation therebetween;

controlling entry of one of the first display and the second display into an idle mode;

identifying whether to display a screen displayed on a display that enters the idle mode on a display that does not enter the idle mode based on the identified attributes of the first screen and the second screen; and

displaying the first screen or the second screen on the first display or the second display according to a result of the determination,

wherein identifying of the attributes of the first screen and the second screen comprises;

identifying that the first screen and the second screen have the correlation when the first screen is an execution screen according to a first application and the second screen is a screen generated corresponding to an input to the first application, and

identifying that the first screen and the second screen do not have the correlation when the second screen is a screen generated according to information received from an external source.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifying of the attributes of the first screen and the second screen comprises identifying which one of the first screen and the second screen is a main screen currently used by a user according to the correlation between the first screen and the second screen.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the identifying of which one of the first screen and the second screen is the main screen comprises identifying, as the main screen, one of the first screen and the second screen on which the first application calling the second application displayed on the other screen is displayed.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the identifying of which one of the first screen and the second screen is the main screen comprises identifying, as the main screen, one of the first screen and the second screen which is a selected screen selected last by the user or a gaze screen to which a gaze of the user is directed.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the controlling of the first screen or the second screen to be displayed on the first display or the second display in correspondence to the entry to the idle mode comprises:

identifying, when the first screen and the second screen do not have the correlation, whether to display a screen displayed on a display that enters the idle mode on a display that does not enter the idle mode according to which one of the first screen and the second screen is the main screen in correspondence to the entry to the idle mode; and

controlling the first screen or the second screen to be displayed on the first display or the second display according to a result of the identification.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifying of the attributes of the first screen and the second screen comprises identifying, when the first screen and the second screen have the correlation, detailed attributes of the correlation between the first screen and the second screen according to whether a second application of the second screen generated corresponding to an input to the first application of the first screen is data-linked to the first application.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the controlling of the first screen or the second screen to be displayed on the first display or the second display in correspondence to the entry to the idle mode comprises:

when the first screen and the second screen have the correlation, identifying whether to display a screen displayed on a display that enters the idle mode on a display that does not enter the idle mode according to detailed attributes of a correlation between the first screen and the second screen in correspondence to entry into the idle mode; and

controlling the first screen or the second screen to be displayed on the first display or the second display according to a result of the identification.

16. The method of claim 9,

wherein the electronic device further comprises:

a main body portion comprising the first display,

a cover portion comprising the second display, and

a connection portion configured to connect the main body portion with the cover portion such that the main body portion and the cover portion are folded or unfolded with respect to each other in a range of 360 degrees, and

wherein the controlling of the entry to the idle mode comprises;

identifying a relative angle between the first display of the main body portion and the second display of the cover portion, and

identifying which one of the first display and the second display is to enter the idle mode.