Defining a zone to perform an action in a dual-screen tablet

• US 10,423,321 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2017
• Issued: 09/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products BV (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products BV (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Ligameri, Mark R., Garner, David O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ries, Laurie A
• Application Number:
  US15/801,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20190129596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• 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 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

In some implementations a computing device may comprise a first and a second display device. A zone may be defined on the first display device. The computing device may receive selection input selecting an object and receive directional input to move the object on the first display device. After determining that a location of the object is within a predetermined distance from (or within) a boundary of the zone, a message indicating an action associated with the zone may be displayed. After determining that at least a portion of the object is within the boundary of the zone, the action may be performed. The action may include moving the object to the second display device, opening (e.g., maximizing) a window associated with the object to span both the first and second display device, or storing the object in the zone for subsequent retrieval on the second display device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a computing device comprising a first display device and a second display device, that the computing device has an orientation in which both the first display device and the second display device are viewable simultaneously;

defining, by the computing device, a first zone on the first display device;

receiving, by the computing device, selection input selecting an object being displayed on the first display device;

receiving, by the computing device, directional input to move the object on the first display device;

determining, by the computing device, that at least a portion of the object is within a boundary of the first zone;

displaying, by the computing device, the object on the second display device;

stopping displaying, by the computing device, the object on the first display device;

creating, by the computing device, a second zone on the first display device;

receiving, by the computing device, second selection input selecting a second object being displayed on the first display device;

receiving, by the computing device, second directional input to move the second object on the first display device;

determining, by the computing device, that at least a portion of the second object is within the second zone; and

causing, by the computing device, the second object to be displayed spanning both the first display device and the second display device without maximizing a size of the second object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first display device and the second display device comprise internal display devices to an operating system of the computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the object or the second object comprises digital rights management (DRM) protected content.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a first portion of a third object within a third zone on the first display device;

displaying a second portion of the third object within a fourth zone on the second display device;

receiving third selection input selecting the second portion of the third object within the fourth zone on the second display device;

receiving third directional input to move the third object;

displaying the third object, outside the fourth zone, on the second display device; and

stopping displaying the third object on the first display device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a fifth zone on the first display device;

receiving fourth selection input selecting a fourth object being displayed on the first display device;

receiving fourth directional input to move the fourth object on the first display device;

determining that at least a portion of the fourth object is within the fifth zone; and

displaying the fourth object maximized and spanning both the first display device and the second display device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, that a location of the object is within a predetermined distance from a boundary of the first zone; and

displaying, by the computing device, for a predetermined period of time, a message indicating an action associated with the first zone.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the first zone on the first display device comprises:

creating the first zone to have a pre-specified length and a pre-specified width; and

positioning the first zone at a pre-specified location on the first display device.

8. A computing device comprising:

a first display device;

a second 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 that the computing device has an orientation in which the first display device and the second display device are both viewable simultaneously;

defining a first zone on the first display device;

receiving selection input selecting an object being displayed on the first display device;

receiving directional input to move the object on the first display device;

determining that at least a portion of the object is within a boundary of the first zone;

displaying the object on the second display device;

stopping displaying the object on the first display device;

creating a second zone on the first display device;

receiving second selection input selecting a second object being displayed on the first display device;

receiving second directional input to move the second object on the first display device;

determining that at least a portion of the second object is within the second zone; and

causing the second object to be displayed spanning both the first display device and the second display device without maximizing a size of the second object.

9. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the first display device and the second display device comprise internal display devices to an operating system of the computing device.

10. The computing device of claim 8, wherein:

at least one of the object or the second object comprises digital rights management (DRM) protected content.

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

displaying a first portion of a third object within a third zone on the first display device;

displaying a second portion of the third object within a fourth zone on the second display device;

receiving third selection input selecting the second portion of the third object within the fourth zone on the second display device;

receiving third directional input to move the third object;

displaying the third object, outside the fourth zone, on the second display device; and

stopping displaying the third object on the first display device.

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

creating a fifth zone on the first display device;

receiving fourth selection input selecting a fourth object being displayed on the first display device;

receiving fourth directional input to move the fourth object on the first display device;

determining that at least a portion of the fourth object is within the fifth zone; and

displaying the fourth object maximized and spanning both the first display device and the second display device.

13. The computing device of claim 8, wherein the first display device is configured to receive output from either a displayport (DP) or an embedded displayport (eDP) of the computing device.

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

determining that a computing device comprising a first display device and a second display device has an orientation in which the first display device and the second display device of the computing device are both viewable simultaneously;

defining a first zone on the first display device;

receiving selection input selecting an object being displayed on the first display device;

receiving directional input to move the object on the first display device;

determining that at least a portion of the object is within a boundary of the first zone;

displaying the object on the second display device;

stopping displaying the object on the first display device;

creating a second zone on the first display device;

receiving second selection input selecting a second object being displayed on the first display device;

receiving second directional input to move the second object on the first display device;

determining that at least a portion of the second object is within the second zone; and

causing the second object to be displayed spanning both the first display device and the second display device without maximizing a size of the second object.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein the first display device and the second display device comprise internal display devices to an operating system of the computing device.

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

at least one of the object or the second object comprises digital rights management (DRM) protected content.

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

displaying a first portion of a third object within a third zone on the first display device; and

displaying a second portion of the third object within a fourth zone on the second display device;

receiving third selection input selecting the second portion of the third object within the fourth zone on the second display device;

receiving third directional input to move the third object;

displaying the third object, outside the fourth zone, on the second display device; and

stopping displaying the third object on the first display device.

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

creating a fifth zone on the first display device;

receiving fourth selection input selecting a fourth object being displayed on the first display device;

receiving fourth directional input to move the fourth object on the first display device;

determining that at least a portion of the fourth object is within the fifth zone; and

displaying the fourth object maximized and spanning both the first display device and the second display device.

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

determining that a location of the object is within a predetermined distance from a boundary of the first zone; and

displaying for a predetermined period of time, a message indicating an action associated with the first zone.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein defining the first zone on the first display device comprises:

receiving user input comprising a length of the first zone, a width of the first zone, and a location of the first zone;

creating the first zone to have the length and the width; and

positioning the first zone at the location on the first display device.