Application launching in a multi-display device

• US 10,528,359 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2017
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Klein, Christian, Disano, Robert Joseph, Chuchro, Paula Julia, Vasseur, Jerome Jean-Louis, Nelson, Jason Michael, Schenone, Scott David
• Primary Examiner(s): Polo, Gustavo
• Application Number:
  US15/834,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20180329508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1615 with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• 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 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• 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 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1692 the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• 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 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• 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 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 : using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 : for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 : controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 : display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 : Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 : Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 : Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 : Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 : Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/96 : Management of image or video recognition tasks
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1423 : the instrument generating sequences of position coordinates corresponding to handwriting preprocessing or recognising digital ink G06V30/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/347 : Sampling; Contour coding; Stroke extraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/36 : Matching; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/30 : Writer recognition; Reading and verifying signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0626 : for control of overall brightness
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0686 : with two or more screen areas displaying information with different brightness or colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 : Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/022 : in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 : Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 : Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2356/00 : Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 : the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/022 : Centralised management of display operation, e.g. in a server instead of locally
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 : Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• 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

Abstract

Techniques for application launching in a multi-display device are described. In one or more implementations, an apparatus such as a mobile device includes multiple interconnected display devices. According to one or more implementations, techniques described herein enable application launching behavior to be determined based on context information. For instance, based on a determined context condition of a multi-display client device, an application launch behavior is determined and used to launch an application on the client device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an apparatus having a first display device and a second display device physically connected to each other and hingeably moveable relative to each other about a hinge;

at least one processor; and

at least one computer-readable storage media storing instructions that are executable by the at least one processor to perform operations including;

ascertaining that an application is to be launched on the apparatus;

determining a launch behavior for the application based on an evaluation of context information indicating;

a device positioning of the first display device relative to the second display device, and an application state, identifying one of a primary launch state for the application and a secondary launch state for the application, based on the device positioning; and

causing the application to launch on the apparatus according to the launch behavior.

2. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the device positioning is determined based on a device-based gesture that comprises a change in a relative angle between the first display device and the second display device.

3. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the device positioning is determined based on a device-based gesture that comprises an opening gesture of the first display device relative to the second display device.

4. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the device positioning is determined based on a device-based gesture that comprises an opening gesture of the first display device relative to the second display device, and wherein the launch behavior indicates that the application is to be launched on the first display device, and a second application is to be launched on the second display device.

5. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the context information further indicates:

a functional configuration determination identifying that the first display device includes different hardware functionality from the second display device, and wherein the launch behavior indicates that the application is to be launched on the first display device based on the different hardware functionality of the first display device.

6. A system as described in claim 5, wherein the application is configured to utilize a particular hardware functionality, the functional configuration determination indicates that one of the first display device and the second display device includes the particular hardware functionality, and wherein the launch behavior indicates that the application is to be launched using the particular hardware functionality based on the functional configuration determination.

7. A system as described in claim 5, wherein the functional configuration determination indicates that the first display device is designated as an output primary, wherein the application state indicates that the application is an output primary application, and wherein the launch behavior indicates that the application is to launch on the first display device based on the functional configuration determination.

8. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the functional configuration indicates that the first display device is designated as an input primary, wherein the application state indicates that the application is an input primary application, and wherein the launch behavior indicates that the application is to launch on the first display device based on the functional configuration determination.

9. A system as described in claim 1, wherein the application state indicates that the application has a high affinity for a different application that is executing on the apparatus, and wherein the launch behavior indicates that the application is to be launched on the first display device and the different application is to be executed on the second display device.

10. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

determining that a first application is actively executing on an apparatus;

ascertaining that a second application is to be launched on the apparatus;

determining a launch behavior for the second application based on an affinity value that indicates an affinity between the first application and second application, wherein the affinity value is determined based on;

a state of execution for the first application on the apparatus and display device data for one or more display devices associated with the apparatus; and

causing the first application to launch on the apparatus according to the launch behavior.

11. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the affinity value is predefined prior to said determining the launch behavior.

12. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the affinity value indicates a high affinity between the first application and the second application, and wherein the launch behavior indicates that the second application is to be launched and presented concurrently with the first application.

13. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the affinity value indicates a high affinity between the first application and the second application, and wherein the launch behavior indicates that the second application is to be launched such that a graphical user interface for the first application and a graphical user interface for the second application are concurrently visible.

14. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the affinity value indicates a high affinity between the first application and the second application, and wherein the launch behavior indicates that the second application is to be launched such that a graphical user interface for the first application is presented on a first display device of the apparatus, and a graphical user interface for the second application is to be presented on a second display device of the apparatus.

15. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the affinity value indicates a low affinity between the first application and the second application, and wherein the launch behavior indicates that the second application is to be launched such that a graphical user interface for the first application at least partially occludes a graphical user interface for the second application.

16. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

setting an affinity value that associates a state for launch of a first application with a state for launch of a second application relative to a detected display configuration of one or more display devices connected with an apparatus;

causing an application group to be generated that includes the first application and the second application;

detecting a group launch event indicating that applications of the application group are to be launched based on detection of the display configuration of the one or more display devices and the affinity value; and

causing the first application and the second application to be launched based on the group launch event.

17. A method as described in claim 16, wherein the state of launch of the first application and the state of launch of the second application are determined based on an indication of affinity between the first application and the second application indicating that the first application and the second application are frequently launched together in the detected device configuration.

18. A method as described in claim 16, wherein the state of launch of the first application and the state of launch of the second application are determined based on an indication of affinity between the first application and the second application indicating that the first application and the second application are recommended to be executed together in the detected device configuration.

19. A method as described in claim 16, wherein the state of launch of the first application and the state of launch of the second application are determined based on an indication of affinity between the first application and the second application indicating that the first application and the second application are frequently launched together in the detected device configuration.

20. A method as described in claim 16, wherein the group launch event includes a launch request for the first application, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the first application is included in multiple application groups;

presenting a query that requests input to identify which application group of the multiple application groups is to be launched; and

receiving input indicating that the application group is to be launched.