Multi-screen device that modifies a window stack when transitioning from an open state to a closed state

• US 10,540,052 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2015
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Inventors: Gimpl, Martin, Cassar, Ron, Reeves, Paul E., Visosky, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Yaron
• Application Number:
  US14/885,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20160103597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• 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 1/1677 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 1/1694 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 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 3/017 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 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• 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 3/0483 : Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 : for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 : Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 : for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 : Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 : Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• 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 3/1423 : 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: G06T 3/02 : Affine transformations for image registration G06T3/147; for image mosaicing G06T3/4038
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 : Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2356/00 : Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 : Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 : Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation

Abstract

Systems and methods are provides for displaying a second window for a multi-screen device in response to opening the device. The window stack can change based on the change in the orientation of the device. The system can receive an orientation change that transitions the device from a closed state to an open state. A previously created, but inactive, window in the stack can be displayed on one of the two or more displays comprising the device when opened. The previously created window become active to be displayed on the second of the displays after the device is opened.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium, having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions executable by a processor, the computer-executable instructions causing the processor to execute a method for managing a window stack for each display of a multi-display device, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

instructions to create a first window stack for a first display of the multi-display device and a second window stack for a second display of the multi-display device, wherein each window stack is a data structure representing a logical arrangement of active and inactive windows for open applications executing on the multi-display device, wherein each window stack is stored as part of a framework of an operating system, wherein each window stack provides a representation of windows or display objects to the user, wherein a desktop is a display object, wherein the multi-display device is in a closed state, wherein, in the closed state, the first display is active, and wherein a first window is represented in the first window stack;

instructions to receive an orientation change in the multi-display device, wherein the orientation change causes the multi-display device to transition from the closed state to an open state, and wherein, in the open state, both the first display and the second display are active;

instructions to determine whether the first window should be displayed on the first display only, the second display only, or both the first display and the second display, wherein the determining is based on a position of the first window in the first window stack and a set of application preferences for an application associated with the first window;

based on determining that the first window should be displayed on the second display and in response to the orientation change, instructions to;

resize and reorient the first window to display on the second display;

display the first window on the second display;

display a second window on the first display, wherein the second window is inactive in the closed state and becomes active in response to the orientation change, wherein a composite display occupies substantially all of the at least two or more touch sensitive displays, and wherein the first display and second display are portions of the composite display; and

modify the first window stack and the second window stack, wherein the first window is associated with the second window stack and the second window is associated with the first window stack, and wherein the first window stack and the second window stack are associated with the composite display.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 1, further comprising instructions to modify a window stack data structure associated with the first window.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 2, wherein the window stack data structure comprises one or more of:

a window identifier adapted to identify the first window in relation to other windows in the first window stack or second window stack;

a window stack position identifier adapted to identify the position in the first window stack or second window stack for the first window; and

a display identifier adapted to identify a first touch sensitive display, which is a portion of the composite display of the multi-display device, wherein the first window is associated with the first touch sensitive display.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 3, wherein the window stack data structure further comprises a window stack identifier adapted to identify which of the first window stack or second window stack the first window is associated.

5. A device comprising:

at least a first display and a second display;

a memory;

a processor in communication with the memory and each of the first display and the second display, the processor operable to;

provide a composite display, wherein a first window is displayed in the composite display in a closed state of the device;

create a first window stack for the first display and a second window stack for the second display, wherein each window stack is a data structure representing a logical arrangement of active and inactive windows for open applications executing on the multi-display device, wherein each window stack is stored as part of a framework of an operating system, wherein each window stack provides a representation of windows or display objects to the user, and wherein the first window is represented in the first window stack;

receive an orientation change in the multi-display device, wherein the orientation change causes the multi-display device to transition from the closed state to an open state, wherein, in the open state, the composite display comprises a first portion associated with the first display and a second portion associated with the second display;

in response to the orientation change, determine whether the first window is to be displayed in the first portion of the composite display only, the second portion of the composite display only, or both the first portion of the composite display and the second portion of the composite display, wherein the determining is based on a position of the first window in the first window stack and a set of application preferences for an application associated with the first window;

based on determining that the first window is to be displayed on the first portion of the composite display only and in response to the orientation change;

display the first window on the first display;

resize, reorient, and display the second window on the second display, wherein the second window is inactive during the closed state and becomes active in response to the orientation change; and

modify the first window stack and the second window stack, wherein the first window is associated with the first window stack and the second window is associated with the second window stack, and wherein the first window stack and the second window stack are associated with the composite display.

6. The device as defined in claim 5, further comprising altering a window stack data structure associated with the second window.

7. The device as defined in claim 5, wherein the window stack data structure comprises one or more of:

a window identifier adapted to identify the second window in relation to other windows in the first window stack or the second window stack;

a window stack position identifier adapted to identify the top position in the first window stack or the second window stack for the second window in at least the second portion of the composite display; and

at least one display identifier adapted to identify the second display of the multi-display device with which the second window is associated.

8. The device as defined in claim 5, wherein the second window is displayed because no window covers the second window in at least the second portion of the composite display.

9. The device as defined in claim 8, wherein the second window covers at least a portion of the desktop.

10. A method for presenting a display for a multi-display device, the method comprising:

creating a first window stack for a first display of the multi-display device and a second window stack for a second display of the multi-display device, wherein each window stack is a data structure representing a logical arrangement of active and inactive windows for open applications executing on the multi-display device, wherein each window stack is stored as part of a framework of an operating system, wherein each window stack provides a representation of windows or display objects to the user, wherein a desktop is a display object, wherein the multi-display device is in a closed state, wherein, in the closed state, the first display is active, and wherein a first window is represented in the first window stack;

receiving an orientation change in the multi-display device, wherein the orientation change causes the multi-display device to transition from the closed state to an open state, and wherein, in the open state, both the first display and the second display are active;

determining whether the first window should be displayed on the first display only, the second display only, or both the first display and the second display, wherein the determining is based on a position of the first window in the first window stack and a set of application preferences for an application associated with the first window;

based on determining that the first window should be displayed on the second display and in response to the orientation change;

resizing and reorienting the first window to display on the second display;

displaying the first window on the second display;

displaying a second window on the first display, wherein the second window is inactive in the closed state and becomes active in response to the orientation change, wherein a composite display occupies substantially all of the at least two or more touch sensitive displays, and wherein the first display and second display are portions of the composite display; and

modifying the first window stack and the second window stack, wherein the first window is associated with the second window stack and the second window is associated with the first window stack, and wherein the first window stack and the second window stack are associated with the composite display.

11. The method defined in claim 10, wherein the second window is at a top of the second window stack in the second portion of the composite display.

12. The method defined in claim 11, wherein the second touch sensitive display is part of a primary display.