Systems, devices and methods for moving a user interface portion from a primary display to a touch-sensitive secondary display

• US 10,642,416 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sepulveda, Raymond S., Wong, Chun Kin Minor, Coffman, Patrick L., Edwards, Dylan R., Wilson, Eric Lance, Suzuki, Gregg S., Wilson, Christopher I., Yang, Lawrence Y., Souza Dos Santos, Andre, Bernstein, Jeffrey T., Kerr, Duncan R., Morrell, John B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherman, Stephen G
• Application Number:
  US16/361,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20190220135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• 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 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An example method is performed at a computing system with: a first housing that includes a primary display, and a second housing at least partially containing (i) a physical keyboard and (ii) a touch-sensitive secondary display (TSSD) that is distinct from the primary display. The example method includes: displaying, on the primary display, a user interface. The example method also includes, detecting an input directed to a user interface element in the user interface displayed on the primary display, and the input includes movement. In response to detecting the movement, the method further includes: moving the user interface element towards the TSSD; ceasing to display the respective portion of the user interface on the primary display; and displaying, on the TSSD that is integrated into the second housing that contains the physical keyboard, a representation of the user interface element that was previously displayed on the primary display.

Claims

1. A method of moving user interface portions to a touch-sensitive secondary display, the method comprising:

at a computing system comprising one or more processors, a first housing that includes a primary display, and a second housing at least partially containing (i) a physical keyboard and (ii) a touch-sensitive secondary display that is distinct from the primary display;

displaying, on the primary display, a user interface;

detecting an input directed to a user interface element in the user interface displayed on the primary display, wherein the input includes movement; and

in response to detecting the movement;

moving the user interface element towards the touch-sensitive secondary display;

ceasing to display the user interface element on the primary display; and

displaying, on the touch-sensitive secondary display that is integrated into the second housing that contains the physical keyboard, a representation of the user interface element that was previously displayed on the primary display; and

while the representation of the user interface element is displayed on the touch-sensitive secondary display, detecting an input that moves the representation of the user interface element to a different position within the touch-sensitive secondary display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, while displayed on the touch-sensitive secondary display, the representation of the user interface element is responsive to a tap input on the touch-sensitive secondary display to perform an operation corresponding to the user interface element.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the input directed to the user interface element is a point-and-click input on the primary display, and

the displaying of the representation of the user interface element on the touch-sensitive secondary display is at a location on the touch-sensitive secondary display, the location determined based on where the point-and-click input is released at the touch-sensitive secondary display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface element that was previously displayed on the primary display is a menu corresponding to an application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface element that was previously displayed on the primary display is one of a notification and a modal alert.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an input over the representation of the user interface element while it is displayed on the touch-sensitive secondary display; and

in response to detecting the input, displaying the representation of the user interface element with a larger display size within the touch-sensitive secondary display.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an input over the representation of the user interface element while it is displayed on the touch-sensitive secondary display; and

in response to detecting the input, ceasing to display the representation user interface element within the touch-sensitive secondary display.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive secondary display includes at least one system-level affordance corresponding to at least one system-level functionality, the method further comprising:

after displaying the representation of user interface element on the touch-sensitive secondary display, maintaining display of the at least one system-level affordance on the touch-sensitive secondary display.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before detecting the input, displaying, on the touch-sensitive secondary display, a set of user interface elements corresponding to functions available via the computing system,

wherein the displaying of the representation of the user interface element on the touch-sensitive secondary display includes ceasing to display at least a subset of the set of user interface elements.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the representation of the user interface element is overlaid on the subset of the set of user interface elements on the touch-sensitive secondary display.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive secondary display is smaller than the physical keyboard.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the touch-sensitive secondary display has a smaller surface area than the physical keyboard.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein touch-sensitive secondary display is a narrow rectangular strip that extends along a length of the physical keyboard.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the computing system is a laptop.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the ceasing to display the respective portion of the user interface element is performed in accordance with a determination that the movement satisfies predefined action criteria.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the predefined action criteria are satisfied when the input moves from the primary display and to the touch-sensitive secondary display.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the predefined action criteria are satisfied when the input moves to a predefined location on the primary display.

18. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a first housing that includes a primary display;

a second housing at least partially containing (i) a physical keyboard and (ii) a touch-sensitive secondary display that is distinct from the primary display; and

memory storing one or more programs that are configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

displaying, on the primary display, a user interface;

detecting an input directed to a user interface element in the user interface displayed on the primary display, wherein the input includes movement; and

in response to detecting the movement;

moving the user interface element towards the touch-sensitive secondary display;

ceasing to display the user interface element on the primary display; and

displaying, on the touch-sensitive secondary display that is integrated into the second housing that contains the physical keyboard, a representation of the user interface element that was previously displayed on the primary display; and

while the representation of the user interface element is displayed on the touch-sensitive secondary display, detecting an input that moves the representation of the user interface element to a different position within the touch-sensitive secondary display.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein, while displayed on the touch- sensitive secondary display, the representation of the user interface element is responsive to a tap input on the touch-sensitive secondary display to perform an operation corresponding to the user interface element.

20. The computing device of claim 18, wherein:

the input directed to the user interface element is a point-and-click input on the primary display, and

the displaying of the representation of the user interface element on the touch-sensitive secondary display is at a location on the touch-sensitive secondary display, the location determined based on where the point-and-click input is released at the touch-sensitive secondary display.

21. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the user interface element that was previously displayed on the primary display is a menu corresponding to an application.

22. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the user interface element that was previously displayed on the primary display is one of a notification and a modal alert.

23. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

detecting an input over the representation of the user interface element while it is displayed on the touch-sensitive secondary display; and

in response to detecting the input, displaying the representation of the user interface element with a larger display size within the touch-sensitive secondary display.

24. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

detecting an input over the representation of the user interface element while it is displayed on the touch-sensitive secondary display; and

in response to detecting the input, ceasing to display the representation of the user interface element within the touch-sensitive secondary display.

25. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the touch-sensitive secondary display includes at least one system-level affordance corresponding to at least one system-level functionality, and wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

after displaying the representation of the user interface element on the touch-sensitive secondary display, maintaining display of the at least one system-level affordance on the touch-sensitive secondary display.

26. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

before detecting the input, displaying, on the touch-sensitive secondary display, a set of user interface elements corresponding to functions available via the computing system,

wherein the displaying of the representation of the user interface element on the touch-sensitive secondary display includes ceasing to display at least a subset of the set of user interface elements.

27. The computing device of claim 26, wherein the representation of the user interface element is overlaid on the subset of the set of user interface elements on the touch-sensitive secondary display.

28. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the touch-sensitive secondary display is smaller than the physical keyboard.

29. The computing device of claim 28, wherein the touch-sensitive secondary display has a smaller surface area than the physical keyboard.

30. The computing device of claim 28, wherein touch-sensitive secondary display is a narrow rectangular strip that extends along a length of the physical keyboard.

31. The computing device of claim 28, wherein the computing system is a laptop.

32. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the ceasing to display the respective portion of the user interface element is performed in accordance with a determination that the movement satisfies predefined action criteria.

33. The computing device of claim 32, wherein the predefined action criteria are satisfied when the input moves from the primary display and to the touch-sensitive secondary display.

34. The computing device of claim 32, wherein the predefined action criteria are satisfied when the input moves to a predefined location on the primary display.

35. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system with a first housing that includes a primary display and a second housing at least partially containing (i) a physical keyboard and (ii) a touch-sensitive secondary display that is distinct from the primary display, cause the computing system to:

display, on the primary display, a user interface;

detect an input directed to a user interface element in the user interface displayed on the primary display, wherein the input includes movement; and

in response to detecting the movement;

move the user interface element towards the touch-sensitive secondary display;

cease to display the user interface element on the primary display; and

display, on the touch-sensitive secondary display that is integrated into the second housing that contains the physical keyboard, a representation of the user interface element that was previously displayed on the primary display; and

while the representation of the user interface element is displayed on the touch-sensitive secondary display, detect an input that moves the representation of the user interface element to a different position within the touch-sensitive secondary display.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein, while displayed on the touch-sensitive secondary display, the representation of the user interface element is responsive to a tap input on the touch-sensitive secondary display to perform an operation corresponding to the user interface element.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein:

the input directed to the user interface element is a point-and-click input on the primary display, and

the displaying of the representation of the user interface element on the touch-sensitive secondary display is at a location on the touch-sensitive secondary display, the location determined based on where the point-and-click input is released at the touch-sensitive secondary display.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein the user interface element that was previously displayed on the primary display is a menu corresponding to an application.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein the user interface element that was previously displayed on the primary display is one of a notification and a modal alert.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein the one or more programs include instructions that, when executed by the computing system, cause the computing system to:

detect an input over the representation of the user interface element while it is displayed on the touch-sensitive secondary display; and

in response to detecting the input, display the representation of the user interface element with a larger display size within the touch-sensitive secondary display.

41. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein the one or more programs include instructions that, when executed by the computing system, cause the computing system to:

detect an input over the representation of the user interface element while it is displayed on the touch-sensitive secondary display; and

in response to detecting the input, cease to display the representation of the user interface element within the touch-sensitive secondary display.

42. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein:

the touch-sensitive secondary display includes at least one system-level affordance corresponding to at least one system-level functionality, and

the one or more programs include instructions that, when executed by the computing system, cause the computing system to;

after displaying the representation of the user interface element on the touch-sensitive secondary display, maintain display of the at least one system-level affordance on the touch-sensitive secondary display.

43. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein the one or more programs include instructions that, when executed by the computing system, cause the computing system to:

before detecting the input, display, on the touch-sensitive secondary display, a set of user interface elements corresponding to functions available via the computing system,

wherein the displaying of the representation of the user interface element on the touch-sensitive secondary display includes ceasing to display at least a subset of the set of user interface elements.

44. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 43, wherein the representation of the user interface element is overlaid on the subset of the set of user interface elements on the touch-sensitive secondary display.

45. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein the touch-sensitive secondary display is smaller than the physical keyboard.

46. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 45, wherein the touch-sensitive secondary display has a smaller surface area than the physical keyboard.

47. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 45, wherein the touch-sensitive secondary display is a narrow rectangular strip that extends along a length of the physical keyboard.

48. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 45, wherein the computing system is a laptop.

49. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein the ceasing to display the respective portion of the user interface element is performed in accordance with a determination that the movement satisfies predefined action criteria.

50. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 49, wherein the predefined action criteria are satisfied when the input moves from the primary display and to the touch-sensitive secondary display.

51. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 49, wherein the predefined action criteria are satisfied when the input moves to a predefined location on the primary display.