Switching display mode of electronic device

• US 20080266255A1
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Nissen, Oluf, Lawson, Richard James, Letulle, Marguerite
• Granted Patent: US 8,125,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

One embodiment receives a single click from a user to switch an electronic device between a mouse mode and a touch mode.

Claims

1. ) A method, comprising:

receiving a single click from a user to switch an electronic device between a mouse mode and a touch mode.

2. ) The method of claim 1 further comprising, switching from the mouse mode to the touch mode by receiving the single click from an electronic pointer on a display.

3. ) The method of claim 1 further comprising, switching from the touch mode to the mouse mode by receiving the single click from a touch of a user on an icon of a display.

4. ) The method of claim 1, wherein the single click is from actuating a physical switch or button on or near a display.

5. ) The method of claim 1 further comprising, automatically enlarging icons, text, and hyperlinks on a display when the electronic device switches from the mouse mode to the touch mode.

6. ) The method of claim 1 further comprising:

enlarging visual objects in an application displayed on a display when the electronic device switches from the mouse mode to the touch mode;

shrinking the visual objects in the application displayed on the display when the electronic device switches from the touch mode to the mouse mode.

7. ) The method of claim 1 further comprising:

saving operating system settings of the mouse mode;

changing back to the operating system settings when the electronic device switches from the touch mode back to the mouse mode.

8. ) A computer readable medium having instructions for causing a computer to execute a method, comprising:

altering a size of plural icons on a display of an electronic device upon receiving a command from a user to switch between a first mode using a user interface to receive input from clicks and a second mode using the user interface to receive input from touch.

9. ) The computer readable medium of claim 8, the method further comprising:

detecting a touch on the display in the second mode to switch the electronic device from the second mode to the first mode.

10. ) The computer readable medium of claim 8, the method further comprising:

detecting activation of a physical button or switch located on or near the display to switch the electronic device between the first and second modes.

11. ) The computer readable medium of claim 8, the method further comprising:

launching an application in the electronic device to switch the electronic device from the first mode to the second mode.

12. ) The computer readable medium of claim 8, the method further comprising:

receiving a click of an icon on the display to switch the electronic device from the first mode to the second mode.

13. ) The computer readable medium of claim 8, the method further comprising:

switching from the first mode to the second mode when a web browser application is activated

14. ) The computer readable medium of claim 8, the method further comprising:

shrinking sizes of the plural icons while switching the electronic device from the second mode to the first mode.

15. ) The computer readable medium of claim 8, the method further comprising:

enlarging icons in a task bar and hyperlinks in a display area upon switching the electronic device from the first mode to the second mode.

16. ) An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

memory for storing an algorithm; and

processor for executing the algorithm to;

enlarge and shrink sizes of icons on the display upon receiving activation from a user to switch between first and second modes of system operation, wherein the first mode receives user input from clicks and the second mode receives user input from touch.

17. ) The electronic device of claim 16 further comprising, a button on the electronic device for switching the electronic device from the first mode to the second mode.

18. ) The electronic device of claim 16 further comprising, a button on the electronic device for switching the electronic device from the second mode to the first mode.

19. ) The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the processor further executes the algorithm to automatically switch from the first mode to the second mode when a web browsing application is launched.

20. ) The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the processor further executes the algorithm to automatically switch from the second mode to the first mode when a user moves a mouse on the display.