ELECTRONIC DEVICE, DISPLAY SYSTEM, DISPLAY METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20090320070A1
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Access Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Access Company Limited
• Inventors: Inoguchi, Yohei
• Granted Patent: US 8,434,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/414 Specialised client platforms, e.g. receiver in car or embedded in a mobile appliance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

An electronic device comprising: a content acquiring means capable of acquiring content acquired via a network or from inside of the electronic device, or generated inside of the electronic device; a first displaying means capable of displaying the acquired first content; a second displaying means arranged as a touch panel which is capable of accepting an input operation of a user, and capable of displaying the acquired second content; a display controlling means which, based on a predetermined condition, when the content acquiring means acquired third content in a state where the first and second content are displayed in the first and second displaying means, respectively, performs one of: (1) displaying in the second displaying means the third content clearing the second content, (2) presenting a split view by splitting the screen of the first display means into parts for the first and second content, and displaying in the second displaying means the third content, and (3) presenting a split view by splitting the screen of the second displaying means into parts for the second and third content.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a content acquiring unit configured to acquire content via a network or from inside of the electronic device, or generated inside of the electronic device;

a first displaying unit configured to display the acquired first content;

a second displaying unit arranged as a touch panel which is capable of accepting an input operation of a user, and capable of displaying the acquired second content; and

a display controlling unit which, based on a predetermined condition, if the content acquiring unit acquires third content in a state where the first and second content are displayed in the first and second displaying unit, respectively, performs one of;

(1) displaying in the second displaying unit the third content by clearing the second content;

(2) presenting a split view by splitting a screen of the first display unit into parts for the first and second content, and displaying the third content in the second displaying unit; and

(3) presenting a split view by splitting a screen of the second displaying unit into parts for the second and third content.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a selection information determining unit that determines whether the third content includes selection information for an object selectable by user operation,

wherein:

when it is determined that the third content includes the selection information, the display controlling unit displays in the second displaying unit the third content solely, or presents a split view by splitting a screen of the second display unit into parts for the third content and the second content; and

when it is determined that the third content does not include the selection information, the display controlling unit displays in the first displaying unit the third content solely, or presents a split view by splitting a screen of the first display unit into parts for the third content and the first content.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a displaying form designating unit for the user to designate a displaying form of the content,

wherein the display controlling unit displays the content based on a condition that the user designated in the displaying form designating unit when the content acquiring unit acquired the third content.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the third content is content that includes associated information associated with the first content or the second content.

5. The electronic device according to claim 2, further comprising a recording unit that records as a captured image at least one frame of images of the first content displayed in the first displaying unit,

wherein the second displaying unit displays the recorded captured image as the third content according to the determination of the selection information determining unit.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5, further comprising:

a data for search creating unit that creates data for search based on the captured image; and

a communicating unit that transmits the created data for search via a certain network to a search server, and receives a search result corresponding to the data for search from the search server;

wherein the second displaying unit displays the received search result as the third content according to the determination of the selection information determining unit.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, further comprising an area designating operation input unit that designates a certain area of a targeted area image out of the displayed captured image,

wherein the data for search creating unit creates the data for search using the targeted area image extracted by the area designating operation input unit.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the area designating operation input unit extracts as the targeted area image an image included in an area which is encircled by a user'"'"'s finger or a stylus in the second displaying unit in which the captured image is displayed.

9. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the area designating operation input unit displays a frame that has certain size and is centered in a point contacted by the user'"'"'s finger or the stylus in the second displaying unit in which the captured image was displayed.

10. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein,

wherein:

the communicating unit is capable of transmitting and receiving a call signal of a telephone; and

when there is an incoming call signal via the communicating unit or a call signal is to be outgone via the communicating unit, the display controlling unit displays in the second displaying unit the image data showing the incoming or the outgoing as the third content in place of the second content, and presents a split view by splitting a screen of the first displaying unit into parts for the first and the second content, respectively.

11. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein:

the communicating unit is capable of transmitting and receiving electronic mail data; and

when there is an incoming electronic mail or an outgoing electronic mail, the display controlling unit displays in the second displaying unit the image data showing the incoming or the outgoing as the third content in place of the second content, and presents a split view by splitting a screen of the first displaying unit into parts for the first and the second content, respectively.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein based on user operation to the second displaying unit, the display controlling unit displays in the second displaying unit a creation screen for creating outgoing electronic mail data as the third content in place of the second content, and presents a split view by splitting a screen of the first displaying unit into parts for the first and the second content, respectively.

13. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein:

the second content includes hyperlink information to an outside content; and

when an operation to the hyperlink information is input in the second displaying unit by the user, the display controlling unit displays in the second displaying unit the outside content corresponding to the hyperlink information as the third content in place of the second content, and presents a split view by splitting a screen of the first displaying unit into parts for the first and second content.

14. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein:

the second content includes starting command information for starting certain application software in the electronic device; and

when an operation corresponding to the starting command information is input by the user in the second displaying unit, the display controlling unit displays in the second displaying unit the starting screen corresponding to the starting command information as the third content in place of the second content, and presents a split view by splitting a screen of the first displaying unit into parts for the first and second content.

15. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein in order to display the third content, the display controlling unit determines whether there is a relationship between the first content displayed in the first displaying unit and the second content displayed in the second displaying unit, and when it is determined that there is a relationship, displays in the second displaying unit the third content in place of the second content, and presents a split view by splitting a screen of the first displaying unit into parts for the first and second content, and when it is determined that there is no relationship, displays in the second displaying unit the third content in place of the second content and preserving the display of the first content displayed in the first displaying unit.

16. The electronic device according to claim 15, wherein in order to display the third content in the second displaying unit, the display controlling unit controls to display in the first displaying unit or the second displaying unit a screen for allowing the user to select whether to present a split view by splitting a screen of the first displaying unit into parts for the first and the second content, or to display, in the first displaying unit, the first content without displaying the second content.

17. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first content is a television program broadcasting, which a broadcasting station broadcasts, and the second content is a data broadcasting, which is broadcast together with the television program broadcasting.

18. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a direction detecting unit that detects a direction of the first displaying unit to the body of the electronic device,

wherein when the content acquiring unit acquires the third content, the display controlling unit displays the content according to the condition that the detection result of the detecting unit satisfies.

19. An electronic device, comprising:

a content acquiring unit configured to acquire content on a network or content located locally;

a plurality of displaying unit configured to display the content, at least one of the plurality of displaying unit being arranged as a touch panel;

a displaying target setting unit configured such that, when the content acquiring unit acquires new content in a state where content is displayed in each of the displaying unit, the displaying target setting unit sets the displaying unit which is to be a displaying target for the new content according to whether the new content includes content which can be operated via the touch panel or not; and

a split view determining unit that determines the content to be displayed as a split view in one screen according to the setting so that all of the current displaying content and new content is displayed in one or more of the displaying unit, respectively.

20. A displaying system comprising a first electronic device and a second electronic device,

the first electronic device comprising:

a content acquiring unit configured to acquire via a network or from inside of the electronic device, or generated inside the electronic device;

a first displaying unit capable of displaying the acquired first content; and

a first communicating unit that data communicates with the second electronic device;

wherein when the content acquiring unit acquires the second content, the first communicating unit transmits the second content to the second electronic device, and

the second electronic device comprising;

a second communicating unit that data communicates with the first electronic device, the second communicating unit receiving the second content transmitted by the first communicating unit; and

a second displaying unit arranged as a touch panel which is capable of accepting an input operation of a user, and displays the received second content,

wherein the first electronic device comprises a display controlling unit that controls the first displaying unit and controls the second electronic device which underwent a data communication by the first communicating unit, based on a predetermined condition, if the content acquiring unit acquires third content in a state where the first and second content are displayed in the first and second displaying unit, respectively, the first electronic device performing one of;

(1) displaying in the second displaying unit the third content by clearing the second content,

(2) presenting a split view by splitting a screen of the first display unit into parts for the first and second content, and displaying in the second displaying unit the third content, and

(3) presenting a split view by splitting a screen of the second displaying unit into parts for the second and third content.

21. The electronic device according to claim 20, wherein the first electronic device further comprises a selection information determining unit that determines whether the third content includes selection information for an object selectable by user operation,

wherein:

when it is determined that the third content includes the selection information, the display controlling unit displays in the second displaying unit the third content solely, or presents a split view by splitting a screen of the second display unit into parts for the third content and the second content; and

when it is determined that the third content does not include the selection information, the display controlling unit displays in the first displaying unit the third content solely, or presents a split view by splitting a screen of the first display unit into parts for the third content and the first content.

22. A displaying method, comprising:

a first content acquiring step of acquiring first content and second content acquired via a network or from inside of an electronic device, or generated inside of an electronic device;

a first displaying step of displaying the first content;

a second displaying step of displaying the acquired second content in a second displaying screen arranged as a touch panel which is capable of accepting an input operation of a user;

a second content acquiring step of acquiring third content; and

a display controlling step which, based on a predetermined condition, performs one of;

(1) displaying in the second displaying unit the third content by clearing the second content,

(2) presenting a split view by splitting a screen of the first display unit into parts for the first and second content, and displaying in the second displaying unit the third content, and

(3) presenting a split view by splitting a screen of the second displaying unit into parts for the second and third content.

23. The displaying method according to claim 22, further comprising:

a selection information determining step of determining whether the third content includes selection information for an object selectable by user operation,

wherein;

when it is determined that the third content includes the selection information, in the display controlling step, the third content solely is displayed in the second displaying screen, or the third content is displayed as a split view in the second display with the second content, and

when it is determined that the third content does not include the selection information, in the display controlling step, the third content is displayed solely in the first displaying screen, or the third content is displayed in the first displaying screen with the first content.

24. (canceled)

26. The computer readable medium according to claims 24, the instruction further configuring the processor to perform a selection information determining step of determining whether the third content includes selection information for an object selectable by user operation,

wherein:

when it is determined that the third content includes the selection information, in the display controlling step, the third content solely is displayed in the second displaying screen, or the third content is displayed as a split view in the second display with the second content, and

when it is determined that the third content does not include the selection information, in the display controlling step, the third content is displayed solely in the first displaying screen, or the third content is displayed in the first displaying screen with the first content.

25. A computer readable medium having computer readable instruction stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor of a computer, configures the processor to perform:

a first content acquiring step of acquiring first content and second content acquired via a network or from inside of an electronic device, or generated inside of an electronic device;

a first displaying step of displaying the first content;

a second displaying step of displaying the acquired second content in a second displaying screen arranged as a touch panel which is capable of accepting an input operation of a user;

a second content acquiring step of acquiring third content; and

a display controlling step which, based on a predetermined condition, performs one of;

(1) displaying in the second displaying unit the third content by clearing the second content,

(2) presenting a split view by splitting a screen of the first display unit into parts for the first and second content, and displaying in the second displaying unit the third content, and

(3) presenting a split view by splitting a screen of the second displaying unit into the second and third content.