User interfaces and associated apparatus and methods

• US 20100162128A1
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Vanns, Natalie, Richardson, Nigel, Davidson, Brian
• Application Number:
  US12/339,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20100162128A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1624 with sliding enclosures, e.g. sliding keyboard or display
• 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 1/1692 the I/O peripheral being a secondary touch screen used as control interface, e.g. virtual buttons or sliders
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3218 of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• 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: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A controller includes one or more inputs configured to receive data representative of whether a device is in a first or second operating mode. The device comprising first and second user interfaces. The controller is configured to: in the first operating mode, provide output to cause information to be displayed on the first user interface and cause information not to be displayed on the second user interface; and in the second operating mode, provide output to cause information to be displayed on both of the first and second user interfaces.

Claims

1. A controller comprising:

one or more inputs configured to receive data representative of whether a device is in a first or second operating mode, the device comprising first and second user interfaces; and

wherein the controller is configured to;

in the first operating mode, provide output to cause information to be displayed on the first user interface and cause information not to be displayed on the second user interface; and

in the second operating mode, provide output to cause information to be displayed on both of the first and second user interfaces.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein the first user interface comprises a touch screen display.

3. The controller of claim 1, wherein the second user element comprises a touch screen display.

4. The controller of claim 1, wherein the information that is displayed on the first user interface when the device is in the first operating mode is a portion of a web page, and the information that is displayed on both of the first and second user interfaces when the device is in the second operating mode comprises the same web page split over the two user interfaces.

5. The controller of claim 1, wherein, when the device is in the second operating mode:

the first user interface is configured for receiving user input; and

the second user interface is configured for displaying information related to user input received at the first user interface.

6. The controller of claim 1, wherein:

the first user interface is a touch screen; and

the controller causes the first user interface to display a keyboard with which a user can interact; and

the controller causes the second user interface to display a response to user interaction with the first user interface.

7. The controller of claim 1, wherein:

the first user interface is a touch screen; and

the controller causes the first user interface to display gaming controls with which a user can interact; and

the controller causes the second user interface to display a game that is controlled by signals representative of user interaction with the controls displayed on the first user interface.

8. The controller of claim 1, comprising a module for a device.

9. Apparatus comprising the controller of claim 1, and:

a first part comprising the first user interface; and

a second part comprising the second user interface;

wherein the apparatus is configured such that the first part and second part are movable relative to each other to define first and second configurations, and wherein the apparatus is configured to switch between first and second operating modes according to whether the device is in the first or second configuration.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first and second parts are slidable relative to each other in order to define the first and second configurations.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first and second parts are slidable relative to each other in the same plane.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a housing, and wherein the first part and second part are movable relative to the housing in order to define the first and second configurations.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first user interface is visible to a user and the second user interface element is not visible to a user when the apparatus is in the first configuration.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first part obscures the second user interface when the apparatus is in the first configuration.

19. A method of assembling an apparatus according to claim 9.

15. A method for displaying information on first and second user interfaces of a device, the method comprising:

receiving data representative of whether the device is in a first or second operating mode; and

in the first operating mode, providing output to cause information to be displayed on the first user interface and cause information not to be displayed on the second user interface; and

in the second operating mode, providing output to cause information to be displayed on both of the first and second user interfaces.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, in the second operating mode:

providing output to cause information to be displayed on the first user interface that provides options to a user of what information should be displayed on the two user interfaces;

receiving user input in response to the information displayed on the first user interface; and

responsive to user input;

performing one of the following further method steps;

(i) displaying information associated with a first application on the first user interface, and displaying information associated with a second, different, application on the second user interface;

(ii) displaying information associated with a first application on the first user interface, and displaying information associated with the same first application on the second user interface; and

(iii) displaying information associated with an instance of a first application on a first user interface, and displaying information associated with the same instance of the same first application on the second user interface.

17. A computer program, recorded on a carrier, the computer program comprising computer code configured to perform the method of claim 15.

18. A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a data structure comprising the computer program of claim 17.

20. Apparatus comprising,

one or more input means configured to receive data representative of whether a device is in a first or second operating mode, the device comprising first and second user interface means;

and wherein the apparatus is configured to;

in the first operating mode, provide output to cause information to be displayed on the first user interface means and cause information not to be displayed on the second user interface means; and

in the second operating mode, provide output to cause information to be displayed on both of the first and second user interface means.