ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

• US 20110310537A1
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: IMAMURA, Akira, YATO, Shinsuke
• Application Number:
  US13/046,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20110310537A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/08 Arrangements within a display terminal for setting, manually or automatically, display parameters of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an electronic device includes a display module, at least one function button, an operation-mode identifying module, and a function switching module. The display module displays thereon display data processed by an application running on an operating system (OS) or display data based on received broadcast waves. The function button is provided separately from a hardware keyboard on which a plurality of keys are arranged. The operation-mode identifying module identifies a mode of operation with respect to the function button. The function switching module controls switching a plurality of functions defined by the OS or an application running on the OS depending on the mode of operation identified by the operation-mode identifying module.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a display module configured to display image data related to an application module or image data based on received broadcast waves;

at least one function button separate from a hardware keyboard comprising a plurality of keys;

an operation-mode identifying module configured to identify a mode of operation with respect to the function button; and

a function switching module configured to switch between a plurality of functions or the application module, with regards to the identified mode of operation.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is configured to execute a secure attention sequence for maintenance of an application of a system, when the function button is pressed and held for a threshold time or longer.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is configured to reset to factory default setting, when the function button is pressed and held for a threshold time or longer.

4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the threshold time is substantially equal to a long-press time for which a power button is pressed and held in order to force-quit the electronic device.

5. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the threshold time is substantially equal to a long-press time for which a power button is pressed and held in order to force-quit the electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is configured to display a launcher displaying a set of icons representing a list of programs and files registered in advance, on the display module when the function button is double-clicked.

7. An electronic device comprising:

a display module configured to display a keyboard, comprising a plurality of keys, to be used an application module;

at least one function button separate from a hardware keyboard comprising a plurality of keys;

an operation-mode identifying module configured to identify a mode of operation with respect to the function button; and

a function switching module configured to switch between a plurality of functions or the application module, with regards to the identified mode of operation.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the electronic device is configured to execute a secure attention sequence for maintenance of an application of a system, when the function button is pressed and held for a threshold time or longer.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the electronic device is configured to reset to factory default setting, when the function button is pressed and held for a threshold time or longer.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the threshold time is substantially equal to a long-press time for which a power button is pressed and held in order to force-quit the electronic device.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the threshold time is substantially equal to a long-press time for which a power button is pressed and held in order to force-quit the electronic device.

12. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the electronic device is configured to display a launcher displaying a set of icons representing a list of programs and files registered in advance, on the display module when the function button is double-clicked.

13. A computer program product having a computer readable non-transitory medium comprising programmed instructions embodied in the medium that, when executed, cause a computer to:

identify a mode of operation with respect to at least one function button, separate from a hardware keyboard comprising a plurality of keys; and

control switching a plurality of functions or an application module with regards to the identified mode of operation.