GESTURE BASED APPLICATION MANAGEMENT

• US 20120084690A1
• Filed: 11/17/2010
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: Flextronics ID LLC
• Inventors: Sirpal, Sanjiv, Gimpl, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 9,372,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for controlling one or more displays using an application manager. The application manager may be displayed in response to a received gesture input. The application manager may provide information regarding applications or screens executing in one or more physical displays on the device. Furthermore, the application manager may be manipulated to change various aspects regarding the applications or screens executing in the one or more displays. This manipulation may include changing the actively displayed screen for a display, movement of screens between displays, or other manipulation of the arrangement or status of the screens.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a handheld computing device, comprising:

logically associating one or more applications with a first display;

providing a second display with which the one or more applications may be logically associated;

establishing a first application stack corresponding to the one or more applications logically associated with the first display and a second application stack corresponding to any applications logically associated with the second display;

receiving a gesture input at a gesture sensor of the handheld computing device;

displaying an application manager in response to the receiving,

wherein the application manager provides a graphical representation of the first application stack and the second application stack.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first display is operable to display only one application at a time, and wherein the second display is operable to display only one application at a time.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the application manager includes icons representing the one or more applications associated with the first display in a first portion of the application manager and icons representing applications associated with the second display in a second portion of the application manager.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first portion of the application manager is displayed in said first display and said second portion of the application manager is displayed in said second display.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the icons are arranged in a respective portion of the application manager according to the relative position of the one or more applications in the first application stack and the relative position of applications in the second application stack.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said icons comprise screen shot representations of a corresponding application.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

selecting an application from one of the first application stack and the second application stack in the application manager; and

modifying a corresponding one of the first display and the second display to render the selected application on the corresponding one of the first and the second display.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the logical association of said one or more applications is controllable by user interaction with the application manager.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

selecting an application comprising an actively displayed application of one of the first and second display;

dragging the application to the other of the first and second display; and

changing the other of the first and second display such that the application is the actively displayed application on the other of the first and second display.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the interaction with the application manager includes manipulation of the icons representing the one or more applications.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

moving an application from one of the first and second application stacks to another of the first and second application stacks by dragging an icon representative of the application from the first portion of the application manager displayed on the first display to the second portion of the application manager displayed on the second display.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

dragging an application from the first portion of the application manager to the second display;

modifying the second display to render the application.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

closing any one of the one or more applications by selecting a corresponding close icon from the application manager.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gesture input is a spread gesture.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first display comprises a first portion of a unitary display and the second display comprises a second portion of a unitary display.

16. A handheld computing device, comprising:

a processor;

a first display operable to display a first screen, the first display being in operative communication with the processor;

a second display operable to display a second screen, the second display being in operative communication with the processor;

at least one gesture sensor operable to receive a gesture input;

wherein the processor is operative to control at least one of the first display and the second display such that an application manager is displayed on at least one of the first display and the second display in response to receipt of the gesture input.

17. The device as recited in claim 16, wherein the handheld computing device comprises a smart phone.

18. The device as recited in claim 17, wherein the first display and second display are positionable with respect to each other between an open and closed position.

19. The device as recited in claim 18, wherein when in the open position, the first display and the second display are visible from the vantage point of a user.

20. The device as recited in claim 19, wherein when in the closed position, only one of the first display and the second display are visible from the vantage point of a user.