CHANGING STACK WHEN SWAPPING

• US 20120110497A1
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: IMERJ LLC (Flex, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Gimpl, Martin, Sirpal, Sanjiv, Marintchenko, Maxim
• Granted Patent: US 8,504,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/778
• 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 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A dual-screen user device and methods for revealing a combination of desktops on single and multiple screens are disclosed. Specifically, a determined number of desktops and/or running applications can be selectively displayed on dual screen displays conditioned upon inputs received and the state of the device. Desktop displays and applications can be selectively shifted between the screens by a user gesture in the form of a pinch gesture. This single user gesture prevents the user from having to open and close the running desktops and applications, or to execute multiple other user commands that otherwise would result in a laborious effort by the user to manage the multiple desktops and applications.

Claims

1. A method of displaying a plurality of desktops and/or applications, each having at least one window, on a multi-screen device, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a first input that represents an instruction to reveal one of a desktop or application on a first display of the multi-screen device and selecting a first desktop or application to display on the first display;

receiving, by a processor, a second input that represents an instruction to reveal one of a desktop or application on a second display of the multi-screen device and selecting a second desktop or application to display on the second display;

displaying, by a processor, the selected first and second desktops or applications on the first and second displays; and

switching, by a processor, the positions of the displayed first and second desktops or applications by execution of a pinch gesture such that the desktop or application appearing on the first display is switched to the second display, and the desktop or application appearing on the second display is switched to the first display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pinch gesture is conducted on off-screen areas of the first and second displays.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the desktops or applications on the first and second displays are arranged in at least one window stack.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein execution of the pinch gesture results in a simultaneous switching of the positions of the displayed first and second desktops or applications.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein execution of the pinch gesture can be executed a number of times to continue to selectively switch positions of displayed desktops or applications.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the pinch gesture is initiated by a first digit of the user contacting a sensing portion of the first display and a second digit of the user contacting a sensing portion of the second display.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that cause a computing system to execute a method, the instructions comprising:

instructions configured to receive and determine a first predetermined input that represents an instruction to reveal a first desktop or application on a first display of the multi-screen device;

instructions configured to receive and determine a second predetermined input that represents an instruction to reveal a second desktop or application on a second display of the multi-screen device;

instructions configured to respond to the first and second predetermined inputs with outputs that cause the first desktop or application to be displayed on the first display and cause the second desktop or application to be displayed on the second display;

instructions configured to receive a third predetermined input that represents instructions prompted by execution of a pinch gesture to switch the displayed positions of the first and second desktops or applications;

instructions configured to respond to the third predetermined input that causes the first and second desktops and applications to switch the displayed positions, such that the first desktop or application appearing on the first display is switched to the second display, and the second desktop or application appearing on the second display is switched to the first display.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the first display corresponds to a primary screen and wherein the second display corresponds to a secondary screen.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the pinch gesture is conducted on off-screen areas of the first and second displays.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the desktops or applications on the first and second displays are arranged in at least one window stack.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein execution of the pinch gesture results in a simultaneous switching of the positions of the displayed first and second desktops or applications.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the pinch gesture can be executed a number of times to continue to selectively switch positions of displayed desktops or applications.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the instructions configured to receive the third input includes instructions configured to respond to the pinch gesture initiated by a first digit of the user contacting a sensing portion of the first display and a second digit of the user contacting a sensing portion of the second display.

14. A multi-screen user device, comprising:

a first display including a first display area;

a second display including a second display area;

a first user input gesture area of the first display;

a second user input gesture area of the second display, wherein the first and second user input gesture areas are configured to accept input from a user.

a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that include;

(i) a first set of instructions configured to determine a number and identity of desktops or applications to be displayed on the first and second displays in response to a user input that selects desired desktops or applications to be displayed on the first and second displays;

(ii) a second set of instructions to configured to display the selected desktops or applications such that a first desktop or application is displayed on the first display and a second desktop or application is displayed on the second display

(iii) a third set of instructions responsive to a pinch gesture made by the user to cause the first and second desktops and applications to switch the displayed positions, such that the first desktop or application appearing on the first display is switched to the second display, and the second desktop or application appearing on the second display is switched to the first display.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the first display corresponds to a primary screen and wherein the second display corresponds to a secondary screen.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the first user input gesture area is located on an off-screen area of the first display and outside of the first display area.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the second user input gesture area is located on an off-screen area of the second display and outside of the second display area.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the displayed desktops or applications on the first and second displays are arranged in at least one window stack

19. The device of claim 14, wherein execution of the pinch gesture results in a simultaneous switching of the positions of the displayed first and second desktops or applications

20. The device of claim 14, wherein execution of the pinch gesture can be executed a number of times to continue to selectively switch positions of displayed desktops or applications