FULL-SCREEN ANNUNCIATOR

• US 20120124490A1
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Multifold International Incorporated Pte. Ltd. (Transpacific IP Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: IMERJ LLC (Flex, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sirpal, Sanjiv, Reeves, Paul E., de Paz, Alexander, Milano, Eduardo Diego Torres, Ficklin, Jared, Burton, Denise, Wygonik, Gregg
• Granted Patent: US 9,141,135 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/761
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• 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 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 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• 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 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• 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 3/0484 : for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 : display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/02 : Affine transformations for image registration G06T3/147; for image mosaicing G06T3/4038
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 : Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2356/00 : Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 : Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 : Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation

Abstract

A dual-screen user device and methods for revealing a combination of desktops on single and multiple screens are disclosed. Selected desktops and/or running applications are displayed on dual screen displays. Desktops and applications can be shifted between screens by user gestures, and/or moved off of the screens and therefore hidden. Hidden desktops and screens can be re-displayed by other gestures. The desktops and applications are arranged in a window stack that represents a logical order of the desktops and applications providing a user with an intuitive ability to manage multiple applications/desktops running simultaneously. User gestures rearrange the order of the applications and desktops in the window stack. One embodiment provides an annunciator display or window extending across both screens in a dual screen configuration of the device. The annunciator window provides alerts, notifications, and statuses of the device in an increased area thereby enhancing viewability of information in the window.

Claims

1. A method of displaying information on a multi-screen device including a plurality of desktops and/or applications each having at least one window, and an annunciator window, the method 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;

displaying, by a processor, a pre-configured annunciator window having information therein showing at least one of a device status, a connectivity status, and a messaging status;

configuring by a processor, the annunciator window to extend across both said first and second displays;

modifying, by a processor, the display of the annunciator window in response to a changed state of at least one of said device status, a connectivity status, and messaging status; and

wherein the modified display of the annunciator window displays information selectively across substantially all or part of said annunciator window.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying step includes displaying the changed state including text corresponding to at least one of a phone message, email message, or text message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying step includes displaying the changed state across a portion of said annunciator window and masking at least one icon representing said device status, a connectivity status, or messaging status.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying step includes displaying the changed state across substantially all of said annunciator window.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said annunciator window is located across adjacent upper or lower edges of said first and second displays.

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

instructions configured to receive a second predetermined input that represents an instruction to determine and 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 an instruction to display a pre-configured annunciator window having information therein showing at least one of a device status, a connectivity status, and a messaging status; and

instructions configured to respond to the third predetermined input with an output that causes the annunciator window to be displayed in a configuration extending across both of said first and second displays.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, further including:

instructions configured to receive a fourth input that represents instructions to display a changed state of said device including text corresponding to at least one of a phone message, email message, or text message; and

instructions configured to respond to the fourth input with an output that causes the annunciator window to be displayed in a changed configuration extending across both of said first and second displays.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein said instructions configured to respond to the fourth input cause a changed configuration to be displayed masking at least one icon representing said device status, a connectivity status, or messaging status.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein said instructions configured to respond to the third predetermined input causes said annunciator window to be displayed across adjacent upper or lower edges of said first and second displays.

10. 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;

an annunciator display extending across said first and second display areas of said first and second displays for displaying at least one of a device status, a connectivity status, and a messaging status;

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

a first set of instructions configured to determine a number and identity of desktops or applications selected to be run by a user; and

a second set of instructions configured to determine information to be displayed in said annunciator display based on selected user gestures and respective states of said device status, a connectivity status, and a messaging status;

11. The device of claim 10, wherein:

the second set of instructions include information regarding a changed state of one of said statuses including text corresponding to at least one of a phone message, email message, or text message.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein said second set of instructions result in displaying a changed state of said annunciator window across a portion of said annunciator window and masking at least one icon representing said device status, a connectivity status, or messaging status.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein said second set of instructions result in displaying a changed state of said annunciator window across substantially all of said annunciator window.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein said second set of instructions result in displaying said annunciator window across adjacent upper or lower edges of said first and second displays.