WINDOWS POSITION CONTROL FOR PHONE APPLICATIONS

• US 20120214552A1
• Filed: 02/02/2012
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: IMERJ LLC (Flex, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sirpal, Sanjiv, Gimpl, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 9,733,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• 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 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 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Methods and devices for selectively presenting a user interface for a phone application are provided. More particularly, a change in the display mode of a multiple screen device can be determined. More particularly, a presentation of a user interface for a dialer of a phone application can be retained after receiving a flick in an off-screen gesture area of the device. However, a second, child window is provided in a second screen in response to receiving the flick.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a device having at least first and second screens;

in a first display mode, presenting a first user interface for a phone application on a first screen, wherein the first display mode includes displaying content in a portrait orientation and displaying content on at least the first screen;

receiving input from a user, wherein the input includes a change in the display for the phone application;

determining a second display mode, wherein the second display mode includes displaying content in a portrait orientation and displaying content on at least the first and second screen;

in response to the input and the determination that the device is in a second display mode, presenting the first user interface on a first screen;

in response to the determination that the device is in a second display mode, presenting a second user interface on a second screen, wherein the second user interface is also associated with the phone application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in the first user interface and the second user interface present different content.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second user interface is a child window of the first user interface.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the phone application remains in a single application mode during the change in the number of screens that are in view of the user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the phone application is in a first application mode.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first application mode is a dialer mode.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the input is one of a flick or drag.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the flick or drag occurs in an off-screen gesture area.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

executing the phone application;

receiving a manifest;

setting a display binding for the phone application based on the first display mode; and

providing the display binding to the phone application.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

setting a second display binding in response to the input; and

providing the second display binding to the phone application to present the second user interface.

11. A device, comprising:

a first screen, the first screen including a touch sensitive display area;

a second screen, the second screen including a touch sensitive display area, wherein in a first display mode the first screen displays a first user interface and the second screen displays a second user interface;

a memory;

a processor;

a phone application program stored in the memory and executed by the processor, wherein the application programming is operable to;

send a manifest to a multi-display management module, the manifest providing a preferred display mode;

receive a display binding, the display binding providing a first display mode; and

present the first user interface and the second user interface in the first display mode.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor receives a flick or drag in an off-screen gesture area and, in response to the flick or drag, sends a second display binding to the phone application, and wherein the phone application program is further operable to:

receive the second display binding, the second display binding providing a second display mode; and

present only a first user interface in the second display mode.

13. The device of claim 11, further comprising:

the phone application program further operable to;

alter a mode for the phone application program;

in response to altering the mode, send a second manifest to the multi-display management module, the second manifest providing a second preferred display mode; and

receive a second display binding, the second display binding providing the first display mode; and

present only the first user interface in the first display mode, wherein the first user interface is provided on both the first and second screens.

14. The device of claim 11, further comprising a multi-display management module operable to:

receive the manifest;

determine a display mode;

create the display binding; and

send the display binding to the phone application program.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the first display mode is a dual display mode in portrait orientation with the first and second screens displaying windows for the phone application, and wherein the second display mode is a dual display mode in portrait orientation with only the first screen displaying a window for the phone application.

16. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer executable instructions causing a processor to execute a method for providing a user interface for a phone application, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

instructions to execute the phone application;

instructions to generate a manifest for the phone application, wherein the manifest provides a preferred display mode for the phone application;

instructions to receive the manifest;

instructions to determine a configuration for a device, wherein the configuration is open with at least two screens visible by a user and in portrait orientation;

instructions to determine a first display mode for the device;

instructions to create a display binding for the phone application;

instructions to send the display binding to the phone application; and

in response to determining the first display mode and receiving the display binding;

instructions to generate a first user interface for a first screen.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions to receive one of a flick or a drag in an off-screen gesture area of a first screen.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising, in response to receiving one of the flick or drag, instructions to switch to a second display mode.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, further comprising;

in response to switching to a second display mode, instructions to create a second display binding;

instructions to receive the second display binding; and

instructions to present a first user interface on the first screen and a second user interface on the second screen.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the second user interface is a child window of the first user interface and wherein the phone application is in a dialer mode.