METHOD FOR DISPLAYING APPLICATIONS AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE THEREOF

• US 20140149908A1
• Filed: 11/27/2013
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jeon, Yong-Joon
• Granted Patent: US 10,444,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/769
• 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 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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

Abstract

A method controls an electronic device. The method includes detecting a folder display event. The method also includes, in response to detecting the event, displaying a folder and simultaneously displaying a quick menu window including at least one application included in the folder on an area adjacent to the folder without any input with respect to the folder.

Claims

1. A method for operating an electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting a folder display event; and

in response to detecting the folder display event, displaying a folder and simultaneously displaying a quick menu window including at least one application included in the folder on an area adjacent to the folder without any input with respect to the folder.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a gesture associated with the application included in the quick menu window; and

in response to detecting the gesture associated with the application included in the quick menu window, executing the application on which the gesture is detected.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a number of applications included in the quick menu window,

wherein the number of applications is determined based on at least one of system settings, user settings, a frequency of access of a user to each folder, a location, and a time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the folder and simultaneously displaying the quick menu window including at least one application included in the folder on an area adjacent to the folder without any input with respect to the folder comprises:

identifying priorities of applications included in the folder;

selecting a predetermined number of applications according to the identified priorities; and

displaying the folder and simultaneously displaying the quick menu window including the selected predetermined number of applications on the area adjacent to the folder without any input with respect to the folder.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the priorities are determined based on at least one of user settings, a frequency of use, a frequency of use for each location, and an addition time to the folder.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

detecting whether the priorities have changed after display of the quick menu window including the at least one application displayed on the area adjacent to the folder;

in response to detecting that the priorities have changed, reselecting a predetermined number of applications according to the changed priorities; and

in response to detecting another occurrence of the folder display event, displaying the quick menu window including the reselected predetermined number of applications on the area adjacent to the folder, instead of the at least one application displayed on the area adjacent to the folder without any input with respect to the folder.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the quick menu window includes a graphical effect indicating that the folder and the at least one application displayed on the area adjacent to the folder are associated with each other.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a drag associated with the folder;

in response to detecting the drag associated with the folder, identifying a dragging length of the drag; and

displaying the quick menu window further including a number of applications corresponding to the dragging length of the checked drag at a location at which the drag is detected on an area adjacent to the folder.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the quick menu window including the at least one application included in the folder on the area adjacent to the folder comprises:

determining whether another application or another folder is present on the area adjacent to the folder on which the quick menu window is to be displayed; and

in response to determining that another application or folder is present on the area adjacent to the folder, moving the other application or folder to another location and displaying the quick menu window on the area adjacent to the folder.

10. A method for operating an electronic device, the method comprising:

adding an application to a folder; and

displaying the quick menu window including the application on the area adjacent to the folder depending on whether the added application satisfies a predetermined condition.

11. An electronic device comprising:

at least one processor;

a touch sensitive display;

a memory; and

at least one program stored in the memory and configured to be executable by the processor,

wherein the program comprises instructions for;

detecting a folder display event; and

in response to detecting the folder display event, displaying a folder and simultaneously displaying a quick menu window including at least one application included in the folder on an area adjacent to the folder without any input with respect to the folder.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the program comprises instructions for:

detecting a gesture associated with the application included in the quick menu window; and

in response to detecting the gesture associated with the application included in the quick menu window, executing the application on which the gesture is detected.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the program comprises instructions for determining a number of applications included in the quick menu window,

wherein the number of applications is determined based on at least one of system settings, user settings, a frequency of access of a user to each folder, a location, and a time.

14. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the program comprises instructions for:

identifying priorities of applications included in the folder;

selecting a predetermined number of applications according to the identified priorities; and

displaying the folder and simultaneously displaying the quick menu window including the selected predetermined number of applications on the area adjacent to the folder without any input with respect to the folder.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the priorities are determined based on at least one of user settings, a frequency of use, a frequency of use for each location, and an addition time to the folder.

16. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the program comprises instructions for:

detecting whether the priorities have changed after display of the quick menu window including the at least one applications on the area adjacent to the folder;

in response to detecting that the priorities have changed, reselecting a predetermined number of applications according to the changed priorities; and

in response to detecting another occurrence of the folder display event, displaying the quick menu window including the reselected predetermined number of applications on the area adjacent to the folder, instead of the at least one application displayed on the area adjacent to the folder without any input with respect to the folder.

17. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the quick menu window includes a graphical effect indicating that the folder and the at least one application displayed on the area adjacent to the folder are associated with each other.

18. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the program comprises instructions for:

detecting a drag associated with the folder;

in response to detecting the drag associated with the folder, identifying a dragging length of the drag; and

displaying the quick menu window further including a number of applications corresponding to the dragging length of the checked drag at a location at which the drag is detected on an area adjacent to the folder.

19. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the program comprises instructions for:

determining whether another application or another folder is present on the area adjacent to the folder on which the quick menu window is to be displayed; and

in response to determining that another application or folder is present on the area adjacent to the folder, moving the other application or folder to another location and displaying the quick menu window on the area adjacent to the folder.

20. An electronic device comprising:

at least one processor;

a touch sensitive display;

a memory; and

at least one program stored in the memory and configured to be executable by the processor,

wherein the program comprises instructions for;

adding an application to a folder; and

displaying the quick menu window including the application on the area adjacent to the folder depending on whether the added application satisfies a predetermined condition.