APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING SCREENS IN A DEVICE

• US 20140285422A1
• Filed: 01/23/2014
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KANG, Doo-Suk, CHOI, Bo-Kun, PARK, Kwang-Weon, WOO, Seung-Soo
• Granted Patent: US 9,666,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/34 for rolling or scrolling

Abstract

An apparatus and a method of controlling screens in a device are provided. The apparatus includes a display configured to include a first screen and a second screen overlapped over the first screen, and a controller configured to control display of partial information of the first screen hidden by the second screen to be viewable by changing an attribute of the second screen, upon detecting a gesture on the second screen while information is being displayed separately on the first and second screens.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling screens in a device, the apparatus comprising:

a display configured to include a first screen and a second screen overlapped over the first screen; and

a controller configured to control display of partial information of the first screen hidden by the second screen to be viewable by changing an attribute of the second screen, upon detecting a gesture on the second screen while information is being displayed separately on the first and second screens.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the attribute of the second screen includes at least one of a position, a size, or a transparency of the second screen.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gesture on the second screen includes at least one of a hovering gesture, an input of a key in a terminal, a motion gesture of the terminal, a user motion detected by infrared rays, or a user eye movement.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, upon detecting a hovering gesture above the second screen while information based on a first application is being displayed on the first screen and information based on a second application is being displayed on the second screen, the controller controls display of the partial information of the first screen hidden by the second screen to be viewable by moving the second screen from a currently displayed area of the second screen.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, upon detecting a hovering gesture above the second screen while information based on a first application is being displayed on the first screen and information based on a second application is being displayed on the second screen, the controller controls display of the partial information of the first screen hidden by the second screen to be viewable through the second screen by increasing a transparency of the second screen.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, while information based on a first application is being displayed on the first screen and information based on a second application is being displayed on the second screen, if lowermost/uppermost information based on the first application is scrolled up/down on the first screen by scrolling up/down the first screen, the controller detects a currently displayed area of the second screen, and if the second screen is positioned in a lower/upper area of the first screen, the controller controls information in the lower/upper area of the first screen not to be overlapped with the second screen by further scrolling up/down a bottom/top boundary of the first screen to or above/below a top/bottom boundary of the second screen.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, while information based on a first application is being displayed on the first screen and information based on a second application is being displayed on the second screen, if lowermost/uppermost information based on the first application is scrolled up/down on the first screen by scrolling up/down the first screen, the controller detects a currently displayed area of the second screen, and if the second screen is positioned in a lower/upper area of the first screen, the controller controls information in the lower/upper area of the first screen not to be overlapped with the second screen by moving the second screen out of the currently displayed area.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, while information based on a first application is being displayed on the first screen and information based on a second application is being displayed on the second screen, if lowermost/uppermost information based on the first application is scrolled up/down on the first screen by scrolling up/down the first screen, the controller detects a currently displayed area of the second screen, and if the second screen is positioned in a lower/upper area of the first screen, the controller controls information in the lower/upper area of the first screen to show through the second screen by increasing a transparency of the second screen.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, while information based on a first application is being displayed on the first screen and information based on a second application is being displayed on the second screen, if rightmost/leftmost information based on the first application reaches a left/right area defined with respect to a reference line drawn on the first screen by scrolling the first screen to the left/right, the controller detects a currently displayed area of the second screen, and if the second screen is positioned across the reference line of the first screen, the controller controls information in the left/right area of the first screen not to be overlapped with the second screen by moving the second screen to the right/left area opposite to the left/right area in which rightmost/leftmost information based on the first application is located and adjusting a size of the second screen according to a size of the right/left area of the first screen.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, while information based on a first application is being displayed on the first screen and information based on a second application is being displayed on the second screen, upon detecting display of a pop-up window on the first screen, the controller detects a currently displayed area of the second screen, and if the second screen is overlapped over the pop-up window, the controller controls the pop-up window not to be overlapped with the second screen by moving the second screen out of a displayed area of the pop-up window.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, while information based on a first application is being displayed on the first screen and information based on a second application is being displayed on the second screen, upon detecting display of a pop-up window on the first screen, the controller detects a currently displayed area of the second screen, and if the second screen is overlapped over the pop-up window, the controller controls partial information of the pop-up window hidden by the second screen to show through the second screen by increasing a transparency of the second screen.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, while information based on a first application and information based on a second application are being displayed respectively in first and second areas of the first screen, and information based on a third application is being displayed on the second screen, the controller determines whether the first and second applications are active, and if the first application is active and the second screen is overlapped over the first area of the first screen, the controller controls movement of the second screen to the second area, and if the second application is active and the second screen is overlapped over the second area of the first screen, the controller controls movement of the second screen to the first area.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, while information based on a first application is being displayed on the first screen and information based on a second application is being displayed on the second screen, upon detecting an input gesture on an input window of the first screen, the controller detects a currently displayed area of the second screen, and if the second screen is overlapped over the input window or a keypad displayed by the input gesture, the controller controls the input window and the keypad not to be overlapped with the second screen by moving the second screen to a position at which the second screen is not overlapped over the input window and the keypad or adjusting a size of the second screen.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, while information based on at least one application is being displayed separately on a first layer and a second layer lying over the first layer, upon detecting a gesture on the second layer, the controller controls display of partial information of the first layer hidden by the second layer to be viewable by changing an attribute of the second layer.

15. An apparatus for controlling screens in a device, the apparatus comprising:

a display configured to include a first screen and a second screen overlapped over the first screen; and

a controller configured to, while information based on a first application is being displayed on the first screen and information based on a second application is being displayed on the second screen, upon detecting a hovering gesture, determine whether the hovering gesture has been generated on the second screen based on coordinates of a position of the hovering gesture, determine a type of the hovering gesture, if the hovering gesture has been generated on the second screen, control display of partial information of the first screen hidden by the second screen to be viewable by moving the second screen out of a currently displayed area of the second screen, if the determined type of the hovering gesture is a request for moving the second screen, and control returning of the second screen to a previous displayed area or keep the second screen in a currently displayed area, if the partial information of the first screen is completely viewed.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein, if the controller determines that the hovering gesture has been generated on the first screen based on the coordinates of the position of the hovering gesture, the controller controls the information based on the first application on the first screen, and if the determined type of the hovering gesture is a command to control the second screen, the controller controls the information based on the second application on the second screen.

17. A method of controlling screens in a device, the method comprising:

displaying information based on at least one application separately on first and second screens; and

displaying partial information of the first screen hidden by the second screen to be viewable by changing an attribute of the second screen, upon detecting a gesture on the second screen while the information based on the at least one application separately on the first and second screens, wherein the second screen is displayed overlapped over the first screen.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the attribute of the second screen includes at least one of a position, a size, or a transparency of the second screen.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the gesture on the second screen includes at least one of a hovering gesture, an input of a key in a terminal, a motion gesture of the terminal, a user motion detected by infrared rays, or a user eye movement.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the displaying of the partial information of the first screen comprises:

displaying information based on a first application on the first screen and displaying information based on a second application on the second screen; and

displaying the partial information of the first screen hidden by the second screen to be viewable by moving the second screen from a currently displayed area of the second screen, upon detecting a hovering gesture above the second screen while the information based on the first application is being displayed on the first screen and the information based on the second application is being displayed on the second screen.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the displaying of the partial information of the first screen comprises:

displaying information based on a first application on the first screen and displaying information based on a second application on the second screen; and

displaying the partial information of the first screen hidden by the second screen to be viewable through the second screen by increasing a transparency of the second screen, upon detecting a hovering gesture above the second screen while the information based on the first application is being displayed on the first screen and the information based on the second application is being displayed on the second screen.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying information based on a first application on the first screen and displaying information based on a second application on the second screen;

detecting a currently displayed area of the second screen, if lowermost/uppermost information based on the first application is scrolled up/down on the first screen by a scroll-up/down of the first screen while the information based on the first application is being displayed on the first screen and the information based on the second application is being displayed on the second screen; and

further scrolling up/down a bottom/top boundary of the first screen to or above/below a top/bottom boundary of the second screen not to overlap information in a lower/upper area of the first screen with the second screen, if the second screen is positioned in the lower/upper area of the first screen.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying information based on a first application on the first screen and displaying information based on a second application on the second screen;

detecting a currently displayed area of the second screen, if lowermost/uppermost information based on the first application is scrolled up/down on the first screen by a scroll-up/down of the first screen while the information based on the first application is being displayed on the first screen and the information based on the second application is being displayed on the second screen; and

moving the second screen out of the currently displayed area not to overlap information in a lower/upper area of the first screen with the second screen, if the second screen is positioned in the lower/upper area of the first screen.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying information based on a first application on the first screen and displaying information based on a second application on the second screen;

detecting a currently displayed area of the second screen, if lowermost/uppermost information based on the first application is scrolled up/down on the first screen by a scroll-up/down of the first screen while the information based on the first application is being displayed on the first screen and the information based on the second application is being displayed on the second screen; and

increasing a transparency of the second screen to show information in a lower/upper area of the first screen through the transparency-increased second screen, if the second screen is positioned in the lower/upper area of the first screen.

25. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying information based on a first application on the first screen and displaying information based on a second application on the second screen;

detecting a currently displayed area of the second screen, if rightmost/leftmost information based on the first application reaches a left/right area defined with respect to a reference line drawn on the first screen by scrolling the first screen to the left/right while the information based on the first application is being displayed on the first screen and the information based on the second application is being displayed on the second screen; and

moving the second screen to the right/left area opposite to the left/right area in which rightmost/leftmost information based on the first application is located and adjusting a size of the second screen according to a size of the right/left area of the first screen, not to overlap information in the left/right area of the first screen with the second screen, if the second screen is positioned across the reference line of the first screen.

26. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying information based on a first application on the first screen and displaying information based on a second application on the second screen;

detecting a currently displayed area of the second screen, upon detecting display of a pop-up window on the first screen while the information based on the first application is being displayed on the first screen and the information based on the second application is being displayed on the second screen; and

moving the second screen out of a displayed area of the pop-up window not to overlap the pop-up window with the second screen, if the second screen is overlapped over the pop-up window.

27. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying information based on a first application on the first screen and displaying information based on a second application on the second screen;

detecting a currently displayed area of the second screen, upon detecting display of a pop-up window on the first screen while the information based on the first application is being displayed on the first screen and the information based on the second application is being displayed on the second screen; and

increasing a transparency of the second screen to show partial information of the pop-up window hidden by the second screen through the transparency-increased second screen, if the second screen is overlapped over the pop-up window.

28. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying information based on a first application and displaying information based on a second application respectively in first and second areas of the first screen and displaying information based on a third application on the second screen;

determining whether the first and second applications are active, while the information based on the first application and the information based on the second application are being displayed respectively in the first and second areas of the first screen and the information based on the third application is being displayed on the second screen;

moving the second screen to the second area, if the first application is active and the second screen is overlapped over the first area of the first screen; and

moving the second screen to the first area, if the second application is active and the second screen is overlapped over the second area of the first screen.

29. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying information based on a first application on the first screen and displaying information based on a second application on the second screen;

detecting a currently displayed area of the second screen, upon detecting an input gesture on an input window of the first screen while the information based on the first application is being displayed on the first screen and the information based on the second application is being displayed on the second screen; and

moving the second screen to a position at which the second screen is not overlapped over the input window and a keypad displayed by the input gesture or adjusting a size of the second screen not to overlap the input window or the keypad with the second screen, if the second screen is overlapped over the input window or the keypad.

30. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying information based on at least one application separately on a first layer and a second layer lying over the first layer; and

displaying partial information of the first layer hidden by the second layer to be viewable by changing an attribute of the second layer, upon detecting a gesture on the second layer while the information based on the at least one application is being displayed separately on the first and second layers.

31. A method of controlling screens in a device, the method comprising:

displaying information based on a first application on a first screen and displaying information based on a second application on a second screen overlapped over the first screen;

determining whether a hovering gesture has been generated on the second screen based on coordinates of a position of the hovering gesture, upon detecting the hovering gesture while the information based on the first application is being displayed on the first screen and the information based on the second application is being displayed on the second screen;

determining a type of the hovering gesture, if the hovering gesture has been generated on the second screen;

displaying partial information of the first screen hidden by the second screen to be viewable by moving the second screen out of a currently displayed area of the second screen, if the determined type of the hovering gesture is a request for moving the second screen; and

returning the second screen to a previous displayed area or keeping the second screen in a currently displayed area, if the partial information of the first screen is completely viewed.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising;

controlling the information based on the first application on the first screen, if it is determined that the hovering gesture has been generated on the first screen based on the coordinates of the position of the hovering gesture; and

controlling the information based on the second application on the second screen, if the determined type of the hovering gesture is a command to control the second screen.