ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND METHOD OF EXPANDING FUNCTION IN ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20150065207A1
• Filed: 09/02/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: HONG, Yoon-Young, CHANG, Jae-Young, JIN, Yong-Hoon
• Application Number:
  US14/474,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20150065207A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/575.3
• 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 1/1677 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 2200/1633 Protecting arrangement for the entire housing of the computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters

Abstract

An electronic device and method is provided herein. An external cover configured to cover a touchscreen in a closed position, and expose the touchscreen in an open position, the external cover having a window through which an exposed portion of the touchscreen is visible; An external cover state detection unit that detects opening/closing of an external cover mounted in the electronic device; and a controller configured to display one or more application UIs capable of executing one or more applications on a window of the external cover in a closed state of the external cover, and display the specific application and one or more function UIs for performing the specific application on the window of the external cover when a specific application UI is selected

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

an external cover configured to cover a touchscreen in a closed position, and expose the touchscreen in an open position, the external cover having a window through which an exposed portion of the touchscreen is visible;

an external cover state detection unit that detects opening/closing of an external cover mounted in the electronic device; and

a controller configured to display one or more application UIs capable of executing one or more applications on a window of the external cover in a closed state of the external cover, and display the specific application and one or more function UIs for performing the specific application on the window of the external cover when a specific application UI is selected.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when a camera UI is selected from among the one or more application UIs, the controller configured to switch a mode of the window of the external cover into a preview mode by executing a camera application, and display one or more function UIs for performing a camera operation on the window of the external cover which displays an image received through a camera unit in the preview mode.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein when a call sending UI is selected from among the one or more application UIs, the controller configured to display an input area and a display area for call sending on the window of the external cover,

wherein when a message is received on the closed state of the external cover, the controller configured to display contents of the received message on a partial area of the window of the external cover.

4. An electronic device, comprising:

an external cover configured to cover a touchscreen in a closed position, and expose the touchscreen in an open position, the external cover having a window through which an exposed portion of the touchscreen is visible;

an external cover state detection unit that detects a first state and a second state according to an opened/closed state of the external cover mounted on the electronic device; and

a controller configured to maintain execution of a specific application in the second state of the external cover when the second state of the external cover is generated during the execution of the specific application in the first state of the external cover.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein when the closed state of the external cover is generated during the execution of the specific application in an opened state of the external cover, the controller configured to display the specific application while maintaining execution of the specific application on the window of the external cover, and when the opened state of the external cover is generated during display of the specific application on the window of the external cover, the controller configured to display the specific application while maintaining execution of the specific application on a display unit of the electronic device,

wherein the controller configured to display one or more function UIs for executing the specific application during the display of the specific application on the window of the external cover.

6. An electronic device, comprising:

an external cover configured to cover a touchscreen in a closed position, and expose the touchscreen in an open position, the external cover having a window through which an exposed portion of the touchscreen is visible;

an external cover state detection unit that detects a first state and a second state according to an opened/closed state of the external cover mounted on the electronic device; and

a controller configured to execute a second application in the second state of the external cover when the second state of the external cover is generated during execution of a first application in the first state of the external cover.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein when an event corresponding to the second application is generated during execution of the first application in an opened state of the external cover, and a closed state of the external cover is generated, the controller configured to display the generated event on a window of the external cover by executing the second application, and when the opened state of the external cover is generated during display of the event by executing the second application on the window of the external cover, the controller configured to display the first application on a display unit of the electronic device,

wherein the controller configured to display one or more function UIs for processing the event during the display of the event on the window of the external cover by executing the second application.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

an external cover configured to cover a touchscreen in a closed position, and expose the touchscreen in an open position, the external cover having a window through which an exposed portion of the touchscreen is visible;

an external cover state detection unit that detects a first state and a second state according to an opened/closed state of the external cover mounted on the electronic device; and

a controller configured to display a result of execution of a specific function in the second state of the external cover, when the second state of the external cover is generated after execution of the specific function of a specific application in the first state of the external cover.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein when a closed state of the external cover is generated after the execution of the specific function of the specific application in the opened state of the external cover, the controller configured to display the result of the execution of the specific function of the specific application on a window of the external cover, and when the opened state of the external cover is generated during display of the result of the execution of the specific function on the window of the external cover, the controller configured to execute the specific application and displays the executed specific application on a display unit of the electronic device,

wherein the controller displays one or more function UIs for processing the result of the execution during the display of the result of the execution of the specific function on the window of the external cover.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein when the closed state of the external cover is generated before elapse of a predetermined time after the specific function of the specific application is executed in an opened state of the external cover, the controller configured to display a result of the execution of the specific function of the specific application on a window of the external cover, and when the closed state of the external cover is generated after elapse of a predetermined time after the specific function of the specific application is executed in the opened state of the external cover, the controller configured to maintain the execution of the specific application and displays the specific application on the window of the external cover.

11. A method of expanding a function of an electronic device, comprising:

displaying one or more application UIs capable of executing one or more applications on a window of the external cover in a closed state of the external cover mounted in the electronic device;

executing a specific application corresponding to a specific application UI when the specific application UI among the one or more application UIs is selected, and displaying the specific application on the window of the external cover; and

displaying one or more function UIs for performing the specific application on the window of the external cover on which the specific application is displayed.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

switching a mode of the window to a preview mode by executing a camera application when a camera UI is selected from among the one or more application UIs; and

displaying one or more function UIs for performing a camera operation on the window of the external cover which displays an image received through a camera unit in the preview mode.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

when a call sending UI is selected from among the one or more application UIs, displaying an input area and a display area for call sending on the window of the external cover, displaying character data input through the input area on the display area, and when the call sending is selected through the input area, performing call sending with a telephone number corresponding to the character data displayed on the display area; and

when a message is received on a closed state of the external cover, displaying contents of the received message on a partial area of the window of the external cover, displaying a message view UI when all of the contents of the received message are not displayed on the partial area of the window of the external cover, and sequentially displaying all of the contents of the message on the partial area of the window of the external cover when the message view UI is selected.

14. A method of expanding a function of an electronic device, comprising:

executing a specific application in a first state of an external cover mounted in the electronic device; and

maintaining execution of a specific application in a second state of the external cover, when the second state of the external cover is generated during execution of the specific application in the first state of the external cover.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

in a case where the first state of the external cover is an opened state of the external cover, and the second state of the external cover is a closed state of the external cover, when the closed state of the external cover is generated during execution of a specific application in the opened state of the external cover, displaying the specific application on the window of the external cover while maintaining execution of the specific application; and

when the opened state of the external cover is generated during display of the specific application in the opened state of the external cover, displaying the specific application on a display unit of the electronic device while maintaining execution of the specific application,

wherein, when the specific application is displayed on the window of the external cover, one or more function UIs for executing the specific application is displayed.

16. A method of expanding a function of an electronic device, comprising:

executing a first application in a first state of the external cover; and

executing a second application in a second state of the external cover when the second state of the external cover is generated during execution of the first application in the first state of the external cover.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

in a case where the first state of the external cover is an opened state of the external cover, and the second state of the external cover is a closed state of the external cover, when an event corresponding to the second application is generated during execution of the first application in the opened state of the external cover and the closed state of the external cover is generated, displaying the generated event on the window of the external cover by executing the second application; and

when the opened state of the external cover is generated during display of the event on the window of the external cover by executing the second application, displaying the first application on a display unit of the electronic device,

wherein, when the event on the window of the external cover by executing the second application is displayed, one or more function UIs for processing the event is displayed

18. A method of expanding a function of an electronic device, comprising:

executing a specific application in a first state of an external cover; and

displaying a result of the execution of a specific function in a second state of the external cover when the second state of the external cover is generated after the specific function is executed during execution of the specific application in the first state of the external cover.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

in a case where the first state of the external cover is an opened state of the external cover, and the second state of the external cover is a closed state of the external cover, when the closed state of the external cover is generated after execution of the specific function of the specific application in the opened state of the external cover, displaying a result of the execution of the specific function of the specific application on the window of the external cover; and

when the opened state of the external cover is generated during display of the result of the execution of the specific function on the window of the external cover, displaying the specific application on a display unit of the electronic device by executing the specific application,

wherein, when the result of the execution of the specific function on the window of the external cover is displayed, one or more function UIs for processing the result of the execution is displayed.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

in a case where the first state of the external cover is an opened state of the external cover, and the second state of the external cover is a closed state of the external cover, when the closed state of the external cover is generated after the specific function of the specific application is executed in the opened state of the external cover and before a predetermined time elapses, displaying a result of the execution of the specific function of the specific application on the window of the external cover; and

when the closed state of the external cover is generated after the predetermined time elapses after the specific function of the specific application is executed in the opened state of the external cover, displaying the specific application on the window of the eternal cover while maintaining the execution of the specific application.