METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SWITCHING TASKS USING A DISPLAYED TASK STACK

• US 20180046498A1
• Filed: 10/23/2017
• Published: 02/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: PARK, Youngjoo, Park, Sehwan, Kang, Minjeong, Choi, Jinhee
• Granted Patent: US 10,452,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4418 Suspend and resume; Hibernate and awake
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and an electronic device are provided in which, in response to a first user input, a stack of partially overlaid visual elements is displayed in response to the first user input. Each visual element corresponds to an application that is running in the electronic device and includes an index item representing the corresponding application. A second user input for selecting a visual element from the stack of partially overlaid visual elements is received through the touchscreen. An execution screen of an application corresponding to the selected visual element is displayed.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a touchscreen;

a memory; and

a processor electrically connected with the touchscreen and the memory,

wherein the memory stores instructions that cause, when executed, the processor to;

in response to a first user input, control the touchscreen to display a stack of partially overlaid visual elements in response to the first user input, each visual element corresponding to an application that is running in the electronic device and including an index item representing the corresponding application,

receive a second user input for selecting a visual element from the stack of partially overlaid visual elements through the touchscreen, and

control the touchscreen to display an execution screen of an application corresponding to the selected visual element.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein an interval between consecutive visual elements in the stack is adjusted based on the number of visual elements displayed on the touchscreen.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the stack of partially overlaid visual elements comprises at least part of visual elements corresponding to each of all applications that are running.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein a visual element representing an execution screen of the most recently executed application is placed on top of the stack.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

in response to receiving a third user input on a visual element in the stack, terminate an application corresponding to the visual element on which the third input is received and remove the visual element corresponding to the terminated application from the stack.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

rearrange the visual elements in the stack and the interval between consecutive visual elements in the stack after removing the visual element corresponding to the terminated application.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

adjust a size of the overlaid portion of each of the displayed visual elements based on the number of visual elements displayed on the touchscreen.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

control the touchscreen to display the execution screen of the application corresponding to the visual element selected from the stack in a full screen view.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the index item includes at least one of an icon and a text representing the corresponding application.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

in response to receiving a fourth user input for switching the visual elements in the stack, replace the visual element displayed on the top of the stack with another visual element.

11. A multitask management method of an electronic device, comprising:

in response to a first user input, displaying a stack of partially overlaid visual elements in response to the first user input, each visual element corresponding to an application that is running in the electronic device and including an index item representing the corresponding application;

receiving a second user input for selecting a visual element from the stack of partially overlaid visual elements through the touchscreen; and

displaying an execution screen of an application corresponding to the selected visual element.

12. The multitask management method of claim 11, wherein an interval between consecutive visual elements in the stack is adjusted based on the number of visual elements displayed on the touchscreen.

13. The multitask management method of claim 11, wherein the stack of partially overlaid visual elements comprises at least part of visual elements corresponding to each of all applications that are running.

14. The multitask management method of claim 11, wherein a visual element representing an execution screen of the most recently executed application is placed on top of the stack.

15. The multitask management method of claim 11, further comprising:

in response to receiving a third user input on a visual element in the stack, terminating an application corresponding to the visual element on which the third input is received; and

removing the visual element corresponding to the terminated application from the stack.

16. The multitask management method of claim 11, further comprising:

rearranging the visual elements in the stack and the interval between consecutive visual elements in the stack after removing the visual element corresponding to the terminated application.

17. The multitask management method of claim 11, further comprising:

adjusting a size of the overlaid portion of each of the displayed visual elements based on the number of visual elements displayed on the touchscreen.

18. The multitask management method of claim 11, wherein the index item includes at least one of an icon and a text representing the corresponding application.

19. The multitask management method of claim 11, further comprising:

in response to receiving a fourth user input for switching the visual elements in the stack, replacing the visual element displayed on the top of the stack with another visual element.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

in response to a first user input, displaying a stack of partially overlaid visual elements in response to the first user input, each visual element corresponding to an application that is running in the electronic device and including an index item representing the corresponding application;

receiving a second user input for selecting a visual element from the stack of partially overlaid visual elements through the touchscreen; and

displaying an execution screen of an application corresponding to the selected visual element.