Systems, Devices and Methods for Dynamically Providing User Interface Controls at a Touch-Sensitive Secondary Display

• US 20190220134A1
• Filed: 03/21/2019
• Published: 07/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sepulveda, Raymond S., Wong, Chun Kin Minor, Coffman, Patrick L., Edwards, Dylan R., Wilson, Eric Lance, Suzuki, Gregg S., Wilson, Christopher I., Yang, Lawrence Y., Souza Dos Santos, Andre, Bernstein, Jeffrey T., Kerr, Duncan R., Morrell, John B.
• Granted Patent: US 10,719,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1615 with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method is performed at a computing system including: a first housing that includes a primary display, and a second housing at least partially containing (i) a physical keyboard and (ii) a touch-sensitive secondary display (TSSD) distinct from the primary display. The method includes: receiving a request to open a file associated with a content-editing application. The method further includes, in response to receiving the request: displaying, on the primary display, content from the file within the content-editing application; and also displaying, on the TSSD, a user interface including multiple user interface elements each associated with a content-display parameter for modifying presentation of content within the content-editing application.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a computing system comprising one or more processors, memory, a first housing that includes a primary display, and a second housing at least partially containing (i) a physical keyboard and (ii) a touch-sensitive secondary display distinct from the primary display;

receiving a request to open a file associated with a content-editing application;

in response to receiving the request;

displaying, on the primary display, content from the file within the content-editing application; and

displaying, on the touch-sensitive secondary display, a user interface comprising multiple user interface elements each associated with a respective content-display parameter for modifying presentation of content within the content-editing application.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting selection, at the user interface displayed on the touch-sensitive secondary display, of a value for a first content-display parameter associated with one of the multiple user interface elements;

receiving, a second input that adds new content within the content-editing application that is displayed on the primary display; and

in response to receiving the second input, displaying on the primary display the new content using the selected value for the first content-display parameter.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content from the file that is displayed within the content-editing application on the primary display includes first content of a first type and second content of a second type that is distinct from the first type, and the method further comprises:

detecting a first input that selects the first content of the first type while it is displayed within the content-editing application on the primary display;

in response to detecting the first input, displaying a control associated with a first content-display parameter for modifying presentation of the content of the first type; and

detecting a second input that selects the second content of the second type while it is displayed within the content-editing application on the primary display;

in response to detecting the second input, displaying a control associated with a second content-display parameter, different from the first content-display parameter, for modifying presentation of the content of the second type.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

while the first content of the first type is selected at the primary display;

detecting selection, on the touch-sensitive secondary display, of a value for the first content-display parameter for modifying presentation of the content of the first type; and

in response to detecting the selection, updating the primary display to modify presentation of the first content of the first type based on the selected value.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first content of the first type is textual content, and the second content of the second type is graphical content.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the control associated with the first content-display parameter includes a respective user interface element for selecting a color that is used to present content within the content-editing application.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the control associated with the first content-display parameter includes a respective user interface element for highlighting content within the content-editing application.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the detecting the selection includes:

detecting, on the touch-sensitive secondary display, a selection of the one of the multiple user interface elements;

in response to the selection of the one of the multiple user interface elements, updating the touch-sensitive secondary display to include respective user interface elements that each corresponds to a different value for the first content-display parameter that is associated with the first user interface element, wherein the selected value is one of the different values.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the first content-display parameter is a visual characteristic of color, and each of the respective user interface elements corresponds to a distinct shade of color.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein, while displaying the user interface comprising multiple user interface elements, the touch-sensitive secondary display also includes at least one system-level affordance corresponding to a system-level functionality.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a computing system comprising one or more processors, memory, a first housing that includes a primary display, and a second housing at least partially containing (i) a physical keyboard and (ii) a touch-sensitive secondary display distinct from the primary display, cause the computing system to:

receive a request to open a file associated with a content-editing application;

in response to receiving the request;

display, on the primary display, content from the file within the content-editing application; and

display, on the touch-sensitive secondary display, a user interface comprising multiple user interface elements each associated with a content-display parameter for modifying presentation of content within the content-editing application.

12. A computing system, comprising:

one or more processors;

a first housing that includes a primary display;

a second housing at least partially containing (i) a physical keyboard and (ii) a touch-sensitive secondary display distinct from the primary display; and

memory storing one or more programs that are configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

displaying, on the primary display, content from the file within the content-editing application; and

displaying, on the touch-sensitive secondary display, a user interface comprising multiple user interface elements each associated with a content-display parameter for modifying presentation of content within the content-editing application.