ELECTRONIC DEVICE FOR DISPLAYING LIST OF EXECUTABLE APPLICATIONS ON SPLIT SCREEN AND OPERATING METHOD THEREOF

• US 20200133482A1
• Filed: 09/18/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Juwhan, Kim, Dasom, Kim, Joonhwan, Yang, Jieun, Lee, Sangeun, Hong, Kyungwha
• Granted Patent: US 11,249,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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 3/04886 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04897 Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

A method and electronic device are provided for displaying a list of executable applications on a split screen. The electronic device includes a display, a memory, and a processor. The memory stores a history including information indicating split-screen areas in which scenes associated with executed applications are respectively displayed in a split-screen mode. In response to execution of an application, the processor displays a first scene associated with the executed application on the display. In response to receiving a signal for entry into the split-screen mode, the processor identifies a first split-screen area for displaying a reduced scene of the first scene, and identifies second and third split-screen areas obtained by dividing a remaining area of the display, other than the first split-screen area, generates a first list of applications, based on the history, and displays the first list in the second split-screen area.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a memory that stores a history including information indicating split-screen areas in which scenes associated with executed applications are respectively displayed in a split-screen mode; and

a processor configured to;

in response to execution of an application, display a first scene associated with the executed application on the display,

in response to receiving a signal for entry into the split-screen mode, identify a first split-screen area for displaying a reduced scene of the first scene, and identify a second split-screen area and a third split-screen area obtained by dividing a remaining area of the display, other than the first split-screen area,

generate a first list of applications, based on the history, and

display the first list in the second split-screen area.

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

generate a second list of applications, based on the history, and

display the second list in the third split-screen area.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate the first list to include applications executed in the second split-screen area, and

generate the second list to include applications executed in the third split-screen area.

4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the first list and the second list are displayed simultaneously.

5. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to arrange the applications included in each of the first list and the second list in an order based on time of use, based on frequency of use, or based on recent use.

6. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to:

compare applications included in the first list with applications included in the second list, and

based on a number of applications included in both the first list and the second list, determine whether to combine the first list and the second list.

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

when the number of applications included in both the first list and the second list is smaller than a predetermined value, display the first list in the second split-screen area and display the second list in the third split-screen area.

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

when the number of applications included in both the first list and the second list is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, generate a third list by combining the first and second lists, and

display the third list in each of the second and third split-screen areas.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the history includes information about a type of a first application executed for a predetermined period of time and information about a split-screen area in which a scene associated with the first application is output.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the first list to include an application having a same type as the type of the first application.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the display is a flexible display.

12. A method of an electronic device, the method comprising:

in response to execution of an application, displaying a first scene associated with the executed application on a display;

in response to receiving a signal for entry into a split-screen mode, identifying a first split-screen area for displaying a reduced scene of the first scene, and identifying a second split-screen area and a third split-screen area obtained by dividing a remaining area of the display, other than the first split-screen area;

generating a first list of applications, based on a history including information indicating split-screen areas in which scenes associated with executed applications are respectively displayed in the split-screen mode; and

displaying the first list in the second split-screen area.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating a second list of applications, based on the history; and

displaying the second list in the third split-screen area.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first list includes applications executed in the second split-screen area, and

wherein the second list includes applications executed in the third split-screen area.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

comparing applications included in the first list with applications included in the second list; and

based on a number of applications included in both the first list and the second list, determining whether to combine the first list and the second list.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

when the number of particular applications included in both the first list and the second list is smaller than a predetermined value, displaying the first list in the second split-screen area and displaying the second list in the third split-screen area.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

when the number of particular applications included in both the first list and the second list is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, generating a third list by combining the first and second lists; and

displaying the third list in each of the second and third split-screen areas.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the applications included in each of the first list and the second list are arranged in an order based on time of use, based on frequency of use, or based on recent use.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the history includes information about a type of a first application executed for a predetermined period of time and information about a split-screen area in which a scene associated with the first application is output.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein generating the first list includes generating the first list to include an application having a same type as the type of the first application.