Electronic device, controlling method thereof, controlling program thereof, and recording medium

• US 8,421,825 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2007
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2006
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: FCNT LLC
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Taniguchi, Hironobu, Furuki, Kenetsu, Fujii, Yoko, Nakajima, Yuko, Sugimoto, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, M Good
• Application Number:
  US11/699,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20080074442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,269 Days
• Field of Search: 345/659
• US Class Current: 345/659
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1622 with enclosures rotating around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define or with ball-joint coupling, e.g. PDA with display enclosure orientation changeable between portrait and landscape by rotation with respect to a coplanar body enclosure
• 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 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/021 using combined folding and rotation motions combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0233 Including a rotatable display body part
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0245 using open/close detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts

Abstract

A plurality of screen aspects is acquired; each screen layout is optimized; switching of the screen aspects is supported; and visibility and functionality of the display screen are improved. An electronic device (portable terminal apparatus) including a display function in a rotatable and/or openable/closable case includes a displaying unit that displays a vertically elongated vertical screen or a horizontally elongated horizontal screen and a controlling unit (CPU) that changes screen layouts correspondingly to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen displayed on the displaying unit. The change in the screen layout corresponding to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen includes a change in arrangement of icons.

Claims

1. An electronic device including a display function in a rotatable and/or openable/closable case, the device comprising:

a displaying unit that displays a vertically elongated vertical screen or a horizontally elongated horizontal screen; and

a controlling unit that changes screen layouts correspondingly to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen displayed on the displaying unit,

wherein the controlling unit sets a first vertical display field and a second vertical display field, on the vertical screen, the first vertical display field displaying an image with a launched function, the second vertical display field displaying a mark, an icon, clock display or any combination thereof, the second vertical display field being arranged on the top of or on the bottom of the first vertical display field, and

the controlling unit sets a first horizontal display field and a second horizontal display field, on the horizontal screen, the first horizontal display field displaying, display contents corresponding to display contents of the first vertical display field, the second horizontal display field displaying display contents corresponding to display contents of the second vertical display field, the second horizontal display field being arranged at the side of the first horizontal display field horizontally.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor unit that detects the rotation or the opening/closing of the displaying unit, wherein the controlling unit switches the displaying unit to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen based on the rotation information or the open/close information acquired from the sensor unit.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the controlling unit sets a reference position, and rotated positions or opened positions at a predetermined angle or more to the right and/or left for the displaying unit, and wherein the screen form of the displaying unit is switched to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen at the reference position and the rotated positions or the opened positions.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the change in the screen layout corresponding to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen includes a change in arrangement of icons.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein

the controlling unit launches the function assigned to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen correspondingly to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen on the displaying unit.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a movable arm that is supported by a fixed case in an openable/closable manner; and

a movable case that is rotatably supported by the movable arm, wherein the displaying unit is disposed on the movable case and is rotated or opened/closed.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein

one or both of the movable arm and the movable case include a sensor unit that detects the rotation or opening/closing of the movable case.

8. A controlling method of an electronic device including a display function in a rotatable and/or openable/closable case, the method comprising:

displaying, on a displaying unit, a vertically elongated vertical screen or a horizontally elongated horizontal screen; and

changing, by a controlling unit, screen layouts correspondingly to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen,

wherein said changing the screen layouts includes setting a first vertical display field and a second vertical display field, on the vertical screen, the first vertical display field displaying an image with a launched function, the second vertical display field displaying a mark, an icon, clock display or any combination thereof, the second vertical display field being arranged on the top of or on the bottom of the first vertical display field, or setting a first horizontal display field and a second horizontal display field, on the horizontal screen, the first horizontal display field displaying display contents corresponding to display contents of the first vertical display field, the second horizontal display field displaying display contents corresponding to display contents of the second vertical display field, the second horizontal display field being arranged at the side of the first horizontal display field horizontally.

9. The controlling method of an electronic device of claim 8, comprising:

detecting, by a sensor unit, the rotation or the opening/closing, wherein switching to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen is performed by the controlling unit based on the rotation information or the open/close information acquired from the sensor unit.

10. The controlling method of an electronic device of claim 8, comprising:

setting, by the controlling unit, a reference position, and rotated positions or opened positions at a predetermined angle or more to the right and/or left for the displaying unit and switching a screen form of the displaying unit to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen at the reference position and the rotated positions or the opened positions.

11. The controlling method of an electronic device of claim 8, wherein

the change in the screen layout corresponding to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen includes a change in arrangement of icons.

12. The controlling method of an electronic device of claim 8, comprising:

launching, by the controlling unit, the function assigned to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen correspondingly to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen on the displaying unit.

13. A recording medium storing a computer-readable control program of an electronic device including a display function in a rotatable and/or openable/closable case, the program being executed by a computer, the program comprising:

displaying a vertically elongated vertical screen or a horizontally elongated horizontal screen; and

changing screen layouts correspondingly to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen,

wherein said changing the screen layouts includes setting a first vertical display field and a second vertical display field, on the vertical screen, the first vertical display field displaying an image with a launched function, the second vertical display field displaying a mark, an icon, clock display or any combination thereof, the second vertical display field being arranged on the top of or on the bottom of the first vertical display field, or setting a first horizontal display field and a second horizontal display field, on the horizontal screen, the first horizontal display field displaying display contents corresponding to display contents of the first vertical display field, the second horizontal display field displaying display contents corresponding to display contents of the second vertical display field, the second horizontal display field being arranged at the side of the first horizontal display field horizontally.

14. The recording medium storing a computer-readable control program of an electronic device of claim 13, the program further comprising:

detecting the rotation or the opening/closing, wherein switching to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen is performed based on the rotation information or the open/close information.

15. The recording medium storing a computer-readable control program of an electronic device of claim 13, the program further comprising:

setting a reference position, and rotated positions or opened positions at a predetermined angle or more to the right and/or left and switching to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen at the reference position and the rotated positions or the opened positions.

16. The recording medium storing a computer-readable control program of an electronic device of claim 13, wherein

the change in the screen layout corresponding to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen includes a change in arrangement of icons.

17. The recording medium storing a computer-readable control program of an electronic device of claim 13, the program further comprising:

launching the function assigned to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen correspondingly to the vertical screen or the horizontal screen.