Method for indicating location and direction of a graphical user interface element

• US 8,947,320 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2009
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: King, Bennett M., Kilpatrick, Thomas E. II
• Primary Examiner(s): HALEY, JOSEPH R
• Application Number:
  US12/553,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20100066643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,979 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/1.1
• 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 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1649 the additional display being independently orientable, e.g. for presenting information to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1654 the display being detachable, e.g. for remote use
• 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 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1635 Stackable modules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0216 Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0247 comprising more than two body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

In a particular embodiment, a method includes receiving a user input at a first display surface of an electronic device to move a graphical user interface element displayed at the first display surface. The electronic device includes a second display surface separated from the first display surface by a gap. The method also includes determining that at least a portion of the graphical user interface element is to be moved beyond an edge of the first display surface into the gap such that the at least a portion of the graphical user element will not be displayed at the first display surface. The method further includes displaying the at least a portion of the graphical user interface element at the second display surface based on a location and a direction of movement of the graphical user interface element at the first display surface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a hardware configuration change from a first configuration to a second configuration of an electronic device, the electronic device comprising at least a first panel having a first display surface and a second panel having a second display surface, wherein the hardware configuration change includes a change in a relative orientation of the first panel to the second panel;

modifying a graphical user interface displayed at the first display surface and the second display surface at least partially based on the second configuration;

receiving a user input at the first display surface of the electronic device to move a graphical user interface element displayed at the first display surface, the second display surface of the electronic device separated from the first display surface by a gap;

determining that at least a portion of the graphical user interface element is to be moved beyond an edge of the first display surface into the gap such that the at least a portion of the graphical user interface element will not be displayed at the first display surface; and

displaying the at least a portion of the graphical user interface element at the second display surface based on a location and a direction of movement of the graphical user interface element at the first display surface such that a position of the at least a portion of the graphical user interface element at the second display surface is dependent on at least one of speed, simulated momentum, and simulated friction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input includes a drag operation of the graphical user element at a touch screen at the first display surface.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the at least a portion of the graphical user interface element is to be moved away from the gap; and

stopping display of the at least a portion of the graphical user interface element at the second display surface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the direction of movement of the graphical user interface element includes a lateral direction of movement along a plane of the first display surface, a longitudinal direction of movement along the plane of the first display surface, or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a width of the at least a portion of the graphical user element is substantially equal to a width of the gap.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a width of the at least a portion of the graphical user element is less than a width of the gap.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface element is an application icon.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface element includes at least one text character.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device further includes a third display surface that is separated from the second display surface by a second gap, the method further comprising:

determining that at least a second portion of the graphical user interface element displayed at the second display surface is to be moved beyond an edge of the second display surface into the second gap such that the at least a second portion of the graphical user interface element will not be displayed at the second display surface; and

displaying the at least a second portion of the graphical user interface element at the third display surface based on a second location and a second direction movement of the graphical user interface element at the second display surface such that a position of the at least a second portion of the graphical user interface element at the third display surface is dependent on at least one of speed, simulated momentum, and simulated friction.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein a width of the at least a second portion of the graphical user element is less than or substantially equal to a width of the second gap.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the second direction of movement is the same as the first direction of movement.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein movement of at least a portion of the graphical user interface element into the gap triggers an event associated with the graphical user interface element.

26. The method of claim 7 further comprising launching an application associated with the application icon when the application icon is moved across the gap.

27. The method of claim 7 further comprising closing an application window associated with the application icon in response to user input directing the application window across the gap.

9. An electronic device comprising:

a first panel having a first display surface;

a second panel having a second display surface that is separated from the first display surface by a gap; and

a processor configured to;

detect a hardware configuration change from a first configuration to a second configuration of the electronic device, wherein the hardware configuration change includes a change in a relative orientation of the first panel to the second panel;

modify a graphical user interface displayed at the first display surface and the second display surface at least partially based on the second configuration;

receive at the first display surface a user input to move a graphical user interface element displayed at the first display surface;

determine that at least a portion of the graphical user interface element is to be moved beyond an edge of the first display surface into the gap such that the at least a portion of the graphical user interface element will not be displayed at the first display surface; and

display the at least a portion of the graphical user interface element at the second display surface at a time based on a location and a direction of movement of the graphical user interface element at the first display surface such that a position of the at least a portion of the graphical user interface element at the second display surface is dependent on at least one of speed, simulated momentum, and simulated friction.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the user input includes a drag operation of the graphical user element at a touch screen at the first display surface.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that the at least a portion of the graphical user interface element is to be moved away from the gap; and

stop display of the at least a portion of the graphical user interface element at the second display surface.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein a width of the at least a portion of the graphical user element is substantially equal to a width of the gap.

13. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein a width of the at least a portion of the graphical user element is less than a width of the gap.

14. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the first panel and the second panel are each rotatably coupled to a hinge located between the first panel and the second panel.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein a width of the gap is substantially equal to a width of the hinge.

28. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein movement of at least a portion of the graphical user interface element into the gap triggers an event associated with the graphical user interface element.

29. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

launch an application associated with the graphical user interface element when the graphical user interface element is pulled across the gap; and

close an application associated with the graphical user interface element in response to user input directing the graphical user interface element across the gap.

16. An apparatus comprising:

means for detecting a hardware configuration change from a first configuration to a second configuration of an electronic device, the electronic device comprising at least a first panel having a first display surface and a second panel having a second display surface, wherein the hardware configuration change includes a change in a relative orientation of the first panel to the second panel;

means for modifying a graphical user interface displayed at the first display surface and the second display surface at least partially based on the second configuration;

means for receiving at the first display surface of an electronic device a user input to move a graphical user interface element displayed at the first display surface, the second display surface separated from the first display surface by a gap;

means for determining that at least a portion of the graphical user interface element is to be moved beyond an edge of the first display surface into the gap such that the at least a portion of the graphical user interface element will not be displayed at the first display surface; and

means for displaying the at least a portion of the graphical user interface element at the second display surface based on a location and a direction of movement of the graphical user interface element at the first display surface such that a position of the at least a portion of the graphical user interface element at the second display surface is dependent on at least one of speed, simulated momentum, and simulated friction.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the user input includes a drag operation of the graphical user element at a touch screen at the first display surface.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

means for determining that the at least a portion of the graphical user interface element is to be moved away from the gap; and

means for stopping display of the at least a portion of the graphical user interface element at the second display surface.

30. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein movement of at least a portion of the graphical user interface element into the gap triggers an event associated with the graphical user interface element.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein movement of at least a portion of the graphical user interface element into the gap launches an application associated with the graphical user interface element when the graphical user interface element is pulled across the gap;

and closes an application associated with the graphical user interface element in response to user input directing the graphical user interface element across the gap.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable code comprising:

code for detecting a hardware configuration change from a first configuration to a second configuration of an electronic device, the electronic device comprising at least a first panel having a first display surface and a second panel having a second display surface, wherein the hardware configuration change includes a change in a relative orientation of the first panel to the second panel;

code for modifying a graphical user interface displayed at the first display surface and the second display surface at least partially based on the second configuration;

code for receiving at the first display surface of the electronic device a user input to move a graphical user interface element displayed at the first display surface, the second display surface separated from the first display surface by a gap;

code for determining that at least a portion of the graphical user interface element is to be moved beyond an edge of the first display surface into the gap such that the at least a portion of the graphical user interface element will not be displayed at the first display surface; and

code for displaying the at least a portion of the graphical user interface element at the second display surface based on a location and a direction of movement of the graphical user interface element at the first display surface such that a position of the at least a portion of the graphical user interface element at the second display surface is dependent on at least one of speed, simulated momentum, and simulated friction.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the user input includes a drag operation of the graphical user element at a touch screen at the first display surface.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further storing computer executable code comprising:

code for determining that the at least a portion of the graphical user interface element is to be moved away from the gap; and

code for stopping display of the at least a portion of the graphical user interface element at the second display surface.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein movement of at least a portion of the graphical user interface element into the gap triggers an event associated with the graphical user interface element.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 19, further storing computer executable code comprising:

code for launching an application associated with the graphical user interface element when the graphical user interface element is pulled across the gap; and

code for closing an application associated with the graphical user interface element in response to user input directing the graphical user interface element across the gap.