Smartpad split screen desktop

• US 8,963,853 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Inventors: Sirpal, Sanjiv, Gimpl, Martin, Visosky, John Steven, de Paz, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Xie, Kwin
• Application Number:
  US13/247,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20120081313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/16 Constructional details or arrangements
• 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 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• 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 1/1647 including at least an additional display G06F1/1692 takes precedence
• 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 1/1694 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 2200/1637 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: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• 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 3/0483 : Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 : for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 : Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 : for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 : Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 : Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 : using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 : for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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 3/1423 : controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1446 : display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/02 : Affine transformations for image registration G06T3/147; for image mosaicing G06T3/4038
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 : Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2356/00 : Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 : Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 : Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation

Abstract

A multi-display device is adapted to be dockable or otherwise associatable with an additional device. In accordance with one exemplary embodiment, the multi-display device is dockable with a smartpad. The exemplary smartpad can include a screen, a touch sensitive display, a configurable area, a gesture capture region(s) and a camera. The smartpad can also include a port adapted to receive the device. The exemplary smartpad is able to cooperate with the device such that information displayable on the device is also displayable on the smartpad. Furthermore, any one or more of the functions on the device are extendable to the smartpad, with the smartpad capable of acting as an input/output interface or extension of the smartpad. Therefore, for example, information from one or more of the displays on the multi-screen device is displayable on the smartpad.

Claims

1. A smartpad comprising:

a screen;

a dock to electrically connect with a multi-screen device, wherein the docked multi-screen device includes two screens physically connected but movable with respect to each other; and

a display on the smartpad, the display configured to display content from at least one application running on a processor on the docked multi-screen device, the content including at least a first desktop panel from a first screen of the docked multi-screen device and an application launcher, wherein input from an accelerometer on the docked multi-screen device regarding an orientation of the docked multi-screen device and the smartpad is used by a display controller on the docked multi-screen device to display the content on the display of the smartpad in a certain orientation.

2. The smartpad of claim 1, wherein the display is a touch screen display.

3. The smartpad of claim 1, wherein the smartpad has a portrait mode and a landscape mode.

4. The smartpad of claim 1, wherein one or more of:

the display is capable of being logically divided into at least two logical portions,

one or more of one or more widgets and notifications are displayed,

the panel and the application launcher are overlaid, and

the panel and application launcher are movable in a carousel-like fashion.

5. The smartpad of claim 4, wherein a first of the logical portions displays at least the first desktop panel and a second of the logical portions displays at least a second desktop panel.

6. The smartpad of claim 5, wherein the at least two portions are different sizes and relate to two different applications.

7. The smartpad of claim 1, wherein the smartpad further supports a multi-application mode, the multi-application mode emulating the docked multi-screen device in mini-tablet form.

8. The smartpad of claim 1, wherein the content is re-oriented upon docking of the multi-screen device with the smartpad.

9. A method comprising:

docking a multi-screen device with a smartpad, wherein the docked multi-screen device includes two screens physically connected but movable with respect to each other; and

displaying content from at least one application running on a processor on the docked multi-screen device on a display of a smartpad, the content including at least a first desktop panel from a first screen of the docked multi-screen device and an application launcher, wherein input from an accelerometer on the docked multi-screen device regarding an orientation of the docked multi-screen device and the smartpad is used by a display controller on the docked multi-screen device to display the content on the display of the smartpad in a certain orientation.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the display is a touch screen display.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the smartpad has a portrait mode and a landscape mode.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein one or more of:

the display is capable of being logically divided into at least two logical portions,

one or more of one or more widgets and notifications are displayed,

the panel and the application launcher are overlaid, and

the panel and application launcher are movable in a carousel-like fashion.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a first of the logical portions displays at least the first desktop panel and a second of the logical portions displays at least a second desktop panel.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least two portions are different sizes and relate to two different applications.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the desktop panel includes selectable icons for one or more of applications, files and folders.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising resizing one or more of the panel and the application launcher.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising redrawing one or more of the panel and the application launcher.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining an orientation of the smartpad and aligning an orientation of the panel with an orientation of the smartpad.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein the smartpad further supports a multi-application mode, the multi-application mode emulating the docked multi-screen device in mini-tablet form.

20. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving a request to enter a desktop mode, and, in response thereto, splitting the display into at least two logical portions, and displaying at least the first desktop panel from the first screen of the docked multi-screen device and displaying the application launcher.