Minimizing application windows

• US 9,058,153 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2011
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Multifold International Incorporated Pte. Ltd. (Transpacific IP Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Inventors: Sirpal, Sanjiv, Reeves, Paul Edward, de Paz, Alexander, Ficklin, Jared L., Burton, Denise
• Primary Examiner(s): LEGGETT, ANDREA C.
• Application Number:
  US13/249,103
• Publication Number:
  US 20120084726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: 715/802, 715/781
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Embodiments are described for minimizing application windows displayed on one or more displays of a multi-screen device. A device may display a dual screen application which is displayed across both screens. Depending upon which screen is used to launch (or reopen) an application, the dual screen application may be minimized to the other screen.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a device having a first display and a second display;

displaying a first window of a multi-display application on the first display and the second display;

receiving an input to launch a second application;

in response to receiving the input;

displaying a second window of the second application on the second display; and

in response to opening the second window, automatically minimizing the first window to fit the first display; and

displaying the minimized first window of the multi-display application on the first display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second application is a single display application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second application is a second multi-display application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the minimized first window displays only a portion of the content displayed on the window of the multi-display application.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

placing a focus on the second window of the second application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the input comprises a tap on the at least one of the first display or the second display.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the tap is on an icon representing the second application.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second window of the multi-display application is added to a stack of the second display.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first window of the multi-display application is displayed in one of a portrait max configuration and a landscape max configuration.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second displays are logical portions of a single screen.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions that when executed by at least one processor perform a method comprising:

displaying a first window of a first application on a first display;

receiving, by the first display, input to open a second application;

in response to receiving the input;

displaying a second window of the second application on the first display; and

in response to opening the second window, automatically moving the first window to a second display; and

displaying the first window of the first application on the second display.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein prior to receiving the input, no window is displayed on the second display.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein prior to receiving the input, a third window is displayed on the second display, and in response to receiving the input, the third window no longer being displayed on the second display.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein before receiving the input, the second window is opened and positioned within a stack.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein before receiving the input, the second window is unopened and in response to receiving the input the second application is launched.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the stack is for the second display.

17. A dual screen communication device, comprising:

a first display of a first screen;

a second display of a second screen;

a non-transitory computer readable medium that stores computer executable instructions that when executed by at least one processor perform a method comprising;

displaying a first window of a multi-screen application on the first display and the second display;

receiving, by the first display, input to activate a second application; and

in response to receiving the input;

displaying a second window of the second application on the first display; and

in response to opening the second window, automatically minimizing the first window to fit the second display; and

displaying the minimized first window of the multi-screen application on the second display.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the minimized first window displays only a portion of the content displayed on the first window of the multi-display application, when the first window was displayed on the first and second touch sensitive displays.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the minimized first window displays a same content displayed on the first window of the multi-display application, when the first window was displayed on the first and second touch sensitive displays.

20. The device of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving second input to open a third application;

opening a third window on the second display; and

in response to receiving the second input, displaying the third window on the second display, wherein the first window is no longer displayed on the second display.