Electronic device, controlling method thereof, and non-transitory storage medium

• US 9,152,316 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Chiu, Kai-Feng, Lu, Yu-Jhang, Yang, Shih-Yun
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Kumar
• Assistant Examiner(s): ONYEKABA, AMY
• Application Number:
  US13/831,978
• Publication Number:
  US 20140240244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 715700-867
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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

Abstract

An electronic device, a controlling method thereof, and a non-transitory storage medium are provided. The method includes displaying a first user interface of a first mode in a first area of a touch screen of the electronic device and one or more snapshots of a second user interface of a second mode in a second area of the touch screen while the electronic device is in the first mode. The method also includes detecting a first sliding gesture on or near the touch screen. The method further includes switching the electronic device from the first mode into the second mode if the first sliding gesture complies with a predetermined switching condition.

Claims

1. A controlling method of an electronic device, wherein the electronic device has a touch screen, the controlling method comprising:

displaying a first user interface of a first mode in a first area of the touch screen and displaying one or more snapshots of a second user interface of a second mode in a second area of the touch screen while the electronic device is in the first mode;

detecting a first sliding gesture on or near the touch screen;

switching the electronic device from the first mode into the second mode when the first sliding gesture complies with a predetermined switching condition; and

displaying the second user interface of the second mode in a third area of the touch screen and displaying one or more snapshots of the first user interface of the first mode in a fourth area of the touch screen after the electronic device is switched to the second mode, wherein the fourth area is smaller than the third area, and wherein the second user interface displayed in the third area corresponds to the snapshot displayed at a central position of the second area while the electronic device is in the first mode.

2. The controlling method of claim 1, wherein the first sliding gesture complies with the predetermined switching condition is a sliding gesture that substantially moves from the second area to the first area.

3. The controlling method of claim 1, wherein the second area is smaller than the first area.

4. The controlling method of claim 1, wherein the one or more snapshots comprise a first snapshot of a first page of the second user interface and a second snapshot of a second page of the second user interface, wherein the first snapshot is located in the central position of the second area of the touch screen, the controlling method further comprising:

moving the second snapshot to the central position of the second area of the touch screen in response to a detected second sliding gesture being on or near the touch screen and applied to the one or more snapshots; and

displaying the second page of the second user interface corresponding to the second snapshot on the touch screen after the electronic device is switched to the second mode.

5. The controlling method of claim 1, wherein the first mode and the second mode are two of an all-application mode, a widget mode, and a recently-used-application mode.

6. The controlling method of claim 1, wherein the first mode is an all-application mode, the first user interface comprises an application shortcut, and the second mode is a widget mode, the controlling method further comprising:

detecting a user input being on or near the touch screen and applied to the application shortcut;

moving the application shortcut to the second area according to the user input; and

adding a widget corresponding to the application shortcut on the second user interface.

7. The controlling method of claim 1, wherein the first mode is an all-application mode, the first user interface comprises an application shortcut, the second mode is a widget mode, and the one or more snapshots comprise a first snapshot of a first page of the second user interface and a second snapshot of a second page of the second user interface, the controlling method further comprising:

detecting a user input being on or near the touch screen and applied to the application shortcut;

moving the application shortcut to a sub-area corresponding to the first snapshot in the second area according to the user input; and

adding a widget corresponding to the application shortcut on the first page of the second user interface,

wherein when the application shortcut is moved to the sub-area corresponding to the first snapshot in the second area, the first snapshot is displayed at a first angle, and the second snapshot is displayed at a second angle, wherein the first angle is different from the second angle.

8. The controlling method of claim 1, further comprising:

the touch screen comprising a first touch area and a second touch area when the electronic device is in a user-interface lock state, wherein the first touch area corresponds to the first mode, and the second touch area corresponds to the second mode;

detecting an unlock operation on or near the touch screen;

switching the electronic device to the first mode when the unlock operation complies with a first predetermined unlock condition, wherein the first predetermined unlock condition comprises determining whether the unlock operation starts from the first touch area; and

switching the electronic device to the second mode when the unlock operation complies with a second predetermined unlock condition, wherein the second predetermined unlock condition comprises determining whether the unlock operation starts from the second touch area.

9. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch screen;

a memory;

at least one processor; and

at least one procedure, wherein the at least one procedure is stored in the memory and is configured to be performed by the at least one processor, and the at least one procedure comprises instructions to perform the following operations;

displaying a first user interface of a first mode in a first area of the touch screen and displaying one or more snapshots of a second user interface of a second mode in a second area of the touch screen while the electronic device is in the first mode;

detecting a first sliding gesture on or near the touch screen;

switching the electronic device from the first mode into the second mode when the first sliding gesture complies with a predetermined switching condition; and

displaying the second user interface of the second mode in a third area of the touch screen and displaying one or more snapshots of the first user interface of the first mode in a fourth area of the touch screen after the electronic device is switched to the second mode, wherein the fourth area is smaller than the third area, and wherein the second user interface corresponds to the snapshot displayed at a central position of the second area while the electronic device is in the first mode.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the first sliding gesture complies with the predetermined switching condition is a sliding gesture that substantially moves from the second area to the first area.

11. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the second area is smaller than the first area.

12. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the one or more snapshots comprise a first snapshot of a first page of the second user interface and a second snapshot of a second page of the second user interface, wherein the first snapshot is located at the central position of the second area of the touch screen, and the at least one procedure further comprises instructions to perform the following operations:

moving the second snapshot to the central position of the touch screen in response to a detected second sliding gesture being on or near the touch screen and applied to the one or more snapshots; and

displaying the second page of the second user interface corresponding to the second snapshot on the touch screen after the electronic device is switched to the second mode.

13. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the first mode and the second mode are two of an all-application mode, a widget mode, and a recently-used-application mode.

14. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the first mode is an all-application mode, the first user interface comprises an application shortcut, the second mode is a widget mode, and the at least one procedure further comprises instructions to perform the following operations:

detecting a user input being on or near the touch screen and applied to the application shortcut;

moving the application shortcut to the second area according to the user input; and

adding a widget corresponding to the application shortcut on the second user interface.

15. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the first mode is an all-application mode, the first user interface comprises an application shortcut, the second mode is a widget mode, the one or more snapshots comprise a first snapshot of a first page of the second user interface and a second snapshot of a second page of the second user interface, and the at least one procedure further comprises instructions to perform the following operations:

detecting a user input being on or near the touch screen and applied to the application shortcut;

moving the application shortcut to a sub-area corresponding to the first snapshot in the second area according to the user input; and

adding a widget corresponding to the application shortcut on the first page of the second user interface,

wherein when the application shortcut is moved to the sub-area corresponding to the first snapshot in the second area, the first snapshot is displayed at a first angle, and the second snapshot is displayed at a second angle, wherein the first angle is different from the second angle.

16. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein the at least one procedure further comprises instructions to perform the following operations:

the touch screen comprising a first touch area and a second touch area when the electronic device is in a user-interface lock state, wherein the first touch area corresponds to the first mode, and the second touch area corresponds to the second mode;

detecting an unlock operation on or near the touch screen;

switching the electronic device to the first mode when the unlock operation complies with a first predetermined unlock condition, wherein the first predetermined unlock condition comprises determining whether the unlock operation starts from the first touch area; and

switching the electronic device to the second mode when the unlock operation complies with a second predetermined unlock condition, wherein the second predetermined unlock condition comprises determining whether the unlock operation starts from the second touch area.

17. A non-transitory storage medium storing at least one program instruction which, after loaded into an electronic device with a touch screen, is configured to perform the following steps:

displaying a first user interface of a first mode in a first area of the touch screen and displaying one or more snapshots of a second user interface of a second mode in a second area of the touch screen while the electronic device is in the first mode;

detecting a first sliding gesture on or near the touch screen;

switching the electronic device from the first mode into the second mode when the first sliding gesture complies with a predetermined switching condition; and

displaying the second user interface of the second mode in a third area of the touch screen and displaying one or more snapshots of the first user interface of the first mode in a fourth area of the touch screen after the electronic device is switched to the second mode, wherein the fourth area is smaller than the third area, and wherein the second user interface corresponds to the snapshot displayed at a central position of the second area while the electronic device is in the first mode.