Smart cover for an electronic device

• US 9,285,839 B1
• Filed: 08/26/2014
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) Pte., Ltd. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Cudak, Gary D., Hardee, Christopher J., Rakshit, Sarbajit K., Roberts, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): FRANKLIN, JAMARA ALZAIDA
• Application Number:
  US14/469,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20160062415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 235/375, 455/566, 455/575.8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2200/1634 Integrated protective display lid, e.g. for touch-sensitive display in handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0606 Manual adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/08 Arrangements within a display terminal for setting, manually or automatically, display parameters of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/026 Arrangements or methods related to booting a display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/22 Detection of presence or absence of input display information or of connection or disconnection of a corresponding information source

Abstract

A cover for an electronic device comprises: at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor detects the cover being partially opened; and a signal transmitter, wherein the signal transmitter: transmits, to a video controller in the electronic device, an opening signal in response to the cover being partially opened, wherein the opening signal is in response to the cover being partially opened, and wherein the opening signal identifies and enables a first portion of a display on the electronic device; and transmits, to the video controller in the electronic device, a disabling signal to disable a second portion of the display that is not identified by the opening signal.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a displayed area on an electronic device'"'"'s display, the method comprising:

receiving, by a video controller in an electronic device, an opening signal from a cover on the electronic device, wherein the opening signal is in response to a portion of the cover being opened, and wherein the opening signal identifies and enables a first portion of a display on the electronic device; and

disabling a second portion of the display that is not identified by the opening signal, wherein the display comprises multiple portions that are independently enabled and activated by the opening signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabled first portion of the display is visible to a user, and wherein the disabled second portion of the display is not visible to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the display is a touch screen, wherein the enabled first portion of the display is capable of receiving tactile inputs from a user, and wherein the disabled second portion of the display is not capable of receiving tactile inputs from the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises multiple cover sections, wherein the opening signal is generated in response to movement of one or more of the multiple cover sections, and wherein the movement of one or more of the multiple cover sections progressively uncovers additional areas of the display to define the enabled first portion of the display.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises multiple cover sections, wherein the opening signal is generated in response to a user touching, in a predefined motion, one or more of the multiple cover sections while the cover is closed, and wherein the user touching one or more of the multiple cover sections selectively defines the enabled first portion of the display.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is running a specific application, wherein information from the specific application was previously displayed on an area of the display that included areas that are currently enabled and disabled, and wherein the method further comprises:

modifying previously displayed information from the specific application to fit on the first portion of the display that is currently enabled.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

modifying the previously displayed information by shrinking a size of the previously displayed information without removing any content.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

modifying the previously displayed information by shrinking a size of the previously displayed information by removing content.

9. A computer program product for controlling a displayed area on an electronic device'"'"'s display, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, and wherein the program code readable and executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving, by a video controller in an electronic device, an opening signal from a cover on the electronic device, wherein the opening signal is in response to a portion of the cover being opened, and wherein the opening signal identifies and enables a first portion of a display on the electronic device; and

disabling a second portion of the display that is not identified by the opening signal, wherein the display comprises multiple portions that are independently enabled and activated by the opening signal.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein an enabled first portion of the display is visible to a user, and wherein a disabled second portion of the display is not visible to the user.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the display is a touch screen, wherein an enabled first portion of the display is capable of receiving tactile inputs from a user, and wherein a disabled second portion of the display is not capable of receiving tactile inputs from the user.

12. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the cover comprises multiple cover sections, wherein the opening signal is generated in response to movement of one or more of the multiple cover sections, and wherein the movement of one or more of the multiple cover sections progressively uncovers additional areas of the display to define an enabled first portion of the display.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the cover comprises multiple cover sections, wherein the opening signal is generated in response to a user touching, in a predefined motion, one or more of the multiple cover sections while the cover is closed, and wherein the user touching one or more of the multiple cover sections selectively defines an enabled first portion of the display.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the electronic device is running a specific application, wherein information from the specific application was previously displayed on an area of the display that included areas that are currently enabled and disabled, and wherein the method further comprises:

modifying previously displayed information from the specific application to fit on the first portion of the display that is currently enabled.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

modifying the previously displayed information by shrinking a size of the previously displayed information without removing any content.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

modifying the previously displayed information by shrinking a size of the previously displayed information by removing content.

17. A cover for an electronic device, the cover comprising:

at least one sensor, wherein said at least one sensor detects the cover being partially opened; and

a signal transmitter, wherein the signal transmitter;

transmits, to a video controller in the electronic device, an opening signal in response to the cover being partially opened, wherein the opening signal is in response to a portion of the cover being opened, and wherein the opening signal identifies and enables a first portion of a display on the electronic device; and

transmits, to the video controller in the electronic device, a disabling signal to disable a second portion of the display that is not identified by the opening signal, wherein the display comprises multiple portions that are independently enabled and activated by the opening signal.

18. The cover of claim 17, wherein the display is a touch screen, wherein an enabled first portion of the display is capable of receiving tactile inputs from a user, and wherein a disabled second portion of the display is not capable of receiving tactile inputs from the user.

19. The cover of claim 17, further comprising:

multiple cover sections, wherein the opening signal is generated in response to a user touching, in a predefined motion, one or more of the multiple cover sections while the cover is closed, and wherein the user touching one or more of the multiple cover sections selectively defines an enabled first portion of the display.