Multi display device and method of providing tool therefor

• US 9,335,887 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2013
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kwak, Ji-yeon, Lim, Yong-jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/050,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20140101576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 715763-765, 715/783, 715/761
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1618 the display being foldable up to the back of the other housing with a single degree of freedom, e.g. by 360° rotation over the axis defined by the rear edge of the base enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1643 the display being associated to a digitizer, e.g. laptops that can be used as penpads details related to the relative motion of the display enclosure with respect to the body enclosure, e.g. to move between laptop and tablet PC configuration G06F1/1615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04807 Pen manipulated menu
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A multi display device includes a first body including a first display, a second body including a second display, a hinge configured to connect the first and second bodies, and a controller configured to display a toolset including tools corresponding to an operation state of the multi display device on a screen of at least one of the first and second displays when a user manipulation to display a toolset is input, and to perform an operation corresponding to the selected tool when one tool is selected from the toolset.

Claims

1. A multi display device, comprising:

a first body comprising a first display;

a second body comprising a second display;

a hinge to connect the first and second bodies; and

a controller to display a toolset comprising tools corresponding to an operation state of the multi display device on a screen of at least one of the first and second displays when a user manipulation to display a toolset is input with the toolset being displayed as a set of tool symbols, and to perform an operation corresponding to the selected tool when one tool is selected from the toolset by selecting one of the tool set symbols,

wherein a display position of a tool displayed on the toolset is variable.

2. The multi display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the toolset comprises a tool that is usable in an application that is being executed in the multi display device.

3. The multi display device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the toolset comprises a dedicated tool that is used only for the application, and a common tool that is commonly usable in a plurality of applications,

wherein the controller places the dedicated tool in the toolset in preference to the common tool.

4. The multi display device as claimed in claim 2, wherein, when a tool that is usable in the application that is being executed is selected from the toolset, the controller displays a tool icon corresponding to the selected tool, and performs an operation corresponding to the tool while changing a display position of the tool icon according to user manipulation.

5. The multi display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when there is a first lower level tool belonging to the selected tool, the controller displays a first lower level toolset listing the first lower level tool on one side of the toolset,

wherein, when one first lower level tool is selected from the first lower level toolset and there is a second lower level tool belonging to the selected first lower level tool, the controller displays a second lower level toolset listing the second lower level tool on one side of the first lower level toolset.

6. The multi display device as claimed in claim 2, wherein a size and a shape of the toolset are adjusted differently according to a number of tools that are usable in the application.

7. The multi display device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the user manipulation is a touch gesture,

wherein the toolset is a graphic UI in which tools are arranged in a semi-circular form with reference to a point where the touch gesture ends,

wherein the first lower level toolset is a graphic UI of a circular bar shape or a graphic UI of a button shape that is displayed along an outer edge of the toolset.

8. The multi display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller newly displays a hidden tool on the toolset according to user manipulation.

9. The multi display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user manipulation is a touch and drag gesture that is made from a border region of the first body in a first direction toward the first display or from a border region of the second body in a second direction toward the second display,

wherein the controller displays the toolset on the first display or the second display according to a direction in which the touch and drag gesture is made.

10. The multi display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user manipulation is a touch and drag gesture that is made from a connection region between the first body and the second body in a first direction toward the first display or in a second direction toward the second display,

wherein the controller displays the toolset on the first display or the second display according to a direction in which the touch and drag gesture is made.

11. The multi display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the toolset further comprises at least one icon to select an application that is executable in the multi display device,

wherein, when the icon is selected from the toolset, the controller executes an application corresponding to the selected icon on a certain region of the first display or the second display.

12. The multi display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the toolset enables tool update and tool addition.

13. The multi display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller provides a tool region on at least one of the first display and the second display, and moves a tool that is selected by the user from among tools of the toolset to the tool region and displays the tool on the tool region.

14. The multi display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the user manipulation is a touch that is performed by an external object on the first display or the second display,

wherein, when the touch is performed, the controller displays the toolset comprising a tool corresponding to a kind of the external object on a touch point, and assigns a function of a tool selected from the toolset to the external object.

15. The multi display device as claimed in claim 14, wherein, when a patterning instrument is assigned to a first external object and a writing instrument is assigned to a second external object, and, when a touch is performed by the first external object and the second external object on the screen of the first or second display, the controller displays a pattering instrument image and a writing instrument image on touch points, and, when the touch point of the second external object is moved, the controller displays the patterning instrument image and a line that is drawn according to a moving path of the second external object.

16. The multi display device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a communicator that receives a control signal from a stylus pen to manipulate the multi display device,

wherein, when a control signal to display the toolset is input from the stylus pen, the controller determines that the user manipulation is performed.

17. The multi display device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the toolset comprises at least one of an internet browser adjustment menu, a music player adjustment menu, a moving image player adjustment menu, a camera option adjustment menu, a message adjustment menu, a memo adjustment menu, a gallery adjustment menu, an e-book adjustment menu, a contact information adjustment menu, a calendar adjustment menu, a writing characteristic adjustment menu, and an e-book adjustment menu.

18. A method of providing a tool of a multi display device that comprises a first body comprising a first display, and a second body comprising a second display, the method comprising:

when user manipulation to display a toolset is input with the toolset being displayed as a set of tool symbols, displaying a toolset comprising tools corresponding to an operation state of the multi display device on a screen of at least one of the first display and the second display; and

when one tool is selected from the toolset by selecting one of the tool set symbols, performing an operation corresponding to the selected tool,

wherein a display position of a tool displayed on the toolset is variable.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the toolset comprises a tool that is usable in an application that is being executed in the multi display device.

20. The method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising newly displaying a hidden tool on the toolset according to user manipulation.

21. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the user manipulation is a touch and drag gesture that is made from a border region of the first body in a first direction toward the first display or from a border region of the second body in a second direction toward the second display,

wherein the displaying on the screen comprises displaying the toolset on the first display or the second display according to a direction in which the touch and drag gesture is made.

22. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the user manipulation is a touch and drag gesture that is made from a connection region between the first body and the second body in a first direction toward the first display or in a second direction toward the second display,

wherein the displaying on the screen comprises displaying the toolset on the first display or the second display according to a direction in which the touch and drag gesture is made.

23. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the user manipulation is a touch that is performed by an external object on the first display or the second display,

wherein the displaying on the screen comprises, when the touch is performed, displaying the toolset comprising a tool corresponding to a kind of the external object on a touch point,

wherein the performing the operation corresponding to the tool comprises assigning a function of a tool selected from the toolset to the external object.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23, further comprising, when a patterning instrument is assigned to a first external object and a writing instrument is assigned to a second external object, and, when a touch is performed by the first external object and the second external object on the screen of the first or second display, displaying a pattering instrument image and a writing instrument image on touch points, and, when the touch point of the second external object is moved, displaying the patterning instrument image and a line that is drawn according to a moving path of the second external object.