Windows position control for phone applications

• US 9,436,217 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2012
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Original Assignee: Z124 LLC (Flexis)
• Inventors: Sirpal, Sanjiv, Gimpl, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Levy, Amy M
• Application Number:
  US13/364,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20120218302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 715/790
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• 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 3/0481 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 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• 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 3/1446 display composed of modules, e.g. video walls
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0492 Change of orientation of the displayed image, e.g. upside-down, mirrored
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2356/00 Detection of the display position w.r.t. other display screens

Abstract

Methods and devices for selectively presenting a user interface for a phone application are provided. More particularly, a change in the display mode of a multiple screen device can be determined after the device is rotated. More particularly, a presentation of a user interface for a call log of a phone application can be retained after receiving a signal indicating the rotation of the device. However, based on the direction of the rotation, the call log detail window may be moved from a first screen to a second screen, the call log detail window is changed to a landscape orientation, and the call log detail window is expanded to cover the first and second screens.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a multi-screen device having at least first and second displays;

executing, by a microprocessor, an application on the device;

receiving, by the microprocessor, a manifest for the application;

determining, by the microprocessor, the device is in a first display mode, wherein the first and second displays are in a portrait orientation;

setting, by the microprocessor, a first display binding for the application based on the first display mode;

providing, by the microprocessor, the first display binding the application;

in response to receiving the first display binding;

presenting, by the microprocessor, a first window of the application on the first display and a second window of the application on the second display, wherein the first display mode includes displaying the first and second windows in the portrait orientation;

receiving, by the microprocessor, a rotation input from a user, wherein the rotation input includes a change in the display orientation for the device and for the application;

determining, by the microprocessor, the device is in a second display mode, wherein the second display mode includes displaying only one of the first and second windows in a landscape orientation;

setting, by the microprocessor, a second display binding in response to the rotation input and to determining the device is in the second display mode;

providing, by the microprocessor, the second display binding to the application;

in response to receiving the second display binding;

automatically increasing a size of the second window; and

displaying, by the microprocessor, the re-sized second window on both the first display and the second display in the landscape orientation, wherein the second window covers the first window on the first display, and wherein the first window is not closed but remains hidden on the first display in an inactive state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first window and the second window present different content.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second window is a child window of the first window.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the application remains in a single application mode during the change in orientation of the device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the application is in a first application mode of two or more application modes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the application is a phone application and the second window is a call log detail window.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the rotation input is a counterclockwise rotation of the device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the counterclockwise rotation changes the device from portrait orientation to landscape orientation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first display and the second display are on a single screen of the device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first display is on a first screen of the device and the second display is on a second screen of the device.

11. A multi-screen device, comprising:

a first display including a touch sensitive display area;

a second display including a touch sensitive display area,

wherein, in a first display mode, the second display displays a second user interface in a portrait orientation and the first display displays a first user interface in a portrait orientation,

wherein, in a second display mode, the second user interface is displayed on both the first and second displays, and

wherein, in the second display mode, the second user interface is displayed in a landscape orientation;

a memory;

a processor;

a multi-display management module stored in the memory and executed by the processor, wherein the multi-display management module;

receives a manifest, the manifest indicating a preferred location of application user interfaces;

determines the device is in the first display mode;

sends a first display binding;

receives a rotation input; and

in response to receiving the rotation input, determines the device is in the second display mode;

sends a second display binding; and

an application program stored in the memory and executed by the processor, wherein the application program;

sends the manifest to the multi-display management module, the manifest providing a preferred display mode;

receives the first display binding from the multi-display management module, the first display binding providing the first display mode;

in response to receiving the first display binding, presents the first user interface and the second user interface, for the application, in the first display mode;

receives the second display binding from the multi-display management module, the second display binding providing the second display mode; and

in response to receiving the second display binding;

automatically increases a size of the second user interface in the second display mode; and

presents the re-sized second user interface in the landscape orientation across both the first and second displays,

wherein the second user interface covers the first user interface on the first display, and

wherein the first user interface is not closed but remains hidden on the first display in an inactive state.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the multi-display management module receives a clockwise rotation signal and

wherein the first display and

the second display form a single screen of the device.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the application program further:

maintains the application in a single application mode; and

in response to receiving the first display binding, provides the first user interface

comprising a call log window and the second user interface comprising a call log detail window.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the first display is on a first screen of the device and the second display is on a second screen of the device.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the first display mode is a dual display mode in portrait orientation with the first and second displays displaying windows for the application, while the application is in a first application mode, and wherein the second display mode is a dual display mode in landscape orientation with the first and second displays displaying a single window for the application, while the application is in the first application mode.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, the computer executable instructions causing a processor of a multi-screen device to execute a method for providing a user interface for an application, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

instructions to execute the application, wherein the application is in a first application mode;

instructions to generate a manifest for the application, wherein the manifest provides a preferred display mode for the application;

instructions to determine a configuration of the device, wherein the device comprises a first display and a second display;

instructions to determine a first display mode for the device, wherein the first and second displays are in portrait orientation;

instructions to create a first display binding for the application;

instructions to send the first display binding to the application;

instructions to generate, in response to receiving the first display binding, a first user interface for the application for the first display in the portrait orientation and a second user interface for the application for the second display in the portrait orientation;

instructions to receive a rotation signal;

instructions to determine a second display mode, wherein the second display mode includes displaying only one of the first and second user interfaces in a landscape orientation;

instructions to generate a second display binding to change the application to the second display mode, wherein the application remains in the first application mode;

instructions to send, in response to the rotation signal and determining the second display mode, the second display binding to the application; and

instructions to, in response to receiving the second display binding;

automatically increase a size of the second user interface to occupy both the first and second displays in the second display mode; and

display the re-sized second user interface in the landscape orientation across both the first and second displays, wherein the second user interface covers the first user interface on the first display, and wherein the first user interface is not closed but remains hidden on the first display in an inactive state.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions to receive one of a clockwise rotation or a counterclockwise rotation.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions to expand, in response to receiving the clockwise rotation, the second user interface across the first and second displays.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the application is a phone application and the first user interface is a call log window providing a list of one or more calls.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the second user interface is a call detail window providing information about a call selected in the first user interface.