Method for managing virtual control interface of an electronic device, and associated apparatus and associated computer program product

• US 9,569,105 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2014
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Liu, Kai-Wen
• Primary Examiner(s): Shiau, Shen
• Application Number:
  US14/307,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20150370476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0383 Remote input, i.e. interface arrangements in which the signals generated by a pointing device are transmitted to a PC at a remote location, e.g. to a PC in a LAN
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 8/34 Graphical or visual programming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45512 Command shells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

A method for managing virtual control interface of an electronic device, and an associated apparatus and an associated computer program product are provided, where the method includes: utilizing a specific set of common user interfaces (UIs) as a common service for a plurality of applications, wherein the specific set of common UIs is a set of virtual control interfaces to be displayed on a screen, and the specific set of common UIs is provided by a system framework running on the electronic device, rather than being provided by any of the plurality of applications; and displaying the specific set of common UIs to allow a user to control the electronic device through the specific set of common UIs. The method may further include: selecting the specific set of common UIs from a plurality of sets of common UIs.

Claims

1. A method for managing virtual control interface of an electronic device, the method comprising the steps of:

utilizing a specific set of common user interfaces (UIs) as a common service for a plurality of applications, wherein the specific set of common UIs is a set of virtual control interfaces to be displayed on a screen, and the specific set of common UIs is provided by a system framework running on the electronic device, rather than being provided by any of the plurality of applications; and

displaying the specific set of common UIs to allow a user to control the electronic device through the specific set of common UIs.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the specific set of common UIs from a plurality of sets of common UIs, wherein each set of common UIs within the plurality of sets of common UIs is a set of virtual control interfaces to be displayed on the screen, and the plurality of sets of common UIs is provided by the system framework running on the electronic device, rather than being provided by any of the plurality of applications.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each set of common UIs within the plurality of sets of common UIs is provided by the system framework running on the electronic device, rather than being provided by any application installed in the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

obtaining a common UI selection parameter from a specific application of the plurality of applications, wherein the common UI selection parameter is utilized for indicating one set of common UIs within the plurality of sets of common UIs;

wherein the step of selecting the specific set of common UIs from the plurality of sets of common UIs further comprises;

selecting the specific set of common UIs from the plurality of sets of common UIs according to the common UI selection parameter.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of selecting the specific set of common UIs from the plurality of sets of common UIs further comprises:

based on user setting(s) or default setting(s), selecting the specific set of common UIs from the plurality of sets of common UIs.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of sets of common UIs comprises a game control interface, a television (TV) control interface, a music control interface or a combination thereof, wherein

the game control interface is used for game control and comprises a virtual direction pad and one or more virtual buttons,

the TV control interface is used for TV control and comprises a virtual number pad, and

the music control interface is used for music control and comprises a virtual circle bar.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the specific set of common UIs to allow the user to control the electronic device through the specific set of common UIs further comprises:

when the electronic device is switched to an extension mode, displaying the specific set of common UIs to allow the user to control the electronic device through the specific set of common UIs, wherein in the extension mode, the electronic device is arranged to output display data to be displayed by another electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the system framework comprises a system UI software component, and the system UI software component comprises:

a common input panel module arranged to provide the electronic device with the specific set of common UIs.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a phone window manager software component running on the electronic device is arranged to forward a request to the system UI software component, to cause the common input panel module to provide the electronic device with the specific set of common UIs.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the phone window manager software component receives the request directly or indirectly from a specific application of the plurality of applications.

11. An apparatus for managing virtual control interface of an electronic device, the apparatus comprising at least one portion of the electronic device, the apparatus comprising:

a processing circuit, arranged to control operations of the electronic device according to program instructions, wherein the processing circuit utilizes a specific set of common user interfaces (UIs) as a common service for a plurality of applications, wherein the specific set of common UIs is a set of virtual control interfaces to be displayed on a screen, and the specific set of common UIs is provided by a system framework running on the electronic device, rather than being provided by any of the plurality of applications;

wherein the processing circuit controls a display module of the electronic device to display the specific set of common UIs to allow a user to control the electronic device through the specific set of common UIs.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processing circuit selects the specific set of common UIs from a plurality of sets of common UIs, wherein each set of common UIs within the plurality of sets of common UIs is a set of virtual control interfaces to be displayed on the screen, and the plurality of sets of common UIs is provided by the system framework running on the electronic device, rather than being provided by any of the plurality of applications.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein each set of common UIs within the plurality of sets of common UIs is provided by the system framework running on the electronic device, rather than being provided by any application installed in the electronic device.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processing circuit obtains a common UI selection parameter from a specific application of the plurality of applications, wherein the common UI selection parameter is utilized for indicating one set of common UIs within the plurality of sets of common UIs;

and the processing circuit selects the specific set of common UIs from the plurality of sets of common UIs according to the common UI selection parameter.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein based on user setting(s) or default setting(s), the processing circuit selects the specific set of common UIs from the plurality of sets of common UIs.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the plurality of sets of common UIs comprises a game control interface, a television (TV) control interface, a music control interface or a combination thereof, wherein

the game control interface is used for game control and comprises a virtual direction pad and one or more virtual buttons,

the TV control interface is used for TV control and comprises a virtual number pad, and

the music control interface is used for music control and comprises a virtual circle bar.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein when the electronic device is switched to an extension mode, the processing circuit controls the display module to display the specific set of common UIs to allow the user to control the electronic device through the specific set of common UIs, wherein in the extension mode, the electronic device is arranged to output display data to be displayed by another electronic device.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the system framework comprises a system UI software component, and the system UI software component comprises:

a common input panel module arranged to provide the electronic device with the specific set of common UIs.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein a phone window manager software component running on the electronic device is arranged to forward a request to the system UI software component, to cause the common input panel module to provide the electronic device with the specific set of common UIs.

20. A computer program product, having program instructions for instructing a processor of an electronic device to perform a method comprising the steps of:

utilizing a specific set of common user interfaces (UIs) as a common service for a plurality of applications, wherein the specific set of common UIs is a set of virtual control interfaces to be displayed on a screen, and the specific set of common UIs is provided by a system framework running on the electronic device, rather than being provided by any of the plurality of applications; and

displaying the specific set of common UIs to allow a user to control the electronic device through the specific set of common UIs.