Peek mode and graphical user interface (GUI) experience

• US 9,575,555 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2014
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Samuel G., Brown, Matthew I., Zambetti, Nicholas, Goel, Rohan, Shumaker, Laura Charlotte, Franklin, Jeremy C., Cretella, Michael A. Jr., Meade, Paul, Mullens, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, James A
• Application Number:
  US14/497,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20150077372A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/58 Wireless transmission of information between a sensor or probe and a control or evaluation unit
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/30 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/00 Electric or magnetic prospecting or detecting; Measuring magnetic field characteristics of the earth, e.g. declination, deviation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1603 Arrangements to protect the display from incident light, e.g. hoods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• 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 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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: G09G 2320/0686 with two or more screen areas displaying information with different brightness or colours
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/04 Changes in size, position or resolution of an image
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04

Abstract

A tablet device determines a spatial relationship between the tablet device and a protective cover. The tablet device operates in accordance with the spatial relationship.

Claims

1. A cover suitable for protecting and controlling an operation of a tablet device having a sensor and a housing, the tablet device further including an outer protective layer overlaying a display assembly configured for presenting visual content and having a size and a shape in accordance with a full front side of the tablet device, the tablet device further including a processor coupled to the display assembly and a touch sensitive layer comprising a detection element, the cover comprising:

a single piece flap pivotally attachable to the tablet device and having the size and the shape of the full front side of the tablet device and comprising;

a first segment movable away from the outer protective layer, the first segment comprising a first pattern of capacitive elements that are detectable by the touch sensitive layer through the outer protective layer when a surface of the first segment is contact with the outer protective layer, the first pattern of capacitive elements provides cover information used by the processor, and

a second segment comprising a second pattern of capacitive elements that cause the display assembly to deactivate at a location corresponding to the second segment when the second segment covers the display assembly, wherein the first segment and the second segment are capable of moving

     1) independently of each other, and

     2) with respect to the outer protective layer.

2. The cover as recited in claim 1, wherein the cover information provided by the first pattern of capacitive elements corresponds to cover specific information.

3. The cover as recited in claim 1, wherein the first pattern of capacitive elements is detectably by the detection element to alter a viewable portion of the display assembly.

4. The cover as recited in claim 1, wherein the first pattern of capacitive elements comprises a first capacitive element positioned in a first orientation and a second capacitive element positioned at a second orientation.

5. The cover as recited in claim 4, wherein the first orientation is different than the second orientation.

6. The cover as recited in claim 5, wherein the first orientation is rotated with respect to the second orientation.

7. The cover as recited in claim 6, wherein the first and second orientations are detectable as the cover information.

8. The cover as recited in claim 4, wherein the first capacitive element comprises a first length and wherein the second capacitive element comprises a second length different than the first length.

9. The cover as recited in claim 8, wherein the first length and the second lengths are detectable as the cover information.

10. The cover as recited in claim 1, wherein the cover information is selected from a group consisting of a color and a design.

11. The cover as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the first segment is capable of covering a first region of the display assembly, the first segment configured to fold away from the display assembly causing the processor to execute instructions of a software application stored on the tablet device to present a first visual content of the software application at the first region, and

the second segment is capable of covering a second region of the display different from the first region, the first segment and the second segment configured to fold away from the display assembly causing the processor to execute the instructions of the software application to present a second visual content of the software application at both the first region and the second region, the second visual content different from the first visual content.

12. A cover suitable for protecting and controlling an operation of a tablet device having a sensor and a housing, the tablet device further including an outer protective layer overlaying a display assembly configured for presenting visual content and having a size and a shape in accordance with a full front side of the tablet device, the tablet device further including a processor coupled to the display assembly and a touch sensitive layer comprising a detection element, the cover comprising:

a single piece flap pivotally attachable to the tablet device and having the size and the shape of the full front side of the tablet device and comprising a segment movable away from the outer protective layer, the segment comprising a pattern of capacitive elements that are detectable by the touch sensitive layer through the outer protective layer when a surface of the segment is contact with the outer protective layer, wherein the segment comprises micro-perforations detectable by the tablet device, and wherein when the tablet detects the micro-perforations the detection element determines the segment covers the display assembly, wherein;

the single piece flap further comprises a second segment movable away from the outer protective layer, the second segment comprising a second pattern of capacitive element,

the segment and the second segment are capable of moving independently of each other, and

the segment and the second segment are capable of moving with respect to the outer protective layer.

13. The cover as recited in claim 12, wherein the micro-perforations define a pattern detectable by a camera assembly of the tablet device.

14. The cover as recited in claim 12, wherein the pattern of capacitive elements provides cover information used by the processor.

15. The cover as recited in claim 12, further comprising a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag capable of detection in a closed configuration defined by the single piece flap fully covering the display assembly.

16. The cover as recited in claim 15, wherein the RFID tag stores information related to the single piece flap, and wherein the information is selected from a group consisting of a serial number, a style, a date and place of manufacture, and an authentication code.

17. The cover as recited in claim 12, wherein when the second segment is disposed on the outer protective layer to define a covered portion, the second pattern of segments cause the display assembly to deactivate only at the covered portion.

18. The cover as recited in claim 17, wherein when the segment is removed from the outer protective layer, the detection element determines the display assembly includes an uncovered portion and activates the display assembly only at the uncovered portion.

19. The cover as recited in claim 12, wherein the segment comprises a magnet detectable by a compass of the tablet device, and wherein when the compass detects the segment the detection element determines the single piece flap fully covers the display assembly.