Electronic device and method of controlling a screen of an external electronic device

• US 9,754,553 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2015
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Hwa-Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Haley, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US14/687,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20150302823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3228 Monitoring task completion, e.g. by use of idle timers, stop commands or wait commands
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/06 Consumer Electronics Control, i.e. control of another device by a display or vice versa
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/64 file transfer between terminals download of applications H04M1/72406; transfer of messages, e.g. SMS, e-mail or MMS H04M1/7243
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

An electronic device and method of controlling a screen of an external electronic device are provided. The method includes connecting with the external electronic device; determining whether a screen control event for controlling the screen of the external electronic device is generated; and transmitting screen control information corresponding to the screen control event to the external electronic device, if the screen control event is generated.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a screen in an external electronic device, the method comprising:

connecting with an electronic device;

receiving, from the electronic device, screen control information for controlling the screen of the external electronic device;

determining whether a screen of the external electronic device is in an on state or an off state;

if the external electronic device is in the on state, changing a setting of the screen of the external electronic device according to the received screen control information;

recounting a timeout time period of the screen of the external electronic device based on the changed setting of the screen of the external electronic device; and

if the external electronic device is in the off state, changing the screen of the external electronic device from the off state to the on state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the screen control information comprises at least one of:

a changed setting value of a function of the electronic device;

input information from the electronic device; and

notification information that notifies the external electronic device of completion of data transmission between the external electronic device and the electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising counting the timeout time period of the screen of the external electronic device, while receiving the screen control information for controlling the screen of the external electronic device is received from the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the received screen control information comprises information for restarting the counting of the timeout time period of the screen of the external electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the setting of the screen according to the received screen control information comprises:

changing a screen timeout time period for a particular function; and

counting the changed screen timeout time period, when the particular function is performed.

6. An external electronic device comprising:

a communication interface that connects with an electronic device; and

a processor configured to receive, from the electronic device, screen control information for controlling the screen of the external electronic device, determine whether a screen of the external electronic device is in an on state or an off state, if the external electronic device is in the on state, change a setting of a screen of the external electronic device according to received screen control information, recount a timeout time period of the screen of the external electronic device based on the changed setting of the screen of the external electronic device, and if the external electronic device is in the off state, change the screen of the external electronic device from the off state to the on state.

7. The external electronic device of claim 6, wherein the screen control information comprises at least one of:

a changed setting value of a function of the electronic device;

input information from the electronic device; and

notification information that notifies the external electronic device of completion of data transmission between the external electronic device and the electronic device.

8. The external electronic device of claim 6, wherein the processor changes a screen timeout time period for a particular function and count the changed screen timeout time period, when the particular function is performed.

9. The external electronic device of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to count the timeout time period of the screen of the external electronic device while the screen control information for controlling the screen of the external electronic device is received from the electronic device.

10. The external electronic device of claim 9, wherein the received screen control information comprises information for restarting a counting of the timeout time period of the screen of the external electronic device.